Carrabba's Italian Grill

Carrabba’s Italian Grill at New Hope Commons in Durham had me walking in with pretty okay expectations — but the reality was more “meh” than wow. The food? Fine. Flavorful enough, but when you look at the price tag, it doesn’t quite land. I mean, there was that offer where you could take an entrée home for $10, which was one redeeming value move. Service was a big letdown. Staff seemed disengaged, barely around when you needed anything. We sat there waiting, trying to catch someone’s eye, and it just didn’t feel like they were invested in the experience. The atmosphere didn’t help either — instead of being cozy or vibrant, it leaned toward dull, kind of flat. Honestly, I left feeling worse than when I arrived. Dining out should lift your mood, give you something to look forward to — this did the opposite. Overpriced food, inattentive service, low-energy space — it all added up. Maybe Carrabba’s is decent in other places, but this location? I won’t be back.

We were seated quickly and the service was great. The bread came out fresh and hot, which was a nice touch. The mozzarella was okay, but the Caesar salad was absolutely delicious. The steak and fries were decent. Overall it was a good experience.

I almost want to gatekeep this one, it was so good. The 4 course wine pairing dinner at Carrabba's is top tier. 10/10 would highly recommend. They called to confirm our reservation and obtain any dietary restrictions/allergy information. Unlike other restaurants wine pairings dinners, we had a private table and weren't shoulder to shoulder with strangers. The wait staff was attentive, bringing fresh wine glasses for each course, offered to top offs our glass each course, and made sure everything was satisfactory. They offered their $10 take home. They held a raffle for free wine bottles, guft cards, and the grand prize was a free wine dinner for 2. It was an excellent experience and my friends and I will definitely return. Only suggestion I have is to offer more options like a cocktail pairing. The tequila and bourbon pairing dinners are limited throughout the year.

I went for the Oct. 30 four-course meal and it was delicious! The staff was friendly, and Joey served my friend and I drinks with such knowledge of the wines. Will do this again a!

Food and services was great! We went on A Friday and it wasn’t too packed, To be honest it was a perfect experience for a first time! The pork chop was delicious, that and the soup were our favorites

Food always tastes excellent here. Service is fast and they care. Will definitely be returning!

We came in at 2 today and lunch was amazing! The server and manager were both awesome and our food was fast, very hot and delish! My husband had the house salad with lobster ravioli and I had the caesar salad with rigatoni al forno We will definitely be back!

Loved the food and atmosphere, our waitress Violet was very kind and checked on us periodically. Loved the cannoli cake!