Buca di Beppo
SEATTLE, WA 98109
Phone: (206) 244-2288
10/05/2007 Posted by cortjezter
took a venture here for dinner with a gift card, and had a decent time. wasn't too worried about the menu or food. it's not purely authentic italian, but good enough. service was not as desirable however. while we waited for a table and read peculiar photos defaced with captions about enemas, the host didn't want to make eye--or voice--contact, and i'm not even that intimidating an italian guy. as we were led to our table, through a corridor tiled like a locker room shower and one odd table with a rowdy family who jeered at passersby, a woman who seemed to be the staff manager was scolding and bossing other servers around in a tone that caused an awkward tension. we waited as our table was prepared, which consisted of 6-8 placemats arranged over the tablecloth, mostly to hide the crispy breadcrumbs from whomever had the table previous. the complimentary bread is decent; a shame so much was left behind. our actual server was very pleasant and helpful. a simple meal of Gnocchi el telephono and garlic mashed potatoes was excellent, with a bias toward the potatoes. dessert was a mixed bag; wanting a sweet dish of tiramisu, the server warned us that their 'rum soaked lady fingers' were indeed drenched in rum, enough so that people love it or hate it. after her personal guarantee that we would love it or have it nixed from the bill, we gave it a shot, and long story short had it removed from our bill. if you want to get tipsy with a high amount of superfluous calories and also love rum (more than espresso), you will enjoy the dessert. having read the reviews here before venturing out, one person commented about enduring the Birthday Song routine every 15 minutes, and while we laughed then, it was hauntingly accurate. literally, every 15 minutes the staff huddled around a different table, interrupted everyone's meal, and sang a round of the birthday song with such lacklustre that only restaurant staff can perform. worth a try if you have the time and appetite.
Pros: good value; large portions
Cons: little parking; birthday song central
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