Waited over 30 min for this un-grilled cheese! Rest of the meal was food a mess half cold have warm.read more

Another quick and succinct review here. I always like to find different places to stop on my…read moretravels north and southbound on I-95. I came across Basilico in Fredericksburg on Yelp and stopped in for a quick lunch last Sunday on my way home. The restaurant was bustling, the food was great, the service was quick, and it was delicious. I was not disappointed. There are many options to choose from. The bakery choices were abundant and looked delicious but I passed (this time).

I've become a tougher reviewer over the years because food is expensive, and if I'm paying for a…read moredining experience, I expect more than "good enough." I've been to this restaurant before, years ago, and I probably would have said it was good. Sadly, today's visit was awful. This is often presented as Fredericksburg's version of upscale dining, but it just isn't. The pasta tasted store-bought, the flavor profiles were flat, and the tomato sauce was overwhelmingly acidic. The mozzarella appetizer with lemon butter? Absolutely not. It felt like I was eating a culinary mistake from the 1970s. It looked like a grilled cheese sandwich covered in sauce and drenched in lemon butter. Nothing about it worked. The arancini was forgettable. My dining partner couldn't even finish the lasagna. It was extremely over-sauced, sloppily presented, and tasted only a small step above something you'd buy frozen at the grocery store. To be fair, the Pomodoro was the only dish at the table that was reasonably enjoyable. However, even that felt overpriced for what was presented. When you're charging premium prices for a simple pasta dish, I expect exceptional ingredients, technique, or house-made pasta. This wasn't that. It felt like a basic pasta dish with a premium price tag attached to it. Maybe my expectations were too high based on the restaurant's reputation, but at these prices, "decent" simply isn't enough. The lone bright spot was our server, who was attentive, friendly, and apologetic. Honestly, the service is the only reason this review gets a star. If I were rating the server alone, it would have been three stars. The atmosphere didn't help. It was cold inside the restaurant, extremely loud, and the lighting seemed to have an identity crisis. One minute it was dim, the next it was bright. If there hadn't been so many elderly people dining, I might have thought I had accidentally wandered into a rave. I couldn't hear my dinner partner without leaning across the table. Even our server apologized and mentioned that it's not usually that loud. I left genuinely disappointed. If you've never ventured beyond Fredericksburg, you might consider this fine dining. But if you've experienced great Italian food elsewhere, you'll likely know there's a significant difference. Significant. Unfortunately, this visit missed the mark on nearly every level.

The food was just about average. Nothing spectacular. We did enjoy the salads, fresh crispy…read morelettuce. The spaghetti with meatballs was bland. Linguini with clams was ok. Eggplant dish was good. What did stand out was the phenomenal server, an older gentleman. He was an elegant man with impeccable manners. He took orders from the females first. We also enjoyed the happy hour menu, allowing us to sample a bit of everything.

We are in town for a baseball tournament and they were one of the few places that were able to…read moreaccommodate our large group on such short notice. They set us up in the back area and arranged a pre fix menu. Food was good as was the service. We appreciated it.

Sorely disappointed. I come often. Today has to be the worse experience here!…read more It wasn't busy inside. I was sat... and sat for 15+ minutes and NOBODY even acknowledged us at the table. We received ZERO service, none. After 15 minutes, I went back to the desk and told them nobody came. We decided to get up and left. I am VERY upset about this. I think I'll hold off on coming here for a while. Smh. Thanks for a ruined experience.

Stopped here on an afternoon wandering around the town. Was asked if we had a reservation and they…read moreacted like the place was so packed we needed it and then they "would see what they could do". We ended up outside on the patio and pretty much every table we passed on the way out there and on the way back out of the restaurant was completely empty so I was so confused why we couldn't sit inside. The menu is limited at best. I felt there were a ton of classic items you see at most Italian restaurants not offered. Fettuccine Alfredo? Nope. Lasagna? Nope. No choices of sauces and no choices of pasta styles. The sauce is on the sweet side, if you're into that. The pasta didn't taste homemade, but wasn't awful. Service was friendly, people were nice, but I wouldn't come back here if I'm looking for more traditional classic Italian dishes. It was fine to try for a quick afternoon stop.

We tried the new flatbread for lunch! Wow it was amazing as well as the Tiramisu and the chocolate…read morecake! Will definitely be back to eat a lot more of the flatbreads! Full of flavor and cheese!

My brunch experience at Bravo today was just what the doctor ordered. I needed to "be still" and I…read morewas hungry. I had the nicest wait/bartender who contributed. I had a modified bloody mary because I didn't need anything spicy. It was so good!! I also had the Roman Breakfast with over medium eggs along with the casa bella salad with parmesan dressing. Both dishes were fresh and delicious and they were carefully plated. There were many other delicious choices on the menu. My wait/bartender never missed a beat and she was present at the outdoor patio. The weather was nice and so had a very pleasant experience. I made sure she knew she was appreciated! I will be back!

The wife talked me into giving Bravo another try. She and a couple of her happy-hour accomplices…read moreswore it had "gotten better," the way people swear a possum tastes like pork if you cook it long enough. So I said fine, let's do this. Now, let me be clear: Nicole the bartender is the sole reason this place isn't getting the kind of rating you give a broken lawnmower. She was thoughtful, attentive, and smiled like she actually meant it--which is rarer in restaurants these days than a Baptist drinking a margarita in public. But then the food showed up and dragged the whole evening back down the hill. The flatbread pizza was so thin I'm convinced the crust started life as a Nabisco cracker. It was edible, in the technical sense. The calamari, on the other hand, was about 85% breading--looked like somebody dumped a bag of fried socks on a plate. Not greasy, I'll give 'em that, but mostly just a pile of extra coating searching desperately for a squid. So, yes, Bravo did better... but only because Nicole held the rope while the rest of the meal dangled over the cliff.

Vita is always awesome Italian food! we have been a bunch of times and they continue to provide…read moreamazing taste, fantastic staff and completely reasonable prices! my wife's favorite is their Lasagna. I try something different each time and all of the dishes I have tried have been delicious! great family run restaurant! support small businesses and have a great meal! Bravo!

I really wanted to like this place. The Manager provided the Service himself and was very kind and…read moreaccommodating. However, the restaurant is in an old shopping plaza that is rundown, dirty and the ambiance was abysmal. My wife had the Fruitti di Pesce. She loves seafood pasta dishes, but did not want to finish her meal because the mussels were poorly prepared. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to have a nice dinner with your spouse or family.

If I remembered I'd been here I never would have returned. (Two stars! Whoa!). But a lot has…read morechanged in a decade and the restaurant really shaped up. I mentioned this to the managing partner who checked in on us. Despite a packed house on Mothers Day, the restaurant was well staffed and ran pleasantly and efficiently. (We had the best server who said, "you're my favorite customers all night!" And I think she meant it.) Dinner was what I've come to expect from Carrabba's: really good! Per usual I ordered chicken Marsala with extra mushrooms, and angel hair pasta with garlic and olive oil. Wine has gone up a bit in price, but cab still comes in at less than $40 a bottle. It was a nice Mothers Day dinner even though (boo hoo) my daughter wasn't with me.

I don't usually feel the need to write reviews for chain restaurants, but after a recent visit to…read moreCarrabba's Italian Grill in Fredericksburg, I felt compelled to share our experience, especially because of the outstanding service we received from CJ on Saturday evening. Despite a busy Saturday evening, CJ stood out with friendly, attentive service. He greeted us promptly, explained the Happy Hour options, and made sure we got our drink orders in on time. He went above and beyond throughout our entire visit, and it made a difference. (I'll flag that the waitress who also stopped by our table in the same section was very kind, attentive, and helpful as well). The hostess who took our name was also great, even though she seemed a bit stressed, she clearly communicated our wait time and set expectations well. (I didn't get her name). The food was solid, as always. While Carrabba's isn't the most authentic or best Italian in the area, it's consistent and satisfying, with a good selection of appetizers and drinks. Additionally, the ambiance is relaxed, not overly romantic, but comfortable enough for a casual date night or family dinner. Overall: Carrabba's might not be on everyone's list, but based on our experiences, and the level of service we've consistently received, I'd say it's absolutely worth a visit. And if you're lucky enough to have CJ as your server, you're in for a great night.

Food and service was outstanding I really enjoyed the subs we took out from there. Chicken…read moreParmigiana and steak and cheese.

Food was solid! Good service. Shrimp marinara was good with plenty of shrimp. Salad with the house…read moredressing was fresh.