A while ago, there was a big debate here about the chain Italian restaurant Buca di Beppo. Some thought it was OK, but at least one poster called it "nasty."

Well, I just looked at citysearch.com and noticed that in their top-10 ratings of Chicago restaurants (compiled from votes by visitors to the Web site), Buca is #2.

So, what's up? Is Buca OK? Or are citysearch visitors just barbarians who can't tell a lasagna from a lap dog?

I think that it is primarily because people are turned off by the "chain" atmosphere. Buca is good, it is by no means an Olive Garden, but much like Maggiano's it lacks the intimacy and atmosphere that you could find at a privately owned Italian restaurant.

Citysearch is terrible, try metromix.com

Just went there. It was a lot of fun, and the food was VERY good. It is an ideal place for a large group or people, you really would never know it was chain.

We went for dinner before my friend's bachelorette party and had a blast! The food was good, the wine was great and we just had a really good time. It is by NO means nasty!!

(I didnt even know it was a chain until I saw it on here!!)

It was a lot of fun! Pictures covering the walls like wallpaper and mostly funny pictures of nuns and priests and schoolchildren. But the food was at best mediocre. They serve family-style, that is large bowls of food for the whole table to take from. But if you are going for flavor, you won't find much here. Adding some salt and pepper at the table helps, tho, but not much. Just very, very bland food. And it is not cheap.

Certainly, I didn't mean this to be a debate about Web sites, but the comment that citysearch is "terrible" (whatever that means) doesn't seem worthwhile. I've usually found that their hotel and restaurant recommendations are on the mark. And the rating for Buca was done by site visitors, not the staff of citysearch.

But back to Buca: the debate goes on, I guess.

Yeah, gimme a break with those ridiculous surveys.
The people that respnd aren't exactly your discriminating travelling population.
I've seen similar polls that rank Pizza Hut as the number 1 local pizza and Baskin Robbins the best ice cream.
Whatever.

Buca's a chain which does not use high end ingredients or attmept to fool people that it's a high end place.
It's better than Olive Garden, but not by much food wise.

No, it is NOT better than Olive Garden. Olive Garden has much more flavor.

Buca is just fine. It is a horrible generalization to assume that a privately owned restaurant is always a cut above a chain. Buca has a good menu, good food, and unique atmosphere. Definately not just another Applebees.

Sooner or later, you just knew this was going to become an Olive Garden/Buca debate.

Dave, if by "more flavor," you mean overpowered with garlic and salt, I'm with you. The Olive Garden just may have the worst food of any chain in America (including Mickey D's).

At least at Buca, they actually cook the food. At OG, the "food" is delivered to the restaurant in microwaveable portions, heated, then served. Yum-yum. The flavor is exquisite!