Carrabba’s Italian Grill

With at least a half dozen locations in the Orlando area, fresh Italian cuisine in a warm and inviting atmosphere is only a few minutes away at Carrabba’s Italian Grill. Decorated with photos that reflect the Italian immigrant experience, Carrabba’s serves up fresh seafood, poultry, beef and pasta dishes, plus a variety of wines to complement every meal.

The antipasti platter includes delicately fried tender calamari (Carrabba's is the largest purchaser of squid in the U.S.), bruschette, and mozzarella sticks that are made by hand daily using only fresh sliced whole milk mozzarella. If the hearty appetizers don’t keep kids occupied until their meal arrives, the waiter will be happy to provide a square of pizza dough to each child, and that should do the trick.

Carrabba’s is known for its brick oven pizzas, and guests can watch the chefs in action as they prepare the meals. The Carrabba’s at Florida Mall and most other locations have a full service bar, and on “Wine Wednesdays” guests can receive a $10 discount off of a bottle of wine. For the main course, Carrabba’s serves up traditional family favorites such as Chicken Parmesan and Veal Marsala alongside pasta specialties such as Pasta Carrabba (a Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken, sautéed mushrooms and peas) and Lobster Ravioli, with large mouthfuls of fresh lobster meat in a handmade pasta.

The wood burning grill specialties include the Pollo Rosa Maria (chicken stuffed with prosciutto and fontina cheese with mushrooms and a basil lemon butter sauce), grilled Norwegian salmon, and a 13 oz. ribeye steak. The unique dessert selections include the Sogno di Cicoccolata (“Chocolate Dream”) featuring a fudge brownie topped with Kahlua, chocolate mousse and whipped cream; and the Dessert Rosa, a butter cake topped with pastry cream, fruit and whipped cream.

For Orlando visitors, the closest Carrabba’s locations are on Sand Lake Road near the Florida Mall, the Lake Bryan location on Vineland Avenue about a half mile west of the Premium Outlet Mall, and the Kirkman Road location (at Kirkman and Vineland) just off of the Kirkman Road exit on I-4.