Bravo Cucina Italiana

Buffalo, New York, United States

Bravo! Cucina Italiana is a chain of Italian restaurants, similar to Carrabba's. It's a little bit higher end than The Olive Garden. This location is in Buffalo, NY, at the Walden Galleria (right across from the The Cheesecake Factory).

We had heard good things, and were anxious to try this restaurant. For the most part, it met our expectations, but the Margherita Pizza was tasteless and disappointing. If it wasn't for the margherita pizza, Bravo Cucina Italiana would have received a higher rating.

Cost

Entrees range in price from $15-$20.

Service

We arrived later in the evening, so the restaurant was fairly empty. The bread took a little longer to arrive than usual, but otherwise, the service was as expected.

Parking

Bravo Cucina Italiana is located in the Walden Galleria, which is a large mall, so there is plenty of free parking available outside.

Dress

Moderately casual - jeans and a t-shirt are fine, although some people tend to get a bit more dressed up, wearing a button shirt.

Items Ordered

Bread

Seasoned Bread and Dipping Oil

I was quite impressed with the bread. The interior had a mildly doughy texture, and the crust was a little bit crunchy. The seasonings were excellent, as was the dipping oil. I would happily come back here just for the bread.

Bravo Chopped Salad

Bravo Chopped Salad

The chopped salad was mostly lettuce, with a few other veggies added to it. All the veggies were chopped into pretty tiny pieces (as you'd expect in a chopped salad). The Italian dressing was also pretty good.

Margherita Pizza

Margherita Pizza

We were both disappointed with this pizza, and it's the reason the restaurant didn't get a higher rating. There was no tomato sauce on the pizza - just thin tomato slices. The pizza tasted very bland. The mozzarella cheese did not contribute any flavor, and there wasn't enough basil on the pizza to fix the problem. The crust itself was nice and thin, but overall, this pizza was a big disappointment.

Grilled Chicken and Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Grilled Chicken and Shrimp Scampi Pasta

This pasta dish was very enjoyable, and quite flavorful. There was a fair bit of chicken, which had a nice grilled flavor. The sauce was very rich and had a nice buttery lemon flavor. The tomatoes were also very flavorful, which was a pleasant surprise considering that most tomatoes are tasteless in February (in Buffalo). There were a few pieces of asparagas, but not too many. I didn't think they contributed much to the dish. The pasta was a plain white pasta, and acted as a vehicle for the tasty sauce.