21 Popular Carrabba's Menu Items Ranked From Worst To Best

When it comes to common American restaurants, some spots like Olive Garden are almost universally derided as having less-than-delicious food. However, that doesn't have to be the case at every Italian dining place, even when it comes to the ubiquitous chain joints. One Italian chain restaurant specifically offers a wide variety of delicious dishes everyone in your family is likely to love: Carrabba's Italian Grill. Is it the most "authentic" Italian food in the world? No. But does it taste great? Yes — mostly. But that also comes down to what you decide to order.

However, if you haven't been to Carrabba's before, you may have a difficult time going through the menu. There are a lot of options there (though it's not as incredibly extensive as the Cheesecake Factory menu, at least), so it's not necessarily easy choosing something to eat. We've gone ahead and done some of the hard work for you, though, by ranking some of the most popular menu items from Carrabba's Italian Grill from worst to first. The ones at the top of this list are our least favorites, sure. But as you make your way down, you'll find some seriously delicious dishes that you're going to want to come back to time and time again.

So, are you ready? Here's the 411 on some of the most popular dishes you'll find the next time you dine at Carrabba's.

If you're looking for one of the plainest, most uninspiring meals on the menu, then we've got you covered with the Tuscan-grilled chicken. There's so much that's wrong with this meal that it's hard to know where to start. First of all, the meal begins with a very basic chicken breast. This is quite possibly the least delicious cut of chicken because it's so lean and therefore pretty flavorless. If you're watching your cholesterol, that's not exactly a bad thing. However, if you actually want to enjoy your chicken-eating experience, it kind of is. Then, they grilled the chicken, but that doesn't seem to add much flavor to the dish at all.

Lest you think seasonings will save the day, the olive oil and herbs on the chicken are doing the bare minimum here. Without them, this dish would be utterly tasteless. With them, it's just slightly better than nothing. Basically, you can make a better grilled chicken breast at your own home if that's what you really feel like eating.

When you go out to eat, it's probably because you want something a little bit indulgent, especially something that you can't easily make at home. So why bother with the Tuscan-grilled chicken from Carrabba's? There are better chicken dishes out there waiting for you, so leave this one in the dust where it belongs.

When you first read the description of the salmon saporito off the Carrabba's menu, you may think that it sounds delicious. It's wood-grilled salmon that's been topped with crab meat along with lemon butter, spinach, basil, and diced tomatoes. You then get to choose a side to go with it. Sounds like a pretty solid meal, right?

But words don't always do the real thing justice, as is the case with this salmon dish when it finally makes its way to your table. The salmon itself is quite dry, so don't think that you're getting that moist, flaky texture you were probably expecting. And while we like the idea of adding crab meat on top, in reality, the two different types of seafood are a random and slightly confusing mixture at best. At worst, it's a waste of both unique flavors. The lemon butter is delicious, obviously, and the veggies at least add some freshness to the dish. But overall, the salmon saporito isn't terribly exciting. What's more, it could be a lot better if it were prepared differently.

Our advice? Just go for one of the different salmon dishes on the menu if you have to, and you'll probably end up happier.

Finally, here comes a menu item that doesn't taste bad at all. In reality, the mozzarella marinara from Carrabba's is actually pretty tasty. While it may have a different shape to make it look fancier than some other fried mozzarella varieties, it's really just your normal fried mozzarella stick that's served with a dish of marinara sauce on the side. And really, when it comes to flavor, how can you go wrong with fried cheese? It's going to taste good no matter what. It's definitely a solid order for the table, especially if you have kids.

However, would we order it at Carrabba's? Probably not. That's because Carrabba's has a fantastic selection of appetizers, where you can get dishes that you won't find at many other chain restaurants. And because of that, you'll want to take advantage of all of those options. Considering that you can get mozzarella sticks seemingly anywhere (including from the freezer section of your local grocery store), we don't think they're the best option at Carrabba's.

Of course, nobody is going to stop you if this is truly the appetizer you want! But just make sure to peruse the starter side of the menu fully before you settle on the mozzarella marinara. You may be surprised at what catches your eye instead.

By now, you should have already figured out how we feel about the Tuscan-grilled meats at Carrabba's. Generally, they're not our favorite. The best of the bunch, though, is the Tuscan-grilled sirloin. It's basically just your average seven-ounce sirloin steak. There's nothing particularly exciting about it, but you can't really go wrong with a good steak if you're craving a hearty dinner. Are there better steaks out there in the world? Of course. Is this a bit of an odd choice when you're eating at an Italian-style place? Yes. But this one will do if you just happen to find yourself at Carrabba's and are still craving steak. We wouldn't make any special trips for it, though.

That being said, you also have the option to add sauce to your sirloin. Even though it would add some flavor, we're going to give that a serious thumbs down. That's because these sauces weren't made with steak in mind, so they're likely to be too rich and heavy to complement the meat well. If you do have to add a topping, the somewhat lighter Sicilian butter is probably your best bet.

We all love going out to eat, but does it really count if you don't order dessert after you've finished with your entree? Generally speaking, we think that ordering dessert is a fantastic idea, assuming you've got the room left for a treat. You may be skipping over the cannoli cake for two, but what about the tiramisu? This subtle dessert is a classic at Italian restaurants, and it's clear why. Tiramisu, when done right, is rich and satisfying, but the flavor isn't so strong that it will knock you over. In fact, it's held up very well as a popular dessert even in the age of less-sweet treats after dinner.

So, what do we think about the tiramisu at Carrabba's? Well, if you've had your share of tiramisu before, you're probably not going to be terribly impressed by this particular offering. Don't expect the kind of quality you'd get if you were to wander into some tucked-away Roman cafe or a beloved neighborhood Italian-American eatery. But as far as chain restaurant desserts go, it's still pretty tasty. Compared to some of the other desserts on the menu, the tiramisu is easy to eat, and the flavor isn't overwhelming. And if you already love tiramisu already, it can't hurt to order it again.

Looking for a pasta dish that's not going to be packed with meat? Then try the rigatoni martino, which is practically perfect for the dedicated pasta lover. Of course, as the name implies, the base for this dish is rigatoni pasta, but the sauteed mushrooms are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here when it comes to flavor. The sun-dried tomatoes add a burst of sweet and rich umami goodness, and soon you'll see why this one is a winner. A sprinkling of Parmesan and Romano cheese on top adds even more deliciousness to the situation.

Our only real complaint about this meal is the tomato cream sauce. We wish it were brighter and more tomato-forward, but we mostly got a lot of rather dull creaminess from it. While it's definitely not bad, some acidity could have made a big difference here and really elevated the entire meal.

All in all, though, this is a delicious pasta dish that vegetarians and meat-eaters alike are sure to enjoy. As long as you like mushrooms, we can pretty much guarantee that you're going to want to order this menu item again.

Sometimes, you just want to stick to the basics. That's especially true when you're trying to eat a greater variety of healthy meals or even just trying to fit more veggies into your diet. If you're looking for a solid side option that will offer flavor with all the simplicity you want, then you can't go wrong with a serving of sauteed spinach. Now, this may be surprising. Sauteed spinach does sound like something you would have turned your nose up as a kid. But, the truth is that you're an adult now, so you may want to change your mind and give this classic side another try.

At Carrabba's this spinach is prepared with plenty of garlic and olive oil, which means that it's practically dripping with flavor. The garlic provides the perfect assertive flavor for an otherwise plain veggie, while the oil adds just enough fat to improve the texture and make this spinach something you'll genuinely crave. Of course, it's still spinach, so it doesn't have the wow factor that other sides or full meals on this list will bring.

While there are some dishes that specifically come with sides, you don't have to order one of those just to get the sauteed spinach. That is to say, you can add a side dish to any one of the other entrees you choose. That way, you don't have to miss out what is actually some top-notch spinach.

Unfortunately, it's not always easy to find a good salad at a chain restaurant. All too often, you're left with the choice of a boring, uninspired chef's salad or a sad, wilted Caesar salad. No wonder so many people think of salad as boring health food. But if you're at Carrabba's and you're looking for a delicious mix of greens and protein, you're in luck. That's because you'll have the opportunity to order the Johnny Rocco salad.

What makes this salad special, you may ask? Well, it all starts with a bed of romaine lettuce. On top of that, you'll find a mix of salty kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, and rich ricotta salata. The stars of the show, though, are the wood-grilled shrimp and the sea scallops that are then added to the dish. While this seafood may be light, it adds a ton of flavor to this salad and plenty of protein, to boot. Moreover, the freshness of the seafood is a perfect match for such a light salad. But by the time you finish it all, there's an excellent chance that you're going to be pretty happy.

Can't decide what kind of appetizer to get when you go to Carrabba's? If you're really flummoxed, then we ask that you consider the four-cheese and sausage stuffed mushrooms. Of course, if you don't like mushrooms, this may not be a hit in your book. But for the rest of us, it's absolutely amazing. When you order it, you're going to get a dish that's filled with four rather large button mushrooms. These aren't just any mushrooms, though. They've been stuffed with four different types of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, romano, and Parmesan. There's also a smattering of sausage and some spinach in there as well, boosting the richness of this menu item. If that weren't enough, breadcrumbs are then sprinkled over the top of the mushrooms to give them a crispy, crunchy topping once they come out of the oven.

It all comes together in these cute, perfectly sized little bites that you can easily snack on while waiting for your main meal to come out. It's not a lot of food, though, so this may not be the best dish to split with a huge table. But if it's just you and one other person, you should definitely order them.

We love oysters and clams, but when it comes to bivalves, we really can't get enough mussels. You don't see them on every menu, which is why we were so excited to find them at Carrabba's. And if you're not well-acquainted with mussels, the cozze in bianco appetizer at Carrabba's is a great place to start, with top-quality Prince Edward Island mussels.

The juicy, plump mussels are cooked in a bath of lemon butter sauce and wine. This is a very common preparation method for mussels, which makes them taste absolutely delicious. They take on the flavors of the wine and the butter exceptionally well, so even if you don't like seafood, these things are still worth a try. There's also some fresh basil in the mix to give it a lovely herbaceous quality that you might not expect but will surely love once you take your first bite.