Pricing:
It terms of sheer quantity for your dollar, the only place that can really beat Bucca is probably Costco. Everything costs between $15-22 but almost every plate is large enough to feed at least two extremely hungry hippos.
Distance:
In the Forum shopping center in hybrid Encinitas/Carlsbad. About a 10 minute drive for most Encinitas residents.
Thoughts:
Bucca di Beppo is not your romantic dinner for two restaurant. With trashy Italian decor every which way, this is definitely one of those large party event places. It's fun, usually loud, and you can feed an army for comparatively low cost.
Quality was definitely sacrificed a bit for quantity. The food here can best be described as average. It's satisfying to eat and by no means bad tasting but nothing really stands out about it. In my opinion, this is actually what makes this place a good kid restaurant. All the food is straight forward. The tomato sauce is just tomato sauce. No fancy spices that might make the little ones turn up their nose.
Overall, an excellent choice for family outings or birthdays. Plus the decorations make it worth frequenting at least once. You know, just to say that you've done it.
