Around $15-$20 per person for dinner

Buca di Beppo is a fun, friendly, Southern Italian 'immigrant' restaurant with an eclectic décor featuring pictures of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sophia Lauren. Make sure to go with at least a group of four people, as the family style portions are enough to feed an army. Although the food is merely decent, the lively and loud atmosphere makes the overall experience excellent. The Palo Alto Weekly Dining Guide refers to Beppo's atmosphere as "noisy, entertaining, family-oriented. A barrage of photographs, geegaws, statuary and visual flotsam celebrating Italy and all things Italian." For appetizers, the caprese is outstanding, and you also can't go wrong with the cracker thin pizza. We highly recommend the pizza arrabiata, which is topped with spicy peppers, sausage, and pepperoni. Stick with the pastas when ordering your entrees. We suggest the macaroni rossa and either of the rigatoni dishes. Oh, and make sure to drink the house chianti along with your meal. It's cheap and is not the best quality, but is a good value and provides a nice buzz, a cheap thrill. For dessert, the rum smothered Tiramisu is always a customer favorite.

It's a great for birthday parties and other large social events. My friend had his 21st there and we got him a shot of tequila that came in this eight-ounce glass, it was ridiculous. That party was sooo raging that by the end of the night the guy could hardly stand to blow out the candles. His birthday wish certainly can't be repeated here, but needless to say, a good night was had by all. But seriously folks, we highly recommend this joint for a great overall experience.