Barbusa

Wow!! Barbusa is the spot in little Italy. We arrived closer to 8 pm. Place was vibing, busy, and great ambiance. We checked in with the hostess and to my surprise they don't take names down, instead they take note of the size of your party and come and get you when your table is ready. I was weary because that's a very impressive way of seating people. Well, sure enough, 40 min. Later that hostess came and grabbed us to direct to us our table. The have patio seating in front of restaurant, very busy area. If you are seated outside, expect a flow of people walking by.We were greeted immediately by our server. We ordered the white and red sangria, the white sangria was definitely the winner. We started with the calamari, super fresh and very tasty. We also ordered the burrata and cheese pizza, this is enough for people to share. Very tasty, too. We ordered the Caesar salad, very fresh. And the winner of the night was the mushroom and truffle oil pasta. It was amazing!! We ended up sharing, but wished I would have ordered my own, it was that good. Overall, very impressive Italian food . Based on the crowds at this restaurant, this is the spot in little Italy.

Had a last minute going away dinner here with 8 friends. We showed up around 8:45, expecting to have to wait, but I think the food gods were on our sides that night because they conveniently had the perfect table ready to go! It was still pretty busy, but about 20 minutes after we sat down it got crazy busy. It's a great spot for groups, romantic dinners, a girls night out. The group ordered a bottle of win & some cocktails. All were delicious. We went half family style, half committed dishes. I got the prosciutto y tartufo pizza...oh my god. It's a lean back, sink in your chair in silence & enjoy the religious experience happening in your mouth. Goddamn, there wasn't a contest, but I won best meal of the night. It was absolutely incredible. Every bite just got better & better. Everyone enjoyed the night & I think it will be a go-to spot for visiting friends again!

We got sat quickly on a Sunday afternoon. Everyone is very nice, staff is trained well. We ordered ahi carpaccio, caesar salad, lamb chops, and carbonara. The ahi carpaccio was fresh, sweet, tangy and refreshing. The caesar salad was basic but fresh and satisfied are caesar craving. The lamb chops were good but only 3 pieces provided so felt a little expensive for what we paid. The carbonara was delicious. I would get this again. The place was cute. Probably nice for a date. Prices were expensive but thats how it is for most italian spots in SD.

Amazing Italian spot in Little Italy! The bolognese here was absolutely delicious, packed with flavor and huge portions. Service here was great, the staff was so kind and attentive. This place definitely brings the vibes and the food. Couldn't recommend it more

Located in a great spot in the heart of Little Italy, Barbusa is a must try amongst many options in walkable vibrant neighborhood. We ordered every appetizer on the menu, which came out beautifully presented on a long wooden plank. All the apps were great, but the highlights were the lamb lollipop chops, polenta and the tempura squash. For the main course, three pasta dishes were served. The Bolognese was my favorite. We also ordered the braised short rib and bone-in ribeye. All seasoned and cooked well. We ordered a bottle of Dios Azul tequila for the table and the waitress and bar staff were amazing mixing up a variety of drinks with the bottle, finishing up with an espresso martini to finish up the night. Great meal, great service, Barbusa deserves its spot as one of the best in Little Italy.

Came here for my graduation brunch! Eggplant bruschetta had to be my favorite appetizer, and I don't like eggplant so that was a surprise to me. The garlic bread was also super yummy. Fried calamari and green bean salad were okay. Ordered the dolce e piccante pizza again and it was just as good as I remembered. Eggplant ravioli, mushroom pasta, & clam pasta were all delicious :)Waiters were all super nice and the ambiance during the day isn't as loud as at night!

We were starving after a long day and wanted to hit up little Italy ! Didn't think to make reservations because we were eating later than normal but maybe we should have:) we ended up stumbling across this restaurant and thank gosh we did! It's super authentic Italian, we got two orders of the garlic bread because jt was that bomb and all 5 of us tore it up! Everyone got a different pasta dish, I got a yummy pasta with mushrooms and the sauce was indescribable but amazing probably one of the best I've ever had! I'm a huge mushroom fan but when they get big and chewy not a fan, if you like big and chewy get them but next time is probably remove them.We sat outside and it was lively and a beautiful night! The waiter was kind and all the staff were very personable!

Barbusa has been our go to Italian restaurant in Little Italy for a while.We love the food there. It is fresh and authentic. The service is top notch even in their busy night. We got seated ten minutes after our arrival which was fast.Michael was our server for the night. He was very attentive and friendly. He checked on us many times to make sure we are satisfied.We got the following dishes;-Busalacchi's Garlic bread, was crispy from outside with light garlic taste.-Lollipop chops, were well marinated and perfectly cooked.-Bruschetta Di Melazane, was scrumptious and crispy.-Bietole salad; had arugula, Frisee, red beets, goat cheese, caramelized pecans.The salad was very fresh and tasty-Dolce E Piccante pizzas, were flavorful with generous toppings.All the dishes were exquisitely delicious.This is why we like dining in at Barbusa because of the great service and the best quality of food

The food was absolutely amazing! Our server was very kind and attentive. We started with the Busalacchis Garlic Bread which was absolutely fantastic. So much flavor. We also got the Burrata Caprese, also delicious. The balsamic glaze was sweet but had a nice zing to it. We also got the Sicilian Meatballs and they were excellent. For our entrees we got the Carbonara and let me just say it was one of the best Carbonaras I have had. Would absolutely recommend you get this dish. We also had the Gnocchi and it was amazing. The texture of the Gnocchi was light and soft. We also had the Short Rib Lasange and it was delicious as well. Everything was perfection. And for dessert we had the Deconstructed Cannoli. The dip was delicious.

Absolutely loved the food, ambience and special attention by one of the family owners Michael. He took our reservation "on the street" as we met him that afternoon during Wed. street market. Likely one of the very best Italian meals we've ever had. Our waiter Nick was a top professional who was informative, friendly, and timed our evening at Barbusa perfectly. Bravo!!