I could write a review of this family-style Italian Eatery chain in one word – yum - but I will embellish a bit for you. Buca di Beppo is a crazy, eclectic, unreal type of Italian food, where you better go with an appetite and some friends. Nothing is served individually. The only choice is small (three to four servings) or large (six servings). Everything on the menu is this way and priced for four or six. You can go with a date, but you will have a whole lot of food leftover. The Italian fare is home-style, without lots of fancy garnishing, but it's good and wholesome and reminds you of momma's kitchen.

A very popular spot for birthday parties and social events, make sure to call ahead a reserve a table. The "Pope's table," a round table that seats 15 or so, is booked MONTHS in advance but is well worth the extra effort. People have called a year in advance to book their party at the Pope's.

The walls of Buca are covered (I mean, every square inch) in "Italian" memorabilia from the ‘30s and on. Stranger things include an old-fashioned bra, an old box of laundry detergent, and a picture of Audrey Hepburn looking quite perturbed at a woman wearing a revealing blouse. It would take someone hours to look at everything this makeshift "museum" houses, but not to worry, while in the bathroom, there is plenty of entertainment on the walls.

We went with a group of 10 and had the most fun. We started with cocktails (there is a full bar and a healthy wine list) and had a large order of bruscetta and a large order of garlic cheese bread. Yum, yum, yum. Both were priced moderately around $8 and served us all. We ordered a large Caesar salad, which was enough for everyone to have a very small salad. For our entrées we ordered baked ravioli, spaghetti with meatballs, and chicken marsala. Oh my lord, was it a lot of food. But everything was yummy, well seasoned, and cooked perfectly. The bill came to about $20 per person, with only 9 out of 10 paying, and this included our cocktails and some leftovers. So, all in all, it was a rather cheap night.

For a full menu and more info, check out http://www.bucadibeppo.com.

Everything is oversized at this self-styled "Italian immigrant" restaurant, from the heaping platters of southern Italian-style specialties to the riot of photos, posters, memorabilia, and just plain junk that crowds the cavernous dining rooms. You want to come hungry. The food is served family style. A small entree will feed 3-4 people easily. The spagetti is wonderful as is the Pizza Margarita. Upstairs while you wait (street level) is a bar to enjoy a before dinner drink. Most of the seating is on a second level (basement). Don't come here for a romantic night, but for fun and adventure. It gets extremely loud so don't have intimate conversations either.

Remember the wonderful scene with the spaghetti in Lady and the Tramp in which our hero and heroine get to snack from a huge plate of pasta and meatballs? That is the very essence of Italian family dining: a warm, friendly atmosphere, and plates groaning with food shared between dear friends and relatives. One of the very best places to get such a meal is Buca di Beppo (literally "Joe's basement"). The restaurant now has branches all over the US, and the original location was in Minneapolis, but the San Francisco branch is actually in a basement which makes it seem authentically original.

Buca di Beppo is a favourite destination for many of my friends. A non-profit corporation that I work with has a tradition of heading off to the restaurant after board meetings. This is a good plan, because Buca is ideal for large parties with big appetites. It is even better if you can manage to get a booking in the Pope Room: a large, private room with one big, circular table. In the centre of the table is a lazy susan adorned with a splendid bust of John Paul himself. Nice of you to join us for dinner, Your Holiness.

This flippant attitude to Italian tradition carries through to the rest of the décor. The walls of the restaurant are covered in pictures of Italian life (and the occasional Italian celebrity). It is a fabulously fun place, and the staff are trained to encourage the mood without being offensively pushy about it.

It is, however, the food that is really important. Don't panic when you look at the menu. This is a "family style" restaurant. Each dish is intended for at least two people, possibly a lot more if you are small or on a diet. You are supposed to order a selection of items and share. The staff are very considerate and always try to discourage us from ordering more than we can possibly eat. They always fail, and without complaint package up the leftovers for us to take home.

The signature dish of the restaurant is spaghetti and beachballs, er, I mean meatballs: very, very big meatballs. However, just about everything they do is good. Last time I went they had a special of shrimp arrabbiata, which was absolutely awesome. They have some of the best garlic bread I have ever had, and the desserts are great too, which is a real shame as I'm normally too stuffed to have any. I have only two complaints. Firstly, don't order the house wine, it isn't very good. And second, when are these guys going to listen to my pleas for them to add zabaglione to the dessert menu?