Carrabba’s — The Original on Kirby
Italian · Upper KirbyAbout Carrabba’s — The Original on Kirby
For over 30 years, Carrabba’s has been Houston’s true neighborhood restaurant. Family owned and operated, The Original Carrabba’s on Kirby Drive opened on December 26, 1986, with $500 in the cash register — a loan from Mr. C, Johnny’s dad — 94 seats, seven barstools, and a menu whose most expensive item was a $9.95 T-bone steak. After the initial success of what Johnny has called “lightning in a bottle,” a second location opened on Voss Road and Woodway Drive. What began as a casual Italian restaurant featuring a wood-burning pizza oven, big bowls of pasta, and an open kitchen would become the heart of Houston’s dining scene. In 1993, Outback Steakhouse created a joint venture, eventually opening over 250 franchise locations nationwide — but the Carrabba family continues to independently own and operate their original Houston restaurants. The kitchen makes fresh pasta daily, hand-stuffs their signature Cappelletti, pulls fresh mozzarella in-house, and fillets fish daily. Mr. C still mixes his own secret spices and makes Italian sausage for the restaurants.
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