Low carb options at any Italian restaurant are generally quite limited. The good news is that you can eat keto at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, as long as you order carefully.
If you’re on the ketogenic diet some of our top recommendations include salmon, grilled mahi, grilled chicken, or sirloin. With your meat, order a side of steamed broccoli or grilled asparagus and prosciutto.
Since it’s hard to control exactly what goes into your food at a restaurant, we generally recommend preparing your meals at home on a keto diet. You can check out our food list and keto meal plan to see what a typical low carb menu should like.
However, life happens and preparing your own food isn’t always an option. If you find yourself at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, follow these tips and guidelines to keep it low carb.
Tips For Ordering Low Carb at Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Carrabba’s was founded by two Sicilian guys from Texas, so the menu features a lot of Italian-inspired dishes with a bit of a southern flare. This makes it tricky to find a good low-carb dish, but it can be done.
Keep in mind that the menu might be different depending on your location, so check the menu of the restaurant you plan on attending before you go.
Lowest Carb Dishes
Here are some of the lowest carb dishes that you can order at Carrabba’s, based on the nutritional information:
- Three cheese and sausage stuffed muffins (6 grams net carbs)
- Grilled asparagus with prosciutto (4 grams net carbs)
- Calabrian roasted wings (3 grams carbs)
- Chicken marsala (4 grams net carbs)
- Pollo Rosa Maria (5 grams net carbs)
- Tuscan grilled chicken (<1 grams carbs)
- Tomato basil salmon (4 grams carbs)
- Simply grilled mahi (2-3 grams net carbs)
- Tuscan grilled pork chops, sirloin, filet and ribeye (1 gram carbs each)
- Caesar salad with chicken (3 grams net carbs)
- Italian salad with chicken (3 grams net carbs)
- Salmon Cetriolini (3 grams net carbs)
- Sliced Sirloin Marsala (2 grams net carbs)
#1. When in doubt, ask your server
If you have any questions at all about how a certain dish is prepared or what ingredients it contains, always be sure to ask your server. Don’t assume anything! Restaurants are great at adding sauces and other sugary ingredients to their dishes without necessarily listing them on the menu.
You can always check out the nutritional information on the Carrabba’s website before you head to the restaurant if you’re worried about keeping your macronutrients in line. Keep in mind that this information is generic and won’t reflect any customizations you make, so you may have to play the guessing game a bit.
At first glance, some of the lower-carb options on the menu include the Calabrian roasted wings, any Tuscan-grilled meat, and the salmon Cetriolini.
#2. Order a piece of grilled meat
Carrabba’s claim-to-fame is that Italians offer more than just the stereotypical spaghetti and meatball dishes that most Americans know them for. They are also excellent grillers. In fact, grilled and roasted meats are very popular in Italy, which is perfect for low-carb eaters.
We recommend taking advantage of this opportunity by asking for wood-grilled or roasted meat. The process of wood-grilling your meat will make it flavorful and juicy, so you can get by with fewer added ingredients or flavor-enhancers, such as sugar-laden sauces or dry rubs.
Carrabba’s offers veal, pork, chicken, seafood, and steak, all of which would be delicious on the grill with some herbed butter. Pair your grilled meat with some sauteed broccoli or grilled asparagus, and you have the perfect low-carb meal.
#3. Go with the Tuscan-Grilled Ribeye
Carrabba’s has recently updated their menu to include some new items. We recommend going with the 16 ounce Tuscan-grilled ribeye. It contains 820 calories, 63 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs, and 60 grams of protein – which is enough to keep you full and satisfy hunger!
You can have this dish prepared “simply grilled” or with Spicy Sicilian Butter or Garlic Aioli. Any of these preparations would be a good way to enjoy your ribeye without taking on the carbs.
Be sure to order this with sauteed broccoli or grilled asparagus and a Caesar salad with no croutons.
What To Order at Carrabba’s
We’ve analyzed the menu at Carrabba’s and come up with the best possible dishes that you can order there.
Here is a breakdown of all the dishes at Carrabba’s and what to order.
Appetizers and small plates
- Grilled asparagus with prosciutto (hold the balsamic glaze)
- Three cheese and sausage stuffed mushrooms (only order this if you can have them hold the breadcrumbs and tomato cream sauce)
- Calabrian roasted wings (hold the dipping sauce and make sure this dish is not breaded)
- Mussels in white wine lemon butter (ask if the sauce has any sugar added)
- Tomato caprese with fresh burrata (hold the balsamic glaze is for low-carb dieters only)
Salads
- Italian salad (ask for oil and vinegar instead of Italian dressing)
- Johnny Rocco salad (ask for oil and vinegar instead of Italian vinaigrette)
- Full size Caesar salad and side salad (hold the croutons)
- Italian side salad (ask for oil and vinegar dressing)
- House side salad (ask for oil and vinegar dressing)
Entrees
For all entrees, hold any sauce that comes on the meat and ask for a side of grilled asparagus, sauteed broccoli, or a side salad in place of whatever side comes with the dish:
- Chicken Bryan (skip the side of pasta; get a vegetable or side salad instead)
- Chicken marsala (skip the wine sauce)
- Pollo Rosa Maria (be sure to order asparagus or broccoli as your side in place of pasta)
- Tuscan grilled chicken (order with grilled asparagus or sauteed broccoli)
- Prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloin (skip the port wine fig sauce)
- Veal marsala (skip the wine sauce)
- Tuscan-grilled sirloin, ribeye, pork chop, or filet (get a side salad and grilled asparagus as your sides)
- Tomato basil salmon (skip the tomato basil vinaigrette)
- Salmon Cetriolini (hold the white wine sauce; order with a side of sauteed broccoli or grilled asparagus)
- Wood-grilled tilapia (skip the balsamic glaze)
Combinations
- The Johnny (order this without the wine sauce and make sure your side dish is low-carb instead of pasta or mashed potatoes)
- Chicken trio (hold the wine sauce and be sure to order a low-carb side dish)
Note: you have a couple of different options when it comes to your meat preparation. Always ask your server to have your meat prepared with olive oil and herbs. You could also ask for herbed lemon butter. Safe side dishes include sauteed broccoli, grilled asparagus, and a side salad.
Higher-Carb Foods To Avoid at Carrabba’s
Although Carrabba’s offers some pretty impressive low-carb options, there are some dishes that you’ll want to stay far away from. These mostly include pizza and pasta, but even some of their meat-based dishes are coated in sauce or breaded, just like many low-carb fast food places. Avoid the following dishes at Carrabba and stick with the ones that you know are safe.
Appetizers and small plates:
- Bruschette Siciliani
- Calamari (this is OK to order if you can get it grilled instead of fried)
- Mozzarella marinara
- Shrimp scampi
- Zucchini fritte (this would be OK to order if you can get it grilled instead of fried)
- Avoid all wood-fired pizzas
- Avoid all soups
Entrees:
- Parmesan chicken arugula (this would be OK to get if you can order it grilled instead of fried; you would also need to hold the Italian vinaigrette and order a low-carb side dish)
- Chicken parmesan
- Shrimp and sea scallop spiedino
- All pasta dishes (including gluten-free pasta)
- All wood-fired pizzas
- Carrabba’s Italian classic combination plate
Sides:
- Garlic mashed potatoes
- Fettuccini alfredo
- Penne pomodoro
In addition, you’ll also want to avoid all desserts, sweetened beverages and coffees, and alcoholic drinks.
Conclusion
Carrabba’s doesn’t offer a ton of dishes on their menu, but the ones they have seem to be done right, at least for a chain restaurant. While we encourage you to eat at home whenever you can, Carrabba’s can be a safe place to enjoy a low-carb meal once and awhile, but don’t make a habit out of it.
The best dish you can go with at Carrabba’s is Tuscan-grilled meat. These dishes have only one or two grams of carbs per serving. We recommend you order them with grilled asparagus, sauteed broccoli, or a side salad in place of pasta or mashed potatoes.
For all other dishes that made it on our “safe” list, be sure to order them without sauce or have them prepared with olive oil and herb dressing. Lemon herbed butter is also a safe preparation on the keto diet.
Photo credit: Mike Mozart – flickr.com
