Recommends

CutieBrie0401

Joined 5 years ago

Great place to spend your anniversary!. My husband and I visited Chicago for our 7 year wedding anniversary. The concierge at our hotel suggested, and then made a reservation for us at Carmine's. From the moment we walked in, we were impressed. As soon as we sat down at the table, our server was there to help us, and offered great suggestions to us. The food was amazing! Be sure to try the Pasta Fagoli, the best I have ever had! We ordered a bottle of champagne, and our glasses was never empty, our server was always there to refill our glasses. It was the best service I have ever received at a restaurant (and since I am a server, this is a top compliment!). Next time we visit Chicago, we will definitely return to Carmine's!

Recommends

wkendtravlr

Joined 6 years ago

The best mussels in the country. I stopped by here late night with a friend when we were craving steamed mussels. They were so good, we went back the next night. But they were out! I was destroyed and asked for the manager. Donny called a sister company and was actually going to get tmussels for us, but we decided to have the clams instead and they were just as good. Food, wine, atmosphere, friendly staff - all an A+. Thanks Donny for making the effort.

Doesn't Recommend

lfoltz

Joined 6 years ago

Horiffic Customer Service. Not able to rate the food as we never got that far. We had a reservation for 4 arrived ahead of reservation time...to an overly crowded reception area. The scene was out of control and the receptionists were harried. We were told to wait in the bar. 30 minutes past our reservation time we started asking 'how much longer" and were told a "little while", 45 minutes past our reservation time we were told that there were 3 other parties with 4people ahead of us and any walk in that had been waiting. At 60 minutes past our reservation we retrieved our coats and dined elsewhere. We will NEVER return! Our dollars will not be spent at an establishment that has such disregard for their customers.

Recommends

mdostal

Joined 8 years ago

Great spot. I have eaten here twice and had a great meal both times. The bar (and the entire restaurant) can be loud and busy, but has good live music. One of the best shrimp cocktails I have ever had and I highly recommend any of the veal dishes.

Doesn't Recommend

thirdcoast4

Joined 6 years ago

looked forward to it, but came out disappointed. Because of its bustling facade and even busier interior dining room, I expected to be very good, or at least decent at the very least. Instead I was very disappointed at my experience there, as I have tried most of the other Italian restaurants in the area, and this had one of the most popular names. I ordered the Parmesan Chicken entree which came with a side of pasta. It looked good, but it was very salty. In fact, it was so salty that I could not even taste the chicken. On the other hand, the pasta was so bland, I used it to offset the saltiness of my chicken, which I never finished. Hoping that maybe the dessert would make up for the dinner, we ordered cheesecake and tiramisu. It was good but nothing mind-blowing. It was a pretty disappointing experience.

Recommends

shipkins

Joined 6 years ago

Excellent pasta. A must see for vistors to the downtown area.. This past weekend was St. Patrick's Day and I found myself in Chicago with two friends. After a long day and many miles of walking we found ourselves seeking a satisfying meal before we soaked in a few libations. We happened upon Carmine's. The building was inviting and good Italian, despite the holiday, seemed to be just what we needed. I had the basics. Spaghetti and meatballs with an antipasto salad. How would I describe it? Let me see. Perfect. I grew up in an Italian community and have longed for the food my friends' families would grace us with growing up. If you could see the size of my midsection, you would know that I know a little bit about good food. This is great food. The noodles were al dente. The sauce was not too sweet, not too carlicy and just the right hint of spice. The meatballs, they were the star - big, beautifully seasoned and perfectly cooked. The warm atmosphere and friendly staff completed the experience. I can tell you this. Whenever I am in downtown Chicago, I will be searching for an excuse to get to Carmine's. You should too.

Recommends

mickey38

Joined 6 years ago

All around good. For good eating, just go here. the food is always good and its very nice. always try to eat outdoors.

Recommends

ndgravy

Joined 6 years ago

Good Italian in a Great Location. For our anniversary, my wife and I went to Carmine's for dinner. We had to wait an hour and a half after our reservation time to be seated. Luckily, we had read reviews that told us of this ahead of time, so we were all ready to take our time and have a few drinks at the bar. Once we were finally seated, we both found the food to be tasty and to be large and satisfactory portions. We also found the service to be very attentive, which made us feel better about the wait that we had endured. I would definitely recommend the restaurant but would make sure that people knew about the wait before they ventured there.

Doesn't Recommend

jrcoughli

Joined 7 years ago

Left waiting on Christmas Eve. I made a reservation a week in advance for a party of nine for Christmas Eve. We arrived on time and waited 45 minutes to be seated in a room off the main dining room and next to the entrance to the Kitchen. The staff made no attempt to make ammends even when asked. The food was average at best; my pasta was served luke warm. They won't see my credit card again.

Recommends

lolox2

Joined 7 years ago

Great Italian, Big Portions!. I moved to the city from the south suburbs and happen to be just a few blocks away from Carmines. Its all up to you...the food is fabulous and they serve huge portions. Many can be split between two of you. The restaurant is very noisy, very crowded and extremely smokey. If you don't mind the above mentioned, you will have an evening of some fabulous food. Despite the few negative, I keep going back for more!