Chained it. This is one of a series of "linked" restaurants that peddle different fare. This has the potential to work (go to any of the "Great American Restaurants" in the Washington DC area ....Mike's American, Arties, Sweet Water Tavern, Chevys....all great places to have a nice night out). Italian grills are a dime a dozen....they all seem to feel like Carrabas though. Open kitchen with big grill flare ups and people running around juggling big trays of food. The over powering smell of garlic in the air and TGI Fridays like wait staff that swoop in constantly making sure the experience is crazy good. This place is one of 10,000 restaurants in the tourist trap hell of Pigeon Forge. They all are begging for your $$ and bank on the fact that you don't really know what you're looking for. The tourist bait is a well decorated frontage and cutie pie girls working the seating kiosk. Food is average, service is excellent, bill is typical. If you are checking "Italian" off your list for nightly dinner out during your week of Dolly Parton brain washing....this place is ok. I guess. Bottom line: like the above rating says.... I've experienced better.......uh, just not in the biggest tourist trap north of Disney.
(2)
Jamie M.
We had immediate seating. The service was nice. The bread and drinks were quickly served. My husband had some of the oil from the table with his bread and a plastic chip had fallen off the server! Shortly there after my daughters (6yrs old and all of ~35lbs) broke! No injuries. The salad was great... Pasta ok.. Not as much robust flavor as Olive Garden. Overall an ok place.
(3)
Luke G.
After Joes Crab Shack sent us looking for another place we "scoured" the Pigeon Forge parkway for another eatery......actually we were like, what isn't packed. So we found Mr. Carinos and thought why not. After our typical Romanian Pigeon Forge waitress greeted us we got the bread and oil with roasted garlic. D Lish Us. Then we ordered our food, now granted this pasta isn't handmade but it was still good. For the dessert I ordered the lemon cream cake. Verrrry nice indeed, it reminded me of the lemon cream cake from Olive Garden but slightly different. Service was good, food was good, and we would come back
(4)
E. Anne M.
This was the only menu in the area that had some creative spunk to it. Firesticks are stuffed with sausage and cheese, Nachos Italian style were very inventive with jalapenos and alfredo sauce. Our pasta dishes all used the same pre-cooked, dried out chicken and heavy cream sauce. Service was just ok -- the waitress was a young girl who acted like we were inconveniencing her. Bread was excellent, lasagna was good and unique menu gives it 3 stars - just don't expect the quality, clean, fresh, slow-simmered Italian you'd get in a city up North.
(3)
Jack S.
This place looks nice and it presents well...but the food....not so much. What we ordered quite frankly sucked. Chicken Fettuchini and pizza. The chicken had that smokey prepackaged taste and the Alfredo left a lot to be desired. The noodles were ordinary but also had that smokey taste. The pizza wasn't the worst I've ever had. Crust was good but the mozzarella had a frozen Red Baron vibe. The waiter did his job, nothing more, nothing less. Needless to say I won't be back. I'll take my chances on a Olive Garden or something next time.
(1)
Richard K.
Great service, We had gluten free skillet Spaghetti with meat sauce Lasagna Pene with Alfredo sauce Pizza Everything was excellent , only drawback was that the portions were so large we had to take leftovers, well i guess that's not a bad thing though
(5)
Joelle B.
We came in 10 mins before closing and the staff were so sweet and professional. Never had my food served faster IN MY LIFE!!!! Waitress, Katie was super sweet and helpful. Entree's: fettuccine Alfredo :: son said it was great. I had spicy shrimp and chicken, lacking in depth of flavor but still great. We also had the Skillitini combo. It was spicy but sooo good.
(5)
Andre' M.
We were leaving town today and nobody seemed to be able to agree on where to eat until we saw Carino's. We showed up around 1:30 on a Sunday and it was not very busy. The food was pretty good but for the price, a salad should be included I feel. I think that the cost for a salad would have been an extra $3.49 which was way too much I felt. Service was ok, nothing great but not bad.
(3)
A S.
Food is very average to say the least. I had the Shrimp fettuccine- Not much taste. My friend had the Chicken Parmesan - it was over cooked and also nothing special in flavor. Server was nice but had a heavy Russian accent and didn't understand much of what was asked. One example- I wanted to know if the sangria has nutmeg or cinnamon and he don't know what either were. All in all, I will not be revisiting this place. It's a notch or two below Olive Garden.
(2)
Christy M.
Greeted and seated right away. Server had difficulty understanding English and was unable to take our drink order correctly or answer simple questions about the menu. Food came out in a timely fashion and for the most part the food was good. However when my two teens ordered half pepperoni and half cheese I assumed the pepperoni side would still have cheese on it. This was possibly lost in translation maybe. Husband and I were able to split a chicken parm entree. It was just the perfect size for the two of us to share. We did have to wait for the check for a very long time, I asked three times and there was only one other table in our server's section. The bread was fabulous. This was our first time here while visiting TN. Probably wouldn't rush back.
(3)
Julie D.
We each had something different lunch portions was just the right size. I had the Caesar salad , croutons was stale and the dressing tasted very lemony! The bread is outstanding !!!!
(3)
Ted D.
Pretty good. Spaghetti w/meatballs and the three combo (chicken Parmesan, lasagna, spaghetti) fed 2 adults 3 small kids. Comes w 2 loafs of bread. I like more sauce and some cheese melted on top but it's pretty good. All got full.
(3)
Reggie H.
The bread and olive oil was amazing. The food was prepared quickly and right. Great experience.
(5)
Tammy H.
We took our family of 4 here for dinner on Tuesday 7/28/15 during a busy dinner rush. We were sat immediately, and greeted quickly at the table. Crusty, warm Italian bread and yummy dipping oil came out first, and we all really liked it. We definitely could've shared our adult meals with the kids, the portions were huge! We had chicken parmigiana, a grilled chicken salad and a couple kids meals, and it all came up within a reasonable amount of time. Overall we had a really good experience!
(4)
Matt W.
Stopped in for the first time at this great restaurant. The bread was out of this world and the entrees were even better. We will be back again to explore more of the menu. We had: Fried Cheese Sticks Homemade Lasagna Chicken Parmigiana Kid's Alfredo Kid's spaghetti and grilled chicken
(5)
S L.
Food was tasty - they have some diverse offerings like the jalapeño ravioli along with the traditional like lasagna. The sauce was flavorful. Salads were fresh with nice size potions and the bread was delicious. Our server was friendly. All in all we were very pleased.
(5)
Matthew C.
This review is from 2/19/2012. Food was great, as is typical with other Carino's locations. This location has a reduced menu, which is understandable with the large volume it receives, but all of the favorites are there. I had Grilled Chicken Bowtie Festival, which I recommend. My waiter was absolutely amazing. The only drawback to this experience was the NOISE. I went on a Saturday evening for dinner, and the place sounded like I was eating in a bar. The restaurant is very open, so sound travels quite well. I could barely even hear my waiter to order due to a large group of about 30 college kids nearby screaming at each other. I highly recommend this restaurant, but don't go on the weekend if it irritates you to not even be able to converse with your table mates due to the fraternity party atmosphere.
(4)
Gordon K.
Wait staff are very very good, no stars for the food, it was bag chow and the 'cook' forgot to add the pack labeled seasoning, ouch ! I would give them another chance! But 5 star wait staff can not make up for poor food, so next time I'd send back what I got...so my bad... -They get 5 stars for gluten free selections and veg choices, nice atmosphere, too!
(3)
Ronnie L.
We got our food extremely quick.... Maybe a little too quick.. The food was ok.. But probably not worth the cost.
(3)
Lindsay W.
Stopped here for lunch on a rainy day. Hot bread with oil was a great start. Service was very good and waiter was very attentive. I had bow tie festival pasta which was very good and had a light cream sauce. Mom had angel hair pasta with artichokes also a very light olive oil sauce. Would definitely stop here again. They have a 14.99 special for 2 people from 2-6! We'll be back!
(5)
Debra G.
Ordered the skillettini dish with chicken and my wife order the special which was blacken grouper. My dish was served extremely hot but was very dry with no sauce to speak of but what really upset us was my wife received blacken tilapia instead of grouper. The waitress said she didn't know one type of fish from another but carried it back. The manager never came over to discuss the error. They did remove it from our bill but this should not have happened in the first place. Over all we would not recommend this place at all. Bad food and poor service from management. We feel sorry for the wait staff. They should look for a reputable place to work with decent cooks and managers.
(1)
Geno G.
We love Carino's... We lost our two locations in The Burgh when they recently closed and was excited to see one during our trip to the Smokey Mts. We go on Mondays when the Family Platters are half off. How can you go wrong with a delicious platter of Italian Grilled Bow-tie Festival. Our server was friendly, funny and good... only thing is he misunderstood our order of the family platters and thought we each wanted one instead of two to share (we love taking home leftovers) so after a quick laugh he brought our plates. The Grilled Chicken Bow-tie festival was great, the angel hair with marina was different than what we are used to getting in the Burgh or Burlington WA. I would have thought that all Carinos dishes were the same but this Spaghetti was different... not bad just different.. It had more of a canned sauce flavor but I know they use fresh ingredients or at least they used to!
(3)
Grace M.
Wonderful waitress, but only fair food. I ordered lasagna--very heavily sausage flavored. My husband ordered the sample platter--same comment. Probably will not return.
(2)
Daylily F.
Long time customers...great food as usual, but Adam our waiter needs to find another line of work.
(3)
Russ U.
Their hot bread is really good. But after that everything was just mediocre. I had the chicken Parmesan. My wife had the lasagna. Both were good but not exceptional. The marinara on my chicken Parma was watery and didn't have much depth of flavor. If you're looking for a adequate Italian dinner you'll find it here. But it's not a place I would recommend that you make a concerted effort to stop at. It's just your run-of-the-mill chain Italian restaurant.
(2)
Chris M.
We've enjoyed Carino's for years. From the hot bread with seasoned olive oil to the entrees to dessert, it's consistently good. Portions are huge- plenty of leftovers to take home. Our favorites are the bacon mac & cheese and the spicy chicken & shrimp. Great kids menu for those with little ones!
(4)
M. E.
Poor wine selection and the food is bland. How the hell do you make bland Italian food? Save your money and go somewhere else.
(1)
Becky S.
Best Feature: Delicious food and decent prices! Worst Feature: Don't really have one ... We stopped in here on our way out of Gatlinburg, TN after a wonderful vacation. We were interested in The Partridge and Pear but their prices were so high just for a simple entree that we left and headed further down the strip. We came upon Johnny Carino's Italian restaurant and decided to give it a shot. Our waitress was very nice and gave us just the kind of service we were hoping for! We ordered an appetizer and they have great lunch combos available - you can get an entree or entree and salad (or soup) for just $9! The menu was pretty diverse and had several create-your-own options for those who want more variety and customization. They brought out bread which was MUCH better than the kind of bread you get at the usual Olive Garden. It was light and buttery with a hint of garlic, and they provided olive oil for dipping. We never got to try our appetizer as our waitress did forget to put in the order, but we actually were quite alright with that because after bread + salad, we knew we'd only have room for our entrees so it saved us money in the end. The waitress apologized profusely and was very polite and helpful! The entrees were amazing! We both ordered a chicken dish with a creamy sauce and penne pasta. It was a great portion - filling, but not too much! The total bill was within an acceptable price range for us and we left really happy and full. The interior is beautifully decorated and really invites the patrons in to dine. I was very happy with my visit! I'd gladly go back there again! It was a great Italian meal and worth a trip if you're looking for a filling meal for a decent price.
(4)
Tom B.
Haven't been to a Carino's in years and was surprised at the changes they have made. I always ordered the Spicy shrimp and chicken and the Italian nachos for an appetizer, but the server convinced me to try the lasagna with their new tomato sauce. It was unbelievable. That and their house salad with the best Italian dressing I've ever had made my whole vacation. We will be back next year for sure.
(5)
John V.
Bet you can't eat it all! No kidding, the food portions are huge and the price low! Two adult meals for $14.99. Yes it was an afternoon special but that didn't change the huge portion or the good taste! Lets start at the beginning with Camila who greeted us at the desk with a smile and a recommendation as to how we could get a great deal on our meal. She continued to help us throughout our experience. Sergey was our server and did an outstanding job! He smiled, treated us respectfully, regularly filled our drinks and bread bowl, offered us great recommendations and displayed a very professional attitude! I had the spaghetti and meat balls and it was really good as was the bread. Everyone in our group was happy with the taste of their food and surprised at the large portions. We ate there on 3/2/14 and everyone had enough food left over to have another meal. If you are looking for good but not great Italian food this is the place.
(4)
Kara H.
We ordered two different pizzas and the crust on both tasted like they were freezer burnt. Service was just alright - nothing special.
(2)
Debbie B.
Walking in reminds you of Olive Garden. Corinos also has the unlimited soup & salad deal, etc. like Olive Garden. CAESAR SALAD: Nothing fancy. Crisp romaine, with a very pleasant Caesar dressing. BREAD: The bread was fantastic!!!! We were presented with a whole mini loaf. The bread was dense with a nice crisp crust. There was oregano or rosemary in it. Delicious. This was served with dried garlic covered with olive oil. Very nice touch. They offered us a second loaf which we accepted. PASTA & MEATBALLS: I wasn't impressed, but my husband who is the true pasta & sauce person really liked it. He also liked the meatballs. BOWTIE PASTA: I forget the name of the dish, but it was delicious. It was bowtie pasta, with bacon, fresh diced tomatoes and an asiago cheese sauce. Delicious and light. TIRAMISU: I ordered this because of reading the reviews. I was so disappointed! It's a huge portion, which was nice, but it was all greasy, fake cream. What little lady fingers and coffee/chocolate flavor I did find was delicious. At $5.99 this is a lot of money for a lot of filler fake cream. Our waitress was sweet and attentive. The music was a little too loud. Overall a good experience.
(4)
Karen J.
We were there for dinner. Good food! Bread with garlic oil for dipping great! Service quick. Waiter attentive. Prices typical for area. We would go back.
(5)
Liam P.
Went there after running some errands in Gatlinburg. Ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce and really enjoyed it. I really like the vanilla Italian sodas they have and they give you free refills of it unlike Olive Garden.
(4)
Tiffany B.
The food is good here. I would say it is a little more unique than Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill. What I am really wanting to focus on is the tiramisu. Carino's has the best tiramisu EVER. It is similar to another local restaurant's called Naples, but it has alcohol in it and doesn't have that excessive chocolate drizzle. Tiramisu is not the same without alcohol... Additionally, it is the perfect combination of fluffy and cheesy without one overpowering the other.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Very Loud Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Nick N.
Chained it. This is one of a series of "linked" restaurants that peddle different fare. This has the potential to work (go to any of the "Great American Restaurants" in the Washington DC area ....Mike's American, Arties, Sweet Water Tavern, Chevys....all great places to have a nice night out). Italian grills are a dime a dozen....they all seem to feel like Carrabas though. Open kitchen with big grill flare ups and people running around juggling big trays of food. The over powering smell of garlic in the air and TGI Fridays like wait staff that swoop in constantly making sure the experience is crazy good. This place is one of 10,000 restaurants in the tourist trap hell of Pigeon Forge. They all are begging for your $$ and bank on the fact that you don't really know what you're looking for. The tourist bait is a well decorated frontage and cutie pie girls working the seating kiosk. Food is average, service is excellent, bill is typical. If you are checking "Italian" off your list for nightly dinner out during your week of Dolly Parton brain washing....this place is ok. I guess. Bottom line: like the above rating says.... I've experienced better.......uh, just not in the biggest tourist trap north of Disney.
(2)Jamie M.
We had immediate seating. The service was nice. The bread and drinks were quickly served. My husband had some of the oil from the table with his bread and a plastic chip had fallen off the server! Shortly there after my daughters (6yrs old and all of ~35lbs) broke! No injuries. The salad was great... Pasta ok.. Not as much robust flavor as Olive Garden. Overall an ok place.
(3)Luke G.
After Joes Crab Shack sent us looking for another place we "scoured" the Pigeon Forge parkway for another eatery......actually we were like, what isn't packed. So we found Mr. Carinos and thought why not. After our typical Romanian Pigeon Forge waitress greeted us we got the bread and oil with roasted garlic. D Lish Us. Then we ordered our food, now granted this pasta isn't handmade but it was still good. For the dessert I ordered the lemon cream cake. Verrrry nice indeed, it reminded me of the lemon cream cake from Olive Garden but slightly different. Service was good, food was good, and we would come back
(4)E. Anne M.
This was the only menu in the area that had some creative spunk to it. Firesticks are stuffed with sausage and cheese, Nachos Italian style were very inventive with jalapenos and alfredo sauce. Our pasta dishes all used the same pre-cooked, dried out chicken and heavy cream sauce. Service was just ok -- the waitress was a young girl who acted like we were inconveniencing her. Bread was excellent, lasagna was good and unique menu gives it 3 stars - just don't expect the quality, clean, fresh, slow-simmered Italian you'd get in a city up North.
(3)Jack S.
This place looks nice and it presents well...but the food....not so much. What we ordered quite frankly sucked. Chicken Fettuchini and pizza. The chicken had that smokey prepackaged taste and the Alfredo left a lot to be desired. The noodles were ordinary but also had that smokey taste. The pizza wasn't the worst I've ever had. Crust was good but the mozzarella had a frozen Red Baron vibe. The waiter did his job, nothing more, nothing less. Needless to say I won't be back. I'll take my chances on a Olive Garden or something next time.
(1)Richard K.
Great service, We had gluten free skillet Spaghetti with meat sauce Lasagna Pene with Alfredo sauce Pizza Everything was excellent , only drawback was that the portions were so large we had to take leftovers, well i guess that's not a bad thing though
(5)Joelle B.
We came in 10 mins before closing and the staff were so sweet and professional. Never had my food served faster IN MY LIFE!!!! Waitress, Katie was super sweet and helpful. Entree's: fettuccine Alfredo :: son said it was great. I had spicy shrimp and chicken, lacking in depth of flavor but still great. We also had the Skillitini combo. It was spicy but sooo good.
(5)Andre' M.
We were leaving town today and nobody seemed to be able to agree on where to eat until we saw Carino's. We showed up around 1:30 on a Sunday and it was not very busy. The food was pretty good but for the price, a salad should be included I feel. I think that the cost for a salad would have been an extra $3.49 which was way too much I felt. Service was ok, nothing great but not bad.
(3)A S.
Food is very average to say the least. I had the Shrimp fettuccine- Not much taste. My friend had the Chicken Parmesan - it was over cooked and also nothing special in flavor. Server was nice but had a heavy Russian accent and didn't understand much of what was asked. One example- I wanted to know if the sangria has nutmeg or cinnamon and he don't know what either were. All in all, I will not be revisiting this place. It's a notch or two below Olive Garden.
(2)Christy M.
Greeted and seated right away. Server had difficulty understanding English and was unable to take our drink order correctly or answer simple questions about the menu. Food came out in a timely fashion and for the most part the food was good. However when my two teens ordered half pepperoni and half cheese I assumed the pepperoni side would still have cheese on it. This was possibly lost in translation maybe. Husband and I were able to split a chicken parm entree. It was just the perfect size for the two of us to share. We did have to wait for the check for a very long time, I asked three times and there was only one other table in our server's section. The bread was fabulous. This was our first time here while visiting TN. Probably wouldn't rush back.
(3)Julie D.
We each had something different lunch portions was just the right size. I had the Caesar salad , croutons was stale and the dressing tasted very lemony! The bread is outstanding !!!!
(3)Ted D.
Pretty good. Spaghetti w/meatballs and the three combo (chicken Parmesan, lasagna, spaghetti) fed 2 adults 3 small kids. Comes w 2 loafs of bread. I like more sauce and some cheese melted on top but it's pretty good. All got full.
(3)Reggie H.
The bread and olive oil was amazing. The food was prepared quickly and right. Great experience.
(5)Tammy H.
We took our family of 4 here for dinner on Tuesday 7/28/15 during a busy dinner rush. We were sat immediately, and greeted quickly at the table. Crusty, warm Italian bread and yummy dipping oil came out first, and we all really liked it. We definitely could've shared our adult meals with the kids, the portions were huge! We had chicken parmigiana, a grilled chicken salad and a couple kids meals, and it all came up within a reasonable amount of time. Overall we had a really good experience!
(4)Matt W.
Stopped in for the first time at this great restaurant. The bread was out of this world and the entrees were even better. We will be back again to explore more of the menu. We had: Fried Cheese Sticks Homemade Lasagna Chicken Parmigiana Kid's Alfredo Kid's spaghetti and grilled chicken
(5)S L.
Food was tasty - they have some diverse offerings like the jalapeño ravioli along with the traditional like lasagna. The sauce was flavorful. Salads were fresh with nice size potions and the bread was delicious. Our server was friendly. All in all we were very pleased.
(5)Matthew C.
This review is from 2/19/2012. Food was great, as is typical with other Carino's locations. This location has a reduced menu, which is understandable with the large volume it receives, but all of the favorites are there. I had Grilled Chicken Bowtie Festival, which I recommend. My waiter was absolutely amazing. The only drawback to this experience was the NOISE. I went on a Saturday evening for dinner, and the place sounded like I was eating in a bar. The restaurant is very open, so sound travels quite well. I could barely even hear my waiter to order due to a large group of about 30 college kids nearby screaming at each other. I highly recommend this restaurant, but don't go on the weekend if it irritates you to not even be able to converse with your table mates due to the fraternity party atmosphere.
(4)Gordon K.
Wait staff are very very good, no stars for the food, it was bag chow and the 'cook' forgot to add the pack labeled seasoning, ouch ! I would give them another chance! But 5 star wait staff can not make up for poor food, so next time I'd send back what I got...so my bad... -They get 5 stars for gluten free selections and veg choices, nice atmosphere, too!
(3)Ronnie L.
We got our food extremely quick.... Maybe a little too quick.. The food was ok.. But probably not worth the cost.
(3)Lindsay W.
Stopped here for lunch on a rainy day. Hot bread with oil was a great start. Service was very good and waiter was very attentive. I had bow tie festival pasta which was very good and had a light cream sauce. Mom had angel hair pasta with artichokes also a very light olive oil sauce. Would definitely stop here again. They have a 14.99 special for 2 people from 2-6! We'll be back!
(5)Debra G.
Ordered the skillettini dish with chicken and my wife order the special which was blacken grouper. My dish was served extremely hot but was very dry with no sauce to speak of but what really upset us was my wife received blacken tilapia instead of grouper. The waitress said she didn't know one type of fish from another but carried it back. The manager never came over to discuss the error. They did remove it from our bill but this should not have happened in the first place. Over all we would not recommend this place at all. Bad food and poor service from management. We feel sorry for the wait staff. They should look for a reputable place to work with decent cooks and managers.
(1)Geno G.
We love Carino's... We lost our two locations in The Burgh when they recently closed and was excited to see one during our trip to the Smokey Mts. We go on Mondays when the Family Platters are half off. How can you go wrong with a delicious platter of Italian Grilled Bow-tie Festival. Our server was friendly, funny and good... only thing is he misunderstood our order of the family platters and thought we each wanted one instead of two to share (we love taking home leftovers) so after a quick laugh he brought our plates. The Grilled Chicken Bow-tie festival was great, the angel hair with marina was different than what we are used to getting in the Burgh or Burlington WA. I would have thought that all Carinos dishes were the same but this Spaghetti was different... not bad just different.. It had more of a canned sauce flavor but I know they use fresh ingredients or at least they used to!
(3)Grace M.
Wonderful waitress, but only fair food. I ordered lasagna--very heavily sausage flavored. My husband ordered the sample platter--same comment. Probably will not return.
(2)Daylily F.
Long time customers...great food as usual, but Adam our waiter needs to find another line of work.
(3)Russ U.
Their hot bread is really good. But after that everything was just mediocre. I had the chicken Parmesan. My wife had the lasagna. Both were good but not exceptional. The marinara on my chicken Parma was watery and didn't have much depth of flavor. If you're looking for a adequate Italian dinner you'll find it here. But it's not a place I would recommend that you make a concerted effort to stop at. It's just your run-of-the-mill chain Italian restaurant.
(2)Chris M.
We've enjoyed Carino's for years. From the hot bread with seasoned olive oil to the entrees to dessert, it's consistently good. Portions are huge- plenty of leftovers to take home. Our favorites are the bacon mac & cheese and the spicy chicken & shrimp. Great kids menu for those with little ones!
(4)M. E.
Poor wine selection and the food is bland. How the hell do you make bland Italian food? Save your money and go somewhere else.
(1)Becky S.
Best Feature: Delicious food and decent prices! Worst Feature: Don't really have one ... We stopped in here on our way out of Gatlinburg, TN after a wonderful vacation. We were interested in The Partridge and Pear but their prices were so high just for a simple entree that we left and headed further down the strip. We came upon Johnny Carino's Italian restaurant and decided to give it a shot. Our waitress was very nice and gave us just the kind of service we were hoping for! We ordered an appetizer and they have great lunch combos available - you can get an entree or entree and salad (or soup) for just $9! The menu was pretty diverse and had several create-your-own options for those who want more variety and customization. They brought out bread which was MUCH better than the kind of bread you get at the usual Olive Garden. It was light and buttery with a hint of garlic, and they provided olive oil for dipping. We never got to try our appetizer as our waitress did forget to put in the order, but we actually were quite alright with that because after bread + salad, we knew we'd only have room for our entrees so it saved us money in the end. The waitress apologized profusely and was very polite and helpful! The entrees were amazing! We both ordered a chicken dish with a creamy sauce and penne pasta. It was a great portion - filling, but not too much! The total bill was within an acceptable price range for us and we left really happy and full. The interior is beautifully decorated and really invites the patrons in to dine. I was very happy with my visit! I'd gladly go back there again! It was a great Italian meal and worth a trip if you're looking for a filling meal for a decent price.
(4)Tom B.
Haven't been to a Carino's in years and was surprised at the changes they have made. I always ordered the Spicy shrimp and chicken and the Italian nachos for an appetizer, but the server convinced me to try the lasagna with their new tomato sauce. It was unbelievable. That and their house salad with the best Italian dressing I've ever had made my whole vacation. We will be back next year for sure.
(5)John V.
Bet you can't eat it all! No kidding, the food portions are huge and the price low! Two adult meals for $14.99. Yes it was an afternoon special but that didn't change the huge portion or the good taste! Lets start at the beginning with Camila who greeted us at the desk with a smile and a recommendation as to how we could get a great deal on our meal. She continued to help us throughout our experience. Sergey was our server and did an outstanding job! He smiled, treated us respectfully, regularly filled our drinks and bread bowl, offered us great recommendations and displayed a very professional attitude! I had the spaghetti and meat balls and it was really good as was the bread. Everyone in our group was happy with the taste of their food and surprised at the large portions. We ate there on 3/2/14 and everyone had enough food left over to have another meal. If you are looking for good but not great Italian food this is the place.
(4)Kara H.
We ordered two different pizzas and the crust on both tasted like they were freezer burnt. Service was just alright - nothing special.
(2)Debbie B.
Walking in reminds you of Olive Garden. Corinos also has the unlimited soup & salad deal, etc. like Olive Garden. CAESAR SALAD: Nothing fancy. Crisp romaine, with a very pleasant Caesar dressing. BREAD: The bread was fantastic!!!! We were presented with a whole mini loaf. The bread was dense with a nice crisp crust. There was oregano or rosemary in it. Delicious. This was served with dried garlic covered with olive oil. Very nice touch. They offered us a second loaf which we accepted. PASTA & MEATBALLS: I wasn't impressed, but my husband who is the true pasta & sauce person really liked it. He also liked the meatballs. BOWTIE PASTA: I forget the name of the dish, but it was delicious. It was bowtie pasta, with bacon, fresh diced tomatoes and an asiago cheese sauce. Delicious and light. TIRAMISU: I ordered this because of reading the reviews. I was so disappointed! It's a huge portion, which was nice, but it was all greasy, fake cream. What little lady fingers and coffee/chocolate flavor I did find was delicious. At $5.99 this is a lot of money for a lot of filler fake cream. Our waitress was sweet and attentive. The music was a little too loud. Overall a good experience.
(4)Karen J.
We were there for dinner. Good food! Bread with garlic oil for dipping great! Service quick. Waiter attentive. Prices typical for area. We would go back.
(5)Liam P.
Went there after running some errands in Gatlinburg. Ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce and really enjoyed it. I really like the vanilla Italian sodas they have and they give you free refills of it unlike Olive Garden.
(4)Tiffany B.
The food is good here. I would say it is a little more unique than Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill. What I am really wanting to focus on is the tiramisu. Carino's has the best tiramisu EVER. It is similar to another local restaurant's called Naples, but it has alcohol in it and doesn't have that excessive chocolate drizzle. Tiramisu is not the same without alcohol... Additionally, it is the perfect combination of fluffy and cheesy without one overpowering the other.
(5)Angela V.
Outstanding flavor and service. Highly recommend!
(5)