This is just home good pizza. It's not fancy, but it is so good and simple. I have become overall a pizza snob with brick oven pizza or with fancy toppings; therefore, I didn't realize how much I missed the pizza style that I grew up with! The first time I cam here, I will be honest... I was not a big fan because the hot pepper rings are AKA banana peppers which are not jalapeños or hot cherry peppers; therefore, it ruined my pizza overall. I came back today knowing that tidbit, and made a olives, mushrooms, garlic, and onion pizza which was DELICIOUS. I did dock a star because they did not have jalapeños. I love that they have a children's menu that my son was able to order his own pizza with milk . I was thoroughly impressed with the food today! The service was also amazing. Our waiter made the experience so much better with being very attentive and asking for help when he needed it. I do love that in the city people love sitting outside for dinner. The ambience outside was so nice. It is nice and quite with pretty flowers around the patio seating. I will definitely come back with my family! read more

A six year old I know says, "It has exactly the right amount of sauce and the right kind of crust, and really good cheese." Now, that these words came from a 6-year-old conventional American boy tells you something. This is American--midwestern, actually--thin crust pizza (looks like Saint Louis style crust, though I have not confirmed that it is unleavened). It is not New York style pizza. It is not Chicago style pizza. It is not Tuscan style pizza. It is the kind of pizza Totino's wishes it could be: Flaky thin slightly salty crust, cheese that makes a continuous sheet when baked. The pieces are cut in squares. This pizza is, in a very basic sense, good chow, in a kid sort of way. Carbone's is also about the experience. This is an old 1970s wood panelled Saint Paul institution. Generations have come here, and those generations want food there more because it is comfortingly familiar than because it is truly exceptional. Servers do not mind if you bring a banana in for your kid to eat while waiting. They post drawings kids make on their counter-face. There are hooks on posts near booths on which to hang your coat. There is a juke box. Am I making myself clear? I recommend getting your pizza "light on the cheese" to avoid the potential greasiness, though for some the grease is the whole game. Wash it down with a Summit EPA, and complement it with some suprisingly refreshing iceberg lettuce with, wait for it, French dressing. The salad comes with Saltines. If you're from the midwest, you'll feel six years old again. read more

Living within walking distance from this St. Paul establishment, it has taken me years to finally go here. Why couldn't I live nearby to a vegan parfait house or "Granolas by the Dozen?" Instead, this delightful hole-in-the-wall pizza parlor was everything I feared: very delicious. It's not gourmet like Punch Pizza, but it's a perfect combination of sweet, salty, greasy and sauce. I think the key was the cheese, which was perfectly proportioned and browned to perfection. This of course, was in addition to the thin crust, which in my opinion is the only style of crust there should be for pizza. The ambiance of the place is what gives it its charm. You aren't served by underemployed hipsters like some pizza joints in the TC. Instead the guys and gals behind the counter are earnest teenagers probably working their first job and deserving of your tips. There are about a dozen tables and booths that have barely been updated since the joint opened 45 years ago. But it's clean. It has that "let's go out to pizza because you just won your high school basketball game!" feel. I'd order a large pizza per two to three people the crust is deceivingly thin and your mouth will say "yes" even when your stomach cries "uncle." read more

Sadly, after being a loyal Carbone's customer for years, the time has come to find a new favorite. A recent major renovation ruined everything we used to love - the cozy atmosphere and attentive staff that knew us by name: gone. The renovation took out the booths and put in tables, so crammed in that you can barely get in and out of your chair. To pass between tables customers and staff have to turn sideways. And we are not "big" people. They painted the walls white with harsh white lightning and replaced the carpet with hardwood floors (what the??). The result is a very noisy large room. The days of being able to have a quiet conversation over some pizza are gone. They added a bar, which is fine, I guess, but definitely also takes away from the kid-friendlyness if it. They clearly changed their focus from family to college. I may be in the minority but I am really disappointed in what they've done with the place. May consider getting pizza for take out, but the Carbone's experience of the past was a whole package - great pizza AND atmosphere. Just doesn't feel right to have one without the other. read more

Although there is a chain of Carbone's, I've been told that this one is separate from the others and you can tell in the quality of the pizza and the service that awaits you at this location. The menu is very Americanized and a bit greasy, but it tastes really good and you have a plethora of options for toppings. I usually order the cheese and garlic pizza. They also have great daily specials and you can dine-in, take-out fresh or even buy frozen pizzas to keep for later. The staff mainly consists of local college students who are very friendly and you can tell don't mind working here. My father particularly enjoys that a lot of them wear skirts above the knee as part of the attire. read more

I love this place, but the service has taken a major hit since they expanded. Filthy tables, long waits, and food that never arrives. We were in on a Saturday at 3 PM with virtually no one in the restaurant. All of the servers were free and available but behind the counter making pizza dough with no hair nets on. Disgusting. They went from picking up booths full of dirty dishes to grabbing pizza dough and handling it directly. Again no handwashing and no hair nets. I did watch the owner stop in, in the midst of all of this in civilian clothes, and saw him grab a bag full of Bread and walk out of the back of the restaurant. Looks like maybe he was going for his own picnic offsite. Not exactly the best endorsement of either the food or the management. It's really too bad, because their food, when it does finally come, is excellent. Time for these owners to re-think whether not they want to continue in the restaurant business. I love you guys, but you're letting all of the regulars down Update 11/24/2018 - Ignored again. Waited 45 minutes for food. Three Spaghettis NEVER ARRIVED. Server disappeared. Male with tattoos on hands. No pants belt. We won't be back. read more

Pizza Fries are great, we ordered the Meatza large. The pizza was ok tasting if you like grease, the hard part was the grease, you couldn't eat a square without having to clean yourself from the grease running down your hands. The box was soaked with grease, left grease all over the table as well. What I am saying is the pizza was really greasy. Ordered from the Inver Grove Heights location. read more

ONLY THIS CARBONE'S has one of my favorite pizzas on earth. Thin crust but not crispy on the bottom, just a nice floury texture. Really good sauce and the perfect amount of cheese. Still comes on a cardboard tray wrapped in a bag that shows the glorious grease seeping through. It's a fine little place to go and eat. Underpaid teenage girls are most of the staff, and they're too young to hate their lives like many servers. Aside from pizza, they have decent Coneys, but get the pizza. Now, they just need to deliver. read more

We ordered Carbone's to go last night and we are having leftovers today for lunch! We ordered 2 large pizzas, one 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 plain. The other was all garlic and onion with 1/2 chicken and 1/2 sausage. We also ordered garlic knots and two of the Mediterranean salads. The salad was delicious! The feta was fresh feta and mixed so nicely with the olives. The pizzas were also delicious and the garlic knots were the best we've had in a while. The person who took the order over the phone was a great help and when we picked up our order we forgot something and they ran the item out to us! Not many people would do that! We look forward to many more pizza nights with Carbone's Pizza! read more

I much prefer this Carbone's to the one in West Saint Paul. Saying this may result in a serious rift in my family as my wife and mother-in-law prefer the one there. I imagine there is little difference between the two (though as my wife pointed out the menu for the West Saint Paul location is a little more expansive) I prefer the vibe of the Randolph Avenue shop. On my last visit I had a decent cesar salad, a good italian hogie (though I asked for it "hot" and I think the best it ever got was "warm" and that was long before it reached me but it was still yummy) and the 4-year-old got the kids cheese pizza, which I ate half of. The pizza is good, though I am not a fan of the square-cut slices, and the crust is great. Overall my recent experiences here have been positive and I will return. read more

Really good pizza, padded bench seating booths, and a friendly, attentive staff. Not bad for 50 years old. A small size pizza, along with a large Caesar salad with anchovies on the side, made a decent late night meal for two adults. We ordered their "special deal" consisting of a small pepperoni and sausage pizza (with the addition of pineapple) and a bottle of a sweet red wine (a Lambrusco) - all for $18. The pizza was good - with a thin crust, tasty sauce and lovely cheese on top. The meats were also good. That slightly fizzy wine brought back memories of high school. I rather enjoyed the sweet red, effervescent wine - much better than drinking a large glass or two of soda fountain beverage. Although they have different beers available, it's not an option for me as I don't like the combination of pizza and beer. The Caesar salad was decent - sliced fresh Romaine lettuce lightly coated with a mild dressing. Yes, I'll return again for a taste of some of this style of pizza. read more

Now that I've gotten takeout from Carbone's at least a dozen times, I'm finally getting around to a review. This pizza is just delightful - the crust is thin, the sauce super flavorful, they don't skimp on cheese and it's always perfectly cooked. There are some cool options for specialty pizzas if you want a mountain of toppings, but a standard Canadian bacon or pepperoni tend to be our typical picks, actually. Their menu at this location seems more limited than others, and I do wish they had more non-pizza options like jalapeño poppers or wings, maybe a pasta primavera? I can say confidently that I would spend more money here if they offered more apps than cheese bread and meatball dip. But what's really a bummer is that they don't deliver. Even though it's all of a mile away from my house, I'm truly that lazy sometimes. So for those reasons, despite their amazing 5 star pizza, they get an overall 4 star rating from me. read more

What a pleasant surprise this pizza is. After living in New England for 6 years and sampling more than my share of New Haven and New York style pizza, Carbone's is a near cousin (or sibling?) of those thin, delicate, greasy slices. Being in the midwest, though, Carbone's apparently thinks that the east coast tradition of folding your soggy slices is not quite "nice," so they cut their pies in little squares. As rhonda g. points out, that's just dangerous. It's so dang easy to have "just one more" about five times in a row. Now I'm a big fan of Punch, but when I'm looking for something a little less fancy (you'll find no salame e funghi at Carbone's, but you'll get pepperoni and mushroom if you want it), Carbone's will always satisfy. Just writing this review makes me crave their pizza again. Mmm. read more

Great pizza (best sauce in town), but DON'T get take out. They wrap your pizza in a BAG! And, since it's a hot pizza on a thin round cardboard, in a bag, it won't easily survive the ride home, since there's no such thing as a flat surface in a car. The cheese slides partially off the pizza, the cardboard bends & the bag gets soggy. They should invest in boxes & start delivering. read more

Great greasy thin pizza. Don't go if you want fast service as they tend to be a little slow, but the atmosphere is friendly and nice so it's worth the wait. We frequent this joint for both sit-in and take-out as the pizza is just that good. Note: this is NOT part of the Carbone's chain. This pizza is absolutely fantastic, addictive, cheesy, greasy, yum. Just try it already. read more

The worst margherita pizza ever. We heard about this place on neighborhood facebook page and decided to go there to have quick dinner. My husband ordered carbone's spacial pizza, and I ordered Margherita pizza. My husband was somewhat happy with his choice. But I never had any pizza like this. It was the WORST margherita pizza ever. They literally chopped some greens, some pink tomato (tomato wasn't even red, it was pink! ), and huge slices of garlic? Tomato wasn't even cooked. I do not eat raw tomato, I had to remove them. Those 2 pizza took 20 minutes to come even though the place wasn't crowded. I asked red sauce to dip in very dry and un-tasty pizza kind of bites. And it was veeery expensive for this ingredients. read more

A reliable scrumptious, old school pizza made from scratch Well worth getting up off the couch for!!! Go pick one up or dine in read more

Carbone's serves up a nice greasy pizza cut into small squares. The grease is from the actual cheese, people. Not the "cheese product" that several large chain places use. Cheese does have oil in it. Carbone's has been around for decades and is completely delicious albeit not healthy. This location is the first Carbone's. Apparently now the heirs have lost their mind and started setting up franchise operations, but this one was the first and does it old school. read more

Always satisfied with this place. Service is usually good but sometimes can be a bit slow. Pizza is NOTHING like the satellite "Carbone's Pizzeria" Stores around the cities. And I mean NOTHING!! Not the same recipe, not the same taste. Nowhere near the goodness of the Randolph Carbone's. One word of caution, if you'd Like your pizza baked a bit lighter, tell them to pull a couple minutes early. You'll be amazed. read more

This is the best pizza in the Twin Cities hands down I have been coming to this location since I was 7 so just over 40 years. The pizza is almost good. They haven't changed anything, except they got rid of the wooden salad bowls. It's my favorite place to go for pizza and always will be. read more

We had a large pineapple and Canadian bacon thin crust pizza and the house Large House Special very good pizza highly recommend

It's 11:30 at night and we are hungry! I've never been here. My better half last dined in in fall 1984. The place hasn't changed. As we wait, the phone keeps ringing. It's very quaint. It's like going back home. Even if it was never you home. Yes, the pizza. Think crust with ridiculous amount of cheese. Yummy. I mean, not the best I had, but definitely good. read more

So the service is great 5 stars. This just was not my style of pizza. It was quality made, but a little too greasy for my taste. If it's yours go here. read more

That had to be artificial cheese. It was horrible After closing for so long to remodel. Frozen pizza is better. read more

This is one of my favorite pizzerias for over the past 30 years!! Ever since I was eight years old I can remember going to Carboni's!! The smells!! The taste, and the old school look inside brings me back to my childhood read more

Delicious. I've been coming to this location since I was a kid. I loved the pizza then and it's still a favorite now for my daughter and I. The decor is pretty average. You will se a lot of families eating here and it's a tiny place but the food is so so good. Definitely one to put on your list of pizza places to try. read more

LOVE the expanded space! The atmosphere is so welcoming and open. The addition of a bar is long overdue, WELL DONE! The choices of beers shows a great commitment to local brews, very cool idea. Oh, and the PIZZA is awesome! You need to try Carbones on Randolph in St. Paul if you want the best pizza in Minnesota. read more

Not good. Super greasy pizza stopped being good when I was about 12. Divey, local, all the stuff St Paul likes to tout, and not good.

We eat here regularly, and they have a pretty good pizza product! The bread not quite as good, as are the meatballs only fair, but still pretty good I guess; certainly better than any franchise joint in a heartbeat. They make a great thin crust pizza, they serve real Coke products not weakened at the faucet either! The service can be spotty at times, but on a whole, they do pretty well most nights, but if they are real busy they get overwhelmed a bit I think. (The price of having a popular product) I have dined there since it opened, and quality has not gone down one bit! Still a great Pizza since the sixties. It is a very friendly St. Paul kind of place. Many locals come for takeout often! Pop on over! Easy to get to..on Randolph & Davern; next to SPA. Bring the kids! They will love it! Great family place! dp read more

spumoni could be all i would need to say to motivate me to go here. It has amazing spumoni. But the thin sausage pizza with sliced onions keeps my whole kennedy clan coming back for more since they were growing up in the area 40 plus years ago. This is the original and best ...the others are branches of other relatives that started restaurants in other misc places as far as I have heard. read more

I've concluded that Carbone's definitely puts crack in their pizzas. That is the only logical explanation of why they taste so good I would consider selling my first-born for the Hawaiian. read more

Fantastic! This is crazy affordable guilty-pleasure pizza. It's important to note that there are a couple Carbones in Saint Paul and two completely different companies. This particular location is vastly superior to its twin further into the city. Thin, crispy crust that doesn't get soggy despite being loaded with really quality cheese. This cheese is the kind that you can barely even cut with a knife, it's perfectly melted everytime and is stringy and thick. The toppings are pretty good, but the pizza honestly doesn't need them at all. I could do without the cheese bread, but the "meatball dip" is the best. Two giant meatballs sunk into their perfectly spicy but not-too-spicy sauce, and a roll of warm garlic bread for dipping in what's left after you've devoured those giant juicy meatballs. It's a great option when you're a little lactose intolerant, I can have just the one peice of the pizza (if I can control myself) and still enjoy a meal with friends. They also offer a gluten-free crust that is miles above average according to a celiac friend. They don't deliver, and if you do takeout you're going to want to keep in mind that they charge for boxes, otherwise you're taking your pizza home in a paper bag. So don't order too much and plan to have your hands full on the way back unless you want to spring for boxes, which are pretty reasonably priced. The eat-in experience is casual and small, but not small in the way that it would be a place you'd think to take a date. If you're a large group, it would be better to call ahead and plan on sitting at a few separate tables, since they can't accomodate much more. We've had pretty consistently good service there, but nothing particularly outstanding. They make your pizza fresh to-order, so you'll want to give them 30 to 45 minutes before you roll over to pick up any takeout you ordered. read more

Carbone's is a good pizza. Not great, not excellent, but certainly not bad. We gave it a try with a take out sausage and pepperoni pizza, and a side of the 3meatballs w/ garlic bread. There was good use of cheese, and we love thin crust, sauce was thick but lacking in flavor. The sausage was tasty, and while the pepperoni was nice and thick, the taste was lacking here as well. We enjoyed the garlic bread, but it again, was nothing special. The meatballs we saved and ate later in the week, they were pretty tasty. I think we would try it again, but not anytime in the immediate future. read more

This is soooo good! I think this is the original Carbones. The interior hasn't changed since the sixties, except in those days the walls were adorned with black velvet paintings. The pizza has always been spectacular. read more

Come here if you like tasty little squares. Bonus tip: if you get your pizza to go it comes in a bag. My sister kept using Oregano oil to boost her immune system all week and I kept thinking "That smells like carbone's". So then I went and got be a pizza bag from Car Bone's read more

Cute mom & pop establishment. Pizza, sandwiches, soup, salad, spaghetti. Mainly take-out business, theres no delivery. Monday night date night special. Service is good, dining room outdated 80's look. Food quality has gone down in the last 2 years. read more

oh carbones, how do i live without thee? carbone's pizza is off the hook delicous. and no other can compete. a true old school mid-western classic pizza. living in california now leaves me with sleepless nights and a deep longing within me to savor the greasy delicousness that only carbones could provide..... read more

Crispy crust, perfect cheese to sauce proposition, and plenty greasy salty goodness. Carbones is the best!

This may be the perfect pizza. Nice thin crust for all you thin crust lovers out there and the perfect amount of sauce and cheese!

It's thin crust pizza with a sauce that has a little bite. The place is small so you have to go early or risk waiting for a table. They have good hoagies too. This is a Minnesota style pizza, not like Punch or something you'd get in Chicago or New York. read more