My wife is extremely picky, and has complained that she has not been able to get good Chicken Marsala, since our favorite Italian restaurant closed several years ago. (We are from out of town.). Well, last night that ended. She found the best Chicken Marsala she has ever had! My food was excellent as well. Highly recommend. read more

Carini's is an excellent family owned and operated Italian restaurant. Literally, the whole family lends a hand. I met everybody. PJ Carini was our waiter, his brother, Greg Carini was behind the glass making wood-fired pizzas, father, Peter Carini, was walking around in his chef coat, checking on tables, and mother, Jan Carini, is the hostess. I love a great, local, mom & pop kind of place, and that's exactly what this is. Very classic Italian, complete with "That's Amore" playing in the background. The menu includes all the staples: calamari, bruschetta, fried eggplant, arancini (those deep-fried Sicilian rice balls), pasta dishes, marsala, spiedini, wood-fired pizzas and tiramisu. They have a pretty big wine list. I chose to start my evening with a glass of pinot noir. Next, your dining experience begins with Italian bread and their special olive oil with garlic and seasonings, for dipping. Entrees include soup or salad, so that's the next course. Then I had the Fettuccine Primavera, fresh pasta tossed in a tomato garlic wine sauce, with fresh vegetables, cooked al dente. Yum! After all that, I had no room for dessert, so I opted for a digestif: housemade limoncello. Delish! read more

I have eaten at Carini's on several occasions. I especially sitting in either of the two front dining rooms. though the other dining area's are just as relaxing and intimate. One of my favorite dishes there is the lamb. Always done to perfection making my taste buds stand up and take notice. One of the better Caesar salads around and yet to have a bad dessert. I am looking forward to having a pizza in their new wood-fired oven soon. This may be an "old school" restaurant so to speak but I have always enjoyed by classes there. read more

Absolutely amazing restaurant. Great food, amazing environment, and the service is second to none. I brought my entire tennis team to this place, and dealing with 20 high school seniors is a task that anyone would have trouble with. Yet, everyone at Carini's was extremely helpful, quick to get anything we needed, and delivered the delicious food to us quicker than we could eat it. Kudos to this place, they know how to treat their customers right. read more

Carini's was ok, but nothing special. The waitress was nice but was rather clueless, she didn't know the specials but then again maybe she was new. The food is decent but waaaay overpriced for what you get, especially the lamb. The wine recommended was decent but a bit dry for my liking. read more

I venture to say the best Italian restaurant in Milwaukee. I have tried all their menu and almost they are all first class. Above all, their octopus salad has got to be the absolute best. I have been to Italy many times, this place surpasses any Italian food I ate in Italy or anywhere in the world. Must try!!! The food is truly made with lots of LOVE!!! read more

Perfect place for casual date night. My partner and I ate for less than $40 and got two drinks, an appetizer, and a pizza. Will definitely be back. read more

Carini's is way overpriced for what it is. I had the Penne with shrimp. Besides it having a strong tomato flavor, there's really nothing else. Their tomato soup was also very watery and tomato flavored. I usually like my tomato soup a bit more creamy. My husband had the broiled salmon. The salmon was good but we've had better. Basically for the price you pay here, you can get better food elsewhere. Most of the dishes are around 20-30 bucks. read more

Our first time here. Have lived in Shorewood for over 20 years and just heard about this hidden gem from a friend. WHO KNEW!!! We were warmly greeted on arrival. First thing I noticed - the music! IL Divo, Josh Groban, Frank Sinatra and more. Great mix and atmosphere. The food was a pleasant surprise! The bread served with garlic/herb infused olive oil and fresh grated Parmesan on the side was off the charts!!! I nearly licked the plate! We purchased a bottle of the olive oil to take home. A fresh crispy salad (nicely dressed), Eggplant Parmesan which was made fresh for me and Veal Siciliana which my Husband compared to the old Giovanni. The owner/Chef - Peter, visited our table a few times to check in and make sure everything was okay. I would recommend this restaurant to all of our foodie friends in a heartbeat. We will be returning soon to experience the pizzas cooked in their new wood burning pizza oven from Italy. Great experience. Highly recommend. read more

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Wow! It is laughable that this place gets good reviews. I ordered bruschetta for my appetizer. Easy enough, nope. Took about 30 minutes to come out, and the bread was soggy and overall it was super salty. First course... fail. For my entree I got a pizza, I heard they a new pizza oven and that their pizza was great. Boy was I lied to. The margherita was tiny, burnt bottom of the crust, super oily and overall, unpleasant. I was sitting in this restaurant for 2 and half hours for something that should have taken 45 minutes. I wanted to talk to a manager, but he was "busy". I saw what he was "busy" doing...standing on his phone. The wait staff was very nice and made the experience a little better, but I will never be stepping foot in this establishment again read more

Ordered a spaghetti and meatballs to go and was shocked to be charged 25 dollars. Very over priced. I did ask for 2 extra meatballs but really $25 for noodles and meatballs. No bread or salad. Really?????? . Last time I go to this restaurant read more

This is a very homey and authentic restaurant. The staff is so kind and make you feel so welcome. The food is very expensive for the size of plate though which is a huge downfall. I enjoy going to this restaurant but I feel like a lot of their food is blan in flavor and doesn't satisfy my tastebuds. read more

Went here for a post graduation dinner and was pleasantly impressed. The decorations and look of the place was a little odd to us. Some of the decorations seemed to fit while others were out of place. I ordered steamed mussels over fettuccini. I will warn anyone who does not like chunks of fresh garlic to be careful. This restaurant is very garlic happy but I love garlic so that was a big bonus to me. The mussels were fresh and very flavorful and abundant as well. Service was absolutely fantastic. Even other tables around us were getting good service. We also tried a fried calamari app that was very delicious. I would recommend this place as a nice but little bit overpriced Sicilian restaurant. Would definitely go again for a special occasion. read more

For $15 a pie, you expect a bit more than a 12 inch personal pizza. The pizzas were not bad, but certainly NOT good value for the money. Spend your money and satisfy your pizza cravings elsewhere.... Anywhere else. read more

We are food snobs up from Chicago. Found this place through yelp. Looks like an old fashioned neighborhood place. Very nice seating in the open windows. Service was very good and we all loved our entrees. Menu has nice traditional entrees and pasta as well as some more interesting options. Seafood ravioli was excellent. give it a try! read more

My job has me entertaining clients from the City by the Bay to the Big Apple. The clients I entertain are as sophisticated as the cities they call home and many are real Foodies, so it is a real treat for me to be able to have them visit our offices and have the chance to show them the best of Milwaukee. The best of Milwaukee is a perfect little place on Oakland Ave called Carini's La Conca D'Oro. In the words of my New York guests, "this place is the perfect combination of excellent food and the perfect restaurant experience!" we may not have The Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, but we do have Carini's La Conca D'Oro!! read more

This is an absolute must if you like Sicilian cuisine. The calamari steak - incredible. The spedini (they make at least 5 varieties) are the best in the city. And their newly added Neapolitan pizzas are absolutely perfect. Get this place on your list immediately. read more

Very conscientious service, some particularly inventive fare, and reasonably sized portions. You know it's a good sign when the dipping oil for your bread has more effort put into it than most places put into their entrees. Both diners had fish, which was prepared very well. We didn't leave feeling overburdened by cheese. read more

Amazing Italian food made with lots of love. I had the signature dish the concha d'Oro. It was nothing short of spectacular. Loved it so much I came back for dinner again the following night. This time had the veal -- so tender it just melts in your mouth. This will be my dining room whenever I am in Milwaukee. I dare you to find a better meal. Great quality. Portions sized just right. read more

For a girls night out we all went here. It was wonderful; food is great, friendly service, and not crowded so we could hear each other :-) My only recommendation is skip the house wine, way over priced! read more

Food is awesome. My favorite is San Pietro. A shrimp dish with Angel hair pasta. The bread and olive oil is very good. Prices on the high side, but worth it. The service is spotty. They seem to go through a lot of wait staff. Highly recommended! read more

We visited Milwaukee for a family reunion and to attend FESTA Italiana. Never been to this restaurant before so brought a bunch of relatives. Wow, what great food.! Every person at the table was super happy! The calamari appetizer and octopus salad were amazing! Never had it so tender. The rack of lamb was incredible! Pizzas were out of this world. Next time we travel to Milwaukee, we will definitely go there again. Oh yes, and the service was quick and friendly. Our server was never rattled by the 18 person party that we brought. read more

I just ate the best pizza ever!! I ordered the four cheese and added prosciutto oh my God the Gorgonzola was the best..The pizza crust was perfect it doesn't get any better than this.. The service was awesome and the owner Peter Carini knows how to cook...every one i was with said what they ordered was fantastic too... Happy Birthday day to us.It wasn't really our birthday but it felt like it.Yay :-) read more

Real nice neighbourhood restaurant that has been around for a while but keeps everything fresh. My wife and I enjoyed going there since moving to MKE five years ago and have never been disappointed. They offer a variety of Italian food from simple to fancy, and just added an authentic wood fired pizza oven, complete with Italian pizza chef! Like I needed another reason to go... The owner will likely stop by and greet you regardless how busy. Try the peach Bellini, always reminds me of our travels to Italy. read more

Horrible atmosphere, good food. despite the well crafted food, the entire mood of the restaurant was very negative and angry. I went out with my boyfriend for our anniversary and as we were entering the owner was arguing with one of the waiters. We were seated near the kitchen and the noisiness of silverware banging and yelling from the staff was definitely a mood killer. I heard a lot of swear words and arguing from there. The bartender made a snarky remark as to what drink my boyfriend ordered. However, The food we very good well made. It's a shame the ambiance was so off putting. We ended the meal, left and I felt kind of upset. It didn't ruin the night but I'd say go somewhere else. read more

We love this place. We stopped in for seafood pasta recently and it was great. This is Italian food with a Sicilian flare. It is heavy on the seafood. The spedini are wicked good too. The staff is friendly and quick. BTW - their Easter brunch is AWESOME! read more

I was very pleased with my experience here! When we first arrived, I ordered the swordfish, only to be informed that they were out. I then looked at the menu again, and ordered the Calamari steak. The Calamari wasn't chewy or rubbery like I was expecting it to be- it was delicious. It was even topped with a bit of chopped up tomatoes-- I'm not sure what was all on it, but it tasted delicious. A little later, our waiter came and apologized again about the swordfish, and offered a free dessert. I got the tiramisu, and it was so delicious. It wasn't mushy like a lot of tiramisus that I have tried, it was the absolute perfect consistency, and it wasn't overly sweet either. We were also greeted by an older male (maybe the owner?) who made sure we were happy with our experience and apologized about the sword fish as well. Overall, we were treated very well here! The staff was kind and caring, and the food was superb. I will definitely be returning to try the swordfish! read more

With all of the excellent places to dine in Milwaukee, it's surprising to me that Carini's stays open. My partner and I went here for a date night on a Friday. We arrived around 7pm with no reservation, and were seated in the front room that is secluded from the rest of the restaurant. There were two dirty tables next to us, which it took the servers 45 mins to notice and clean up. The decor was dated and kitschy. I was served Chianti that tasted like Welch's grape juice, and needed to be sent back. We ordered arancini for an appetizer, and they were ok, but not great. For my entree, I had a margarita pizza, which was under baked and somewhat oily. Honestly though, I was thankful to have my pizza because at least it was somewhat edible. My partner's entree was so much worse. He ordered cod, which came smothered in marinara sauce. It was essentially the same quality as an elementary cafeteria, and he said it tasted pretty awful. Service was less than stellar, and our server never came back to check on us until I had one piece of pizza left. The worst part was the bill. Collectively we consumed 2 cheap beers and a glass of wine, an order of arancini, a simple pizza, and the fish mess. It was over $70. I'll never get that $70 back to spend at a deserving Milwaukee restaurant. Ugh. Never going back again, and hoping all of you Yelp readers never go there either! read more

I love the old school Italian restaraurants and this was up there with the best. The pasta arrabiata was awesome and the dinner salad was good. Nice to have more than head lettuce which is often the case with this type of restaurant. Homemade dressings a huge plus. The dessert we had was house made and delicious! It was a moist cake with a cannoli filling topping. We had really good service, though I would suggest eating in the main dining room instead of the porch; More ambiance there. Owner came during the meal and we had a nice conversation. This is a must do in the Milwaukee area. read more

Been coming here for years. Now it's my favorite pizza in Milwaukee. Awesome! Can't wait to try more variations. This is how pizza is supposed to be done. read more

A group of us Went to Carinis to celebrate my mothers birthday. It was a busy Saturday night yet we had timely and excellent service. The chef came out to greet my family, we felt so welcomed .. oh and may I mention all of our meals were delicious! read more

Loved this place. Friendly and fantastic food. Grew up in the Italian restaurant business, so usually don't enjoy going out for Italian. Everything we had was fantastic and we tried EVERYTHING! Appetizers to dessert to cappuccino all fantastic. Don't miss out on this gem. Can't wait to go back. Owners super kind. read more

I had my grandfathers birthday celebration here. We were treated like royalty and the food was incredible. I would recommend Carini's for family parties or just an intimate couples dinner. Everything was authentic Sicilian cuisine!!!! Very Impressed!!! read more

Was worried going to be old vibe but was an excellent choice. Atmosphere, crowd and food were very excellent and reasonably price.

A classic Sicilian / Italian restaurant. It has the same vibe of authentic restaurants in the NY and NJ area with a friendly staff, good cocktails, and an old-country vibe. I had the salmon which was *excellent* and we shared the antipasto which was also very very good. We ended with a canoli which reminded me of some of the best Italian bakeries in New Jersey. Don't come here for innovative new age Italian cooking, but if you want authentic Sicilian in a warm, friendly environment with a very friendly and welcome staff, definitely check this place out. read more

Outstanding food and service. Everything was so fresh! I can't wait to try the pizza.

Hadn't been here in years but glad we stopped. I was thinking of the wonderful seafood entrees to try but The full menu page of pizza choices caught our eye immediately and all four of us ordered our own choice to share. Italian sausage was amazing and the crust was excellent. Fresh mozzarella cheese is always a good sign of quality. Will be back soon. read more

I've been driving to Sheboygan the last four years to get my fix of Napoletana pizza. I heard about Carini's from a friend and gave it a shot tonight. I ordered the Diavolo and realized I've been missing out. Amazing pie! The crust was crisp and chewy on the inside, sausage was cooked perfectly. The staff was friendly. If you get the chance check out the oven in the back. I got to watch my pizza being tossed, topped, and then fired in 90 seconds. Great place! read more

This family owned restaurant is by far one of, if not, my favorite restaurant in Wisconsin. I've eaten at a lot of mom and pop restaurants in my life and they are through and through amazing. The food is always promptly served hot and cooked to perfection. The staff and family owners are some of the friendliest and most personable people you'll have the pleasure of sharing conversation with while you enjoy your delicious Sicilian dinner. Soups change daily and did I mention their award winning pizza?! This is a must try (and get hooked) restaurant! read more

My wife and I visited Carini's for our 38th wedding anniversary on June 9, 2017. We were immediately seated. This is our second time here and made it a point to have our anniversary at this wonderful restaurant. I ordered a Bloody Mary and my wife had the Zinfandel. This is the only knock against the rating above. The Bloody Mary was not at all tasty. It was more alcohol than flavor and I would have given them four and a half stars if possible The Zinfandel was smooth and robust. We ordered the Focaccia for an appetizer with added bruschetta tomatoes. Wonderful and perfectly made. Bread was brought with oil, garlic and cheese which quickly eaten. I ordered the La Conca d'Oro with a side salad of Italian dressing. The mussels were perfectly steamed and the seafood tender and delicious. The salad was perfect with just the right amount of dressing. My wife had the Sicilian Cod with a side Caesar salad. Her fish was cooked perfectly and her salad was genuine. After dinner we had the orange Sorbet, served in a hollowed out orange, and split a cannoli. Both desserts were authentic and made in the Sicilian tradition. The owner, Peter and his wife stopped at our table and we talked for a bit. It is nice to see a long time business still serving great food and employing fabulous staff. Good job, Peter! read more