Loved the atmosphere and service but the food is terrible. If you want good Italian food, you'll have to go somewhere else.

Great local Italian. The portions are huge, from the side salad to entree to dessert. The fettuccine cajun Alfredo was phenomenal. My wife got the regular fettuccini Alfredo and it was just okay. Overall, I would recommend coming. Best Italian you will find in Cullman. read more

If you're traveling and staying overnight in Cullman and have a yen for good thin crust pizza, run away from this place. Ordered a small meat lovers and Tuscan carry-out and had to wait 45 minutes longer than we were told on the phone. The crust was not crisp but rather had a stale texture, the veggies on the Tuscan and the meat on the other were dried out, much like they'd been setting under a heat lamp for a while. Absolutely no flavor on the Tuscan... read more

The fettuccine Alfredo and Cajun pasta are amazing! Also the strawberry and spinach salad One of favorite local restaurants.

I love this place! The personal pizzas are excellent, especially the all meat or buffalo chicken pizzas. The personal lasagne is filling, lobster ravioli is quite good also. The Shrimp and Conecuh Sausage on penne pasta is my go to dish. It's all excellent. In my personal opinion, Carlton's is the overall best dining experience in Cullman city. read more

Carlton's Italian Restaurant & Catering - Shrimp and Conecuh Sausage over penne pasta. They were kind and substituted alfredo sauce for me. Great food always! - Italian Near Me - Cullman, Alabama

The reason it's on my Top 100 Dishes to Try list: *Pasta Ravioli-see description below Trip 2: Success! Definitely one of my new favorite Italian places. Still need to try a few more dishes before I can bump it up to 5 stars though. Drug my husband here for dinner on a Saturday night. Parking was a little cruel to us. The restaurant was packed but we were seated as soon as the hostess saw us waiting among the front door crowd. It took a little while for our server to get to us but I think he was dealing with a large group. The food was a little slow in coming out as well. Compare this to my first trip to determine what you feel is more appropriate visiting hours for you. If you have to wait just enjoy the beautiful architecture and décor. I mean our table at the booth was made from an old door, the ceiling looks like an old wooden floor, and if that's obviously too boring for your husband (like mine) they have a couple of TVs too. I ordered the Flatbread Pizza with chicken and black olives as an appetizer. It comes with two toppings for $4.99. It is ~6 inches square. I loved the crunchy flatbread, the flavorful sauce, and the perfectly melted cheese. The chicken was in large hunks and a little bland and dry. I'd definitely get the flatbread again except with different toppings. I thought it was reasonable for the price. ***Their pizza sauce has to be my favorite pizza sauce of all I've tasted. It has a perfect balance of tomato sweetness and tanginess. The Italian herb and garlic flavors just dance in your mouth after each bite. My husband ordered the Chicken Parmesan and was disappointed in the portion size for the price. He said it was 4th on his "Best Chicken Parm" list behind Francesca's in Decatur, Joe's Italian in Pelham, and Olive Garden. That's saying a lot about his disappointment since those are the only 4 he's ever tried. He said the chicken patty was just too small. I tasted it and thought it was pretty typical of Chicken Parm, but I really don't know how special you can make that dish. It came with thin spaghetti and two breadsticks for $10.95. *________________________________________________________________* I ordered the Pasta Ravioli described as "pasta stuffed with shrimp and Andouille sausage and surrounded by Carlton's mild cream sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese". OH MY GOSH it was so good! The ravioli stuffing was unique and savory with a hint of shrimp flavor and a mild smokiness from the Andouille sausage. The sauce was so creamy and luscious with perfect saltiness from the cheese. I loved the browned, bubbly cheese from the broiling of the dish just before serving, the flavor paired wonderfully with the smokiness of the Andouille. The dish came with two breadsticks for $9.95. Definitely worth the price. *________________________________________________________________* The breadsticks are very similar to Olive Garden. Pretty basic in flavor except for the garlic salt topping. List: The BEST ravioli I've ever had. read more

Carlton's Italian Restaurant & Catering - Pasta Ravioli:ravioli stuffed w/ shrimp & andouille sausage in creamy sauce. Comes w/ 2 breadsticks-$9.95. Absolutely delicious! - Italian Near Me - Cullman, Alabama

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I've only been once. I had the Ravioli Florentine and it was delicious! Prices were cheap and service was good. We'll definitely be going back! read more

We had the hawaiian pizza and shared a wedge salad. Always delicious. Nice atmosphere. All the Christmas decorations were beautiful too!! read more

Carlton's Italian Restaurant & Catering - Beer selections - Italian Near Me - Cullman, Alabama

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Seated near a beautiful gothic landmark church in a quaint downtown setting, we found Carlton's to be friendly, attentive, and a great offering of good food. While mainly Italian dishes on the menu, the chili was a surprising treat for a cool night. Meaty and filling along with a side salad it would be a great meal. We also tried their meatballs and a small pizza at our table. The crust was fresh, soft, and still offered a stable and yummy delivery method for savory pepperoni and spicy pepperoncinis (sorry if misspelled. We prefer to eat them and not spell them). The cheesecake of the day was offered and sounded great based on the conversations around us, but we truly had no room left. If passing through and you are open to a brief drive off the interstate, this is a much better offering than the usual chain food faire. read more

We came on a Saturday about 1p.... We got seated quickly, had prompt service... but had to wait FOREVER on our food. All we ordered was a 14" meat pizza... It was very good, we took leftovers, but I question what the wait would be on a busy day. read more

The wait before being seated was 30 min. This is understandable , however there is no excuse for making people wait to be seated 30 min and when you seat them tell them all entrees will be 1 hour and then another waitress comes back 5 min later and tells us 1 and 1/2 hours for entrees . Understandably you are busy . However, lock the freakin door until you get caught up . If that is too much to ask , at least tell the people waiting to be seated the entrees will be additional 1 hour 1/2 after they are seated . No excuse for this . None!!!!! read more

I have eaten here several times its a pretty good Italian joint. The cheese bread is my favorite.the chicken parm was good but a little salty. They have a very good desert menu. Love how the restaurant is set up. During the summer they have a great patio. Price is moderate. read more

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Love the food, but the wait is another thing. We just left, without eating, because, after 10 minutes, no one had even taken our drink orders. 3 other couples were seated after us, had their drinks and had even ordered. This happened the last time, there were 4 of us and it was slow then, as well. You should pay more attention to your service, no matter how good your food is, bad service doesn't bode well for people returning. Thank you read more

Love love love this place. Have been going there for years. Service has never been bad. My wife wonders why I even look at the menu because 90% of the time I'm going to order the baked lasagna. Never been disappointed by the gang at Carlton's read more

Excellent food. Extra clean and wonderful service. Staff is kind and considerate and they treat you special. Your meal is piping hot and delicious. I recommend going before it gets busy to avoid any wait as we did. Five Star read more

I took a client to this restaurant since it was highly recommended by the locals. It took too long to get our food and the food was so salty we couldn't eat it. We asked for refills on our drinks and we were ignored. I will never go back to this restaurant when I am meeting clients in Cullman. read more

So let's start with the atmosphere. Kinda rustic but nice. Small dining room but still appears roomy. Next, service. Seated pretty quick and wait staff quite friendly. Food came quicker than expected. Now the food. We ordered the Tuscan Pasta (Wife) and I got the Lasagna. Both dishes were very good. Wife got the cannoli (excellent) and I had the cheesecake (mediocre). Not bad price wise. The only bad I have to say was my bread that came with the Lasagna had a small spot of mold. Overall I'm ok with my experience (less the bread incident) read more

If you come here, be ready to wait and pay way too much for less than average food!!! My husband ordered a pizza and when our food came out (took about an hour from the time we ordered to our food being brought out) the server informed us that his pizza had not even been made, therefore he had to sit there while the rest of our group ate. They did not charge us for it, and that was fine. He recieved it in a to go box as we were leaving. Once we were home and he tasted it, he said it reminded him of Totinos personal pizzas. Yuck. I ordered the carbonara and it tasted like jarred Alfredo sauce with bacon bits and raw mushrooms. We ordered the spinach dip as an appetizer and it came with 4 slices of bread, yes, 4 thin slices of French bread, And had no cheese on it nor in it. Strange. Almost $70 and 2 hours later we were more than happy to be out of there. The only positive to our entire experience was how sweet our server was. Avoid this place!!! read more

Fabulous find Great service wonderful history amazing architecture The food was nice but the architecture was an absolute delight The ceiling was from a warehouse in Knoxville Tennessee there were gym floors used to add texture to the walls and wonderful railroad depot supports used in the ceiling It was wonderful to see the repurpose sing of old antique architectural structures used in this building read more

Amazing! The food was absolutely delicious and the service was fantastic! Great place to eat!

Absolutely the best Italian restaurant in town. Their pizza is to die for. The waitresses and waiters are always friendly and prompt.

Why this place is on all the top lists to eat for Cullman (and even the state for that matter) I will never know. The servers are very polite, but the food takes waaaay too long to get (not your servers fault, btw, please don't blame them) the management is super rude, and it's incredibly overpriced for what you get. If you're passing through cullman and you see this place recommended, take it from a cullman native and pass. read more

Looking for that perfect spot to get some Italian food? Look no further than Carlton's. From the perfectly cooked pizza to the always delectable Lasagna and then to the Cajun Chicken Pasta, Carlton's has something for everybody. One of my personal favorites is their take on the Supreme Pizza called "The Blaylock" named for the Owner. If you are looking for something a bit more get a side of the special house dressing and dip your pizza in it. Wonderful decor and the staff is excellent just like the food. read more

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My family has always loved Carlton's. We had family visiting tonight and took them to visit the restaurant and had a terrible experience. The restaurant has went down hill significantly. We waited almost 2 hours for our food to arrive and when it did some of our plates were cold, our orders were wrong, some of the pasta didn't have sauce and tasted very bland. They have also had a menu change and some of our favorites like the mushroom ravioli are no longer offered. The experience was very disappointing and we will not be recommending or returning to Carlton's. There are a lot of options in Cullman now and if Carlton's wants to stay in business they need to step up their service. read more

Friend of mine recommended the place for the pizza. I am a pizza junkie. This place was good, but not junkie worthy. The other dishes looked better. Crust - Pizza Hut style. Thin, crispy. Bit bland. A little garlic butter would go a long way. Sauce - bit salty for my liking, not bad - but did not have that San Marzano flavor I was hoping for. Cheese - this may have added to the saltiness. Nice coating, but didn't taste like good mozzarella, not Buffala Mozzarella, just good mozzarella. Bit too processed, seemed to have some cheddar in the cheese and that is always wrong. Toppings - Canadian Bacon - nice flavor. Green pepper - tasted fresh. Seemed to have let the pizza cook a bit before putting the peppers on, which is okay, but I'd just let them cook into the pizza. Service - slow. We had a waitress from another table ask us what we were drinking to get us refills, and then never came back. Our own waitress was very good. Would I go back - probably not. I'm not in Cullman often enough to try the same place twice. My "friend" is now an acquaintance by the way. read more

Worst service ever. The food is good yeah but only when they actually get it right! We have had issues many times but tonight took the cake. I ended up wanting an hour for my order when it was only supposed to take about 1/2 that time to start with and I had to tell them that my husbands order was wrong, mine was wrong AND we were missing our salads. As they were remaking mine they brought out the missing part for my husbands (which ending up being wrong still) and then since mine was taking so long to recook I told them I was worried about the rest getting cold...that got disregarded. I left when they brought mine out and again it was wrong AND overdone at that. I called to speak with the manager and after much dispute she tried to tell me it was the way I said it that caused the confusion. I'm sorry but if you were confused you should have asked! The rest of the food was cold when I got home of course. They wanted me to come back then to get more food and get a gift card. I told them no I was already at work with a full day went to the grocery store AND waited too long for my food and they already had a chance to fix it and still screwed up. It was late I didn't have time to have them fix it again. She then said they would do a gift card only. I again told her no. This has been multiple times they have messed up to just refund my card and she was clearly unhappy with me saying that BUT she said she would. Not 5-10month later I got a call from a different manager then stating he would NOT refund my card. He continued to talk over me and wanted to tell me his issues after I told him That I was more then upset as I was trying to spend time with my family that I hadn't seen all day and I have already spent too much time with them as it is. He then told me very load and abruptly about how he doesn't see his family as he does roofing in the morning then goes there. That isn't my problem nor should that be what he's telling a customer when he's supposedly trying to fix their screw up! I will NEVER go back and I have called my card company for the refund. Also the cold spegettii Was dry AND the sauce was I believe was straight from a can read more

Carlton's Italian Restaurant & Catering - This is what they called spegettii - Italian Near Me - Cullman, Alabama

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The place is very nice from the inside. Our waiter was super nice. She kept on checking on us while we waited on our food. I went with a group of friends from school and well all got a pizza which she was nice in letting us know that the pizza does take a little bit longer to be ready. Our pizzas were delicious. The buffalo chicken pizza is definitely one to try. Prices we reasonable cheap. read more

Told me on the phone Pickup order would be 45 minutes. Still waiting after one hour and 30 minutes. No food is worth this bad service! I supported this restaurant during the pandemic getting takeout. I'll think twice before going here again, I could have driven to Birmingham or Huntsville to eat read more

I'm giving them 3 stars because I have ate here quite a few times over the years and they have started going down hill lately. Our latest visit started with us waiting to be seated way longer then we should have cause there was only 4 or 5 other groups seated. They only had 1 hostess and she was doing other things in the back. Many people came out from the back & none of them offered to seat us, they weren't that busy. Once we ordered it was 30 minutes before we got our food. Did not get any meat in my Cajun Pasta, evidently that was my fault cause I did request it. Wife said her food didn't have the flavor it should have. Everything about this place use to be great it's just going down hill now. read more

Man do I love authentic #italian food! Carlton's Italian this lasagna was amazing & so rich with flavor. The bread is always to die for. I buttery bread !! . This place is on point! Best I've ever had. read more

Carlton's Italian Restaurant & Catering - Tasty lasagna. - Italian Near Me - Cullman, Alabama

I was so pleasantly surprised! The salad trio was as great and would have been enough, but then we got one of the best pizzas ever! Greta job! read more

This place has boatloads of character inside and out. Reclaimed wood, brick, warm people and great pizza! The thin crust of the Mediterranean Pizza is out of control! I only planned to eat half. But, I scarfed the whole thing down. read more

This is probably one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. When the owner came to our table I thought maybe our problems could be solved-- however her rudeness set a new standard for poor customer service. I will not return and would rank the experience as worse than a 2 day old stale mayonnaise sandwich. read more

Food is sub par like it is out of a box. It's definitely not worth the wait. They take forever.

Love this restaurant. Love the atmosphere. Wonderful food. I usually have the manicotti. I've had the lasagna, pizza and baked spaghetti. Ohh so good!! read more

Had a call in order and was told 30-45 mins on the phone. Showed up to the restaurant at exactly 45 mins and waited another 45 to get my food! Absolutely ridiculous on the timing for two pasta orders when they aren't even at full capacity! Will never return because this isn't the first example of poor customer service. read more

Lovely atmosphere and good food. The prices are super fair and the service is great. We stopped in here on our way thru town because of the Yelp reviews. It did not disappoint! The Praline Cannoli did not disappoint! read more

Carlton's Italian Restaurant & Catering - Lovey little spot with great food. - Italian Near Me - Cullman, Alabama

Great food!! Calzones are HUGE!! Thin crust toppings and great sauce! Spinach artichoke dip was also great. Comes with 4 slices of small toast to dip on. When asked by waitress if we wanted more bread said yes to be charged 3$ for 3 tiny slices more. Service is good food slow sometimes but worth the wait. Sauce also extra to dip calzone in. Any other place I have been you get a cup with calzone to dip. They do nickel and dime you here big time. Cheesecake also was awesome but price is high for tiny portion you get. Love the food but seriously need to stop and look at simple things that you overcharge for. Didn't ask for coke refill figured it may be more than reg coke or extra bread which was half of original app price. Will be back or order take out but will not make mistake of expecting money's worth of things that should have been included on 99% of places I eat out and I eat out a lot!! read more

Carlton's Italian Restaurant & Catering - Italian Near Me - Cullman, Alabama

Excellent food. Extra clean and wonderful service. Staff is VERY kind and considerate. Your meal is piping hot and delicious. I wish they had more pasta options on their menu, but the lasagna is to die for! It will be better when they expand the outside dining area. read more

I know folks rave about it, but their food tastes mediocre at best. Go for the pizza... it's the best thing on the menu. Lasagna is too saucy (served in an oval serving dish? Just why?) and the garlic bread is like a store bought hoagie roll with garlic spread between the slices. The baked spaghetti was a little better but still pretty plain. It was disappointing to have to wait so long to eat (and it wasn't busy!) and to have food that tasted worse than what I could cook at home. Super nice staff though... just nothing special tasting to eat and not worth the wait (and we were seated right away). read more