I brought my family of 9 adults to Carmela's for their Sunday breakfast brunch. Service was very good and most items were very good. Would just like to point out that three people ordered the biscuits and gravy item. Usually most people expect the biscuits to be split in half with gravy all over them, this was not the case. Carmelas serves the biscuits together with a sausage patty sitting on top of the biscuit and I believe an egg on top of that then a SMALL amount of gravy on top of that. Not enough gravy to even dampen the hugh biscuits. I was glad I ordered an omelet. read more

I've enjoyed dining at Carmela's Bistro & Wine Bar in the past. The food is delicious, thoughtfully prepared, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. However, during my most recent visit, the arrival experience was very disappointing. After entering, the host did not acknowledge me at all, and another family who arrived after me was immediately helped first. Several staff members were nearby and could have assisted or at least offered a greeting, but no one did. After waiting without acknowledgment, we ultimately decided to leave and go to another restaurant. Being ignored at the door made us feel unwelcome, and it completely changed our plans for the evening. Good service starts the moment guests walk in, and unfortunately this experience fell far below expectations. read more

Shared parking lot eith a couple of other places. We were seated immediately. The place was busy. They tended to us immediately we ordered a bottle or pinot gringio. It took awhile to come. Possibly because they were very busy. We heard that they had a patty of 16 and a lot of stuff was pushed back We then ordered calamari as appetisers. Batter was delicious but I felt that the calamari pieces were very small in lots of batter. It was fresh and tasted good. Then we ordered our mains. My husband and my mom in law both ordered Oscar's favourite- this came with asparagus, steak and a crabcake. I ordered a duck comfit which came with roasted brussel sprouts, spinach and gnocchi. Our food took pretty long to come. But we had decent conversation at our table and we didn't really notice it. My mom on law ordered medium and she thought her steak was perfect. My hubby ordered medium rare but thought his steak was just ok, still a little bit overcooked for him. He didn't care for his crabcake. There was pepper mixed in there and the smell was pretty strong for him and I. My duck confit was absolutely delicious. It came with two duck thighs instead of one. The brussel sprouts were a little overdone. I'm a brussel sprout crazed person. I didn't mind but would have preferred it crunchy instead of mushy. Our nice server convinced us of dessert- and we ordered better than sex chocolate cake to share. It came beautifully presented in a wine glass and garnished with a strawberry. It's pretty good. But would have been better if the chocolate cake was warm. All in all, it was a decent night. Thank you for a good time. read more

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Enjoyed a nice dinner with my wife and mother. My mother and I had the Oscar's favorite and my wife had the duck confit. We started with the fried callimari. And finished with the BTS cake. The food was pretty good, next time I'll vote for a different dessert. The dining room provided a nice classy atmosphere and our waitress was very pleasant. Issues, my steak was a little over cooked and my wife said her Brussel sprouts where over cooked. read more

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Carmela's bills itself as a wine bar and bistro. They do a nice job on the bistro piece of their title. They need some work on the wine bar. We joined them with friends on a Saturday night. Their main dining room, as with all their rooms, is cozy, but comfortable. I could have done without the excessive Halloween decorations throughout the entire restaurant, hanging from the ceilings and adorning the walls. This is a dining bistro, not an elementary school classroom. I'm OK with a little decor change to celebrate a season, but Carmela's overdid it on Halloween. Our server Matt, greeted us promptly. He was fairly confident and informed on the menu. We started with ordering a bottle of Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir for $80, after striking out on availability of our first two selections - Ferrari Carano Pinot Noir and Belle Glos Dairyman Pinot Noir (both on the menu but not in stock). So let's start there. For a wine bar, I think Carmela's could do a much better job on how they inform you of their wines, manage their inventory, and present their wines. Prior to the dinner I searched their website for a menu of available wines. They don't publish it. So I called them and asked if they could email me a list of their wines. No go. So when I got there I began perusing their extensive printed wine menu. And as stated above, I struck out on my first two selections. But with each one I had to wait for them to see if they could find the bottle, only to have them return to the table and tell me it was not available. Finally after the third try, they found a bottle I wanted in stock. In the age of technology, I'm quite certain there are apps or systems that allow you to monitor what's in your cellar. I know people who have these systems in their homes. Carmela's needs to make the effort to better serve their patrons by knowing their available inventory, publishing it on their website, or at least being able to share it with diners. Now let's get to serving. Matt brought the bottle to our table, he didn't present the bottle for approval, but I was OK with that because at this point I just wanted some wine. After opening he didn't do a customary pour for approval. He just filled all of the four glasses with a strong pour, set the bottle down, and left. He did leave the cork. Later when we ordered our next bottle, a Francis Ford Coppola Directors Cut Cabernet, I asked him to just open it and bring us the glasses for it later when we were done with our Pinot Noir. Matt didn't listen, he showed up a few seconds later with four more glasses and crowded our table with them. He then proceeded to pour the Cabernet, even though all of us were still enjoying the Pinot Noir. He didn't ask who preferred a glass of the Cabernet, which would have been nice. I for one was not going to have a second glass. Let's move on to dinner. We started with a loaf of their sourdough bread, fresh and hot with a great crust. Served with a two different flavored butter spreads and an EVOO dip. Excellent. We added side salads and these were also very good and nicely plated. Dinners were the Juliette Chicken, the Pesto Salmon, the Chicken Tortellini pasta, and the Bistro pasta. All four of us rated the food as very good and it was attractively plated and served. I had the Juliette Chicken, a panko crusted breast topped with a delicious Parmesan cream sauce and served with Mashed Potatoes and sautéed Green Beans. My potatoes were just warm, and could have been hotter. But overall the dish was very good. So here's the rating - it's a three-star. It easily could have been four-star or higher if the wine bar part of Carmela's was taken more seriously. Carmela's is a great bistro! It's a wine bar only in name. If they up that part of their game they could move into a legendary category in Lincoln, Nebraska dining. When people spend anywhere from $50-150 on a bottle of wine in something that calls itself a "wine bar" they expect a higher quality experience. read more

Carmela's Bistro & Wine Bar - Juliette Chicken - New American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

We went here for a date night and were delighted to find a LOT of GF options, and possible modifications to dishes, which I appreciate. Our server Wesley was lovely and helpful, I had the special- grilled salmon and my husband had the sea bass and both were excellent. We also had the plough man's board and that was great. All the food was perfectly seasoned We also had an orange mule and that was a hit as well. We will definitely be back soon. read more

Exactly what we needed to cap off our anniversary date. It was mellow, the desserts were tremendous and the wine was good (for my novice palate) for the price. Each dessert would have been enough for us to share, but we wanted to try both so we took half of each home. If I had a small complaint, the music was just a smidge too loud. Also, I'm not a wine person, in general, so the list was a bit overwhelming and the waitress didn't seem to know enough to recommend something that would pair well with dessert. But that's partially on me for not knowing more... read more

Carmela's Bistro & Wine Bar - Cheesecake with caramel sauce, the better than sex cake and two white wines - New American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Middle of the week and not crowded. Service was good. Most entrees were quite good. My meatballs and fettuccine were not great. Pasta was not done and the meatballs were burnt on one side like they were the last in the pan sauce was full of meatball pieces Flavor was good but them burnt offerings were a bit off putting. read more

Went to celebrate an anniversary. Have always enjoyed the food but this time it was just a bit off. The entrees and appetizers were good although we were surprised how the prices have increased so much. The dessert tasted old and the coffee tasted like end of the pot. Probably won't be going back. Too bad. Such a quaint place. Especially for special occasions. read more

The most disappointing night out. Beside the flavor of the food nothing was good. Seems like it is hit or miss here. It was a huge miss.

We came tonight... were seated in the center of the restaurant with no regard whatever to our reservation request (birthday). After reseating we were changed wait persons due to some miscommunication among the staff. Fine dinner. But after mentioning to the host on our arrival, and who miss-seated us, and to the wait persons, that we were there expressly to celebrate a birthday, there wasn't the slightest nod to acknowledge the event. This also happened a month ago when we came to celebrate our anniversary. VERY disappointing. We live half a mile away . Will be looking for a new favorite. read more

Tried for brunch, was excited to try but sadly wasn't super impressed. I got the steakhouse omelette and added jalapeño. It was okay, definitely a nice amount of steak included but overall the omelet was kinda bland/dry. It was missing something. I've definitely had better. There's nothing special about the breakfast potatoes. Friends got classic Benedict and the breakfast sunrise pizza, which honestly that one may have been the best, it was a pretty sizable pizza for $15. I think the price of most other entrees is a bit much for the amount of food you get. Drinks were okay, I got a mimosa and Paris Cosmo. Our server was nice but perhaps new and definitely struggled with a few things, mixed up some stuff on our tabs, wasn't super familiar with the drink menu, asked how my friend wanted her eggs for the Benedict (poached is standard for that). The ambiance is cool, and perhaps this is a better place to just get wine/drinks than food. read more

Carmela's Bistro & Wine Bar - Steakhouse omelet - New American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

I've been here a few times now. Service is friendly and atmosphere is comfortable. I highly recommend the filet Oscar and the ahi tuna appetizer. read more

Carmela's Bistro & Wine Bar - Ahi tuna appitizer - New American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Amazing cousin lunch. Extremely comfortable, food and wine were delicious. Hannah took great care of our every request. I highly recommend lunch or dinner. Extensive wine list. Lobster bisque amazing. Patty melt, chicken sandwich tasty and filling. I'll definitely be back. Must stop when in Lincoln. read more

Wanted to try something new, went for dinner on a Sunday after we had checked out the hours and menu on Yelp beforehand both differed ! I we ordered the crab patties as an appetizer they were fabulous, a side salad that was good and my wife had the Bistro pasta and added shrimp that was good, I ordered the special walleye picatta it was a soggy un flavorful soggy mess with woody steamed asparagus on top of mashed potatoes. What a disappointment not sure if we will be back. read more

Food was sub par. They advertise as fine dining.... not even close. The food is also grossly overpriced. Our servers name was Courtney (?) She was extremely rude and very short with us. My husband used the restroom and observed her vaping behind a wall by the glasses. There was a BUG on the wall in the men's restroom. Awful experience. read more

My family has always worked in food and beverage, so when we go out and have a great experience, we make sure the staff is well taken care of. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times. My boyfriend and I don't get to go out very often, so I wanted to treat him to a nice dinner. He had never been to Carmela's. Once we were seated, we waited quite a while before our server came over. I ordered an Old Fashioned made with Four Roses, and my boyfriend ordered a Long Island. It took about 15 minutes to get our drinks. When the server returned, she explained she was also the only bartender on, which was understandable. We ordered an appetizer, a different server gave it to us. Our server did not check on us. The restaurant wasn't even busy. When she finally returned, I ordered the house Pinot Noir. I also ordered a wedge salad. It came with cheddar cheese instead of blue cheese crumbles, which I wasn't expecting. I wanted to ask for a new salad, and I was happy to pay for the change since I hadn't read the menu closely. Since the server did not come back I just ate it. When our entrées came, my boyfriend's plate was steaming hot, but my steak was cold. The server didn't check on us, so I had to get up and flag her down. I explained my food was cold, and she said that's odd they waited for his food before mine -- which didn't make sense, since his was hot and mine was very cold as it was sitting up in the window. I asked her to reheat mine, and when it came back, it was clearly microwaved. By then, I was frustrated and just wanted to pay and leave. The bill was the fastest thing to come. When I looked at the receipt, my Old Fashioned was charged as Maker's Mark, not Four Roses. I asked the server about it, and she told me she put Maker's on the ticket because it was "cheaper" than Four Roses, then walked away. I knew that wasn't correct, so I went to the front and asked another server with a long beard to ring in both versions. As expected, Four Roses was cheaper ($12.25 vs. $14 for Maker's). On top of that, the Pinot Noir I ordered was charged as Meomi. When I asked if that was really the house wine, I was told "it changes all the time." Maybe so, but it seems unlikely that Meomi is considered a house wine. I explained to the other server with the beard that ours had clearly lied to us, but the only response I got was, "Sorry that happened." No manager was available, no solution was offered, and we left upset and overcharged. Our server's name was Brandi. read more

Amazing evening at Carmela's Bistro tonight. Brandy was kind, professional and very helpful. The Italian salmon was so delicious. The Carmel cheesecake topped it off. We e also enjoyed a nice Riesling with our meal. We loved the atmosphere which was wonderful for a night out with my favorite guy. Thank you for a wonderful evening experience. read more

Dirty restaurant. Hair in food. Server did nothing about it and she was not friendly at all. Tasted bland. Soup was cold. Terrible blue "diamond" drink. I suggest you go to The Venue across the parking lot. read more

Frequent stop especially for the date night specials on Mondays and Tuesday's! Waitstaff has always been so pleasant and accommodating to special requests! The food menu is great, bruschetta is top notch to start with! Had steak with mashed potatoes and green beans and it was perfect! The wine choices are incredible along with unique and fun cocktails! My favorite being the Smokey margarita which comes with a fun presentation!! And they have the most incredible desert options that are too good! read more

Carmela's Bistro & Wine Bar - New American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Inedible food! Gnocchi with added grilled chicken - gnocchi was soggy and RAW inside. The chicken breast was so processed it was spongy and like rubber - zero flavor and meal was completely inedible. Only one piece of gnocchi and a small piece of the chicken were tried. When waitress asked how food was, I did let her know it was unfortunately inedible. Check came and gnocchi was still on the bill even though not eaten. Disgusting customer service and even worse food. Save you hard earned cash and miss this place read more

The chicken was lacking flavor and salt, gravy only on chicken nothing on mashed potatoes. Service was EXTREMELY SLOW! We were so snug at our table that we kept on getting bumped in the back by the waiters/waitresses. We also heard some gentleman also complaining about how bad the service was. So disappointing after spending so much money and time. Made a lively evening not so lovely. read more

LOBSTER BISQUE LITE. Kathy and I loved the atmosphere. It is one of those places where you should take the woman you love...Maybe take a ring In your pocket. Well done. The food was excellent but not outstanding. For example the lobster bisque was not very lobster-y; neither were the crab cakes very crabby. The atmosphere made up for it...seriously. The portions were large, especially for this kind of flu-fru place. Our server was excellent; one of the best. She knew the menu and was very attentive. I wish I could remember her name. We enjoyed it and will return. read more

Great atmosphere and the date night menu is a steal! Offers lots of variety of food and service was quick and efficient!

We celebrated my birthday at Carmelais with my family. Our food was delicious. My dad loved the Sinatra decor and the background music. Always a consideration when we are pl a celebration! read more

Great atmosphere and delicious food. Top restaurant in town! The staff is also top notch and so caring!

Came here for my anniversary dinner and got some apps and the fig and pig pizza as well as the chicken fried steak The pizza dough was so thick on the pizza I couldn't really enjoy it and the chicken fried steak was only okay. As for the service it took a long time for food to come out and a while for us to get our check too. For the price, I expected better quality and experience read more

We came here around 8 on a Friday night and were sat immediately. Our server was super friendly and respectful, even though we showed up an hour before closing. I was disappointed by the food. Specifically, I had the steak and shrimp. The steak was so charred that, even after cutting most of it off, it was still almost inedible. The truffle & Parmesan fries are delicious. The country fried prime rib is a must try, just wish it could be ordered medium rare. read more

New Year's Eve party for 8. service was extremely slow because we were stuffed in the center of the dining room that really only has room for 4. Waiter could not get around table to serve us. We are a Nebraska farm family. Appreciate great food prepared professionally. Three of us ordered prime rib. Two of us had cuts that were less than half edible because of the gressel with no marble, a very poor quality end cut. The other five entries were either cold or overcooked.. @$60 per person it rates as one of the worst meals we have in the last 5 years in either the greater US or Canada. Ps: while we were there for two and one half hours there were 4 couples that were seated looked at the menu and left, We should have read more

We were actually waiting for a table elsewhere and came over here and so glad we did! We just had wine (they had my fav MollyDooker!) and the Foccacia Bread Service and that was amazing! We will be back! The character is intimate and comfortable and we enjoyed it so much! read more

Friday night "prime rib special" was overcooked and tough...service very average and disorganized. Won't be back for awhile.

Jumping right in with the reason for only 2*. Waited 20min before approached with water. Never offered a drink menu-when we asked for one we were told that none were available. Main course came out before salad that I had to then ask for. Requested a drink refill which never came. These are service points I feel are just basic and didn't happen. Believe part of the reason for the lack of attention due to being an 'extra' table added to our waitress out of her section. Now the rest of the story...The restaurant seemed to have a cool ambiance. We were sat in a room of 7 tables just inside the entrance - 2-tops, 4-tops and one 6-top with a group of five. Everyone seemed to be getting good service except us (husband and I booked a reservation to celebrate our anniversary). Nobody even made eye contact...felt weird. After 20min one of the hosts filled our water glasses. At approximately 30min a waitress - not the one working the rest of the room - came and asked if we wanted drinks. I said we hadn't seen a drink menu yet but I would just have a glass of wine and husband ordered a beer. She asked if we wanted to go ahead and order...YES. As this was our first time, I asked for a recommendation between a Salmon dish and the evening special of Prime Rib. Prime Rib was the winner for both of us and I also ordered a Grilled Ceasar. Another 30min passed and our plates showed up. I asked if the salad would still be coming. The waitress apologized and said she would comp the salad. When she came back with the salad I asked for a refill of waters which never happened even though the host had passed through a couple times filling glasses for other tables but I couldn't get his attention. The salad was really good! Unfortunately I think we had the end of the available Prime Rib. It was tougher than you would expect from Prime Rib. Green Beans and Potatoes were good. We declined dessert not wanting to wait another 20-30min. With the salad being comp'd we were surprised a manager never came by for feedback. Will we go back...maybe, but it won't be top of mind for some time. We live approximately 40min out of Lincoln and there are other restaurants we'd like to try. read more

In a town light on fine dining opportunities, Carmela's is a good option for people willing to spend extra to get a special meal. Our family recently did carryout from Carmela's, and had a really good experience. Dishes we loved included the Walleye Picatta, the Poblano Salmon, the Carbonara, and the South of the Border Stuffed Poblano. We didn't dip our toes into the pizza menu, but hope to in the future. Ordering online was smooth, as was the pick up. We also enjoyed dining in at Carmela's, back before the pandemic. Looking forward to returning in 2021. read more

Disappointing meal tonight, while our service was good, the food was mediocre at best; the charcuterie board was plain and nothing spectacular, club crackers and Triskets; a few cheeses, fig jam, Dijon mustard etc all available at Hy-Vee!! our steaks were overly seared, to the point where a good portion of the steak was inedible; ordered a mid-rare filet and it came with a burnt sear, mid-rare to rare...crab cakes were fairly plain and lacked flavor. What was to be a special occasion really was an expensive disappointing meal. Carmela's continues to be old and uninspired cooking. read more

This is my second time attempting to go here and I'm glad it worked out! The first time I arrived after the lunchtime closing. We were greeted by a less than welcoming server, but fortunately, she wasn't ours and was just in a toot to get off her shift. It's unfortunate that staff like this don't understand they're a business' brand ambassador. We own small businesses and aren't going to knock the business for her rudeness. Our server, Emmy, was beyond wonderful and sweet and accommodating! The wine list was very nice (we're in the wine business and know a good list!) with a great array of choices! My husband got the tasting and it was served in a fun frame with the glasses nestled on it that drew attention from other tables. Excellent show of product! I enjoyed a nice French Rosé, a giant and delish "side" beet salad, and a ham/gruyere croissant. A little taste of France in the heartland! He had the burger & truffle fries and liked it. The fries were a bit stronger truffle flavored than he prefers, but not too overwhelming. Even though it was closing time , Em still brought the dessert menu and talked us into a decadent chocolate deal in a wine glass. Plenty to take home even! It's a great place. Definitely check it out if you like wine. One strike for the cranky welcome. One strike for a faint scent of "Fabuloso." (I'm extremely sensitive to this cleaning agent and it shouldn't be used at a wine bar. My suggestion!) But I'm still going with 5 stars for overall coolness! read more

The food was good, but the service was slow. It was made known to the server at the time of seating that one in the party had a dairy allergy. The salad for the individual was delivered covered in cheese. When brought to the servers attention, it was taken back and a new salad was brought out. However, the new salad was the original with the top picked off, and there was still cheese. The server showed little care for the issue. The lack of care about ditarey restrictions makes the a restaurant that cannot be recomended. read more

Terrible service. Food was so-so and I can go to Venue across the parking lot and get outstanding service. I don't think Carmella's has enough employees. They seem understaffed and don't seem to care about customer questions and concerns. read more

My friend and I visited the restaurant last Sunday, our first time trying it since I am new to town. Once the hostess sat us, he returned shortly after to give us water and mumbled something about only two and quickly walked away. After looking around to try and figure out what he was saying l, we realized there was only 2 servers working that night and the restaurant was busy, no problem. We patiently waited and conversed while waiting for the waitress to make her way to our table. When she did she was rude and already put out, no problem...she's probably overwhelmed. We thought when things slowed down her attitude towards us would change, unfortunately that never happened. Every encounter was just as rude as the next. We ordered wine and a charcuterie board (pass on this. It was sliced cheese from Sam's) and then we ordered a fig and goat cheese pizza (which was amazing). However, shortly after bringing us the pizza all of the kitchen staff came out and sat down at the bar....ww thought maybe that's just what they do when it's slow and close to closing. It was a little after 8pm, before we came we looked up the hours of operation on the internet it said 9. However, over hearing them talking rudely about us we went to their website and it just listed them being open until close. When we got up to leave our bar table around 8:30 we saw the restaurant was empty. Had anyone told us that they were closing, we wouldn't have ordered the pizza or another glass of wine...but no one did. They just talked shit about us loud enough so we could hear. read more

On of the best meals I've ever had. Highly recommend Date night. Great atmosphere and service.

This place has had their ups and downs but they continue to impress me with great food and wine to go with it. We just went there with a group and everyone came away pleased. That doesn't happen! I highly recommend this place to anyone but especially for a date night or small gathering of friends. read more