The place is very neat inside with exposed bricks, unique lighting, and seemed to be buzzing with happy patrons. The food was expensive and the portions were adequate. We had garlic soup first and it was pretty tasty, we had calamari next, and it was like chewing on rubber bands, and the sauce was like tihick Campbells tomato soup. The entrees were the sausage, and the linguine Alfredo. Both were disappointing as well. The lamb sausage seemed to be old , and it was not hot. The linguine was ok, but the value was not there. Out server was reallly sweet, and on top of things, I can't remember her name, Iwe did feel rushed when she asked to "collect my autograph" with the signed credit card pickup before the plates were cleared. The staff was all really good, and that would be the only thing that would make me give it a. Second chance. read more

We went to Carmelo's for a friends birthday and the food, service and atmosphere was top notch! We were just there for apps but we will be back for dinner very soon! The fresh pulled mozzarella and the eggplant were to DIE FOR! read more

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Really wanted this place to be awesome and in fact, we will not go back again, Service was good, but the food boring and not so good, I had the chicken and from the description thought it would be in a thicker type sauce with the couscous, it was soupy and boring. Could not get any drinks that anyone at the table was interested in, no Bloody Marie's No Daiquiris, wine was OK but everyone else ended up drinking Beer, and not a good selection on that either, the Cauliflower was good but that was pretty much it! No specials and the menu is awful! Everyone was saying they thought this place was going to be amazing and well No it was Not!! Super Disappointed!!!! read more

deserves all the hype. Harris was great with service. We got the mozzarella which was probably my least favorite thing all night and it was still delicious, we ate it all. caesar salad delicious. The real winner was the lasagna. outstanding. can't wait to go back read more

The polenta hits and the oxtail ragu is money. Also credit to the staff, I watched them deal with some very difficult customers with a lot of grace and patience. They were great. read more

It had been good the last two times but last night wasn't the best. We had a birthday dinner and the server didn't acknowledge we had a birthday so was a little disappointed in that read more

First timer, the food and service were equally great! I ordered the Alfredo Pasta and it did not disappoint! read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - Alfredo Pasta - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Carmelo's is a gem in Covington. The bar noise level is not overbearing; both service and food qualities are high. Many salads and appetizers are large enough to be shared. The four of us thoroughly enjoyed our experience. read more

Beautiful setting with excellent service. The food, however, was just okay. We ordered several dishes our server enthusiastically recommended, but most fell short of expectations. The cauliflower was decent, the calamari was so disappointing my guest took only one bite, the lasagna was good, and the Marsala was enjoyable but not exceptional. The standout recommendation was the Caesar salad--perfect for sharing due to its generous portion. We ordered wine, and the attentive staff kept our water glasses full. read more

Everything was really really nice! Got there early though around 4:30 and they had tables open for us, even on a Saturday. I'm thinking that won't be the case very long. Service was excellent and very thoughtful. And, what else can I say but fresh, house-made pasta? Highly recommend read more

Coming in from out of town for the weekend, and went with some friends who live local. Very cool vibe when you first walk into the door, and the space feels like it opens up a lot more than it looks from the outside. The exposed brick, and open views into the kitchen are a very cool touch. Now, onto the food. Like I said, we were there with a group, so decided to try a little bit of everything, and with the shareable starters, they were the perfect size. The fresh mozzarella and eggplant were my two favorites... pair that along with my Caesar salad and oxtail ragu (which was a first for me, and recommended my waitress), topped off with a very large piece of tiramisu, the entire meal was fantastic. Overall, excellent meal, and will definitely keep it in mind for the next time we are in the area. read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - Oxtail Ragu - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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Food is incredible!!! The oxtail rague is something I will tell anyone about who will listen read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - Oxtail rague and 100 layer lasagna - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

We had high hopes, but expectations fell short. We booked our reservation about 2 months ago and were excited to try Carmelo's. Upon entering, the ambiance was great - cozy, upscale and feels like a nice addition to the Covington dining scene. Our table started with the old fashioned with a fig twist, overall the table thought they were good. For starters, we opted for the mozzarella, the meatballs and the potatoes. The mozzarella was underwhelming and likely wouldn't order again. The meatballs were fine, although somewhat ordinary. The potatoes were actually the highlight of the whole meal - highly recommend. They were crispy, pillowy and the aioli was great. We ordered (2) garlic soups and (2) Caesar salads. The soup, as the name suggests is incredibly garlic forward. Garlic was the only tasting note. The salads had high potential, but the addition of the large, flat leaf parsley seemed like a bizarre choice. It gave the salad an earthy taste that was off putting and kind of distracting. I recommend removing from the salad - otherwise the salad was great. For main dishes, we ordered the chicken, the mushroom pasta, the spicy shrimp and the lasagna. The chicken seemed to have the best reviews from the table, along with the mushroom pasta. The spicy shrimp pasta tasted like jarred sauce and the shrimp ragu felt... off? The spice level was non existent. It was supposed to be the same level of spice as the aioli, but it was not spicy at all. The lasagna, seems like more of a novelty dish. I would skip both. No one was interested in taking left overs home. We ended the night with the tiramisu, which we saw on Instagram. You can skip this all together. I've tried dozens of tiramisu and this was my least favorite. Before I took a bite, I didn't smell any coffee which was odd. The dessert had a cakey texture and was dry. There was no taste of alcohol, just a lingering orange flavor. The coffee flavor was missing all together. The service was fine. Our server literally suggested everything on the menu, which kind of made it seem like nothing was a highlight? She seemed like she was reading off a script instead of having a genuine excitement for the menu. I don't think we will be back, but I'm glad we were able to give it a try! read more

The food & service were both amazing! It's a beautiful restaurant. We will definitely be back. read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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I love that this area has so many good Italian restaurants and Carmelo's can be added to that list. My absolute favorite thing was the garlic soup. Drinks very good - old fashion and espresso martini. Mushroom Marsala was enjoyable. The service was excellent except don't take my drink before I'm finished with it. Server learned and asked husband if he was done before he picked it up. A very nice evening out with great food. read more

Went last and it was fabulous from start to finish. Eggplant Parmesan was the best I've ever had and I've had it A LOT! Sister had lasagna and raved about it. Wife went with meatballs and eggplant app. Shared a wonderful Caesar. The fresh mozzarella and bread should be mandatory. read more

This is a gem. We were driving in circles looking for a restaurant because the wait was too long at another, and fate brought us to Carmelo's. We walked in and sat at the bar, which I never do, I hate high tops and sitting next to someone instead of facing them. The stools were surprisingly comfortable. The decor was cozy and romantic. Everything we both ordered was spectacular. Piles of soft, angel hair like shredded parm on everything. We both were very pleased with the food. And the bartender/our waitress was outstanding. Such a difference from the just awful service we've had lately. She just took care of us. Had a plan for us. She was very inviting, professional, attentive but not meddlesome. She was very memorable. Cant say enough about the service. Our new favorite date night restaurant for sure. read more

Food and service were great. Limited menu, but great food and beverages. Good on site parking.

Food was amazing, service was impeccable. Can't wait to go back. The dim lights and music were perfect!! Forgot to get a pic of the mozzarella appetizer. You HAVE to get it. The garlic focaccia with the mozzarella was so good. Melted in your mouth. read more

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Amazing food and vibe this place has ! One of the very best dining experiences of my life ! read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - 101 layer lasagna - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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I can't think of an equivalent SF Bay Area Italian restaurant I like as much as I did Carmelo's. I had red fish, pasta alfredo and tiramisu. The fish was gloriously simple with just a butter sauce. The pasta was almost devoid of salt, which to me was a delight and a rare treat in restaurant world. You could taste the actual food. The tiramisu was perfect, and I've tasted plenty. The wine-by-the-glass options were on point and better than they typically are at that price range. I would definitely come back to Carmelo's with guests. read more

Carmelo's is DELICIOUS! My wife and I went for a little date night. We had the Garlic Soup and Caesar Salad, Potatoes and Cauliflower, Alfredo and Oxtail Ragu. EVERYTHING was Delicious! This place is beautiful. The staff and service was great! Our waitress Ellis was great she had such great knowledge on the menu and gave us great advice on some of her favorites. If you have not been her yet please do yourself a favor and stop by now. read more

Truly blown away by our experience last night. I never leave reviews but I had to share how gorgeous this restaurant is. Service and cocktails were perfect, food was even better! So happy it's home to Covington. We will be back. Ps get the redfish! read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Everything from start to finish was outstanding! We had the mozzarella appetizer, ceaser salad, mushroom Marsala, and spicy shrimp entrees. Everything was amazing! Hazelnut Amari with pistachio gelato was the perfect combo to finish our evening. Prices were also very reasonable! Highly recommend! read more

Great date night spot!! Everything I've had was amazing: drinks & food. Everyone is always super friendly and has a great vibe. read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - Lasagna and spaghetti & meatballs!! - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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The most delicious Italian food served with warm hospitality. The mozzarella, garlic soup, oxtail ragu, striped bass were all amazing. Tiramisu and espresso martinis for dessert. Yum! We can't wait to go back! 100/10. read more

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Our party of 6 waited a couple months for this Wednesday evening reservation and looked forward to trying Carmelos for the 1st time. As a group we were disappointed. The service was not good. It was 10 min before the server touched our table, another 10 min before cocktails arrived, we had to ask the server several times for additional drinks, the soups and appetizers were delivered to the table at the same time instead of in courses and we had to ask them to clear the drink, soup and appetizer dishes as they were placing entrees on the table so we had sufficient room to eat. As for the food, the garlic soup was delicious but it could have been hotter. The pulled mozzarella appetizer also was good but they only gave you 3 small pieces of bread and, of course, the server was no where to be seen to ask for more. The $25 lasagna was bland and not all that is was hyped to be. It may have had 100 layers but they were not visible to me. For the price, a salad and a little bread would have been appropriate. We enjoyed the pasta dishes, chicken and pork, but a serrated knife would have been nice to cut the pork. We opted to do elsewhere for dessert and after dinner drinks because the acoustics were soooo badddd we could not hold a conversation among us. I would not rush back here, the hype of a novel Italian restaurant in Covington did not live up to the reality of our experience. read more

The food was amazing & very vegetarian-friendly. Our server, Ana, was extremely knowledgeable and made our experience very enjoyable. read more

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I live near St. Louis where there is The Hill. It is an Italian community with the best Italian restaurants. Carmelo's equals The Hill quality of food. One of the partner's came to our table and brought us a sample of an authentic Italian dish called Bagna Cauda. He was so kind and welcoming. Do not miss this wonderful restaurant when you visit the NK area. read more

The food is excellent and the ambiance is lovely. Very cozy Italian feel. The service is top notch too. read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - Tiramisu and Mint Chocolate Gelato - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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Everything was amazing! Especially the ox tail and service ! Met the gracious owners, best luck, we needed this! read more

Carmelo's has really good atmosphere, I don't feel like it's exactly what I'd want from an Italian place, but I won't knock it because it is still nice. But, the truth is, you go for the food, and you can tell they really put a lot of work into their dishes. The mozzarella appetizer is the big stand out, it's so simple, but so flavorful, I'd be happy to have it any time. However, after that things dip a little bit, the meatballs are a little mushy and a little bit relying too much on their sauce as opposed to seasoning in the meat itself, they're still good, just could be better. I had the hundred layer lasagna and, while it was tasty, it was very one note and instead of having layered flavor in the lasagna itself it relied on their red sauce, which, again, is good, but nothing to write home about. The oxtail ragu is good but just keeps piling rich on rich on rich with no respite, fine flavor but just too much of the same. I think overall that's the main problem, it's all very... fine. But for the price you want it to be better than fine, something that really lights you up, not dishes that you have a sneaking suspicion you could make at home for 1/10 the price. I will say, however, their bar program is excellent and their cocktail menu is truly on point and full of lots of fun and complex flavors, so big kudos for that. Another standout is the service, they rotate people bringing dishes and taking orders on top of having a dedicated server and everyone is extremely nice, professional, and genuinely excited to give you a good experience. I loved the service and I think you will too. Overall, the cocktails and service push it above an average place, but don't go out of your way, there are better and cheaper alternatives. read more

our group of four, all being at Carmelos for the first time, couldn't have had a better experience. Beginning with the service, which was exceptional.. the timing of apps to entree to dessert was spot on.. we didn't feel rushed one bit, and other employees I ran into as I was checking out the layout of the place, seemed really happy to be there, and even gave me a ton of history of the establishment.. so not only was it a 10 experience, we gained some knowledge as well! Will be back for sure, and the lasagna (coming from a Sicilian) was quite possibly the best I've ever had. read more

What a gem for Covington! The atmosphere is a warm Italian feel. Our server was so enthusiastic about the place. She spoke about them using local Covington restaurants such as North South Bakery and Golden Gelato on their menu. If you love garlic be sure to order the Garlic Soup and their Crispy Garlic Alfredo!! Amazing!!! Tip: ask for them to split your meal to share so you can try multiple items. read more

Early January a friend and I dined at Carmello and the meatball had the perfect grind, seasoning and fat content to create something special for me. Excitedly I booked again to introduce another friend to the restaurant and we ordered 3 pastas to share with an extra meatball on the spaghetti bc I wanted one all to myself. Sadly the meatball was subpar this time. Inconsistent grind on the meat with not enough fat so it was dry and grainy plus under seasoned. The mushroom and the Alfredo pasta were good but not like that first meatball. I'll go back once more to see if it was a fluke. Server Andrew was perfect and delightful. Love the gelato: pistachio is excellent and blood orange is also very nice. Tiramisu is solid. Overall it's a must try. read more

WOW! You gotta go. Fantastic food, service & ambiance. What an addition to the already great Covington restaurant offerings. read more

Great meal and excellent service from Morgan. Enjoyed the Mozzarella, meatballs, Green Salad and the lasagna. All was very good. Exceeded our expectations! read more

Wonderful experience! Went for a date night. Lively atmosphere with welcoming staff and friendly servers. The hand-pulled mozzarella was delicious but the unexpected appetizer winner was the cauliflower. The sausage entree was one of the most flavorful things I've ever eaten and the tiramisu is a family recipe. Couldn't recommend more highly! read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - Meatballs, potatoes, sausage - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

Carmelo's was amazing! From service to ambiance to the food, I could not have asked for a better experience. We ordered the polenta and the mozzarella for starters. The polenta was so delicious and the mozzarella tasted fresh and homemade. For our mains we got the oxtail ragu and the spaghetti and meatball. Both were so delicious. The pasta tasted fresh and the sauce with the spaghetti was amazing. Andrew our server was one of the best parts. He was so kind and willing to take the time to explain and make recommendations read more

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Outstanding food, atmosphere, and service. The garlic soup was the best soup I've ever had. Exceptional pasta dishes. Book your reservation now! read more

Carmelo's Restaurant - Spaghetti and meatball dish was delicious. - Italian Near Me - Covington, Kentucky

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