Remodel looks amazing! Food was great, and our server Matt made the experience extremely enjoyable!

Came here for our Anniversary dinner. My husband made reservations for 2 at 7 pm for a Friday night. We were quickly greeted, seated and acknowledged right away without a wait. We opted to start off with 2 signature cocktails. Citizen Kane Martini and the Man O' War as well as the Sausage & Peppers antipasto. Citizen Kane Martini: Don't let the name fool you, this is not a gin inspired drink. The combination of Grey Goose Vodka, St. Germaine, Lemon, and Pineapple make this drink a refreshing delight. Originally I had ordered a Crown and Sprite, my waitress suggested I tried the Man O' War, I'm glad I did. Bulleit Whiskey, Cointreau, Sweet Vermouth, with a Lemon Twist, packed a punch but if you are a whiskey drinker this is a must to add to your cocktail choices. Sausage & Peppers: traditional classic Italian-American dish here. The fact that it's served whole and not sliced up is my favorite part. I find that it maintains the juiciness. The sweet bell peppers and garlic compliment this dish and elevates the flavors of the sausage. Tortellini Carbonara: I asked for mine with extra sauce because they tend to come a little dry. Al dente Tortellini and peas made this dish perfect and not a mushy mess which is a common mistake at other places with similar dishes. My husband ordered Veal Calabrese from the Italian Specialties and although I didn't catch a picture I did take a taste. The Veal was tender and soft, well seasoned and almost melted on your mouth. A perfect velvety texture that you would expect to have from a good veal cutlet. Godiva Chocolate Mousse Cake: Talk about RICH! So good and even better paired with a tall glass of Cold Iced Milk..lol. Our waitress had great suggestions, the busers were great at refilling our waters, the cooks obviously know what they are doing and management was well present and involved in helping the crew out. read more

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Stopped for brunch. I loved the fact I could get pasta, and my husband could get eggs!! The rigatoni with vodka sauce was amazing. I added side of meatballs, also delicious!! Outdoor seating - great for people watching. read more

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My husband and I are city rats that live in the loop and think that anything above Chicago is a hike for us. It's dumb and we're trying to be better but so it goes. We planned a afternoon to go to the Chicago History Museum and I thought to check out restaurants in the area we haven't been to / or been to in a while and I let the restaurant week list help guide. My husband's thinks restaurant week is a bs rip off but I showed him the Carmines menu and he was surprised by the good deal. He liked the place, and we hadn't been in almost a decade since hearing they had discriminatory hiring practices. When we got there we got the bait and switch where they changed the offerings. Hubs was super annoyed and will never do Restaurant week again. I ordered based on the online menu not checking the paper, and was told it should have had an OR between pasta and entree... should have shown the correct menu online... the kicker is that a table next to us asked if they would honor online when we were at the end of our meal, and they did... The service was extremely slow. It was a 2 hr lunch for an appetizer, pasta, and dessert. It wasn't busy, there were 2 other tables. The server was friendly. We had bites of each others: The sausage and peppers are fantastic. The salad was meh. The pasta serving was the size it should have been if they were doing pasta AND entree, not OR. The risotto was ok. We were going to give Carmines another chance after redeeming themselves from the racism scandal, but I guess they're back in the bad list :( read more

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Our Christmas dinner was delightful. We both had chicken dishes. The Francese and braciole are enough for a leftover dinner (two leftovers in my case). For dessert we managed a few bites of the Ghirardelli cake. It's HUGE! If they charged by weight we couldn't afford it. Do NOT pass it up! read more

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Came for Christmas Eve dinner with my family and the restaurant had a lot of people celebrating. We sat upstairs with a row of the other tables. Our waitress was great and let us know the specials for tonight. All sounded amazing! We had the chicken parmigiana- which is huge, the Fettuccine Alfredo, steak and Chicken Vesuvio. We then split a tiramisu and a cheesecake. read more

Carmine's - Fettuccine Alfredo - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Where to start. I've eaten at Carmines pretty much my whole life & have been counting down the days for its reopen. We have celebrated over 10 birthdays, anniversaries, 1st communions, 1st birthdays and holidays. The old Carmines was a tradition, pristine service, food that made you dream of Tuscany & ambiance that made you feel like you were eating with family. I don't know where to start but upon arriving we were greeted that we could not bring in our Sweet Mandy B's (local bakery) cake to celebrate my sisters bday. Okay, no bigs but can't tell you how many local bakery cakes we have brought in over 30 years. Again, not a big deal but not a great start. We proceeded to look at wall paper that looks like a microscope of skin cells, very distasteful & not Italian. They have the circle lights that you seen in Cracker Barrel & pendants from Home Depot around the bar. Stained mirrors & orange booths....who did they hire to decorate? Then we hear "YMCA by the Village people followed by Bruno Mars, Nikki Minaj and all recent pop hits....no where near the piano, Italian vibes an Italian restaurant should have. Food was super sub par which was a huge let down. Grilled calamari was tiny & not served on a hot plate like before. Ordered their famous dishes we have eaten 100 times before & nothing was the same. Not bad but don't need to go back. Rigatoni alla vodka was the best in the city, this sauce tastes like it came out of a jar. Square noodles lacked flavor & the orecchiette brown sauce was dull. I can't tell you how upset we were as we have been waiting over a year to come back to our happy place. Service was very sub par but they all could've been having a bad night. Rose Bud has impeccable food & service but this seems like they let a new manager/someone run this. They went with a modern flare & forgot their roots which led to all of us wanting more. Can't tell you how sad we are with this redo. read more

Great atmosphere and food!!! We had spaghetti and meatballs, meatballs and polenta and orecchiette with sausage and broccollini ...all were absolutely delish!! We also had the calamari (lightly breaded) which was yummy! There were good value wines and service as great! The bar was fun, too! Don't miss this spot! read more

Carmine's - Orecchiette with sausage and broccollini and a bit of calamari - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time here and it was a nice experience. The server Fernando was great, kept refreshments coming and was attentive. I started with the Pomegranate Cosmo and it was delicious! Averagely priced for a city cosmo. Our table got the Grigliato Misto which was raved about but our group didn't care for it much - maybe an "acquired taste". I personally got the chicken Parmesan and WOW for the size (see picture) - taste was average though. Overall, a nice experience but wouldn't select as my first choice Italian restaurant when coming to the city. Good to make a reservation if coming as the place does fill up both inside and outside. read more

Carmine's - Chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The place: hopping. We were lucky to grab a 6:45pm reservation at 6pm on Opentable and I'm glad we did. It was bustling, and when we left at 8:15, couples were being quoted a 40 min wait time. In and out in 90 minutes also should tell you that service was pretty solid. We didn't wait long for food, bread was on the table within minutes of arrival. The taste: very okay. We shared the rigatoni ala vodka, a house salad, the baked cavatelli and the cannoli. Everything was good. Portions were bigger than necessary, but nothing was exceptional. It's probably a good place for large groups though as there's something for everyone - steak, seafood, hefty salads, etc. My face: we were celebrating our anniversary so we shared bottle of Pinot noir. Mostly was smiles as we were celebrating love. The damage: $136 pre tip, including a $62 bottle of wine. read more

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For years I have wanted to try Carmine's as I used to/still love the old school marquee in the front as I walked to the no longer existent bars/clubs I used to hang at in my late 20s lol! Still have not tried dinner, but have been to brunch a couple of times over the past few months. Both times I sat outside due to the nice weather of course. The crab cake benedict is very delicious as well as the denver omelet along with the peewee breakfast potatoes. I like how both platters came with a side of some sort of fruit. I took a different date each time and they both went the route of bananas foster french toast in which they let me get a taste or few lol. Each time I felt it was better than what I got but I still liked my dishes. It comes with vanilla gelato, caramel sauce, whipped cream, maple syrup and powdered sugar...a sweet explosion basically lol. Mimosa game is on point of course! I like the joint and plan on coming back for lunch and dinner. Better late than never I guess :) read more

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Have you been had lasagna melt in your mouth? Well, you definitely haven't if you have not ordered it from Carmine!! The is hands down theeeee best lasagna I have ever had. The cheese literally melted in my Mouth and the sauce was so fresh. Everything we ordered was good! The lamb chop lollipops we cooked to perfection! Our waiter was the near ever. He was so sweet! I've gotta go back soon. Need more lasagna! read more

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Went here for lunch before going to see a musical. This was one of the best services I've received! I asked if I could get something that wasn't shown on their brunch menu, and they easily obliged. It's a cute little setting and we were sat at one of their booths. They pay close attention to when your water needs to be refilled or plates need to be taken away. I highly recommend coming here, especially when you want large portions. read more

Carmine's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is always on my list when I visit Chicago. The food is incredible and the service never dissapoints. There's a variety of excellent entree options, wine that pairs well, and dessert if you have the room for it. My friend ordered the square noodles, one of their most popular dishes, and was so happy with her selection. I'm always a succker for the Tortellini Carbonara and my mouth is watering just typing that out, that's how good it was. read more

Disappointing. I walked in just before 2pm, eager to try the Restaurant Week special and was given a dinner menu. A couple of other friends have reported that the Restaurant Week menus online from this group differs from what is actually offered. I feel bad for the service staff who have to accommodate this when I'm sure it's not their choice. The food I ordered off the dinner menu was decent but the whole thing left a sour taste in my mouth. read more

My husband and I came to carmines for a date night on Friday night. I was able to make reservations for 6pm online the night before. This place has traditional Italian vibes and we got to sit by the window which was good for people watching. The food is good and portions were enormous. We got the bruschetta, eggplant parm, chicken Milanese, Brussels, and mile high chocolate cake. My husband also got an old fashioned. The bill ended up being fairly high but was to be expected for this type of restaurant in Gold Coast. read more

Carmine's - Mile High Cake - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Feels like authentic Italian! Their chopped salad is a staple for the table, or amazing on its own! read more

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Came to Carmine's for lunch while on a business trip. The location was super convenient since it was located on a busy street with other restaurant/shops within walking distance to our hotel. We were seated in a cute outside area and had our orders taken right away. I ordered the beef tenderloin sandwich while some others in my party ordered the meatball sandwich pasta fagioli soup and burger. The food was good but it did not blow me away. For the price I was expecting something better than what we received. It I were to return to Chicago I would check out the other Italian restaurants in the area. read more

Carmine's - Beef Tenderloin sandwich Lunch - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We went to Carmine's on the first night of Chicago Restaurant Week and we chose this restaurant based on their menu online. The food was very good, but the service was super disappointing. First, we were confused because online the restaurant week menu stated that you get an appetizer, salad, pasta, entree (meat) and a dessert. In the restaurant they said that we had to pick between a pasta and an entree which was misleading & not a good deal for the price. Also, our server was fairly rude, rushed us and didn't seem to care. Like I said the food was really good but for how expensive it was, the service we had, and the misleading menu, I don't recommend! read more

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Best calamari around--Period! My mom visits specifically for just this. It's the thickest most delicious calamari with a light, crispy and buttery breading that isn't greasy. Honesty worth going for just this, some minestrone soup and a glass of wine. Perfect meal. read more

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We walked in to Carmine's this rainy morning, mostly looking for good coffee and were greeted by friendly staff and a nice, warm ambience so we sat down for breakfast! Being self proclaimed good coffee connoisseur's we were happy to be served nice hot cups of Lavazza! We were in the mood for some sweet and some savory options so we went with the eggplant stack and banana's foster French toast and both were great. They have a nice menu of mimosas but no fresh juice options so for that I give them a four. If I'm looking for breakfast/brunch I'm wanting fresh squeezed juice options. We love Carmine's tho and really appreciate the friendly staff and warmth of this particular location. read more

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I have been to Carmine's for dinner many times but was so surprised by their brunch menu. Firstly their cocktails are amazing and generously portioned. I got a white sangria which came in a huge wine glass and was delicious. We started out with the fruit platter appetizer which was visually so beautiful but also so refreshing. It came with a side of lemon sorbet which was lovely on a warm summer morning. For our entrees we got the traditional and the crab cake Benedict and they were amazing! It's truly one of the better brunch spots in Chicago, especially with the ability to sit outside in the middle of the Gold Coast. The staff were friendly and welcoming, ambiance was wonderful, and it truly was a delicious brunch that I will keep coming back for! read more

Carmine's - Fresh Florida Fruit Plate - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Our group of 7 went to Carmines for dinner after a tradeshow. We didn't have a reservation and knew getting in might be difficult, but by some miracle, the manager squeezed us in. Literally, we were seated right in front of a storage area cabinet for glasses and carryout boxes. It was a little awakward at times but not as terrible as I thought it might be. Our server, Angela, arrived to take drink orders and give us the run down of specials. Angela was pretty spectacular. My only issue was after order two bottles of wine, she then mentioned that they had magnums in that wine, which would have been 2.5 bottles. It's a big oversight, in my opinion. The servings here are HUGE! Your meal could easily serve 2 or 3 people depending. It's not family style by any means, just a lot of food. Be prepared to eat. And eat we did. We started with meatballs. Delicious! For my entree, I ordered baked ziti and had to stop myself from eating it all. So good. The rest of my coworkers all raved about their dishes, too. We ordered a tiramisu for the table to share, and it was an excellent choice. Overall, we had a wonderful experience at Carmines. I think it was a great choice for a large group and offered a little something for everyone. The large, flavorful Italian dishes just can't be beat. read more

Carmine's was pretty good! I enjoyed their ribbons bolognese and a glass of the montepulciano. Service was on point and ambiance was darker in the bar area but comfortable and cozy. Good spot on Rush street. read more

For some reason this is a crowd favorite with out of town visitors. They always want to go here. Never had any issues and the food is always good and the scene is intimate and nice if you get sat in the room with the bar. Outside during the summer is a vibe too. read more

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The three of us went for a special dinner. We ate outside . We did venture inside but determined that between the music and the people trying to talk over the music, it would have been too difficult. My friends had pasta that they both raved about. We shared a plate of Mussels which were fresh and meaty. I ordered the mixed grilled fish which had octopus , squid and shrimp. It sat in a clear sauce that seemed to be vinegar based with a little kick to it and interesting spices. The hostess was amazing . It was a Saturday night at 9pm and the outside was packed. Many women were dressed up. Reservations are a must. The food is great and the prices support this. read more

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I know that they are in the process of renovating but I have meant to post these for quite some time. I had the opportunity to dine outside on the patio and enjoyed a nice array of delicious foods. Currently, they are working on 4 Million on the Renovations. The drinks were perfect for a nice sunny day. The presentation was everything. The stuffed mushrooms melted in your mouth. I had never had grilled calamari with roasted veggies but they were perfectly seasoned. The food is amazing and I can't wait for them to reopen but until then please visit the Rosebud location closest to you! read more

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Very pleasant experience! At the time we arrived, the restaurant was not too busy, so we were seated right away. It was cold outside, so we started right away with the Minestrone soup, and then I had the Chilean Seabass (loved it - very rich and flavorful) and my partner had the Pork Chop Calabrese. The portions are huuuge, I might even recommend sharing one plate. But we loved the food, we loved our server Ivan, and we loved the ambiance! Definitely coming back! read more

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Square noodles sound simple but are incredibly delicious. I was a little perplexed by this item since it sounds like something I could make at home: noodles and tomato sauce. And it's true, the noodles seemed simple enough. The tomato sauce was magicalthough, and somehow transformed this dish into a star! So why isn't it a five stars? Well it's very pricey and they cram a lot of tables into the space which makes it less intimate. The music is a bit loud and the service is a bit slow. TLDR: square noodles for life read more

Love the food here but have to say the chops on their dish of the day was not that great for the price. Also I wish it wasn't so loud inside and hence another star taken away. Overall though the food is great. I especially LOVEE their lasagna and tiramisu was a great way to end the night!!! Oh and also the Parmesan crusted chicken yum!!!! Just get it! :) read more

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I am in town visiting my mother who lives a few blocks from the Gold Coast Triangle. We decided on Carmine's for drinks and appetizers and sat at the bar. Our server, Ralph, was very attentive and spot on with service. We never had an empty water glass the entire time we were there. We also had a few drinks. We enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms, which were in a wine/butter sauce, great for dipping the bread in. The Caprese Salad had large red tomatoes with a nice size piece of mozzarella on each piece along with a piece of basil. And the meatballs were delicious. They had a meat blend and were covered with tomato sauce. The calamari was also good. It wasn't chewy. read more

Without a doubt, Carmines is a solid Chicago staple of patio dinning charm with generous portions and top calibur waitstaff! A great place to take friends visiting the City because it will leave them wanting to come back for more! We came ravished from a busy day and left feeling overindulged with plenty "to-go"! We choose family style dishes: Veal Maršala topped with beautiful mushrooms, House made square noodles over tomato vodka sauce and mamma's massive meatballs.... yummmy in our tummies! Totally drool worthy. Its Gold Coast pricing though and everything is al la carte - you get what you pay for and in this case still worth the splurge:) We dined al fresco underneath the heated lamps which was perfect on an October night and had the sweetest waitress who had been there over 5 Years and knew everything there was to know about the menu and our requested modifications. Plus she had the most upbeat personality which made it only that much more inviting to stay and enjoy every ounce with the company I came with. read more

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This restaurant is never as packed as Tavern in Rush (which is slated to close) but I have no idea why? The service and food is outstanding. They offer outstanding cocktails, to die for bruschetta! Yum yum! And fabulous entrees. Indeed I think the food is as good or better! The only reason for the four stars is that it tends to be a little too pricey for some items. However, we even enjoyed talking to the management staff who took pains to explain our cocktail ingredients and was super friendly! read more

Carmine's - Sangria! Smashed cucumbers and strawberries--this was fab! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friend and I had a delicious meal at Carmine's recently. I had the Chicken Francese, and my friend had the Vodka Rigatoni. Both were excellent! Nice vibe in an intimate feeling restaurant in Chicago's Gold Coast. Service was excellent. We'll definitely be back! read more

I'll always recommend a rosebuds affiliated restaurant. Their choices of food is spectacular. We went on Valentine's Day and the waiters and greeters are so respectful. I love the positive work vibe they have. Super classy place. Best part is we didn't wait too long for our food considering it was valentines read more

Carmine's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Having lived in the Gold Coast at one point, I knew Carmine's was a nice spot worth checking out. Let me tell you what's up. The atmosphere is hard to deny. The interior is intimate both during the day and at night. I strongly recommend you come at night. If you're someone who enjoys some people watching, the patio area is brilliant. You get to observe folks from all sorts of backgrounds. It's just friggin' entertaining to see what's going on, especially on the lively Friday and Saturday nights. But if you need something a bit more intimate, indoors is the obvious choice. Now, arguably more important for many of us - the food... It's okay. Honestly, it's a bit overpriced for what you get. I'm not talking quantity. I'm talking quality. Some examples... Fettuccine alfredo. Fairly simple dish right? Pretty bland, lacking any depth whatsoever. You'll need to find the crushed red chili peppers, some ground black peppers, and whatever else you can to give the dish any sort of actual flavor. For $20+? Please... Square noodles. Absolutely solid. I recommend it. Tomato basil sauce is delicious. You just need to sprinkle some Parmesan and you're set. No additional seasoning required. Asparagus. Can't go wrong with an order of this. Comes with a netted bag of lemon to drizzle with. Cooked just right, not soggy. Bruschetta (special of the day). Amaaaazing. Top notch. Avocados, olives, delicious and fresh tomatoes. Drizzled with olive oil and I think some vinaigrette. The shrimp was unnecessary. Hardly any flavor. Thoughtlessly seasoned on just one side. Gelato. I don't think they know the different between gelato and wait for it... ice cream. Ordered vanilla gelato. Got vanilla ice cream with an under-ripe strawberry that was partially frozen. I had their Meiomi Pinot Noir at $15/glass. Delicious wine, seriously. But did you know you can get an entire bottle at Target for just $25? That's a huge convenience pricing if you ask me. Almost robbery. Think it through before you only order by the glass. Wrapping this up - ever have your server complain about the tip you gave? You can expect some attitude if you haven't tipped your server to his/her expectations, for essentially an hour's worth of a friendly smile and service which was basic (not bad per se, but nothing special either). You don't harass your clients because you weren't happy with your tip. When you work FOH, you're the face of the business. Not smart, fella. read more

We love carmines in NYC and were excited to try! Unfortunately the service was super slow, the food was just meh, but the cake was amazing! The chicken parm was Luke warm and the vegetables didn't stand out. Also sad they didn't have the fried green beans like nyc does. It was raining so we had to sit inside and expected a fun atmosphere but didn't get that vibe at all. Chicago carmines has a long way to go to catch up to nyc! But the chocolate cake made it all worth it . read more

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Was in town for work and one of my coworkers suggested this place. I had the pasta squares with meat sauce. It was delicious. The others ordered lasagne, steak and sea bass. We also had a fried calamari appetizer. The dipping sauce had plenty of horseradish. It was so good. I tasted everything and it was all phenomenal. The service was also great! Bring a big appetite. Portions are huge. I recommend sharing an entree read more

Carmine's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have to say - I really do love Carmine's and everything about it. This neighborhood spot is big and bustling and is ran old school style. A huge street front presence, Carmine's looks fantastic as you approach and offers the best people watching in town. Rush Street is always jumping, no matter the day of the week. Service is always impeccable from the host desk to service to management. The reservation process is easy. When I arrive the hosts always greet me immediately and seat me quickly. My servers have always been on top of their game offering attentive service even during the most busy evenings. Then there are the Managers. They know how to run a big ship and still make each customer feel appreciated. The cuisine is interesting and memorable. Homemade pasta that melts in your mouth, sauces to dream about and decadent desserts that leave you with a smile. Satisfaction is always the end result. read more

Carmine's - Sauvignon Blanc & Lemon Sorbet! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had an absolutely lovely dinner here. The service was top notch. The food was delicious everything was perfect. The drinks (old fashioned and extra dirty martini) were well made, really good wine list, the pasta was perfectly al dente, AND the seafood was fresh. I'm a super picky native south Florida seafood snob and they did not disappoint! It can get a bit loud - a happy loud with good conversation, laughing, and good food, kind of loud. I love places that make me feel like I'm over at a friends for dinner! read more