We were seated at 5:30, table of 4 adults and 3 kids. We got some bread and ordered freshetta and entrees. Finally got food at 7:00. I told the manager and he was totally unresponsive. Took forever to get a glass of wine. Food was ok, not great. Service was the worst I've ever had. The waiter blamed it on "restaurant week". read more

I'm giving 2.5 stars and it's because on the FRONT end (emails only) the communication was super good. I just hosted a party here in the private room. I've always loved Carmines on Penn and in fact I've hosted here in the past but not in the private room. Things that were good... 1) Carmines has been around awhile and they have dialed in their ability to communicate (emails only) on hosting these larger groups. Communication was very efficient and thorough leading up to our party. Things that were NOT good... 1) we had ONE WAITER. We needed at minimum TWO. He was likely new at this profession as well and completely unable to manage the room. I actually had to have words with both him and a manager in the middle of the room on this topic. It was inexcusable on Carmines management to place this kid and our entire party in this position. Nobody in our group will be back to carmines because of it. 2) the food was terrible. Every. single. course. Though who knows on the dessert as I had to leave with tired kids who'd been sitting around waiting for dinner all night. 3) we had to get up and pour our own prepaid wine. Nobody was told this would be how it would be. They just set it over on the long table and left it. My guests were mostly 70+ years old and this was in very poor taste. Especially considering we were not told this was the expectation. So in addition to waiting on food we waited on booze so we were all dead sober. 4)upon arriving in the back room...there is no music. No ambiance. So we had a GUEST bring a speaker so we could at least set a mood with some Sinatra. It would have been a complete dud of a room and space without this feature. Come on Carmines, get it together. AsI'm embarrassed for this was no easy thing for these adults to make it to. Parking is terrible at Carmines but I knew this and thought it worth the work for the payoff. Not any more. My rating is generous based on this experience and due to it being a larger group this isn't the kind of experience you come back from in any of our eyes. It makes me sad for multiple reasons. Primarily because people want to support this place and they have made it unwise to do so... read more

The food, service and ambiance here were all average. The restaurant needs updating. We won't return because there are many other restaurants that are equal or better. read more

I grew up in Denver and always remember this restaurant getting talked about. As you tend to do, you go to your favorites on repeat until it's Denver Restaurant Week and you get out of your routine. The RW menu was perfect for us. We share the bruschetta, the pasta alla capo, and the chocolate cake. The bruschetta was good, but didn't wow me. But the pasta did! The space is very cozy and the service was great. read more

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in Denver. Great atmosphere, amazing staff, and perfect spot. I don't believe you could go wrong with anything on the menu...everything is SO good. I love the chicken parm with ziti (to die for!)...a Manhattan (whomever made my last one did with perfection) and the cheesecake. Great restaurant!!! read more

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It is the time of covid-19 but have no fear, Carmine's has outdoor dining! You must make reservations and groups are limited to a max of 8 people. We arrived on a lovely night and ate some delicious foods! With our group of 7, we ordered the Seared Portabello, Bruschetta, Carbonara, Meatballs in Vodka Sauce, and the Chicken Piccata. All family style, and we still had leftovers! Probably leftovers enough for one more person, so keep that in mind when ordering for large groups! The garlic knots that they bring to the table are absolutely delicious. I think the best part is that the dough is slightly undercooked or underproofed which gives it this chewy, almost stretchy consistency and I love it so much!!! Yum. I loved both the appetizers, the Portabello was full of flavor and the balsamic drizzle adds a little tang to round out the savory flavor. The pastas were cooked perfectly al dente. The Carbonara was so creamy and cheesy, it was spot on for me. The meatballs in the vodka sauce were also very delicious!! I would say we probably picked the best dishes. The Piccata was pretty spot on as well! I would definitely recommend checking this place out if you're craving some Italian. In the evening, it's lovely to sit outdoors too! read more

I am reviewing a takeout dinner received during the coronavirus pandemic. The spaghetti and meatballs dish was very tasty but unlike what was promised, it was skimpy on pasta. Imagine, that, they got frugal on the cheapest item on the menu. The cheese raviolis and sauce was excellent but, once again, not generous. The mixed green salad was fresh, good, and generous. The three items combined totaled just over $100 but was advertised to to be enough to serve four adults. There wasn't any leftovers and three of the adults weigh under 135 pounds. It would have gotten four stars if the entree portions were a good value. Bring on the pasta! read more

I only eat here about once a year while in Denver visiting family. I love the atmosphere, the friendly staff and the good food.

OMG Ok, this is what happened, Absorb this !! Started good and then turned into a shit show. Ok, Yelpers, you know how we sometime make a reservation either from Yelp which takes you to Open Table app or maybe you use open table all the time and just make reservations that way, so we can make points. Etc Well, I made a reservation I sure did, because that's what We do !! Got seated in an area that appears to be a heated patio. Everything was fine, UNTIL DUN DUN (terrifying music ) They sit a party of 8 in our area and another party of 6. Well, it's Christmas in February. Families that haven't seen one another since the dinosaur age are out and so loud and happy to see one another. 10 minutes greetings every time another person in their party arrives. YEAH!! NOT !! I COULDNT HEAR MYSELF THINK, so I asked if we can move and noticed the bar area and noticed the TV had the Olympics on. So, we moved and they grabbed all our stuff and dinner arrived. What to say about dinner? Let me tell you, the risotto that my friend had was disgusting. It had a funky smell like a dirty rag. My chicken parmigiana wasn't bad but I'm use to a different flavored marinara. That marinara just wasn't for me. Chocolate dessert was fantastic. We got to chocolate covered strawberries with the cake and that was very nice of them. We get the check and leave. Dinner for two and a bottle of red = $155 with tip Bartender was on key. Great service. Ready for the shit show? I get home and start looking at my email and find out that they haven canceled my reservation. So, I leave a message on there phone service and email open table. Manager, Brad, calls me back to tell me that if I sit at the bar then I don't get my points. I sit at the bar a lot with OpenTable and I've been using them for three years and never have had a problem. I also mentioned that hey could've told us that before they cancelled, since we were sitting right in front of them and spending $155. What a JOKE Anyway, Brad, wouldn't budge ! I had a reservation for two that means the restaurant has to pay two dollars to OpenTable. I can't deal with cheap idiots that don't understand that they're in the Hospitality business. Customer is always right Don't be CHeAp Let it go Wowza I told him I would never step foot in the restaurant again food is not up to par anyway according to me my first time there and my last Good job Brad TWO DOLLARS TO OPEN TABLE; I would have paid it and let it go. read more

No! The most mediocre Italian food I have ever had! Our Denver friends said it was the worst meal they have had in Denver! Our waiter who was very nice got our salad order wrong eventually brought the correct salad but charged us for both! He explained we would get a credit for the difference on our bank account in 3-5 days - what?? We have to wait to be credited for his mistake? Really this issue was minor in contrast for the very boring overpriced Italian food - save yourself the trouble. Next time we have an hour wait at Uncle we will just wait and not settle. Sorry we would have liked nothing more than to have enjoyed our meal but it's tough to pay $200 bucks for Olive Garden at best! read more

Food is good. 20% tip on eating there is also fine, as this is an expensive city. But charging 20% on to go orders and not telling you is a pretty ridiculous practice. Go to another place where the food is just as good or better and you don't get played with the bait and switch. read more

Efficient timing of dishes, incredibly friendly staff. Fun paper table covering with crayons for hangman or tix tac toe! read more

Carmine's On Penn - Mussels - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Meh, there's very little Italian in that Italian. Service was fine, not sure I like the 22% service add on plus gratuity. It is good choice for larger groups, thus the large family style servings. I guess quantity is the attraction here. read more

Excellent neighborhood Italian restaurant. They serve family style with a solid traditional menu and creative modern specials every night. Great wine and beer list. I highly recommend the soup and salad. I've never had bad service... always spot on. All Italian restaurants are expensive. But you can take a big group there, share the huge portions, and have a wonderful evening. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Green chile at an Italian restaurant, say wha?? It was superb - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

We haven't been to Carmine's in years and it was great! Its probably been 15 or 20 years since I have last dined at the restaurant and it was quite good. Loved the family styled dinner and it worked great for us. The four of us had the charcuterie board to start and 2 half pastas and a veal Parmesan. It was a lot of food and each plate was a nice change from the other. The service was great and never felt rushed at any point. Thank you Carmine's on Penn! read more

Similar to another reviewer. Be warned that if you order takeout by phone, a 22% service fee will be added when you go to pick up your food. Cool surprise.. read more

I have now been here twice. The first time I came here we had an excellent waiter and amazing food. sadly I cannot remember his name but he was absolutely wonderful. Today was the 2nd time we ate here and it was even better. How you may ask. Well first off it was our waitress Kylie. She is a 10/10. 5 starts. The best of the best. She was not only super attentive while having a very big table that was a little obnoxious. But she was just so kind. I can't recommend her enough. Kylie deserves a lot of praise. Also thank you to staff and the Manager Josh I believe. Sadly his name escapes me. But he was also so kind. This place is def one of our favorites. And now even more so with Kylie. read more

Heard many good things about this place. Service was excellent... as it should be, since they add a 20% tip to the bill. They certainly earned that. Tablecloths are brown butcher paper... the only place I've seen that before was BBQ joints in the deep South. The Manhattan I ordered was within acceptable parameters. The Eggplant Rollatini was edible. My friend raved about their ravioli special with pistachios... but it was only 6 raviolis. Tiramasu was trash. Wanted to love this place, but it just isn't gonna work out. read more

I'm lactose intolerant, so I'm not usually a frequenter of Italian restaurants, but my roommates insisted for his birthday. I thought that finding a dish was going to be challenge, but Carmine's on Penn, made a dairy free option for me with no hassle. I ordered a family size pasta dish with red meat sauce, and it came out absolutely delicious. The sauce was very well seasoned and the dishes tasted freshly prepared. I highly recommend it to my dairy free friends out there. Tip: we had a party of 10 and ordered 4 family size dishes and two bottles of wine and had very little leftover. We all paid around $48 each, so the meal is not cheap. The restaurant would be great for romantic date nights or celebrations. Check them out! read more

Carmine's On Penn - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Feels somewhat wrong giving this a 3 stars but don't know what would change the rating thinking back. The service was extremely friendly and helpful (they don't give you menus but explain what's on the board), but I think there are better Italian options in Denver. Everything is served family style (2 or 4 person sizes) and they are HUGE! Our favorite food entrees were the eggplant parm and meatballs in vodka sauce, but would avoid the shrimp fra diavolo if doing it again. We also started with a cesar and house salad which were both average, but absolutely loved the garlic knots that they bring to the table. Note: Parking is street only and an ABSOLUTE nightmare. Took over 20 minutes to find a spot and that was 4 blocks away. read more

I've eaten here plenty of times before and I'm extremely upset this time around with their new $15 service fee. Paid $30 for a family size salad and barely got enough for two salad plates. If someone could please reach out to me about this tried calling and no response. Thanks read more

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Our first time at this 25 year old family style Italian restaurant will absolutely not be our last. My person and I were joined by another couple on he night we went and we were all super elated by the food, and the ambiance, we all ordered portions for two and put it all in the center and shared everything. To our delight all the food was amazing. We started off with Tour f Italy, a cheese and meat appetizer, and for the main course we ordered the Chicken Parmigiana, Ravioli Bolognese, and the vodka ravioli. We then tuned it up with the tiramisu. Everything was amazing! This restaurant is definitely on my "eat here often list". read more

Excellent food, mediocre service, weirdly no music playing at all. Chef greeted our table and he was delightful, we'll be back.

Carmine's is such a treat, I just love this place. The last time I was in I was well taken care of by Viv. The pear Gorgonzola salad is to die for- the pistachios really elevate it. Sane with the garlic knots, soooo yum! Chicken parm and vodka ravioli are my go to favorites but you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The carrot ravioli that was on special on my last visit was phenomenal, such a unique and delicious combination of flavors. read more

Well well well. Family style for the win but wear your stretchy pants because you'll need them. My gal pal and I decided that we needed to treat ourselves to a big time meal right before Thanksgiving. I mean, you really do need to stretch out your stomach right before this feast of a holiday. Am I right? We sat at the bar and were treated like royalty. Based on how the bartender was treating everyone else, it seems like this is the norm. We started with dirty martinis and I opted for the blue cheese stuffed olives. Yup. That's an option. We nibbles on the Misti antipasti. Not gonna lie, I just wasn't a fan. You can get a meat and cheese plate everywhere and this wasn't the most special of plates. Thankfully, everything else was delicious. We also split the chicken parmesan and meatballs with spaghetti. Whoa. It's a lot and can get pricey for two when you're both chronic over orderers. We managed to also indulge in a glass of Prosecco and a red wine that I can't quite remember. We didn't see garlic knots on the menu, but they have them so we ordered them. Omg. I would go back for these alone and you know you'll keep the vampires away. Also, the tiramisu is lady finger free and covered in sweet marscapone cream that I'm pretty sure was made by angels. This isn't an experience I would indulge in often and I do wish they had a few more options for solo diners but hey, then it wouldn't be Carmine's! read more

Yet another 5 star for Carmine's. We went here with a group of 4 and the service was quick and delicious. We always get the community caesar and it served all 4 of us plus a second round. I got the meatball side again and it was delicious. One got the meatball vodka and said it was amazing. Another got the seasonal risotto with chicken, peas, and onions which was really good. The last person got the chicken parm and it always is superior from any other Italian restaurant. Jess yet again made our night and is always the friendliest face running around from table to table. read more

The bread was good. The service was good. We ordered the special ravioli and the pasta Ella Carmine. There were 3 of us and we ordered the meal for 2 which was plenty. The food was good and it was a nice restaurant. read more

This is the best second wave Italian restaurant I've ever experienced. It's like every mediocre ski town Italian American joint but GOOD. It's impressive. Come here for enormous portions of classics-chicken Parmesan, ravioli, cheesecake, and something with a twist, chicken pot pie gnocchi. The recipes are straight forward but executed well and the ingredients are top notch. You can taste the freshness. Prices seem high at first, but just wait for it cause each entree is enough food for a village. Great for takeout or outdoor dining. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Chicken Parmesan and chicken pot pie gnocchi- each is just 1 entree, come ready to eat - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Fabulous service! Great atmosphere and delicious food! I just loved the chocolate strawberries! Will definitely return.

We love dining here! Amazing service, food and menu! The way they are adapting to the new restrictions and challenges is quite amazing! We ordered take out tonight and it was spot on! The food was hot when we got home (15 min drive), the rolls were warm and soft and filled with flavor and the pasta was fresh and delightful! They're only serving family portion sizes right now, which is fine with us- except now we are only getting 1 entree instead of 2! We will be back! Please support them, they're doing everything so well and keeping up with quality, timeliness and accuracy! Nice job Carmine's!!! read more

The service was insanely good, and the portions were large. This is 'family-style" Italian dining, where a large portion is served and then scooped out to everyone at the table. I'm not super-big into Italian, but the food was pretty solid. We got: Tour of Italy: vegetarian antipasto: olives, cheese, nuts, stuff like that Chicken Montana: chicken past with sun-dried tomatoes in a gorgonzola cream sauce Everything was pretty good, plenty was left over. I got a cocktail because...I didn't see a single beer on the menu! WUT?! It was good but a bit spendy for my blood ($11). Weirdest thing about this spot: here are no menus. Food is posted on the walls. read more

Carmine's On Penn - chicken montana - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I went here for my birthday, and we made a reservation for 12! We got seated immediately and also got drinks right away! Guests kept trickling in to sit at my table and they didn't miss a beat with drink orders, even though they were staggered. This is a family style restaurant but they do two people entrees as well. I loved this place! And will definitely be returning. read more

We made reservations for 6 and failed to account for our infant and toddler. We arrived and the hostess scrambled to arrange a table for us to accommodate our family. In spite of being very obviously incredibly busy, we received top-notch service. Our waiter explained the menu to us and made recommendations. The hostess and bartender made sure our water, wine and cocktails were always full. The food was outstanding! Our waiter even served every plate table-side. Classy! The garlic bread was the best I've ever had, everything was seasoned perfectly, the chicken was tender, flavor explosions worth taking the time to stop and make a comment. The hostess also made special accommodations so I could feed my infant in private and shortly after brought me to a separate area with a changing table. My family now has a new "favorite place". Outstanding service and outstanding food! read more

I have no clue how this place has a rating below 5 stars. My girlfriend and I came in without a reservation but the staff was super kind and did their best to get us in right away. The bruschetta was everything! We've been trying to find a bruschetta that matches the flavor of Carmine's ever since. And that baked ziti! Delicious. This meal was so great from start to finish. We will be back to Denver just for Carmine's. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Baked Ziti - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Won't be returning. Charged a $25 service fee on a bill just over $100. Covid is over Carmine's. Pay your employees or build it into your food cost. Great way to lose customers forever. read more

I love this place! It's within walking distance of my home and every chance I get, I go here! They've blocked off part of Pennsylvania too so their seating options and table distances are good. Great service! Great garlic rolls! Great Gimlets! I got their Frutti de Mari with linguini and was very pleasantly surprised. The mussels were perfectly done. Super yummy!! My date had the carbonara and he loved it. Can't wait to go back again! read more

Absolutely delicious, cozy vibe which is casual enough for a family but also nice enough for a celebration.

Plus half a star When it comes to Italian style food it's usually hit or miss. You either really like Italian chain restaurants or you like something more like mama used to make. This place is good. Not great. But definitely worth the visit. Now of course much like most Italian restaurants these portions are FAMILY size. So large shareable plates. Which is nice if you have a large party. Sadly on my visit it was just me and the wife. Being it was her birthday she of course got her choice. She ordered vodka sauce with linguini. She is a big fan of Penne pasta sadly that wasn't an option here. Nevertheless. The pasta and the sauce was good not great (I may need to add I'm from the northeast. NYC area where good pasta and pizza is as common as air). So me saying it's good should actually hold some weight. Because it was the wife's bday and I setup this dinner in advance the owner/manager did a wonderful job bringing out a very nice piece of cheesecake. Very nice touch. The only issue I had which kept this place from a 4 star was the service. During the ordering process I told the waiter what We wanted. He came back a few min later and confirmed that was what we wants. Weird but it happened and I didn't think it was a big deal. Then I asked for an espresso with my dessert and it never came. Not sure if I was charged for it. I highly doubt it. So a little lax on the service side. All in all in were to come back to Denver I would certainly stop back in. I would definitely try some of the other options on the menu. read more

Carmine's On Penn - My wife's bday cheesecake. - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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We went to Carmines on Penn last weekend and haven't been there in awhile. We were given a gift card from our children for our Anniversary back in November and decided it was time to use it as the weather was nice that evening. We were told the restaurant was holding onto the gift card so unfortunately for us we didn't have it in hand. We told the manager this and also had an email and invoice receipt stating all of this. She wouldn't honor the gift card and told us how does the restaurant know we have t already used it. She wouldn't budge, and my daughter in law called them from Houston. Close to the end of the dinner which we stayed for since we traveled 35 minutes to this establishment the manager decided they could honor the gift card. We have a mediocre dinner and the delight of celebrating our anniversary was ruined. She all but called us liars and welcomed us back. The owner called my daughter in law yesterday and apologized profusely as to how they screwed up on their end and there was no need to have been treated as we did. He's sending us another gift card! Too little too late I won't step foot back in this restaurant with such poor management, just okay food and a lack of customer service. This manager should be let go. Good luck to the owner and this restaurant as other friends have also told me of their poor experiences lately Anyone want the gift card that's coming? Don't waste your time money or character at this place! read more

We LOVE Carmine's. This is the restaurant we always choose to make reservations at for special occasions. They have a great atmosphere and a super knowledgable waitstaff. They serve family style and in plates for 2 so we usually order a few things and split them between the table. The plates are big! Everything I've had here so far has been delicious. They have a great selection of wine and there are always baskets of amazing garlic bread on the table. Carmine's is great for kids because they can choose what kind of sauce and type of pasta they want with each dish (meatballs can be kind of spicy though). They also cover all of the tables in brown paper and there are crayons on the table. Somehow they do this without taking away from their classy atmosphere. They have rooms that are covered in the winter but have the option of being open air when it's nice out so it's a great option no matter the season. The mirrors on the wall make the space seem a lot larger and the noise level is always manageable. I've had nothing but great experiences at Carmines and I'll definitely be going back as soon as I can! read more

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