Always enjoy trying out locally owned businesses and concoct a& Nini's did not disappoint. When we arrived specials were listed outside would recommend the server to talk about them as well to ensure everyone is aware. We were seated promptly and drink orders were soon after. Our server seemed a little overwhelmed with the amount of people or tables assigned. He kept apologizing and telling us where he was in the process of our order versus others. Atmosphere was pleasant and you could tell who the locals were versus those dining from outside of town. Locals were very comfortable and enjoying their evenings which added to the comfort of the ambiance. Food was described well in the menu and when served matched the menu. Large portions and now have a second meal for today! Will be back. read more

Coco & Nini's Restaurant and Lounge - Side salad - Italian Near Me - Carlisle, Iowa

See all

Small restaurant in Carlisle with amazing food and even better staff. You are welcomed like family from the bartender. She's super nice and helpful to her waitstaff. The waiter was fun and friendly. Very attentive and suggested some great dinner options. Told me I must try the potatoes so I got the mahi special I was eyeing. The sauce on the fish!! Yum! Loved the potatoes. Brown butter cake was gooey and the ice cream so good! The lemon pasta was too "lemony" for me, but my friend who loves lemon liked it a lot. The lemon martini was fire! Delish read more

See all

Three stars because my companions really didn't like their food. I thought it was unexceptional but not inedible, even though one of my friends said she couldn't eat it. I got the gnocchi and it was tasty and filling. The chicken was tender and not dry. My friend got the Nana's linguine. She said it had no flavor. My other dining partner got the Alfredo burger and said the beef was dry and it barely had any Alfredo sauce. It's a cute place and they were as attentive as expected. It seems like a neighborhood place that locals frequent. It was clean and they have outdoor seating when it's warm out and street parking. I would give them another chance with different dining partners. read more

Coco & Nini's Restaurant and Lounge - Pesto Gnocchi with chicken - Italian Near Me - Carlisle, Iowa

Coco & Nini's is a great value for the food you get. We ordered pasta and an appetizer and had plenty of food to bring home. When we went the patio was open and it was a beautiful day to sit out and enjoy the weather. A great local spot. read more

See all

Stopped here for our Valentine's Date Night. Seated right away on a Saturday evening around 5:15 pm. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful in deciding what options to choose for our meals. I also chose to have the Italian margarita since I love amaretto! It's sweeter than a normal margarita but was still delicious! We ordered the pickle fries. These were fantastic! Please try them when you're here. I ordered the Creamy Lemon Penne with chicken. The entree came with a side salad for which I ordered their creamy parmesan dressing. An Italian restraint staple! The dressing was amazing, garlic, and flavorful! The emtree also came with rolls and butter. The pasta sauce was not overly lemony, but enough of the flavor to give the dish a yummy kick. We also enjoyed a triple layer truffle cake for dessert. Boy am I stuffed, but this was the best Italian food I have had in a very long time from a restaurant! read more

See all

Had carry out food tonight. Was greeted immediately upon entering. Smiles from all the staff. Atmosphere was inviting. Next time we'll eat in the restaurant. Food was prepared well. Still hot when I made it home. Definitely worth a try. I know we'll go back and eat inside the restaurant. Sorry no pictures this time. Doug read more

Food was fresh and flavorful, prices were decent. I absolutely loved how fresh and crisp the salad was! Boyfriend said the Wisconsin cheese soup was phenomenal as well- he added the pepper lol! The fried ravioli was good, the sauce that comes with it is phenomenal! The Alfredo and chicken was really good, the chicken was the freshest I've ever had and so flavorful! Due to size of restaurant seating is limited. The tiramisu cake ( kinda like a soft sponge cake w coffee and chocolate flavor) for dessert was delicious!! read more

See all

Our server was also the bartender. She greeted us and got our drink order right away. Her food recommendations were spot on. We started with prickle fries which were amazing. Pasta Mario was so delicious. Make sure and save room for dessert because the brown butter cake was so good. We are already deciding when to go again. read more

Excellent small town locally owned buisness plus great service and full bar and patio

Food is always amazing, staff feels like family. Tierney's bread IS A MUST HAVE (with a side of already) you'll thank me later. The Alfredo burger is a go too as well as the pesto gnocchi. read more

Good service and very good food! Three of us stopped in on a Friday night and got dinner. We were seated quickly and our food and drinks were delivered in short order as well. Very friendly staff and owner - felt welcomed as soon as we walked in the door. Nice variety of Italian fare. I got the Hammbino's Penne, which had a nice flavor (a bit of a kick, but not too spicy), and a nice blend of sauce and cheese. My wife got the Penne Alexis - also a great combination. Our dining companion got the Baked Cavatelli with Meatballs -- wow, that is a LOT of food, and she said it was VERY good as well! Salads were good - a nice blend of greens and reasonable amount of veggies. Good house dressing as well. The rolls were also good. Would definitely go back -- there are a couple of places now in Carlisle that I am a fan of; hopefully that's the same for others too and that's good news for this town! read more

I love a small town restaurant with big city flavor that doesn't disappoint. I haven't been this excited about an Italian restaurant in a long time. If your lucky to catch a 2 for 1 mule night please do so, you can find out on there Facebook page, they are amazing and so many flavors to choose from. With out meal it came with side salad, very good rolls and I got the Cajun pasta so good great kick, I could use more Shrimp and sausage but other than that it was amazing. I'm excited to try out the rest of menu they have great customer service and all around a nice atmosphere I will definitely be back. read more

Coco & Nini's Restaurant and Lounge - Side salad with mules - Italian Near Me - Carlisle, Iowa

See all

Second time. First time, we had the chicken Marsala, onion rings, gnocchi, cavatelli and brown butter cake. The Marsala was not super sweet and I was pleasantly surprised. Bread is fine, a little dry and didn't taste homemade. I liked the onion rings, not too big or too thin. This time I had the chicken strips and they won't substitute onion rings which is silly. Chicken strips were good, crispy and had flavor. The fried ravioli was fine but the cheese was bland. Loved the spicy tomato salad. The creamy Parmesan is spicier than you are normally see but good. Chicken Diablo was not spicy. Tiramisu was pretty tasty. read more

Coco & Nini's Restaurant and Lounge - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Carlisle, Iowa

See all

We bought a coupon tag for the local football team that had this restaurant on it. Decided to use it for our late valentines dinner. Went there a little after 5 on a sat night. Establishment was half full. Plenty of wait staff kept the table full of drinks and empty of dishes. Waitress was very attentive and friendly. Pickle fries were a little soggy but had a flavorful kick. Salad was standard with good house Parmesan dressing. Pasta Mario is a chicken Alfredo with Graziano sausage crumbles on top, and was Amazing! Large portion and rolls to go with. For dessert we shared a triple truffle cake that was also very good. Large drink selection, friendly staff, and delicious food will make this place worth the drive. read more

See all

We ALWAYS have amazing service here & have never been served a meal I didn't love. I almost always get whatever the special is because it's always something great. Also the house dressing is Devine some of the best creamy parm dressing I've ever had. read more

Had Mac & cheese with bacon & chicken. Excellent fresh green salad. Fantastic service. Mules 2 for 1. All was great!

Always love going to coco and nini's. The Cajun Pasta is to die for if you like some heat with your pasta.

Covid-19 Update still open for Carryout. Very good pasta and doing all they can in such and unprecedented time. read more

Coco & Nini's Restaurant and Lounge - Italian Near Me - Carlisle, Iowa

We moved to the area in April of 2020 and Coco and Nini's quickly became our favorite local restaurant. They have gluten free options and are super careful about cross contamination. The food is excellent (my husband loves the stuffed chicken and I can't decide my favorite because the chicken Diablo, chicken Marsala AND Nana's linguine are all incredible!) Also, the customer service is top notch. They were incredibly warm and welcoming to us as newcomers to the community and now it's lovely to be greeted by name when we stop in. From the great atmosphere and fun decor to the incredible food and drink choices, you'll be glad you stopped in. read more

Just fantastic!! Great food and staff! What a gem in smalltown Iowa! Quick service, great apps!

Creamy lemon penne with chicken - perfect!! Need to up their game on the bread but everything else we had was great! read more

Drove all the way from DSM on $5 gas. Big mistake. Waiter takes our drink order, then goes and makes the drinks as the bartender stood by shining wine glasses. Thats all he did, made no drinks for any of the wait staff. Think the bartender was the owner. Dressed like he just got up on a Sat morning; nasty gym shorts and flip flops. Owner goes to a back table where his family is sitting. Most of the staff spent 90% of the time at their table bs'ing. Meanwhile his kids are running wild through the place eating bread rolls. I asked for some, never got them probably because his kids were stuffing them in their face as they ran through the dining room. It's a restaurant, not your kids daycare. Food? Mediocre at best. I'd skip this place and go to the mall food court for the same experience at 1/2 the cost. read more

Started with the seasonal Caprese salad with fresh basil, local tomatoes, and great mozzarella.. . . very nice. Followed with the chicken diablo . . nicely done, great sauce, . . .could of been dressed up a bit with fresh herbs on top. Finished with the homemade tiramisu . . . very nicely done. Just a short drive south of DSM . . and let's support a local family owned restaurant. read more

I liked this place. It was small and casual but nice. I had spaghetti and meatballs which were small but pretty good.

The atmosphere is very well thought out from the decor to the music giving off genuine Italian vibes. The staff is always very friendly and the food is delicious. We like to go on Thursdays for their 2 for 1 mules. My only complaint is that they limit the breadsticks to 1/person even with the meals being on the high side for pasta. read more

Food so good we inhaled! This restaurant was SO GOOD and reasonably priced! We loved our drinks! Get the house creamy parm dressing with your dinner salad! It has just a little spicy kick and is perfect! We tried the Tierney Bread for our appetizer and it was wonderful, such a good flavor combo! I had the creamy lemon penne pasta and the flavor was refreshing, light and delicious! We forced ourselves to save room for their brown butter cake - and it was worth every last calorie!! read more

Service was great, the food was delicious! My cocktail was perfect! The bartender great only to be out shined by the cook! read more

Coco & Nini's Restaurant and Lounge - Stuffed chicken.... - Italian Near Me - Carlisle, Iowa

See all

Hidden gem not far from Des Moines. Pasta dishes were wonderful, well seasoned. Can't wait to go back.

Try the gnocchi! The restaurant itself doesn't have a ton of seating but their takeout is always fresh and delicious. Another favorite of mine is Nana's Linguine. Some of the best pasta in the Des Moines area. read more

Very nice environment great food excellent onion rings the food is just as pictured on the menu and mire than you can eat

Absolutely Fantastic! Not only is the food more than amazing, this is a local family owned business which makes the atmosphere very peaceful. The owner and his family are amazing and want to make sure you have everything you need. My party had the Gnocchi, Creamy Lemon Penne and Cajun pasta. For an appetizer we had the fried pickles. All was amazing! We definitely plan on going back! I have a feeling this restaurant will become very popular very quickly, be prepared for possible waits:) read more

See all

We went for the first time on my birthday. I started with the limoncello martini which was really good. The salad was fresh and the house Parmesan dressing was yummy. The rolls were also good. I ordered the diablo chicken and requested that it wasn't overly spicy. It came out perfect with spice but not so spicy I couldn't enjoy it. The sauce was a creamy tomato base sauce with a nice kick. The chicken was grilled and lightly seasoned. I ended with dessert. The only bummer was they didn't have any tiramisu available. Would have loved to try it. I ended up ordering a cannoli that was as good as it looked. My son ordered chocolate cake that was delicious also. We will be back..hopefully they will have tiramisu next visit. read more

Coco & Nini's Restaurant and Lounge - Chocolate cake - Italian Near Me - Carlisle, Iowa

See all

It's ok food, but way over priced for Italian and small town. The restaurant Is clean and nice, the service is slow, dont care plain simple salad that I can get out of a salad mix at store, salad dressing taste like bottled nothing impressive, meatballs to spicy for kids plate, sauce was runny and noodles overcooked like sitting in water all night and reheated. Not freshly made pasta .I've had worse, but dont plan on going back,unless I was given a free meal,and I'd give it a second chance.But If I personally have to pay those prices, I'll drive 15 -20 min to des moines to get a better meal. read more

Cute little place in Carlisle. Not very Italian-y on the inside, but they did have Frank singing in the background. Full bar, nice assortment of interesting cocktails and mules. Bottled beer available but no tap beer. Wine selection not the greatest, but they offer a glass of most types-no bottles, just by the glass. We ordered the onion rings and they were delicious but a little bit greasy. House salad gets points off for bagged lettuce but gets them back for a tomato that tasted like a tomato and it's the middle of winter, what?! I couldn't decide if the dressing was homemade or bottled, but it tasted more like it was homemade. Husband had the grinder w/ banana peppers which was DELICIOUS! I had the cavatelli and it was really good. The noodles were cooked perfectly, the sauce was homemade and delicious and they do you right with the cheese. The meatballs didn't do it for me, though-there was no texture to them but the flavor was ok. I wish they had some steak options. The only seafood option was shrimp and only then when it was in a pasta dish. The people are super-friendly and attentive. I don't know who Coco and Nini are, but Salute! read more

See all

Food was great, staff was very friendly, atmosphere is very cozy. I would definitely recommend trying this small but great place!

Best Italian food in the Metro! Well worth the short little drive! Sweet potato waffle fries with caramel and bacon we're absolutely the most surprisingly wonderful starter we have ever eaten. Creamy Lemon Penne with Chicken was the perfect combination of fresh and dreamily delicious. Will be back very soon!! read more

My friend and I stopped here for lunch on Saturday. This is a new restaurant in a recently renovated building. It's open and airy yet cozy, comfortable and relaxing. Very suitable for both casual lunches and more formal dinner occasions. The tabletops are handmade by the owner using rustic wood planks sealed under a smooth, bright finish. We both ordered Italian dishes. The house dressing on my fresh tossed salad was delicious, as was the pasta. The flavor of the marinara was just right - not too spicy. Meatballs were freshly made, tender and delicious. I thought the portion sizes and prices were very competitive. The staff was very welcoming, pleasant and attentive. This is a family owned and managed business. The experience and the food here hands down beats what you can get at large Italian bar/restaurant in Des Moines. Very much worth the short drive to Carlisle from Des Moines. read more

Great food! Good people! I was impressed despite being busy, the staff was very attentive to our needs. Great new restaurant in Carlisle!

Disappointed. I found the service slow and the portions small for the price. Food tasted good but probably won't be back.