Johnny Carino's reminded me of Olive Garden, except a really bad imitation. I went to lunch here today but was wondering why this restaurant was devoid of customers. I had to open the door to see that it was indeed a functioning restaurant. I had ordered the make your own pasta. However, it was very very plan. It was one of those dishes where if I put angel hair, spicy marinara from a jar, and mixed peeled boiled shrimp together, that it exactly what I got. I really could have made this dish, but it obvious that I want a prepared meal that goes beyond the basic ingredients. I wanted to like this place like I like Macaroni Grill, but falls way short of any expectations for Italian food, if you even want to call it that. read more

We celebrated Mother's Day with our family, arriving at 5:30 pm, and although we were a group of nine, we were seated within a few minutes. The service was friendly and efficient, and everyone enjoyed their meals. The appetizers, main entrees, and dessert were all delicious. We're glad we decided to check out this place! read more

So disappointed with this place. I like the food but the customer services is horrible. Such rude people that work at this location. Don't waste your time, much better service elsewhere. read more

This place gave me food poisoning!!!!!! I have eaten here before and never had an issue until yesterday 11/9/22 I ordered spaghetti meatballs with a side of bread and oil which is my usual. About two hours later I had severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea together non stop to the point I had to go to urgent care to calm down the vomiting. I am absolutely calling the health inspector department on this place after this!!! read more

Absolutely disgusting. Service was horrible. We saw our server at the beginning of the meal and the end. The food had no flavor and the steak had the weirdest consistency. Like it was boiled. GROSS. read more

We had the best service, the server was awesome and on it, I had the jalapeno talapia, OMG, this was so good with great flavors and the right amount of heat, I will try and make this for my family & also treat them for some great italian we had a party of 8 read more

I think even for a chain, the quality of this place is well below standard. We haven't been there for a while (because of the last experience we had...) and probably will never go again. Food is awful. Frozen, disgusting, mushy mess. I'm not a picky person by any means, but I can at least tell when the food I'm being served is sub-par. For $20+ dishes, I at least expect some sort of freshness. Cold, reheated frozen lasagna is not what I expect when I am being charged such high prices. Quality has very obviously dropped--at least when I frequented this location before, the low standards weren't as obvious. The service was okay, and the food was at least served hot. Haven't been back, probably won't be back. Just waiting for the location to close so we can get a new restaurant in place. read more

Great place to come for a bite. They have an awesome "all day" happy hour and their regular menu has an assortment of food items. Food is very flavorful and hot and ready with little wait. Highly recommend this place. Raul was awesome and keep checking on us to see if we needed anything. read more

In one word "meh.". The service was pretty bad. The greeter acknowledged us, but then left to do some other stuff, took a phone call, chilled for a bit, and then finally seated us. Selection was suuuuuper outdated. No vegan or gluten free offerings. Zero idea how to make marinara sauce. It was bland and greasy. Incredibly underwhelming read more

My waitress Candice was really nice. She got me the best kids meal chicken nuggets & fries - friend Nathan read more

Staff was rude as was the manager. Rather than accommodating the customers, the manager straight out told us they were doing us, the customer a favor. There was a total 9 of us and they refused to split the check into the 3 families which would have made it easier for them and us. We then asked to sit at separate tables so that we could get separate checks and the acted like we were asking for something unusual. When we went to separate tables, we were totally ignored. No waitress, nothing. Realizing that we were going to get TERRIBLE service we left. They just lost almost $300.00. Oh well, I guess they are doing so well that customer service does not matter and they lose customers and money. read more

Came for the first time to watch the All Stars game Sunday night. We sat in the bar area so we can watch the big screen TV. bar area was half packed and there was only one server that night. He was pretty busy. Sunday is Michelada night. Ordered Pacifico Michelada low tomato juice. Bartender got the low tomato juice part right but the miche was just normal. Not great. Appetizers: Bbq ribs : may order again Buffalo wings: these were good Meals: Hubby ordered chicken and Jalapeño Ravioli. Tasted like chicken enchiladas and wasn't spicy at all and missed flavor. Wont order again. I ordered lobster ravioli and it was more pasta than lobster. Not a good ratio and even though the lobster inside was good and pasta was al dente, the sauce on-top of it wasn't delicious. Just normal. Wont order again. The bread didn't come until after our dinner was served. Service was good but food and drinks were bland. read more

Johnny Carino's - Chicken Jalapeño Ravioli and Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Downey, California

Love their spicy chicken and shrimp pasta 11/10 recommended, their breads so yummy as well!

TL;DR Delicious complimentary french roll with garlic oil. Terrible pizza! Decent cheese raviolis & "Italian Nachos". Average service. Pricey for the quality. We haven't been here in years but I remember enjoying their Italian Nachos and so decided to come on over and enjoy them again! Hot summer Saturday at around 5. No wait, seated immediately. We started off with the nachos and instead of doing the regular half chicken, half sausage we did all sausage. I think this might've been a mistake since there was hardly any meat on 'em. I guess I was hoping they would add extra sausage since we decided to ditch the chicken, but it wasn't the case. While the nachos were still solid they really needed a lot more meat. Before receiving our main meal we were also brought a complimentary french roll with oil and garlic dip which was very tasty. The french roll was just how I like it: fresh, crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside. The garlic dip had a peppery taste and was perfectly seasoned with salt too. For my meal I decided to get the Four Cheese Ravioli with alfredo sauce and meatballs. The raviolis were decent, but the meatballs tasted like they came out of a Chef Boyardee can. I would have gone nuts for this dish 20 years ago! I also thought the sauce felt a bit too thick and greasy. It tasted like they added a lot more butter and a lot less parmesan to it. I like alfredo sauce to taste more like cheese. I wouldn't order this dish again. Specially at around 20 dollars. For the quality, I feel like 7.95 would be a more appropriate price for this. Also wasn't hot. It must have just been sitting there for a bit. I also unfortunately tried their pizza, which was one of the worst I've ever tried. I think something was wrong with the crust. It must have gone bad because it had a sour, nasty aftertaste after each bite. I only had a slice and while I had room for more, I didn't have the urge. Good thing the slice I took was tiny and I only needed to take three or four bites. I hope I just got unlucky and received a really bad pizza, because I can't remember the last time I turned down pizza. It made frozen pizza seem like a luxury in comparison. Okay, enough smack talking their pizza I think you get the point. Order with caution. Since we didn't get very lucky with their entrees we decided to not get dessert. Instead, we walked to Petco to look at puppies! Not relevant! The location is big and comfortable. The restaurant is dimly-lit, with red and white checkered tables and has that traditional Italian restaurant feel to it with Sinatra and other Italian bistro hit makers playing in the background. The service could have been improved a bit. There were several instances when we needed things and our waitress was nowhere to be found. She was really good with refills though. That is very appreciated on a hot day and she was very friendly as well. Pros: + Complimentary bread and garlic oil Cons: - Pizza - Meatballs - Ravioli temperature too low - Italian nachos: hardly any meat! - Service could be improved read more

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Good food as always, love their bread and the lemon rosemary chicken entree. Delicious

Great food and great service. They have an amazing bar food selection and beers available

First of all, this was once one of my favorite restaurants. Not anymore! Can't give a 0 rating..... Inside the place looks dirty and run down, restrooms need a good waterblasting with soap and bleach! You shouldn't smell urine in the ladies restroom, men's was horrendous! Tablecloths we plastic and holey.... Talked my husband into going, and he was very hesitant, because he remembered our last experience a few years ago with the constant gnats flying around. The gnats are still around one went for my salad. I should have listened to him! And maybe have gone to Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden. Wasn't worth the money we paid for food nor service. I know things have changed all over since the pandemic and I can see why it wasn't busy at lunch time today! Famous Dave's is cooked there for pickup, are you serious? Don't waste your money or time!!!!!! read more

Terrible Service on Veterans Day...You serve for this country and you can't get a hot meal.... Very disappointed and the server was horrible.... read more

Didn't have to wait long for bread today. Are they listening to our reviews finally? Service was quick for a busy Friday night, no long waits. read more

Johnny Carino's - Lasagne and chicken jalapeno ravioli. - Italian Near Me - Downey, California

We came here for dinner and have to wait for a while because this place was kind of busy during this time. This restaurant was very cozy and warm with people were having a good time. we ordered some of the ribs, pasta and strawberry fudge ice cream for dessert. the server was very helpful and friendly. The foods were delicious and the sauce was creamy good. Also, the ribs were well done and tendered. Overall, this place wasn't that bad as others had claimed. It also located near others shopping places as Bestbuy, Ross..ect.. and other restaurants as well. So you could enjoy the walks after dinner and have a coffee with Starbuck near by. read more

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Service was okay. Wondered about when the server was going to serve my family the bread. The breaded mushrooms were tasty. However, as soon as the my Alfredo Parmesan egg plant came out, the taste just was not there. All I tasted was the noodles and that was it. The egg plant parm was okay. But that Alfredo sauce is not the business. I did call over the manager to help them understand that they need to fix their Alfredo sauce or else they are going to experience another issue. Just an FYI do not order the fettuccine Alfredo, save your money. read more

The food and the deals here are great! However today I wake up and it says my account has been updated to include a 10.00 tip! I did not leave a tip because I picked up my food on the way home. I utilized my coupon for a free pizza and it was delicious! I left feeling so great because of the value and deal I had just received only to wake up this morning to see I've been robbed! Although 10.00 is not a great deal of money it was my money! This has never happen to me before! I learned a valuable lesson! Fill out my receipt completely!!! I'm sorry I dont believe in tipping when I pick up my food but that gave you no right to steal one from me! read more

If I can leave zero rating I would. Sloppy service, poor food quality, and when we asked why it was like this they stated that their kitchen was backed up, yet the restaurant was damn near empty. All the other customers dining in were unhappy with there quality of there food, customers who ordered pick up were upset because food wasn't ready at the time they arrived. read more

I thought the Olive Garden was the McDonald's of Italian, but unfortunately I have found the true McDonald's of Italian.

Went to dinner with my husband for date night and had the worst service ever. Waiters name was Raymond or Roman can't remember but he really needs to find a new job. He is not good as waiter. Had to ask for everything. Cheese, Lemon, bead. read more

definitely the best pizza i've ever had everything about it is perfect even the crust and the wings read more

Johnny Carino's - Pepperoni & Pepperoni Pizza (Thin Crust) - Italian Near Me - Downey, California

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Worst customer service. Got my food and asked for more dressing and the guy came back 20 minutes later with more bread. Strike 1. Once I received my entree no one ever came back to check on me. I sat a whole 30 minutes before someone came back to check on me. Strike 2. Italian nachos nasty. Strike 3. Asked for a to go container, he never came back. read more

First of this place really sucked with the food quality. The food didn't taste good at all. The server was excellent, but I feel that the restaurant needs to update their menu. The place hardly had any customers and is a beautiful restaurant place with so much potential but needs some adjustments. This was my second time here. I tried giving them a second chance but it still wasn't good enough. read more

Me and my family went to this particular location about a month and a half ago after dress shopping. Never ever again. Over $100 wasted and the service was horrible. Yes we know that restaurants are struggling and very much understanding when it comes to staffing issues. But the customer service displayed that day was horrible. Even reached out to them via their website and never heard from anyone. It's sad because I spoke so highly of the brand because I enjoyed the one in Corona. read more

If I could give this place no stars I would. Some of the most unprofessional waitresses ever. First of..place was basically empty so more room for them to impress with service and efficiency but NOT the case. It was 4 of us for lunch, we sat ourselves down in the bar area. There were waitresses chit chatting at the end of the bar area and we figured they would come greet us and introduce themselves when they saw us but once again NOT. We waited 15 min and then my brothers GF tried to get one of their attention and got bothered that she did that. Long story short we never got the service we thought we would get, food took a while we were there longer than expected because we could never find the waitress nor would she come over to ask if there was anything else needed. This will never happen again because they have totally lost my business. Carinos really needs to re-evaluate the people they have employed before they lose more business. read more

Do everyone a favor and just close down this location. There is minimal effort being put in to run this place. The food is great but the effort from the front of the house is just ruining the over all experience. You guys are just taking peoples money plain and simple. read more

They didn't pay attention to order notes. Asked for no mushrooms, got mushrooms, asked for bow ties instead of fettuccine, got fettuccine. My girlfriend ordered the chicken fettuccine Alfredo but they didn't put any chicken in her meal. We called Johnny Carino's and they said we ordered wrong and it's not their fault but my receipt very clearly says the notes and that she ordered chicken fettuccine. Terrible customer service. I would like a refund. This is ridiculous. Spend $50 on food and didn't even get what we wanted. Terrible customer service. read more

Johnny Carino's - Italian Near Me - Downey, California

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There workers are so busy talking among each other having you wait 30!min and don't have your order ready don't people get paid to work very disappointed they don't deserve one star read more

Horrible service and the food is always cold when delivered. They are not accommodating even though you are spending good money on the food. The manager Denise has a dismissive tone and is rude when communicating your concerns. I will not be spending any more money, nor do I recommend this location. read more

I've been wanting to try this spot for years and my niece said she wanted to go week before last. The hours on yelp weren't updated because of Covid, and they were closing an hour earlier than normal. When I called and spoke with the manager, he made the exception and opened up the kitchen and made sure they made our order. So sweet, so humble, and so sorry we waited so long to order! 3 women trying to decide what to eat (you know how that goes )!! The food was great and we'll definitely be back... Thank you so much!! read more

I had The BEST BBQ ribs I've EVER had here at Famous DaVe"'s Barbeque inside of Johnny Carino's!! I've been here several times, but hadn't noticed they served. FD inside the restaurant. Now Johnny Casino's is on my hit list of favorite places! GREAT BBQ RIBS!!! read more

I came here late Friday night with my husband and son... our server was really attentive, and the restaurant was clean, but I'm giving 3 stars because the Italian nachos were not good at all, we should have sent them back... and the chicken Marsala was super sweet, the sauce was almost like a syrup. read more

When I go to this restaurant, I sit at the side of the bar cuz they only have pizza at the bar. I ordered pepperoni pizza with the side of jalapeños, later I got my pepperoni pizza except jalapeños side. I asked one of the waiters who placed my pizza on the table about the jalapeños side I just ordered, he said he will get some. Later he never did and it happened every time I come this restaurant. So I asked the waitress and she DID gave me jalapeños side. Don't know if the waiter always forgets my jalapeños side or happened to everyone else's orders read more

There are only a handful of items on the menu that are really good. However, the same items are not consistently really good. It seems it is truly hit or miss. There are times when the bread is warm and soft and then there are times like the dinner we had yesterday where the bread was hard as a rock. The pizza did not taste good this time. Usually that is one of the better items on the menu. The chicken Parmesan was overcooked to the point where it was super crispy and difficult to eat. Also, I believe they must be understaffed because the service was lackluster as well. Will have too rethink coming to Johnny Cariños in Downey in the future since for the price and with inflation being out of control, I can't gamble with my money wondering if I'm gonna get a good meal or not. read more

Food is disgusting, service is a disaster, bad management and ambiance lacks a lot. Their kitchen is very disorganized and the food you order will never come out because they will send something else out. Servers never take notes and memorized your order. Manager is unhelpful and will not care that their service is bad read more