After the Johnny Carino's in Frankfort closed abruptly after taking reservations for our extended family to have Thanksgiving dinner, I received an email thanking us for our patronage of the Frankfort location and offering a free dinner at this Lexington location. We took them up on their offer! [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were seated promptly in the early afternoon and the restaurant was quiet and not crowded, possibly due to the time of day.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our server Isaiah was quite attentive and did a good job. We both started with a Caesar salad. Hubby ordered his favorite, chicken bowtie festival, and I splurged with the shrimp scampi. The food was delicious, and I had enough to enjoy as leftovers the next day. While we're disappointed that the closest location is now a little over 30 miles away, we will return when in the neighborhood. read more

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It's pretty bad. The had a 90% from the Health Department for numerous issues. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The floors were dirty and it is obvious that the place is poorly managed.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They are probably going to close sooner than later and they clearly don't care. The food was edible but the only reason that I went was for the free meal coupon that they sent in the mail. If I had paid the full price I would've been very upset. Years ago we used to come here and it wasn't bad but it has really gone downhill since. read more

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Johnny Carino's had a special and I decided to go with my family. This was the worst meal I ever had and I've had food poisoning a few times this year. I didn't understand how they made a salad inedible. The Alfredo was dry and I couldn't eat the lasagna. I was extremely disappointed and will never return. read more

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The service was good, but [[HIGHLIGHT]]the cleanliness was unacceptable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were swarmed by gnats and put in a sticky table at the back corner of the restaurant where we could see dirt buildup, drinks sitting for 5 minutes, and cleaning supplies near bar materials.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was neither good or bad. [[HIGHLIGHT]]But this place really needs a top to bottom power washing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Johnny Carino's - Bar area, kitchen entrance, back door. - Italian Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This was the worst experience ever eating out. The sign said new management so we were saying im sure it's OK. No. The menu was sticky, our waiter was sooooo slow and they were out of chicken. How is this place out of diet coke and chicken???? I did not get my salad. I ordered a 5 piece motz stick and received a 10 piece. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place was so dirty and they ran out of silverware.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We came with plenty of time to make it home for the game but they were so slow we missed the first quarter. When I say the worst experience I mean it. read more

You ever have those times when you're like what just happened! Well that just happened. We used to love oh Johnny but today was something. First they got rid of my favorite dish something about not being able to get the ham that was in it. AH WHAT! Tariff on ham causing a shortage? Secondly we ordered 2 drinks and they were bad. Actually to much alcohol. I know, no such thing but it was bad. We were just gonna request a beer but the bartender went back to make them again and we could hear her complaining to co workers about us. Third must of really pissed her off cause she just up and left. What's funny is she was training someone and I guess when trainer left the other one apparently wondered aimlessly around cause we never seen her again either. After setting there for a while our order came out. This is what I don't understand about the management there. Why not just tell us but they dropped our food off like it was nothing. Everything was cold. When i said my food was cold the manager was like I'll take care of it. Another lady walked by and noticed most no one eating and she asked if the food was ok. I said most everything was cold. She said yeah the waiter just up and left and no one knew whose food it was sitting on the counter. I don't get it. Just be honest. Reason for 2 stars is they did discount the food. So! Guess there's that! read more

So I received a coupon for a free meal at Johnny Carino's me and the wife go to the wrong restaurant and accidentally leave the coupon there not before we took a picture of the front and the back. I go to Johnny Carino's to get my free meal, show them the picture with my name on the coupon and they denied me my rifle meal. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambience is mediocre.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food is mediocre at best anyway and the service absolutely is atrocious stay away from this restaurant.. read more

My husband and I received a coupon in the mail for a BOGO entrée, and we love a deal so we planned a date night at this restaurant. We arrived around 7:30 pm on a Tuesday and the place was quite empty, maybe 3 -4 tables sat in the whole place. We stood at the front desk for 20 minutes before anyone acknowledged our presence and then another 5 minutes after someone finally said something to us. Once seated the service was good, our waitress was on top of things and food came out quickly and was warm. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The table and menus were sticky which was less than ideal.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] And the food itself, aside from being warm, was not impressive. I had the lobster ravioli which I enjoyed but the serving was rather small for the price and the quality seemed like a frozen meal from the grocery it had fresh chopped tomatoes on it instead of roasted cherry tomatoes like I expected from an Italian place, maybe that's normal but I found it inauthentic and strange . My husband had the Jalapeño Garlic Tilapia, he also got the fresh chopped tomatoes and found zero traces of jalapeño in his dish and it was in fact rather bland and disappointing. The fish portion on his meal was good, but still not enough to be able to take any home with us. I was also disappointed that my upgrade to unlimited Cesar salad was not in fact unlimited and I was charged for 2 salads. I would have only had the one if I knew it was not truly unlimited. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We payed and left and couldn't help but comment on the fact our shoes made so much noise on the sticky floor as we walked out.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Overall poor experience in every way. This used to be such a cute and yummy place to eat. If we hadn't had our meal half off I would have been quite upset. I sincerely doubt we will be back, even with a BOGO coupon. read more

Although our food was good (mostly), our bad experience began when we walked in the door. [[HIGHLIGHT]]For one, they were not busy at all. I bet there were only 10 tables sat in the entire restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My family of five stood at the hostess stand for every bit of 4-5 min. before the hostess finally started walking in our direction but at a snail's pace. We then sat down at our table where we waited for every bit of 10 minutes before our server finally showed up to take our order. Let me put it this way: we were ready to order our cocktails, our appetizers, and our meals by the time we met our server. We then waited for nine minutes (the former server, bartender, and restaurant manager in me was actually timing everything at this point) before getting our drinks (2 cocktails that had ZERO taste of alcohol in them) and three fountain drinks. My husband ordered a Diet Coke but had to get a sweet tea because the Diet Coke wasn't working, and sweet tea is the only other drink he liked. Everyone liked their meal, aside from my husband. When you spend over $200 for a dinner, we expect a lot more than what we had. [[HIGHLIGHT]]To make things even worse, that restaurant is FILTHY. The ceilings were disgusting by the air vents around our table, pieces of food from previous guests were on the floor by our table, and there was a large party table next to us that sat un-bussed for the entirety of our dinner.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] When our check was presented to us, it was more than it should have been. So, we had to wait an additional 4-5 minutes before getting the correct one, and we just wanted to get out of that restaurant! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Last complaint: the restaurant was absolutely freezing, and it was obvious people were cold![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I remember when Carino's was a great restaurant, but its heyday is most definitely over. Peace out, Carino's; this was our last trip. And next time, my daughter doesn't pick the restaurant. read more

Johnny Carino's - The party table that sat dirty the entire time we were there - Italian Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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We arrived at Johnny Carino's about 25 minutes before closing while traveling for business. We specifically chose this location because we remembered having a good experience here in the past and wanted to return. As soon as we walked in, we heard someone say, "oh damn!" We immediately acknowledged the time and said, "Sorry, we know it's late," and proceeded toward the bar. Once there, my wife looked at me because the bar was completely broken down and quietly asked, "Do you want to eat here?" I responded that the kitchen might already be cleaning. The bartender confirmed this with a look and a brief "yeah," which made it clear we were not welcome. We turned and began to walk out. A gentleman--who we assumed was the manager--called after us asking, "Are you sure?" but made no effort to offer service or reassurance. As a former service manager myself, I know that if the restaurant is open, the kitchen is open--whether it's 25 minutes or 5 minutes before close. That's part of hospitality. We ended up going to a competitor down the street with only 20 minutes left before their kitchen closed and were greeted and served with a smile. Unfortunately, this experience did not reflect the level of service we remembered or expect. read more

Me and my wife came out for a quick meal before hitting the road on our 3 hour drive. I should have known something was up when the place was dead and it still took 30 minutes before a waiter arrived to take our order. I ordered a pasta and my wife ordered the Italian nachos and a side salad. My meal came out within 10 minutes however it was cold. Around the 1 hour mark we started asking where the nachos were. 30 more minutes past and after much complaining the nachos finally came out, cold, soggy, and unappetizing. Everyone else around us had a similar experience, with either long wait times and cold food, or food being brought out and it being wrong. For anyone keeping track, we came in around 7:20 and we didn't leave til 9. I hate leaving bad reviews because I'm not one to complain, but this is quite unacceptable for a bowl of pasta and nachos. read more

Great service when we went here for my grandson's birthday. He really enjoys several items on their menu and they did not disappoint. Nice choices; friendly and prompt service...we even tried some of their items from Famous Dave's BBQ. It was all excellent. read more

Brandy Gayheart was the sweetest server ever! She's absolutely amazing!!! She brought out our order swiftly and had my margarita remade when it was made too sweet. read more

I think this visit was okay. Everything was what I paid for, nothing more and nothing less. One thing that can be improved upon is the transparency of the itemized receipt. When filling out the merchant copy, one can see all the charges. The customer copy only has the total price. If I were to submit this for a business reimbursement, how would they know what I ordered and how much I spent? Just writing..... Also, I noticed that the higher priced item was $16.99. How was it that it ended up at $19.02? See, this would be easily explained if the merchant copy was the EXACT same as the customer copy of the receipt. Picture to follow (I could not put a picture because the center part, before it gives a sum total of the price and tip lines, has my credit card information. Anyone who to gos will see what I mean. read more

I went to Johnny Carino's for the first time tonight for dinner with friends. It was Friday night at 6:00pm so I expected to have to wait for a table, and we did. But not for long, we were seated within 10 minutes of our arrival. This place is LOUD. From the entrance to the bar and the dining room, it's an 8 out of 10 in noise. A large group had arrived just ahead of us and I attributed the noise volume to them, but even after they were seated at the opposite end of the dining room it remained difficult to carry on a conversation without raising your voice. The menu is really extensive. Classic Italian, seafood, even burgers. Lots of appetizers available, a great wine list and they offer specials through the week on food combos, a wine night, etc., I learned this from reading the signs hanging over the dining room. Our poor server never seemed to have a moment to do much more than take our order, occasionally ask how we were doing as he ran from table to table. He could never even introduce himself so I asked him his name and told him he was doing a great job and I could tell he was running his rear end off. The food was awesome. Great taste. Hot and fresh, and very generous portions. I had the Mama's Spaghetti Feast, one of my friends had chicken cacciatore and said it was absolutely amazing. Had the server been able to pause and talk to us we may have gotten a soup with our salad, we weren't informed of the daily specials or soup of the day. We weren't able to order wine because the young man was in such a rush to get our orders we didn't ask about what wine would be a good choice and he didn't ask if we wanted any. We all commented wine would've been nice! When we left the servers were still sprinting across the dining area but there were four or five restaurant employees lingering in the hostess station. Talking and just hanging out. I told them our server was awesome and thanked them for a nice evening. I will return during the week with my wife to see if the experience is better concerning the service being less rushed. Maybe it wouldn't be as loud either. I recommend this place for the food- it's great. The service was speedy, no complaints about the speed of service and the food comes quickly after ordering. I would say an extra server on the floor would allow for explaining specials, upwelling to wine or bar drinks, desserts, etc. read more

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Went to Johnny C's tonight with our granddaughter. Shared the stuffed mushrooms and were again pleased. The service was great. My wife's tortellini was good but not great. Needs a better meat sauce. My tilapia with jalapeños and pasta was excellent. The granddaughter's cheeseburger was not good. Overcooked, dry, and an unpleasant texture. She took two bites and quit. I tasted it and confirmed. Again the table bread is way too hard to enjoy. Will go back again in a couple years probably. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great atmosphere, really good food and phenomenal service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff is super friendly and accommodating! I highly recommend read more

Disaster. I walked into Johnny Carino's Hamburg Pavilion in Lexington, KY to place a take out order. I walked in because 2 people I was ordering for had special ordering instructions and the character limit online was insufficient. I had the full order and instructions printed in large bold type. 2 people helped input the order. I then paid and left a very large tip that was acknowledged by both people. From that point I waited 35 minutes to get my order. The 2 special instruction orders were not as ordered and were as they regularly serve them. I had 2 large Italian nachos that were basically fried pasta with few toppings and no cheese. They included 1very small container of alfredo for each. It covered almost nothing. We had two large fried pasta dishes with nothing on them. Disaster. read more

Food wasn't hot, bread was tough. I wasn't offered grated cheese, however the couple across from us food had steam coming their food and bread soft in basket not tough, of course I felt being white in your restaurant was a mistake!! Will not be back! read more

Our entrees were great, you forgot the salads. We appreciate the takeout but forgetting half of the meal not so much.

Even though my last visit to JC had much to be desired I thought I would give it a second chance. I wouldn't be eating there again. Service was lacking and the food was mediocre . I felt like we were inconveniencing our serve. I was there with 3 friends and they brought everyone dinner out one at a time. The food was edible but not quality. read more

Holy crap. My husband got this place mixed up with Carraba's for quick and easy meal since it was late. The spaghetti sauce was pure water; my school's spaghetti is exceptional compared to this. How the heck is this place still open? Even the bread and salad were total fails. And we spent $50 on frozen Parmesan and ketchup y sauce. read more

We used to go to Carinos all the time, and often ordered the family platters on Mondays. The past few times we've order the "family portion" is an absolute joke, especailly for the price. If you're looking to actually feed a family I'd definitely look elsewhere. read more

To start... when we got there had to wait when they were not even busy. When we got set at the table, [[HIGHLIGHT]]table was wiped but they food was wiped off the table into the seat[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]/.. should have left then. Our waitress acted as if we were bothering her when she came to the table. Ask when we liked to drink. Then walked off not even asking if we wanted an appetizer or if we were ready to order. She act like she did. Not want to be there. Then when we finally got drinks, I noticed the cup had something g that look like it was growing from the cup on it, I ask for new one, she brought a to go cup, empty and said u can put ur tea in this cup, mind you this cup that the tea was I. Was dirty and nasty, Then just walked off, then the man that had set up finally brought up clean silverware.Then the waitress came a through wet silverware on top of napkins she had brought for us, I told her we did not need those we had some clean silverware. She said oh no, and took the clean wrapped silverware and left the wet nasty silverware that I had to use the extra napkins to clean because they were wet. The service at this place was horrible, would not recommend or ever go back. It is a shame this place used to be clean, nice, friendly, food wasn't even good. I supposed that is why they are staring to shut them down, they are not a good restaurant anymore. Fazoli is cleaner and cheaper and better service. Don't waste your money or your time here I. Lexington. Not worth it. read more

Really expensive for what get, average food, service was good, loud , but clean , 85 words is all

I regretted my decision the minute I walked through the door. The carpet was dirty, the bar was lined up with carryout trays and items workers would need to conduct service. We were trying to grab a quick bite between movies. Service was slow. I would blame it on being short staffed but workers were all around. Typically you except quick service at the bar, but that didn't happen. I had to ask for a drink. I thought it was a good deal that they had $5 margaritas. I was horrified when it was poured into my glass from a jug. Worst drink ever! I wanted an appetizer but everything I requested they were out of. I ordered nachos that never came. I should have known something was bad when the person next to me at the bar left and his margarita was full and he didn't touch his nachos. I got the lady to give me my ticket because we had to go. I had mentioned getting the food to go but they had given my order to another table, so......horrible service, dirty restaurant. The last of this chain I dined in was in Gatlinburg on my honeymoon almost 18 years ago. I was hoping for a nice reminder of that time, but now I will never step foot in this restaurant again. There are so many other places to eat. Life is too short to waste on less than mediocre drinks and food. read more

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The food and service were good. The prices are high, pasta, and spaghetti are not expensive ingredients. A large bowl of spaghetti 2, 2 meatballs and sausage $25 plus drink plus tip, too much, hamburgers $18. Wow. One hamburger. read more

Food tastes great when they finally get the order right. Very family style but refused to clear plates from the table. Topped off my drink after I specifically asked her not to. Extra $5 to add chicken and I got maybe 2oz of chicken. Not worth it, just go to Olive Garden. read more

Johnny Carino's - Italian Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

If I could do less I would. I was taking my kids here to have a good thanksgiving but this place ruined it. The food was cold, the waiter didn't check on us. so if you see this place don't enter. Thank you for reading #johnny carinos more like Johnny cares no more read more

My husband and I used to come here all the time and gone fond memories. We had dinner here this evening for the first time in a long time and will not be back. The server was very sweet but the food has gone downhill. They removed the Gorgonzola pasta from the menu and the food in general was pretty bland. Not worth the $100 after tip for the 4 of us. [[HIGHLIGHT]]My biggest complaint is the stickiness of the table and really the whole place just felt sticky.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

First time ordering from here via door dash. I felt the pasta dish was pricey but it did come with a side salad and the dish looked good. The restaurant is 7.1 miles from our home. But the food arrived very quickly and it was all prepared as ordered including my add ins to the dish. My husband and I had ordered one bow tie pasta festival dish entre for 19.00 - and planned to share it. It was, in fact, enough for a family. We each had a meal that evening and again the next day for lunch and there were left overs after than of the pasta dish. The dish was tasty - not extremely so but good. The bread loaf that came with it was plentiful. They remembered to include the dipping oil, the salad, and the dressing. Overall, it was a good value and a good experience. Will order again from here and would love to visit in person soon. Good experience. read more

Pretty good place if you have a BOGO coupon! Two meals for $24. I enjoyed the creamy and spicy pasta I had. I loved all the veggies on it as well. The bread, oil, and salad were all okay in my opinion. Pickup is confusing to me - you park and just wait for the employees to come out. They come out 3 times to give you the bill, your card/change back, and then your food. This process becomes kinda slow. The employee was the best part! She was sooo friendly and did not make me feel stupid for not understanding their carry out process. read more

When my family and me walked in there was nobody in there and it still took over hour to get our food and on top of that my fettuccine Alfredo tasted very bland and was only lukewarm, the only positive thing about this place was the staff was nice read more

Went close to closing time since we were traveling. Food was very fresh and tasted wonderful. Serving size was huge. I couldn't even get around 1/3 of plate. Staff was pleasant even though it was close to closing time. I will definitely stop there again if I get back that way. read more

My husband and I went to this restaurant over the weekend in hopes for the same service and quality food we got at all the locations for years. We were brought our food but our waitress disappeared and I had something I did not order. I was told later after someone went to get her that I could not just order bowtie pasta with spicy marinara, that I had no choice but to get that with chicken and that's why she brought it out that way. I told her that was fine that I was not going to eat, and my husband was already done with his meal by the time we could even get someone to go get her so we just left and my mule was cold stone creamery afterwards. I felt bad. I never complain about a meal, I usually just suck it up and deal with it but the more simple I try to make my order, it always backfires on me. This time she basically told me I was in the wrong and that I could not just order a bowtie pasta with spicy marinara sauce. That's not an option at that restaurant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant was dirty and chairs and booths need work.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

After the managers remarks (below) I wanted to edit my review. I will definitely return to Johnny Carinos, like it very much. My review was just about the wing special. like Johnny Carinos but the wing lunch special is a little under handed. Wings are $.39 on Thursdays but sauce is extra. We were told $.25 extra but ... the sauce was actually us $.25 per wing and the wings were really small. Not a bad price still but ... the menu should be clearer. I would not buy these wings again because they are too small and dry with no fat. Forgot to take a before pic but all of the bones from 20 wings fit in this small container. read more

Johnny Carino's - bones - Italian Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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We frequently stop here to eat when in town but this time was very disappointing. First, we walk in at 2 pm to be told we would have to wait 45 minutes for a table. THE PLACE WAS EMPTY! We waited but several customers behind us just walked out. One lady said this was the third time this had happened to her and it will be her last! The chicken parm I received was good but not what this location usually prepared. My wife ordered ravioli and said it was the same good meal she usually has there. As far as the fixtures, the booths and tables were showing a great deal of wear and the carpet was ready to be replaced. The restaurant is going from one of our favorites to just so-so! read more

I probably should have left when the bartender/ server was ignoring me. Shame on me. Service was egregiously horrible. Food was just as bad. Alexandra L. was my server. She was kinda cute but her attitude and customer service were way below par. If she worked on the above mentioned skills she would do pretty good for herself. SMH... go to carrabas instead read more

Our service was great! The bartender server was so busy but she managed to be on top of every single table. The food & cocktails were excellent as well. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Definitely a great place[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

We went there to grab a quick bite to eat before a movie. The quality was about what you would expect from a chain restaurant. Our waitress would frequently disappear and we had to ask for refills, silverware, etc. I enjoyed the bread (who doesn't love nice warm bread) and the mushroom appetizer was pretty decent as well. The calamari had zero flavoring and I was glad that we only ordered the small dish. All in all, I don't foresee us being hard-pressed to return. read more