Let me go ahead and state that this review may be tainted slightly by nostalgia and fond memories. A long time ago when my wife and I were newly married the Johnny Carinos in our town was our go to date night. They closed decades ago and despite my being an excellent cook and learning to make several of our favorite recipes, it was never the same. Last night while on vacation, we realized that there was a Johnny Carinos near where we were staying. There was no question what was for dinner. We showed up after a long day of being tourists together. Neither one of us was terribly hungry, but we were not going to let that stop us. She started with a sangria and I ordered a raspberry Italian soda ( I've never seen my drink anywhere except Johnny Carinos and forgot how good they were). We shared a small plate of Italian nachos. They were a little lighter on the Alfredo sauce than we remember but were still fantastic. The fact that they had a small plate now suited us since we were both getting entrees too. She ordered the Chicken Scalopini and I ordered the Chicken Milano (without mushrooms). Both dishes were larger than we remember and we barely dented them before getting full. Both were exactly what we had wanted and cooked flawlessly. I can happily say that Johnny Carinos lived up to my memories . read more

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March 2026. We had Ravioli. It was delicious. Shrimp Carbonara. It was also delicious! Prosecco and sweet tea. Soft bread and olive oil to start. Tiramasu was good, tho itbhad little to no expresso in it. Lemon cake was dissapointing. Too dense read more

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First off when you walk in your nostrils are attacked by the smell of 4million air fresheners. They give you complimentary bread with Italian seasonings and "olive oil" (99% sure it was vegetable oil). We got the mozzarella sticks and they were nothing special. I got the lasagna and it was surprisingly really good. My fiancé got the ravioli with meatballs and he said the meatballs tasted a day old and his ravioli pastas were halfway cooked through. The service was nothing memorable. Overall wouldn't recommend. read more

We came here for lunch, and it was a nice quiet spot! The complimentary bread and oil was delicious and a great way to start the meal! I got the lemon rosemary chicken and thought it was so fresh and light! The chicken was marinated well. The food came out quickly and was piping hot! read more

Johnny Carino's - Jalapeño Garlic Tilapia - Italian Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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Delicious food! Excellent service. Great atmosphere!! Highly recommend! Gets you out of the business of Pigeon Forge. read more

Johnny Carino's - Italian Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

We've never been there as we are on a little vacation. We were met warmly by their hostess and seated. We met Shayma, not sure of the correct spelling. She was on the ball. Never had to want for anything. We were told that ordering one entree and splitting it would be more cost effective if we weren't too hungry. That's what we did and still had left overs. The food was authentic Italian, SO authentic. Everything was so incredibly fresh. I wish we lived in the area so we could come often. We live in another state. Don't hesitate to come to this place. You'll think you are in Italy. Warm ambiance and friendly service. read more

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Wow, what an incredible experience. If there's one thing this place is going to do, it's give you HOT food. Pasta cools down so fast, so they must have keeping it hot down to a science. There was nothing on our table that disappointed us, it was all incredible. I had the lemon rosemary chicken over angel hair. The presentation was *chefs kiss* and the taste was even better. I had to finish my meal with a cannoli and cappuccino. I got caramel and it was so rich and wonderful. The place itself was very clean and our service was top tier! read more

Johnny Carino's - Lemon Rosemary Chicken - Italian Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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I am a vegetarian, and I love the fact that I can get stuffed mushrooms ! They are my favorite. Then they make the best homemade Alfredo sauce, which I had over linguine with broccoli, my boyfriend enjoyed a shrimp dish . The portions were very large. We had to take half of everything home. I couldn't even fit in dessert, but I did have a nice glass of wine. read more

I am writing to share our disappointment with our recent visit to your restaurant. We were looking forward to trying it for the first time, but unfortunately the experience fell far below expectations. From the start, we noticed that every table around us was offered bread except ours. We had to ask for it, and when it arrived, it was handed to us in a bag with no plate. This set the tone for the rest of the meal. The food itself was also very disappointing. The spaghetti with meatballs and sausage was not good, and the sausage in particular had an unpleasant taste, almost like motor oil. The shrimp scampi had no flavor at all. For a first visit, this was extremely discouraging. To make matters worse, the air conditioning unit above our table was dripping on me throughout the meal. We informed our waiter, who said he would notify the manager, but no one ever came to the table to address the issue. Overall, this was a very poor first--and unfortunately last--experience for us. I hope you will take this feedback seriously and address these issues so future guests do not have a similar experience. Sincerely, Debra read more

My wife and I had dinner last night. The food was excellent and very hot. I had the lemon chicken and it was excellent. My wife had the lasagna which I had some and it was great. read more

So sad to write this but this was our second time here in PF. Our first time was so great! But that was back in 2018. We started off with the Pasta nachos. Very greasy, toppings were very sparse. We asked our waiter for more of the Alfredo cheese sauce to cover the plain pasta chips and also who didn't wait on us for about 10 minutes. Another table sat after us had an awesome waiter & had drinks in 5 minutes or less. We never got the cheese sauce. We eventually ordered our entrees. I got the Johnnys famous lasagna and my boyfriend got the spicy chicken pasta. Our waiter did bring us one refill with boxes and a bag... Anyway the ambience was screaming babies in a half empty restaurant. I don't know if we'll return because we both got sick. My boyfriend puked in their restroom, our hotel room and my stomach was so upset for a couple of hours. It might have been conscientious though. read more

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Unfortunately, the food overall lacked flavor and was much too bland. Even the tiramisu, while clearly fresh and homemade, had no coffee flavor at all, making it disappointing as a dessert. The ingredients seemed fresh, but the dishes really needed more seasoning and depth of flavor to make them memorable. read more

We were traveling and I used to love Johnny Carinos. We decided to stop in and try an old favorite. It wasn't as good as I remember but I still ate it. My husband got a chicken pasta dish which was enough for 4 meals. Portions are large but quality just okay. The restaurant was mostly empty due to the time of day we went (lunch) so quiet and service good. read more

Really intense. Most, if not all the employees seemed morbidly indifferent. The music was all the depressing songs from Grey's anatomy that play when a main character dies. Had to be greeted at the bar by a manager because the servers couldn't be bothered. It genuinely felt like sitting in an interogation room at a prisinct and all I came in to do was place a pick up order. The food was a hit at the party I took it too but it was as if I got it from a restaurant ran by ghosts who were hoping I, or any other guest, would never return. Even their waiting music when I called over the phone was brutally eerie and the people in the black and white photos on the wall appeared as if, at any moment, they'd step out of the frame and drag me back with them. Ripley's haunted adventure could take some tips from this Italian morgue disguised as a restaurant. read more

Johnny Carino's - Bowtie chicken festival - Italian Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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Plentiful plates of food. Really good sangria. They're trying to be a carrabbas, but fall short. Friendly staff. read more

If you are in the mood for Italian food this is always a good choice, the food is good, the service is awesome and the prices are fair for sure. I ordered the Timballo this time not being sure what it was and was happy with my choice. One warning, the Timballo is enough for two and easy to share. read more

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The food is always excellent, especially the bread. It is our go to place when we visit Pigeon Forge.

It had been a while since I've been to a Johnny Carino's, and this was exactly as I remembered it. It's not fine, dining, but it's reliable Hardy Italian food, and hits right where you need it most. The ambience is very nice, the restaurant is clean and well lit, our server was very nice and we were sat and greeted instantly. We started out with a white wine which paired very nice with my chicken Parmesan. My friends also really loved their dish of lasagna and seafood pasta. We shared a chocolate cake with ice cream at the end that was delicious. Thank you! read more

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Our service and food were fantastic! We came for a late lunch slash early dinner and were not disappointed. The food and beverages were better than most Italian chains. We ordered an Italian soda, Sprite, Italian nachos, house salads, eggplant parmesan, and ravioli. The salads, appetizer, and entrees were appropriately paced and served neatly on the plates. The food was served hot, tasted fresh, was a large portion, and was a great value overall. The service from Ahmad was spectacular. He was attentive, friendly, professional, nicely groomed, and in a great mood. He even offered to-go cups for our sodas. Extra touches like that are always well noted and appreciated! read more

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Food tasted great, good service. Table bread was warm and a nice touch with EVOO and spices to keep us happy until food arrived. Only thing i could complain about is price but that's a complaint for everything these days. Food came out fast and even had leftovers for most peoples meal capacity. I killed the Marsala but im a bug guy. read more

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There are many people who love this restaurant, but I truly did not care for it and that is my personal taste. The stuffed mushrooms had an overpowering Italian seasoning flavor (oregano, I believe), and I did not care for the pasta personally. I will say, it is a good environment, very clean, and the servers are kind, so that gets it a 3-star. read more

So what a surprise to see a Johnny Carinos. I will admit, we specifically stopped because of the name but most importantly for the Italian Nacho! I will say they did not disappoint. Light chips ( maybe wonton wrappers?) White cheezy sauce, chicken, sausage etc. This is an old time favorite to us and we were excited to stop in. Love the warm bread served with an Italian spice blend/ roasted garlic for dipping. I cannot comment on the entrees on this trip as we just had nachos, but at past and other locations they did not disappoint read more

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our server Katie was excellent and the food was very good.We ordered the spicy shrimp and chicken pasta

Great service, good food & wonderful company. What can you ask for more? It was quite busy, I recommend calling ahead even if there's not many vehicles on the road. Luckily for two people, it wasn't too long. Enjoyed and will be back for more. read more

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We drove around and stopped at two different places before coming here. There was an hour wait at the other two and we were able to get right in when we came to Carino's on a Friday evening. It felt so good to just go in and sit down to have an Italian dinner without the hussle. Bread was brought out and we were able to munch on it with mozzarella sticks before our dinner came. The lasagna was so good! It has layers of pasta stuffed with beef, meat sauce, Italian sausage, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses. Our server brought everything out quick and she made sure our table was cleaned up between courses. There were quite a few people there, but it didn't seem so crowded like the other two places we went to first. I'm so glad we gave it a shot and it turned out better than we expected. read more

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I thought the food was great. I was pleased with everything that we ordered. Service was a bit slow but the food was good and that is what matters to me. read more

We enjoyed our dinner one evening while visiting. The food was good but our waitress was even better. She answered all our questions about our meal but also made us some delicious mixed drinks. She was smiling and friendly and we exchanged a few laughs nick named her tall Tammy which she laughed about . She really made sure we had a good time and excellent service. We'll definitely request her again next time we visit. I won't forget her name read more

Food, ambience, and Service was great! I recommend the Bow Tie grilled Chicken with Asiago Cheese sauce!

My pizza was very bad. I just got a pepperoni Togo and I did order 30 minutes before close but I don't figure that's close enough to be considered rude to where they would not put care into my food. I asked for light cheese and it came sopping with cheese and grease. Basically inedible for me read more

Ryan our server was super friendly and the food was absolutely amazing best lasgana I have EVER ate I'm already upset that when I go home there is not one close to us prices was VERY good FOOD fabulbous YES go read more

Loved everything. The ambiance, food, and service. It seems not many places serve fresh baked bread with spices and olive oil for dipping however Johnny's still does. The chicken parm was my favorite and the portions are large enough for two. read more

Johnny Carino's - Italian Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Walked in and seated immediately. Waitress greeted us and took drink orders. Ordered the mozzarella sticks as an appetizer which the girls enjoyed and said they were good. The small portion has 3 total sticks. For meals -- lasagna, bacon Mac and cheese, spaghetti with sausage and meatballs and spicy Romano chicken. Lasagna had good flavor but the noodles were not soft like they should be. It also needed more marinara sauce. The spaghetti sausage was GROSS! Tasted over cooked, tough to chew. Bacon Mac and cheese and spicy Romano were good from what the girls said. They have booth and table seating. Place reminds me of an Olive Garden (but OG is better). They give you warm bread and a plate of herbs, leaving it to you too pour the oil on the plate (oil is on the table). Even that needed more flavor, so I added pepper lol. Overall I felt like it was underwhelming. read more

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I was very disappointed with the service received. Our food didn't taste good, our server barely made a trip to our table. read more

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The food was pretty good and the menu had plenty of offerings but sadly our server was unfriendly and frankly just didn't do a very good job. It was our first time there and we were pretty disappointed with her attitude. read more

Back again! Got the small nachos as appetizer(enough for 2 people) and we ordered bacon mac n cheese. It was good not great. I asked for butter with our bread and never got it and I also ordered a margarita that was brought towards the end of our meal. It was better last year when we came read more

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Food was delicious but we had some ants coming in from the window onto our table so I had to take off a star. I recommend the cheese ravioli. I was very surprised at how tasty it was considering it is simply ravioli. The blue cheese wedge salad was good too. read more

Very attentive server...we were in a bus group of 40 so we had a set menu of 4 choices..steak with potatoes and veggies..husband loved tender and served medium rare...i had 16 layer lasagna which was meaty, cheesy and robust sauce..other choices were chicken or eggplant parm plus we had a fantastic herbed foccaccio bread and a slice of their signature chocolate. The food was really good..i didnt feel like i was eating gfs or Sysco premade food. Would return. read more

We were looking for Italian while in Pigeon Forge and stumbled across Jonny Carino's. Seated promptly at 4:30 on a Thursday evening in the bar area. Our server, Morgan was very pleasant and efficient. The starter bread was delicious and the Italian dipping sauce for the bread mixture was great. Our orders were taken promptly and served quickly. The spicy chicken and shrimp pasta was very tasty and served at a good temperature, being picky, the shrimp could have been bigger. The portion size was very appropriate! The Carino Combo was a healthy potion of food and flavorful. The lasagna could have been served warmer, but the spaghetti and chicken parmigiana were nice and hot. The lasagna meat was a tad skimpy and well as the spaghetti sauce but drag the extra sauce from the lasagna over and compensate. The tiramisu was a nice large serving taken home to enjoy later. The restaurant atmosphere was nice and clean, at least the bar area was. Overall, a nice experience and a decent value. Dang it all, I missed that first served photo again!! Well, here you go after a few bites. I would return!!! read more

Johnny Carino's - Spicy chicken and shrimp - Italian Near Me - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

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Excellent good. Still piping hot when it came out of the kitchen. Service was impeccable. Our server, David was great. Full NYC Italian and gave great recommendations. A bus of 50 elderly folks showed up and I thought the amount of people would gender the service but boy was I wrong. Our food was out to our table 7 minutes after ordering. The restraint was cute and easy to have conversations with. Not too loud. Will definitely be back read more

Enjoyed the johnnys combo to eat, service was excellent, sat in booth at bar area so there were several tv s to watch. Not cheap but we shared so total was okay. read more