When we go to the beach, we typically frequent seafood restaurants. Over the 4th of July weekend restaurants are so busy that we decided to diverge from the norm and try something different. We are so glad we did. So much so that we returned again before the end of our trip. The restaurant was quaint and service was very good, especially our first visit. Our top recommendation would be the lasagna which was the best I've ever had and so large that it easily feeds 2 people! The mushroom brochette and veal piccata were also delicious. Wine was excellent and so was the bread. We will be back. read more

Bread Service - The bread was hot and served alongside olive oil with herbs. The olive oil mixed with the herbs was infused with rosemary. The bread was very good and is probably top 5 as far as restaurants I have visited that offer complimentary bread. Insalata Mista - Good, nothing special or that sets it apart from other salad. The house dressing was good, leans more on the sweet side. Lasagna - The biggest portion of lasagna I have ever seen and ever received at a restaurant. The waitress said they call it the "Birthday Cake." Once it arrived at the table we understood why, it was almost the side of a birthday cake. The flavor was really good as well. It had a good amount of meat and cheese. It was not a lasagna that was made up of just noodle. Definitely worth ordering. If you're on a date or out with a friend, you could probably split the lasagna. Especially, if you order a salad , soup or appetizer. Spaghetti - It was good, nothing great but not bad either. If you like spaghetti & meatballs this will do the trick however, it won't blow your skirt up but you won't be upset either. Veal Piccata - Very good, I would order this if I went back. The veal cutlet was tender and contained crispy edges. The sauce was very good as well. The capers, lemon and wine were very well proportioned. Grilled Salmon - My Mother-in- Law ordered this and shared the following thoughts. Salmon was good however, the white bean salad that accompanied it was better. 7.5-8 out of 10 as far as the whole dish goes. Torta Savoia - Probably the worst thing we ordered. We all wanted chocolate, specifically chocolate cake. This really underwhelmed and did not satisfy the craving. The mood was a little gummy and didn't have that great of a mouth fill. Sometimes when mousse isn't made completely the correct way, gelatin will be used and occasionally overused. The cake itself wasn't that moist and the taste of chocolate really didn't hit you like it should have. Service - Our waitress was named Corrina. She was really sweet and very informative. Corrina was honest about the menu and suggestions. She was also very observant. read more

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Carmelo's is one of our favorite places to eat at while in OB! The food and the service is always top tier! We were a group of 5 so we shared 2 appetizers, calamari and meatballs. They were both really good. The calamari was fresh and lightly battered and fried. The meatballs were great as well. They were both half price during happy hour. We also enjoyed complimentary bread service with olive oil and Italian seasonings. My husband and I shared the lasagna for dinner because it can basically feed 4 people! It was delicious and very authentic tasting. Although we went on a Thursday evening, they do offer a daily entree special Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for $16.99 or $18.99. read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

Service is always amazing. Food was good. Always love the atmosphere here. Perfect for large parties! read more

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Being in a tourist attracted area, it's pretty hard to find a restaurant with a minimal wait of 30 minutes or less until we came across this one. Called to see if they were busy which the hostess said the dining room was full, but there is seating outside with no wait. Asked to make a reservation which she said she couldn't do it, but would think of me when we arrive. Upon arriving there, the hostess automatically asked if we had reservations. I was definitely appalled and immediately said I thought you guys didn't take reservations. I could definitely see she was a bit shocked. She proceeded to apologize and said it would be a 30 minute wait because somebody just came ahead of my party. We just agreed to stay since we were already there and were looking for dinner. The restaurant seemed to have open areas inside, but I assumed there was no waiter on the tables, so they sat us outside. It was a bit hot outside, but not as bad since we came in the evening. There were ceiling fans outside, but you could barely feel it blowing. Server came and took our orders as expected which she did well. She was attentive and made sure our drinks were filled. Our entrees came out which 3 of our plates were just lukewarm and didn't seem fresh, however did look appealing. I guess you could say we were just hungry and really don't like to complain. The lasagna was very large and could possibly feed two people. Overall dining experience was fair, but the host stand could use some work. read more

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My husband had selected this place to celebrate our 41st Anniversary while we were in Orange Beach for a couple Days. The food is fabulous and delicious as well as abundantly.. We will certainly come back to this restaurant. read more

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The food was good and the portions were plenty. The drink was ok. The stuffed meatballs were top notch. The service was just ok. It wasn't busy maybe our server was new. We had to send 2 forks back because they were not clean. But the place is nice and I would go back. I had the lasagna wife had the carbonara. read more

service let me down tonight. we sat at the bar which was enjoyable but service was lacking. drinks never refilled, olive oil only obtained because it was in reach . beautiful restaurant with great outdoor area but menu is lacking in choice selection. very limited with few to no vegetarian options. veal used in many dishes. i was however able to select a dish i really enjoyed and would gladly return. ( i just won't sit at the bar) read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

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This spot really felt like a hidden gem! It's located in a plaza of restaurants and stores. So there's a lot of parking. We came while visiting AL. Let's talk food! The lasagna was very good, but massive. It can easily be shared. I struggled to get through 5 bites without getting full!! The sauce that the mussels were in... wow SO good, I honestly could've taken that home My partner had the spaghetti and said the it was good & had flavor! I was really impressed with this spot. We sat outside and enjoyed the live music from the spot next door, which was very good. I'd come back here and recommend this spot while in the area! Also, our server Anna, was exceptional! 5 stars for her!!! She was very nice, knew the menu, and able to help us with choices. read more

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Service was great! I had the special lasagna and my wife opted for the chicken parm! It was HUGE!! We ate two more meals off it (with sides) at home. Just across the street from our condo so walked, and glad to be able to walk home with all we ate. Good pricing and wine . Will go back when we're there. read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

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Me and my boyfriend went for our 2 year anniversary and this did not disappoint! It was so good 10/10 recommend! Our server was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions! Thank you Khrisy you were an amazing server!!! read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

Great place for a large family. They take reservations which is hard to find in Gulf Shores. Excellent food, reasonably priced. Great happy hour specials too. Thank you for the great service. Made for a great end to our vacation. read more

Amazing authentic Italian food! I had the veal piccata and it was a 10+! My friend had the lasagne and it was delicious. The portions are very generous. Our server was great. The place is beautiful, unexpected for a strip shopping center. We will definitely be back!!'n read more

We went to Carmelo's restaurant tonight. It was Ravioli night special and it was very good. We had Great service Phillip was great. Love their bread I had 2 loaves awesome crispy on the out side and pillowy & fresh on the inside. I had the crab ravioli it was very good. My Husband had the truffle mushroom ravioli. The restaurant was very nice. It could up its game with tablecloths & small lights at each table. It would add to the ambience. read more

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I got chicken parm and my noodles barely had sauce and they were cold but my chicken was warm. We were in there for over an hour waiting for our food. Everyone around us who had come after us got their food before us, the same food items. It took so long by the time my mom's food came out everyone was done. It wasn't only us whose food was cold the people beside us food was cold. On the bright side the waitress and manager were really really nice and they took some off bill. read more

Our food was wonderful from the warm bread, cocktails, salad and pasta. We ate here last year and chose this for our anniversary dinner this year. Our server Zach was personable and very nice. The Ambiance was also very nice we came to the restaurant around 6pm and the first to be seated outside. It was nice to be the only ones outdoors but it was an early dinner. I can't wait to come eat here again if we end up in Orange Beach next year. read more

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The pictures I posted are deceiving. There was nothing appetizing about them. The Bruschetta tasted like old tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and was bland. It certainly was not freshly made. The Calamari was cold and soggy. The bartender was inattentive and the bar lacked any atmosphere. We certainly will not be visiting again. read more

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Another extraordinary evening!! Way too much food !!! Drinks poured perfectly and you could not ask for a better waitress than Sarah and her daughter!!! The pesto sauce was loaded with basil and it was perfect one we the tortellini's and mushrooms. Added shrimp as well. Lasagna was HUGE... took home enough for the next day lunch and dinner. Desserts.... Lemon ricotta cake is light but loaded with flavor. it looked huge but it was not too sweet so it was easily eaten. read more

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Great option for late lunch/early dinner with a daily happy hour from 3-6 PM that offers discounts on appetizers and certain alcoholic beverages. Dedicated parking and no step entrance makes sure easy access. Offering both a bar area and the dining area allows you to choose how you want to relax. We were pleasantly greeted and quickly seated for an early dinner and enjoyed some of their house, salad (large enough to share) and homemade bread, which was great. We enjoyed several of their entrées that included the house special Seafood pasta. Their menu also offer a variety of veal dishes, which I haven't seen since Chicago. Reasonably priced left room for dessert to go, which was super generous portions. A really nice option from your standard Cajun or seafood options that are plentiful in the area read more

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The ambiance was nice. The service was superb. The bread was delish, the meatballs and sauce were really good, the lasagna was humongous and like five servings and tasted impeccable and the Alfredo dish was next level with the pappardelle noodles and grilled chicken....!!! read more

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Good food and great Bar tenders. Very nice staff and decor. Just down from Publix in Orange Beach

We came here on our last night in Orange Beach and sat on the patio and it was very lovely. Our waiter, I think Phillip, was a doll and gave great service. We had the carrozza appetizer and it was downright delicious and pretty decadent! The bread service was delicious, hot and fresh! We shared a few dinners - Ammazzafame was delicious and the Veal Piccata was amazing but the Maielando was pretty meh. We tried several of their house cocktails and all loved them. I had the italian rum punch and it was very yummy! read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Carrozza - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

Delicious food! Service was solid. Environment/design of restaurant was really cool. I would recommend this Italian restaurant to anyone! Only thing is they didn't have pizza, but other than that it was great. I actually ordered a steak with noodles, and it was probably the best steak I've had in a long time. read more

Respect the reservation! 30 min wait when restaurant isnt full but kitchen is backed up. Requested to sit down and have drinks while waiting for kitchen to catch up. Tourist are important but when they no reservations and create a backlog, mgt can easily appease with a complimentary house wine or appetizer or even an apology. Won't be returning. Train the hostess to be friendly would help too. read more

This place is a must in the Orange Beach area. Our server, Anna, was fantastic! She thoroughly explained the menu and allowed us to customize dishes exactly to our liking. The calamari, bruschetta and stuffed meatballs were delicious! Caesar salad 10/10! For entrees, we enjoyed the veal piccata, shrimp scampi, eggplant Parmesan, and Quattro formaggi pasta add steak. You will not be disappointed. We will definitely be back! read more

Service staff were amazing, very accommodating for our large party despite having ordering mixups on our party's end. Food was delicious - recommend their charcuterie board for an app. Really good seating inside and felt together without having a separate room. Only area of improvement was how long the food took to come out as the food orders sent were accurate but the entrees took some time, salads and apps were quick. Would overall recommend! read more

This is my second review of this fabulous restaurant. I had the veal piccata, and it was absolutely divine. Everything was "just right" about it. My husband had one their specialties...Ammazzafame. It is Penne rigate, Porcini mushrooms, sausage, broccoli, sun-dried tomato, and capers. It must have been good because when he finished, his plate looked like it just came out of the dishwasher. We ordered to cannolis to take back to our condo. The cannolis were light and creamy and very good. We are eagerly awaiting our next trip to the area to try another of their fabulous dishes. read more

Ordered the Scaloppine Abruzzese. Amazing dish but I would recommend either an elongated plate or take the recommendation for another plate. It's a lot of food! The music was appropriate and the wine cellar we walked through was perfect. The service I can't say enough for. She was attentive and very helpful. We will be back! read more

We sat at a high top in the bar and it was just right. Our server, Philip was terrific and had good recommendations. He brought us a fresh baked loaf of bread and we loved it. My wife had a Negroni while we examined the menu. First we ordered Caesar salad with anchovies on the side. She had the steamed mussels with crostini and I ordered linguine with clam sauce. Next time I'll ask for it without the mushrooms (they were good but there were just too many of them) The meal was all delicious and we even brought home some leftovers read more

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This was our first time here, and we live here! Not sure why we have never been here but OMG... Upon arriving our server Sara, took the time to describe some of the dishes and give her recommendations. The bread and rosemary oil was a huge surprise and was excellent. My daughter got the Chicken parm and it was MASSIVE. My dad got the spaghetti and meatballs special and some of the best meatballs he's ever had. I had the veal Marsala and it was amazing. Tasted almost like french onion soup. We are local and will absolutely be back! read more

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The front desk lacked personality, didn't ask if we would like to sit inside/ outside, and stuck us in a corner to be forgotten. My daughter scooped up her sauce to let me have a taste and behold there was a hair in it. we did get a new one but the price vs the amount of food was wild. The bread that comes out was good. And my husband did enjoy his lasagna.... The dish I got looked like something I could have made in 5 min at home. So it lacked the look of a dish you get when you go out and spend so much on a dish. Also, This was good, but I told the waitress I didn't eat meat, asked for mozz sticks which she said this was the closest thing to that.... So we got it. It was stuffed with meat. my husband enjoyed them. Picture attached read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

Food was excellent. Would definitely recommend it. We took the leftovers back to the condo and heated them up the next day and they were still delicious. read more

I was a bit hesitant with this one. It's in a strip mall which isn't a big deal but we were seated by a window and I think the flies had reserved the table before us. I know the hostess saw him just chilling on the table. I had to ask her could she at least get it up for us. She finally woke him up from his nap and he left but then another one came by. My husband suggested with the restaurant being dim the flies are attracted to the light and it didn't help we were seated by the exit door. Anyway, we sit down and the water glasses were dirty and before I could say anything our water was poured. We sat them on the far table just in case any other flies came by thirsty. Why 5 stars??? The food. The food made up for any issues. Amazing! The portion sizes are epic and it doesn't take away from the taste. The manager came by to explain how most items are imported and some pasta is made in house. You can tell. The marinara sauce is cooked for 12 hours. Next time I will ask for a table away from the window!! Because there will be a next time. read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

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We were visiting the area and after a few nights of seafood and steaks we decided Italian sounded good. Based on the Yelp reviews we called and booked a table. It is a bit more casual than restaurants we typically have dinner in, but don't let that stop you. The food was really tasty and while the service left a bit to be desired, we were pleased overall. We had the house salad minus the onion to start and it was large enough to share. The warm bread was wonderful! I had a pasta with a smoky pink sauce that was very good. My hubby had the veal parmigiana and it was huge. We contemplated dessert but we were too full to partake in that. They did allow me to bring my own wine for a $20 corkage fee. Overall good experience. read more

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The food was amazing, definitely worth going for Italian food the service is great. And it tastes like Italy. read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

Went for an early dinner. Split the stuffed meatball appetizer, veal marsala & chicken with artichoke hearts. Our server was Derek who did a great job. Ambiance was classy, with a walk through the wine "cellar" read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Stuffed meatball appetizer - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

Vacation on the beach, Ristorante Carmelo was highly recommended by the locals and tourist. I really enjoyed my meal. I ordered the Melanzane Parmigiana, baked eggplant layered with a light tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese with bread and olive oil. I would recommend if you enjoyed pasta without seafood. read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Bread and olive oil. - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

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OMG what a hidden jewel in Orange Beach. We drove over from Pensacola so worth the drive. Lasagna was excellent filled with beef veal and pork full of ricotta, the gnocchi for me stole the show light fluffy in a nice light sauce. Cesar salad was dressed perfectly, and did I mention rosemary bread right out of oven. Our server Derek was pleasant and very knowledgeable about menu. Nicely decorated interior very clean and welcoming. They open at 3pm. Highly recommend read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Lasagna with first bite taken - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

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As we prepare to leave to go back home to Missouri, I just have to compliment Ristorante Carmelo once again for a delicious meal and warm welcoming service. We will be sure to visit again on our next visit! read more

Amazing service and food! They treated us so well and we enjoyed the service, food and experience. We got there early and took our time. read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Amazing food! - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama