We were hesitant to have Italian while we're on the ocean. But we were getting burnt out with seafood. This restaurant was recommended and did not disappoint. Authentic Italian, sauce was amazing generous portions, great service. read more

Best restaurant in Orange Beach AL. Food is always GREAT! We always have dinner here when we stay in Orange Beach for several weeks!

Very disappointing! We went because we wanted Italian food to break up all the seafood restaurants we'd been to. We're fans of fried mozzarella but theirs had proscuitto in it which we aren't a fan of. The only dish enjoyed out of our group of 4 was the Quattro Formaggi, basically fettucini alfredo. The other 3 dishes weren't well liked. The service was horrible, perhaps our waitress was overwhelmed, but then management should step in and help out. I feel like it really should get a 2 star rating but the way our party rated it, it's closer to 3. However, we wouldn't go back. read more

Sat at the bar, had a great martini and the food was excellent. The two bartenders couldn't have been nicer. I met the owner who seemed like a great guy as well. We definitely go back. read more

From the moment we entered, our first-time experience was 5 star. The service was exceptional. Dylan was so knowledgeable and friendly. The food was delicious! From the calamari, to our main dishes to desert. We will definitely return soon! read more

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

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We just dined here for my grandson's birthday. Although thefood was good, the lasagna was burnt!!! This is unacceptable! He was very happy with the meal but i had a few very burnt places on my lasagna! It was a birhday dinner! I was very disappointed! I did not say anything during the dinner, but really??? Who was in the kitchen?? When I got home I looked at the noodles from my to go box. Yes, several layers were burnt!! I love this restaurant but if they are going to serve burnt food and expect customers not to notice, I won't be back!! Do Better!! read more

If you like fresh mussels, don't get them. They were orange and looked like something off an all you can eat chinese buffet, I'm sure they were frozen... Went there for the veal. I love good veal, I didn't 'love' this. So much cheese and sauce you know they're covering something up, like the quality of the veal, ;) Had a very nice server. Owning a restaurant I can read body language like a road sign. Pretty sure the snooty looking millennial server pawned us off on the young lady that actually served us, which was a good thing for all involved. We enjoyed excellent service and she was very friendly and we enjoyed conversation with her. Tipped her fat. The portions were HUGE! Too bad it wasn't worth taking the leftovers back to our condo. It's obvious that it is a great concept and the owners know how to present a fine restaurant. Too bad most of the staff don't share the same ambition. I'm sure they were trained better. However, I would be happy to return and give another chance. read more

We had a great experience and Service from Sarah. We enjoyed the atmosphere sitting outside and listening to the music. The Caprese salad was very good along with the calamari and the Tuscan sauce was amazing It's a hidden secret. My husband enjoyed a bite of his lasagna there was no way he could finish that. read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Calamari with Tuscan sauce and Marinara sauce - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

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Very good food large selection good service great bread served with food and everything we had was excellent will definitely go back

I'm typically not one to post negative reviews, but this was truly a disappointing meal. I was looking for something quaint and romantic to dine with my wife for dinner for our last night in OB. Our waitress was new and I ordered Gnocchi with Red Sauce and my wife ordered a dish as well. She came back by about 5 min later to confirm my order, when the food arrived (from a different server) it was the other Gnocchi dish. Did not see her to correct it for over 15 min (or the manager) and by then, my wife had finished her food. I wasn't going to wait for another dish to come out at that point. She owned that she rang in the wrong thing but little was done to correct the situation other than removing it from my bill. I had high hopes for this place based upon the reviews, but it was not a great experience. Disappointing. read more

the food and service was outstanding. a marvelous veal marsala to die for. ambiance a little lacking for an "italian " place. bad lighting, more warm surroundings. too beachy. read more

First timer. Sat at the bar. Ordered a drink while I looked at menu. Decided on the mussels and Saggittario. Bread came and was amazing. Mussels were great! Different than Maine but great.bartender recommended several options. I decided on an entree with no pasta. It was very good but was missing the pasta. Place was nice and busy. read more

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When you first walk in you're corralled in a front "lobby" similar to a Coney Island. They kind of hid their wine cellar behind a half wall. Two benches and 6 chairs in this area makes it feel uncomfortable. On the half wall randomly placed mason jars of sauces, along with a Mary Kay promotion box and Magazines. Bright lighting and a bar to the right gave it a typical bar in a strip mall vibe. My wife and I thought they could've done so much better with the decoration and ambiance. We had so many ideas shooting through our heads to make it more Italian and that warm family environment that is associated with being Italian. As for the food, A+ to the chefs. The food came out hot, the timing was great, the flavors were uniquely Carmelo. The heart shaped ravioli were a cute touch given the Valentine's Day timing. Great flavor on a different take of Vodka Sauce. (We love vodka sauce and have had it many times at various restaurants. This one will stick out as a favorite for us.) The bread was warm and soft in the middle and the butter was just the right amount of flavor not to hide the actual bread. The gnocchi as well, hitting a taste bud that we evidentially had in hiding. Marco Polo was amazing, the fish and seafood were cooked amazingly, the pasta and sauce also adding to this dish. We can't say enough about the chefs and their creations, bringing out the flavors properly. Sarah M was our server, knowledgeable with the menu and specials. She was very polite, friendly and quirky. We were however confused as to why she had to pull out her phone to show us your specials instead of having a menu with the pictures or just having them on the table top drinks and meal specials menu. The prices, for the entirety of the experience were 10$-15$ more than what they should be. Inflating a bottle by $26 was a little ridiculous as well. The meals as good as they were, were not 30$-45$ meals. High $20's at best. You'll still turn a profit for the Coney Island Italian experience. read more

Sarah was a fantastic very friendly server with great food recommendations. Super accommodating to our big Bach group. The restaurant was very nicely decorated and clean. Would definitely return! read more

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

Food was decent. Portions were huge. Service was above average. Table enjoyed the bread. Chicken parm was huge but the breading although crispy on the outside was doughy on the inside. Lasagna ok. Again large portions were nice, food was ok. read more

The best place for great food!!. The Ambience is Lovely . It is Family friendly !! The best place for great food!!. The Ambience is Lovely . It is Family friendly !! read more

Sarah is amazing! It was our first time here and she really made it a great experience. From bread to entrees it really was good. Very cozy and well decorated inside too. The calamari with the cream sauce was awesome! My chicken parm was MASSIVE read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Chicken parm with tortellini - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

Table of 6 on a Friday night, food and service was amazing! Highly recommend the Pollo Parmigiana delicious and huge portion! Phillip was our server and he was great! This will be a staple in our trips down to OBA! Kids portions were perfect size! read more

Ristorante Carmelo - Pollo Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

We would have never thought of finding a good Italian restaurant at the beach...but we did! This restaurant was delightful. Their menu selection was great! There were a lot of traditional dishes like lasagna and manicotti but also had some other really great options. They started us off with fresh hot bread and Italian butter. I always get the lasagna. It is my classic go-to when trying a new Italian restaurant. It was great! My wife had a dish that included truffle, mushrooms and Italian sausage. It was great. The staff were outstanding and the service was great! It is a lovely little restaurant. It is located within a shopping center but feels much more elegant. We will go back there on our next trip. read more

Soooo good! Best lasagna we've ever had and our waitress, Sarah, was friendly and took care of everything we needed.

Phenomenal authentic Italian experience right in Orange Beach, the service, bread, Apps, we had the Bruschetta and Shrimp Scampi and both were fantastic then dinner, their red sauce was the perfect Sunday Simmer Sauce with great meatballs and the Ammazzafama and it didn't disappoint, we followed with Tiramisu and the picture will tell that story. Nick and Krissy at the bar really went out of their way to ensure we had a great experience! We will be back! read more

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Wed Tuesday night dinner at Carmelo, we have the chilli soup, bread, excellent salad and the spaghetti and meatballs special, Scott the bartender was very personable and made the evening special. Drinks and wine was perfect with our meal. I have been here in the past and will return read more

Decided to go to Carmelo's for my birthday tonight. The service was fantastic. Nick was amazing. Great selections of wine and cocktails and Pinot noir was the best choice for me it had a great finish. I also had the Cesar salad. It was amazing and their bread was so fresh and came right out of the oven, it was great with the Italian herbs & dipping olive oil. I highly recommend, if you love authentic Italian food. read more

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Food was delicious! Amazing service. Sarah was our server & she was outstanding! She knew the menu & was extremely pleasant!! Ambiance is good...lighting was a bit bright. Overall our experience was excellent & we will definitely be back! read more

Great bar service- nice atmosphere, good bar tender ( informed me of other wines- organic) , suggested appetizers, gave us the happy hour run down. Moved to our table and had an excellent server. Great spag and THE best meatballs ever! read more

This is a hidden gem in Orange Beach, back in the strip mall where near the Publix. The food is classic Italian home cooking. The chef says the recipes are from his family and they have the old country taste. The soups are very filling (not just a small cup). The lasagna (Lasagna Carmelo) is one of our favorites. We really haven't had any dish here that wasn't outstanding. They have ample seating and a nice outdoor area for the summer. I looks like a great place for both an intimate dinner and group supper. read more

My new favorite restaurant in Orange Beach. Living at the beach hasn't given me very many Italian choices, but I only need this one now. I frequent this place almost every single week. The lasagna is an absolute staple. You cannot go wrong with the Tortellini Pesto. The veal Parmesan is also really good. I haven't had anything on the menu I didn't like. I've always had a great experience with friendly staff everytime I have visited. Very chill spot as well. read more

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

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Best place we have found in South Alabama or Northwest Florida for Italian cuisine! Great food, drink, atmosphere and service! We will for sure be back many times! Delisa was a great server!!! We will ask for her again! read more

This our first time here and it was amazing. We will definitely be back. Robert, our server was phenomenal. He was polite (and patient, haha). He offered suggestions that were 100% accurate. The bread was delicious. The food was authentic and delicious. We tried the Carrozza for an appetizer. Then the lasagna and pollo focaccia for our meals. For dessert, we got lemon ricotta cake and torta savoia. We sat in the back dining area and it was open and not crowded when full. Overall it was a great experience! read more

Service was good, personable waiter. Ambiance was good, we sat outside by ourselves. Food - ugh. Caprese salad had two very small thin pieces of cheese with three thin tomatoes. $16.00 Lasagna was so dry they had to place it on top of a plate drowning in spaghetti sauce. $26.00 Pollo Carmelo had two very small , thin slices of chicken, drowning in a curdled sour lemon sauce over a bed of cold pasta. $28.00 The finale - "Traditional" Lemon Ricotta Cake. I can't even begin to describe how awful this was. Overmixed, and underbaked, with a sickening powdered sugar frosting. $10.00 Overall - not Italian, not good. read more

Ristorante Carmelo - "Traditional" Lemon Ricotta Cake - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

This place was awesome We made reservations for a Wednesday night at the bar - sat at a hightop The bartender who served us Nick couldn't have been nicer or more informative The drinks were delicious - the strawberry basil had vodka and limoncello in it so good. The bread was hot and delicious - the house salad not pictured was crisp and excellent. Our main meals - veal parm and veal piccata - portions were large - lightly breaded both angel hair and linguini were great. No room for dessert but we will be back !!! Highly recommend this place read more

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Absolutely delish, very professional wait staff. I give it 5 stars definitely. Restaurant clean and service excellent. Lynn G from Texas read more

Amazing food & service! Staff was very very kind, honestly the best service we've ever had! The chicken parmigiana was so delicious! Highly recommend read more

Ristorante Carmelo - vitello parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Orange Beach, Alabama

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This has become our go-to locally for take-out. Now literally addicted to their Lasagna, Bread/Oil, and of course a Cannoli. We get it every other week and I expect soon to be called 'Norm' from Cheers Im there so often.... read more

I had high hopes for this restaurant. When we arrived for an 8:00 reservation the hostess looked stunned. Even though the restaurant was almost empty it took several minutes to get us a table. Started off with drinks and appetizers. My wife had a peach Bellini which she said was okay at best. Then switched to a wedding cake martini. She said it wasn't like any wedding cake martini she had ever had, no wedding cake flavor. My beers were cold, best part of the meal. Wife had a veal dish, I had salmon. The waiter mentioned how they were recipes from the chefs mother. Speaking of the waiter he did a great job and did get a 20% tip. The veal was a poor cut and not seasoned well. The salmon was way overcooked and very salty. Easily the worst dinner we have had at OB. Unless big changes are made I don't expect it to be in business long with so many other options in the area. read more

OMG food is excellent! The best eggplant I've ever had and my husband loved the spaghetti and meatballs. We sat at the bar and the service was awesome. My new favorite restaurant in Orange Beach. read more

We went to orange beach for a cheer competition and this is definitely the best food we had! Our waiter, Derek, was amazing and gave great recommendations. We just got back from cheer and we were tired and hungry so we decided to come eat at Carmelo's and it hit the spot! it was the best Italian food we have had in a long time! The tortellini pesto was stellar and the salmon was equally amazing. Eat here if you want authentic Italian. This place definitely deserves five stars! read more

Fantastic restaurant, and what a great new find in our little community. Five star service, facilities, and definitely food and wine choice. Our new go to for sure!! Ask for Robert (fantastic knowledge and great service). read more

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The food was top notch definitely ranks high on my list of Italian places. The service was really good as well. Our server knew the menu and provided great options. For first timers. The atmosphere was nice it was good to get away from the loud music and hustle from the golf shores. read more

Robert was a great server and food was excellent! He answered all our questions and knew about everything on the menu.