Carmelo's Ristorante

We stopped at Carmelo's last week during the awful heat wave to avoid cooking. They didn't appear to be expecting many people and the service was slow. However, the food was really outstanding. We had 2 appetizers and 3 main courses and all of us loved our choices. I've eaten there before and thought it was just OK. After our last visit, I""m a fan. Nice atmosphere, decent wine. more

I've been coming to Carmelo's for years and it is one of my favorite places to relax with a glass of wine and a truly delicious Italian meal. I was introduced to this place by a friend, who's family live in the neighborhood. Service has always been good, but I come for the cozy atmosphere. If you're looking for an authentic, sweet, romantic place to dine, you're in for a treat. You can't go wrong with their nightly specials, and we try to save a bit of room for their perfect tiramisu! Pros: Excellent food, family-owned, interesting daily specials. more

Bad experience all around. The restaurant is dated, the service rude and disinterested, the food at Olive Garden exceeds what we had. For my money, I'd rather go to La Grolla or numerous other St. Paul restaurants. more

Our gift card was refused because it had expired and we pointed out that that was against the law. Our embarrassed server had orders from the owner to not honor it because it was a certificate and not a gift card (also against the law). They had our $25 card and it was not returned to us either. So our friend had pretty much given them a free $25. We are (or were) loyal neighborhood customers. No more! We were very disappointed. Apparently they make their own rules! Pros: Great food Cons: decor needs updating more

I randomly met the owner, Heather, and we got to talking about food and she mentioned she had a restaurant along with her husband (cute story behind it all but too long to get into). Anyway she was very charming and passionate about the place. She gave me her card and I decided to give it a try. I brought in my wife and her parents. We walked in and were immediately taken in by the aroma of wonderful smells. The hostess was very sweet and seated us within a few minutes. Our waitress was very helpful and seemed to know the menu quite well. I think her name was Lorri. Heather noticed us and immediatley came over and suggested a wine for us. Our calamari appetizer was the best I have had in the Twin Cities. We all had cesear salads and they were exacltly what a cesear should be! The croutons were perfect. We got to noticing the dining room and all decided it could be updated a little. Although my dad in-law thought it was alot like the places in Little Italy in NY. Heather made sure we all ordered her favorites. I ordered the Chicken Carmelo. Wow. Just WOW. My wife and mom in-law order what they are famous for Lorri tells us. The butternut squash raviolis. They loved it and the sauce was ""to die for"". My dad in-law had one of the steaks with mushrooms. He is pretty particular about his steaks but he loved it. We were told by Heather to get the tiramisu and chocolate torte with a sauce I can't remember. But I will get it again. I loved how smooth it was and the sauce was heavenly. You can tell this place really cares about pleasing people. Even the little water girl was on top of things. We were all very happy when we left and the prices didn't hurt either. My wife and I don't get out much but we can't wait to go back. I was also suprised to find out it had been there for 15 years. Pros: good value for wonderful food and wine list is great service great Cons: didn't know they had a parking lot until I was told, atmophere could use updating more

warm and cozy atmosphere (with great music) and outstanding food combine to make this one of our favoites. \r \r the pesto is superb and it is a great place to carbo load if you are a runner! italian chains pale by comparison.\r \r everyone we know loves this little gem. more

In my opinion Carmelo's has the best bolognese and tiramisu in the US. I have tried many restaurants in NY's Little Italy and elsewhere, always searching for comparable Italian food and have not found it. While the tables are too close to be considered romantic and the decor is subpar, Carmelo's food is delightful. The balsamic salad dressing is delicious to use as a dip for the warm bread. The calamari is crispy but not too greasy and the tiramisu is to die for. Pros: Food, service Cons: Atmosphere more

My husband and I were both looking forward to trying out Carmelo's. We thought it would be a fun little neighborhood hole in the wall, with homemade Italian food. The atmosphere lived up to our expectations, but the food did not. I had the crab stuffed mushrooms and he had the Chicken Carmelo - pan fried chicken breast topped with crab, alfredo sauce and cheese. Both dishes were under-seasoned, bland, what one would expect from a chain like the Olive Garden. It certainly wasn't the worst food we've ever had; it just wasn't good enough to warrant a return trip.\r \r On the positive side, the waitress was extremely friendly and the bread basket was delicious- warm, slightly garlicky. Pros: Friendly service, garlic bread Cons: Bland food more

I was quite excited to eat at Carmelo's and was very, very disappointed. The food was horrible and the service was average at best. I would only recommend this place to my worst enemy. We tried the crab mushrooms which was a complete waste of calories and I also had the chicken parm with spaghetti. I cannot stress how disgusting it was. Cons: horrible food more

The food is excellent, to bad the owner has no customer service skills. Don't make a reservation and expect it to be there, if you don't confirm your reservation you lose it! Why would you make a reservation in the first place. Unfortunately we won't be back there. more

I called the restaurant at 5:30 pm the same night for a 7:00 pm reserveration. We arrives 5 minutes before 7:00 and there was a line of people waiting. The place is very small, we found a place near the hostess booth in small hall way. We checked in with the owner/Hostess, she was very unfriendly, not even smiling when she greeted us. As we were waiting, I noticed that they had their seating policy listed, it said that people with reservations would be seated before call aheads(reservations made after 5pm on the same night) and then call aheads are seated before people on the walk in waiting list. The table turn over that night slow, we could see on the reservation we were 7:00 Reservation 1 and then there was a 7:00 Reservation 2 but there was still list of people who were listed as walk ins. 25 mins later a couple of tables opened up, instead of us being seated, she sat a couple on the waiting list. We asked why they had been seated befor us, she said that they had been waiting 45 mins, I pointed out their seating policy she said basically said she could do want ever she wanted because she is the Owner. Then through out dinner she would not acknowledge us. We will never go back and never recommend the restaurant to any of our friends. A person like that should not be a Hostess!!!! Pros: The waitstaff is very friendly Cons: Owner/Hostess should be in the kitchen out of sight and not out front greeting diners more

We dine at Carmelo's rarely, NOT because of any dissatisfaction on our part, but because we think so highly of this place that we save it for rare, special occasions. Each time we have been there, we have been served food that is delectable to say the least, with service that is attentive and very well performed. The atmosphere there is quiet and intimate, and the wine selection has never failed. They have impressed us each and every time we have been there, so much so that we truly think of them as in a class by themselves. No one else in this area does it quite as well as they do. Pros: Reasonable Price, Friendly Staff, Awesome Desserts more

I was recommended to this place by a friend of mine. She went on and on about how she feels like family. She was right. Everything from the food to the service was comforting. Try the artichoke dip. The stuffed steaks are the best. I love how the menu suggests certain wines to pair with your entree. This place is great. I can't wait to go back. more

The restaurant is small, cozy and romantic. There are friendly waitstaff, who are conscientous about checking with patrons without being overbearing about it. We started with crab stuffed mushrooms and sweet potato soup. Both were delicious. The soup was tangy and ""herbal"". Next on the menu, the Pesto pasta. It is so flavorful with plenty of pine nuts and fresh basil. I added chicken for a nominal cost. We had the suggested wine of the evening and weren't disappointed. The feta cheese stuffed ravioli was superior. For dessert, we had the chocolate cherry cheesecake, that was offered special for Valentine's day. Very rich and delicious, the flourless chocolate espresso torte is sinfully decadent. One thing of note, the restrooms are not handicapped accessible as far as I could tell. This is fairly unusual for a restaurant these days. On the whole I would give Carmelo's 2 thumbs up. Pros: Excellent Food, Available Parking, Friendly Staff Cons: No Handicap Access more