Carmine's

We went here to celebrate my boyfriend's graduation from grad school. Apparently, their reservations are so tight, that they can't deal with part of the party being a little late. They began serving immediately the pre-fixe dinner while some people hadn't arrived. My bf's family is Hindu and even after specifying we wanted no pork or beef, both before we arrived and during, we were given stuffed mushrooms with ham/beef in it! Even after being assured nothing contained meat! When the waiter removed the plates with the mushrooms he never returned to give my bf a new plate or place settings! AND we were not apologized to nor financially compensated. They poured wine on the white tablecloth more than once when serving us wine. They spilled water. They took plates away before people were finished. And they rushed us out because "they had another reservation waiting". For all that money, you should wait until we're finished! I grew up in an Italian family in a New York Italian neighborhood and I know this place is not worth the hype. Go to an Italian neighborhood in an outer-borough or at least not in Times Square. A terrible time! Everyone at the table was astonished with the inattentive, messy and rude service! AND they have the nerve to include tip with service like that. Learn how to treat real New Yorkers, Carmine's! Pros: decor Cons: service, price more

We were guests of friends celebrating their son's graduation, along with young children through to the elderly grandparents. What worked well was the family style platters of food that could be shared by all, with as much or little personal serving size as desired, and which also saved time with regard to menu choice for such a large gathering so that the family could get on with the celebration and enjoy having the family all together for once as their children are at various levels of school and college in different states, and the grandparents travelled far to attend also. The bar prices for the drinks were steep given the venue, and slow. The atmosphere was noisy, but just what was wanted by the son in his 20's who had chosen the venue. An excellent family based night out. Pros: Family style meals Cons: Slow service more

We went after the theater around 10:30. The menu was on the wall and there weren't any descriptions of the dishes which made it hard to order. The dishes are huge which also makes it hard because you all have to agree, but it would've been nice to have a bit smaller of a dish so that you could order more of a variety of different dishes. We didn't mind sharing but would've like to try more things. There were only three of us. Nice ambiance and great service. The food was just okay. Nothing to write home about. Pros: Location, ambiance Cons: flavor just okay, too big of shared dishes makes it hard to order a selection more

Home run! Come early, this place is packed...for a reason. Great service, food, drink, deserts, etc. Pros: Ambience, authenticity Cons: parking, touristy more

The place is definitely noisy & will be hard to have a decent conversation with anyone, but the food was good. I ordered the penne a la vodka with chicken to share with one other person & it was very filling. Carmines likes to use a lot of garlic in their entrees, so be warned unless you like garlic. Not exactly a great "date" place if you know what I mean. Pros: Good food Cons: Noisy noisy noisy! more

Carmine's is definetly not the place for a quiet romantic dinner. It seems tailored towards large and loud groups into plate sharing and chatting up a storm. The food is good and garlicky. Don't even consider ordering a plate for yourself. They were made to be shared. Pros: Perfect for a group Cons: Loud more

Great to dine with large(italian) family. great food, huge portions, average prices. order the Titanic for dessert - it's unreal!!!! Pros: great environment Cons: always crowded more

I've been going to this place on and off for the past 10 years (I still think the one on the UWS is better) and feel that not much has changed, except that it has become even more crowded at times. This is a place you go with a group, especially one that likes garlic, sharing and doesn't mind having to shout to be heard. Order the ceasar salad (crisp romaine, heavy garlic and crunchy croutons - enough for 4), the veal scallopine with white wine, lemon & butter - delicious, and even the chicken parm or rigatoni w/ fresh tomato & shrimp as it's hard to go wrong with these dishes. Many others are mediocre at best or large enough to feed small tribes in Burundi, which make them visually unappealing. Oh, and I should mention... be prepared to watch & hear bored servers singing "Happy Birthday" at least 6 times on a weekend night, before heading out where you'll definitely need altoids for the after party and tums before bed ! Pros: Large portions, good food, reasonable prices Cons: long waits, huge crowds, inconsistent service more

My fiance and I went to Carmine's to celebrate getting engaged. We were ready to feast and enjoy some drinks. I had previously researched the restaurant and therefore was aware of the family style dishes. The hostess was very polite and congratulated us upon our seating. However, the service went down hill from there. The waitress was very dry and rude. She basically argued with us every step of the ordering process. It was a constant struggle with each dish we ordered. We started w/ Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread w/ cheese. She frowned and questioned whether or not we would be getting an entree. We replied yes. Then she proceeded to tell us how large the order of garlic bread was. We appreciated the first warning, however again we were aware of the large portions. After repeating our appetizers, she than replied that "it was overkill". At this point, she should have accepted the order, instead we had to exchange more words. Next we ordered Lasagna, but they had run out. Maybe if the portions weren't so huge, they would have enough to go around. :) We ended up ordering Spaghetti for our entree. By this point, the waitress had a very coy attitude and she was not attentive with drink refills. We received the salad and then the breadsticks. Then within 5 mins our entree appeared. We were barely starting to eat the garlic bread. We told the waiter to bring the dish back to the kitchen. The timing was horrible. Then once we were finished our appetizers, we sat there for 15-20 minutes, b/c the waitress was no were to be found. We asked another waiter to check on our food. At that point, they told us it would be another 4-5 min. This was the last straw! We asked for a manager. We told the manager the food was excellent, but we were disappointed in the overall service. He ended up buying us a round of drinks as an apology. However, we would have much rather had a pleasant meal! Pros: Good food. Amble Amount Served. Cons: Horrible Service. Bad timing of food output. more

I went here early Feb. 2006 for a friends birthday. The 7 of us (guys) had only 2 appetizers and 4 entrees! We came hungry and left very full and satisfied. I'd definitely be coming back. The atmosphere is definitely geared towards groups so don't expect a romantic night out here. The prices are very fair. Pros: HUGE portions, fair price, good location more

My first trip to NY and a friend that lives there recommended Carmine's. It was wonderful!! Large portions...great food. The chicken parmesan was to die for. Best I have ever had. Atmosphere wonderful, waitstaff friendly. I LOVED IT AND WILL GO AGAIN MY NEXT TRIP TO NY! Pros: everything! Cons: nothing! more

The staff at Carmine's are always rude. I've given this restaurant three chances and it failed miserably every time. The food is nothing special--just huge helpings of thick pasta and overly-rich sauces. The caesar salad is good. Eating at the bar is a nightmare. Don't even think about going before a show on the weekends. I tried that on a Friday, told the guy otside the door that I did not have a reservation and he said, "You may as well just leave now." Go to Virgil's BBQ across Times Square for polite service and awesome food. Pros: One meal provides leftovers for at least the next Cons: Crowded, loud, rude staff more

The wait was long, the place was crowded and loud but I expected this from a place with a reputation as stellar as Carmine's. It's fair to say that I was ravenous and my feet were very sore by the time our party was seated so it was going to take more than average cuisine to impress me. The wait and the pain was totally worth it. Yes it was pricey but I expected that. I had the opportunity to sample several of their dishes as I was in a party of 12 for a friend's birthday so their were about 8 different dishes at the table. Everything that crossed my palate was delicious. Go and wear an elastic waistband. Pros: the food, ambience Cons: the wait, the chairs, the crowd more

Please do not go with a party of less than four. It just doesn't make sense. But for groups, this place is perfect! he food is meant to be shared, with heaping, family-style portions. It is always crowded, so make reservations, and tell your group to arrve on time since they won't seat incomplete parties. T Cons: menu only on the wall more

Anyone who knows good italian will find this place exactly what it is. A tourist trap. Big portions but not all it's cracked up to be. more

my friends and i greatly enjoyed our time at carmines. we loved the calamaris! i highly recommend this place. Pros: tasty food, great service Cons: crowded, no parking more

I went there recently since so many people were raving about this place, but I found the food to be very salty. We ordered 4 dishes and 3 of the 4 dishes were way too salty. On top of that, our waiter was such a jerk. Very arrogant, rude, and horrid service. I complained to the management and they were very unsympathic. They don't take reservations and it took us over an hour to get seated Pros: nice atmosphere, good pasta, nice location Cons: very rude, super salty more

I went there with a large group and everyone was raving about how delicious it was...but I found it to be SO SALTY to the point where I am still thirsty 13 hours after I ate. They're a little touristy and gimmicky but it is, indeed, pretty neat inside. They brought a basket of breads over, and all of the bread was cold and they didn't bring any olive oil or butter. How hard is it to heat the bread up in the oven beforehand? It makes it taste much better and fresher. The atmosphere is pretty neat, the seafood is fresh, but overall I'd say skip it and hop on a cab to Little Italy. Pros: nice ambiance, fresh seafood Cons: salty salty salty, salty, salty more

This restaurant is great for group dining. Although it can be hard to make reservations sometimes and making sure that you're whole party will show up, it's worth the hassle. Great for pre-theatre dining or just dining in general. For couples, order a light appetizer and 1 entree, it will be more than enough. Sometimes our eyes are larger than our stomachs! Pros: Family-style food, Group dining, In theatre district Cons: Reservations more

It was a little expensive, but the food was great. Very generous portions so don't order too much. Reservations are highly recommended. I was running late with my girlfriend and I called in. They honored the call and noted it and had a table waiting for me. The service was good, the experience was good. You have to go there, even if it is just once. Pros: plenty of food, prompt service Cons: a bit pricey more