The Bottom Line
Five of us went to Carino's for the first time. We shared two appetizers, each had an entree, and we were so stuffed that we only had one dessert. Excluding beverages, tax and tip, the bill at Carino's came to about $19 per person.
Pros
- Liked the food
- Bring the kids
- All-you-can-eat soup or salad
- Nice bread served with olive oil and garlic
Cons
- Cannolis: pretty to look at, but disappointing to eat
- Can be crowded. Expect a long wait if you don't make a reservation
Description
- The food at Johnny Carino's would be considered mostly Southern Italian.
- The soup and salad portions at Carino's are large.
- I can't imagine ordering more soup or salad even though it's all-you-can-eat!
- Bring the kids to Johnny Carino's. There are separate menus for ages 2-7 and 8-12. Crayons, puzzles.
- Nice wine choices at reasonable prices at Carino's.
- Johnny Carino's Italian is a chain. There are 2 locations of Carino's in the greater Phoenix area.
Guide Review - Johnny Carino’s Italian
Many of the menu items at Carino's come in two sizes, solo and grandioso (meant for sharing). Be careful not to fill up on the tasty bread with the unusually spiced dipping oil (chunks of garlic-yum!), the bowl--not cup--of soup (try the Italian Bread Soup), or the salads, choice of house or Caesar. It's tough to resist overeating right at the outset!
We chose two appetizers at Carino's and both were outstanding. The server recommended the stuffed mushrooms, and even those of us who weren't mushroom fanatics liked it very much. The Spinach Artichoke Dip at Carino's is the best I've had in a while, concentrating on chunky artichokes, and not as much on the spinach.
All our entrees were good. The Green Lasagna isn't something I've seen anywhere else around town, but then they like to use chilies here. The Veal Picatta, Eggplant Parmigiana, Spicy Shrimp & Chicken, and Spicy Romano Chicken with bowtie pasta were all well received.
