Carmine's Italian Restaurant
626-799-2266
424 Fair Oaks Ave
South Pasadena, CA 91030
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Business Information
RestaurantsItalian
Customer Reviews (58 reviews)
William
on Yahoo May 17, 2009Whenever I'm in South Pas I try to make it to Carmine's. Amazing pizza, good service, clean well kept surroundings. I know they have other dishes besides pizza, but its so good we never bother ordering anything else.... (more)
Lou
on Yahoo Apr 16, 2009I LOVE this place...the food is awesome..the service is kinda slow, but anything good is worth waiting for...the bar is the best part...friendly people, pool tables, and the bouncer ain't so bad either!!! The pizza... (more)
DarkDetective71
on Yahoo Feb 28, 2009Love this place, love the atmosphere, waitresses are nice, bartenders kick ass, food is great. whats not to love about it. Usually, like these other ppl said, its great but the economy has hit everyone hard. Awesome... (more)
mra
on Yahoo Feb 14, 2009USED to love their food, but on our last visit there portions were small and not as outstanding. Maybe we just hit a bad day. I have never seen Highland Park Gang Bangers in the place.... (more)
adam p
on Yahoo Feb 01, 2009this place is ghetto and full of mexican gangbangers from highland park..not you mention some one got stab there in the end of 08... (more)
ucandobetter
on Yahoo Jan 19, 2009I was very dissapointed at how cheap this place has gotten. Usually, we've had good experiences dining here. I suppose, with the economy effecting everyone, restaurants are trying to stay afloat however they can.... (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch Nov 30, 2008Wow, couldn't taste any flavors over the salt. To begin with the Italian dressing was salty, the sauce and meat balls were very salty also. When so much salt is used you wonder what they are trying to hide?... (more)
pasadena loco
on Yahoo Oct 05, 2008THE PASTA PESTO ROCKS! ALSO, BY THE WAY OUR SERVER LESLIE WAS GREAT. (more)
Todd F Packer
on Yahoo Apr 04, 2008I won't go as far as to say that this place is excellent. The food is always very good. Whether it is the pizza, ravioli, lasagna, chicken, etc. it is always very good. Friday and Saturday nights can be very busy,... (more)
queenb90201
on Citysearch Dec 09, 2007My husband and I were just there this past Saturday... and we will definitely be coming back for more. The portions are enormous. I had the Gumbi and it was FANTASTIC (definitely big enough to share)! I wasn't too... (more)
Bella
on Yahoo Nov 28, 2007This is a good place for the family no mater the age.. It's a tradicional italian cousine with an amercian flavor.. (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch Oct 30, 2007This is our favorite for Italian Food. Great selections and the pizzas are fabulous! I personally love th elasagne and canneloni meals. Fresh, great service and very friendly staff.... (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch Aug 26, 2007I happen to be at Carmines with my family and friends because we wanted to have some good Italian Food. Well, we got Good Food and Great entertainment for a fair price. I had the Ravioli with meat sause and it was... (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch Mar 09, 2007Initially, this review appeared in Yahoo; however, someone was able to whine to Yahoo to have it removed. No problem...Here it is again! On Sunday, 3/4/7 my family and I thought we'd go to Carmine's in South Pasadena... (more)
justmeglo
on Citysearch Feb 05, 2007What a great place! I had been to the cocktail side to listen to the sounds of Souled out. Which was great! But one Saturday I decided to take my family there for dinner. Carmine himself greeted us and after about a 20... (more)
Contributor
on Citysearch Dec 17, 2006<b>In Short</b><br>The warm dining room bustles with families sharing pizzas and pasta every night. Wood furniture, empty Chianti bottles and closely packed tables add to the homey atmosphere. Iceberg salads... (more)
theresamd
on Citysearch Sep 24, 2006The salads are crisp and fresh with a tangy balsamic dressing. The bread is served warm from the oven. Whether I go there for lunch or dinner, weekend or week nights, the portions are generous and I always have some left... (more)
davha
on Yahoo Aug 12, 2006mia bella: The lasanga was so good that it took me to another place. The service was great. I was very hungry and my food was made quick and fresh. (more)
Julie M.
on Judys Book Jul 20, 2006Carmine's is a good bar- local bar with a home-town feel. As casual as a dive bar...but nicer. They have random bands that play on Fridays and Saturdays and really good pizza too. Carmines is open all day as a... (more)
ifordetails
on Yahoo Jul 13, 2006Intimate restaurant/dive bar: With 2 seperate entrances it seems impossible to accomplish but they did it and do it well! Stick to the female servers for the dining area and you'll be safe because the male servers are... (more)
michmill813
on Citysearch Jun 27, 2006Another restaurant that I've been to a few times, Carmine's is very predictable. You're going to get good food, good portions, and a decent bill at the end of the night. The pizza isn't too greasy and the toppings are... (more)
ebrackett
on Citysearch Jun 02, 2006I've been taking my family to Carmine's since we moved here in 2002. The restaurant includes very generous portions, reasonable prices, great location, and friendly service. The sauces and recipes remind me of... (more)
a Yahoo! Local User
on Yahoo May 12, 2006Horrible experience.: This was the worst experience I've ever had at a restaurant. Our waitress made it impossible to even finish the meal. She was rude, snotty and hostile. Don't look for management to back the... (more)
xtinex
on Citysearch Jan 09, 2006I like this place a lot. it's comfortable and inviting, they have a small but nice variety of italian dishes on their menu. you can choose your own pasta dishes with whatever sauces you like. the pizza is above average-... (more)
KramSacul
on Citysearch Jan 04, 2006I've been ordering the same meatball sandwich for years and every time it's the same: great. The salad is big, the bread is plentiful, and my drink is always refilled. No other restuarant has been this consistently... (more)
Nap Z.
on Judys Book Nov 29, 2005Depending on what you're going here for I guess is how you will like this. The restaurant is ok. Kinda small. The food is nothing spectacular - pasta, pizaa, and appetizers. Same ole - same ole. Been here enough to not... (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch Oct 06, 2005I've been going to Carmine's for a couple of years. The decor is basic family-like Italian, the best seating is on the patio in the evening with it's perfect lighting. They have a very minimal corking fee (if I remember... (more)
happypasadena
on Citysearch Oct 04, 2005i finally decided to try carmine's after reading some good things about it. it was a huge disappointment. the food was very bland. i tried the sausage and peppers dish which had the "asterisk" which meant it was a house... (more)
debicancer
on Citysearch Sep 28, 2005My girlfriends and I try to meet their at least once a month for dinner. We usually start out in the bar, they have a killer happy hour. Everytime we go into the restaurant we always get such friendly service and they have... (more)
dameter
on Citysearch Sep 19, 2005I went in there last Friday with some friends for the first time. We had to wait a little while but we had some stiff cocktails from the bar while we waited. What a great place for happy hour. we met the very friendly owner... (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch Aug 19, 2005The food is excellent.The lasagne is great,the white pizza is to die for! The dipping oil is wonderful! The Italian dressing is great,the salads are fresh and delisious!The mixed berry cake is great! The only dish... (more)
Kevin P.
on Judys Book Aug 05, 2005I definitely have to give this place high marks...not just because the food is good, but they have had extremely quick service the few times we have visited. The first trip we made to Carmine's was on a very busy... (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch Aug 04, 2005I think this is the worst Italian restaurant ever. The food is overpriced, not authentic Italian unless you love grease and no flavor. The scampi I had was so dry, and such a poor quality of shrimp, I couldn't eat it. The... (more)
sallovesfood
on Citysearch May 18, 2005The food is plain and uninspired, canned tomato sauce (or it tastes like it), and is more like bar food than that of a restaurant. Service was slow, flippant and unattentive. The food really needs help.... (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch May 09, 2005Great Italian food with gi-normous portions! Try their Gumbi dish, it's one of our favorites. But really, order any of their pasta dishes and get enough to serve 2 people easily. Service is excellent, the setting is... (more)
ty09
on Citysearch May 03, 2005The service or the food. My wife and I had decided to try Carmines after passing by it so much on Fair Oaks. We arrived and were greeted by a rude Manager/hostess who was not attentive to us eventhough they weren't that... (more)
carrielou
on Citysearch Mar 27, 2005This food in this restaurant is terrible and overpriced. I had the scampi and it was dried out and tasted like rubber. The people in my party who had the veal said it tasted like chicken, and was not fresh. The chicken... (more)
netter1
on Citysearch Mar 23, 2005Carmine's is not a high class place at all. Generally, it's a place we dine at when we "require" Italian food and we're near the restaurant. It's not a place I would go out of my way to find or recommend to friends. The... (more)
katz_in_town
on Citysearch Mar 22, 2005The service was good, the salad was plentiful, bread was warm and yummy but that's not really what I was hoping for. I ordered the chicken alfredo, first problem, the chicken was cold. Luckily (uh), they nuked it and... (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch Feb 28, 2005One of my favorite local spots to hang out durring the week. You can easily make a whole night of it at Carmine's with the restaurant and it's great food (love the BBQ chicken pizza) and then skipping over to the bar area... (more)
dnakauchi
on Citysearch Feb 20, 2005Fresh baked rolls, large dinner salad, good pasta and pizza, with a full bar and reasonably priced. Not much more you can ask for. We go there about twice a month. (more)
G
on Yahoo Jan 28, 2005I like Carmines-most of the time: the food is great and the value is even better. If you sit out in the patio you feel as though you are dining in Italy. I also like the bar becaue you can go and watch the game and eat and... (more)
heywood3000
on Citysearch Jan 27, 2005Carmine's in South Pas is one of the best places to eat. They serve good food -- not great, but good. And you cannot beat the prices, serivce or servings. It is a great neighborhood place. BTW, the pizza is great and their... (more)
angela motta
on Citysearch Nov 17, 2004I love Italian food and was pleased to see Carmine's down the hill from my home. My visions of becoming a regular at a local eatery were dashed when I tasted the gnocchi. The little dumplings were chewey instead of light... (more)
lovelylove
on Citysearch Oct 10, 2004I just moved to the Pasadena area about a month ago and someone from my gym suggested Carmine's for lunch. It was so perfect for our group. There were 10 of us in our party and we got in with just a brief wait. They gave us... (more)
intlfoods
on Citysearch Sep 28, 2004What's wrong with these people? Such an unpleasant dining experience when you have an idiot waitress that hates her job and is a frickin' typical snob. The food was okay, but she ruined it for us. All I can say is, if that... (more)
a Yahoo! Local User
on Yahoo Aug 16, 2004Good Food, Good Times, and Great Value: Carmine's offers a great happy hour in their sports bar. The drinks are good, and the happy hour specials are great! The food is good, but more important it has a great... (more)
healylvr
on Citysearch Jun 17, 2004My boyfriend and I love this place. The food is delicious, the portions are huge and the value for the money is incredible. You can't find anything like it anywhere else. We moved 30 miles away, but we still drive there... (more)
TooTreAna
on Citysearch Dec 28, 2002What Carmines lacks in decor it lacks even more with their flavorless dishes. We thought we would venture to the bar to hear some entertainment and were let down again a wannabe 80 heavy metal band were playing way to... (more)
kylie21
on Citysearch Nov 16, 2002I really don't know why there are so many people raving about this place here, it's really overrated. The food is pretty average, not much decor, below-average service, went on a friday night and the place wasn't... (more)