Johnny Carino’s

Pasta here is kind of pricey for a chain. It wasn’t bad, you get a decent amount. But watch out for the prices on their website and Unilocal menu. It’s actually higher when you go in, some prices are good during lunch hours only. I went on the weekend expected it to be cheaper like the website has indicated (didn’t mention any specific days/​hours) so expect to pay more. That’s my only complaint. Service was okay not good nor bad.

I’ll start by saying that I’m not usually a fan of chain restaurants. But I will also say that I have a soft spot in my heart for Johnny Carino’s. Back in the day they were on the east coast but no longer there and that broke my heart a little bit.
Oddly enough, there’s a Carino’s in Holland MI! Yeah! My heart was preparing for the pasta and cream sauces overload I was about to indulge in.
To start off: Italian Nachos with chicken (no olives or pepperoncinis) and the Baked Stuffed Mushrooms. The nachos could have had more chicken, but the alfredo sauce with the pasta chips and all the other deliciousness combined was exactly how I remembered it. The mushrooms were awesome. Stuffed was an understatement and the lemon basil cream sauce added a nice richness to the dish.
Main dishes: He had the Spicy Romano Chicken and I had my all time favorite– Chicken Bowtie Festival. With the Romano dish, he really liked the artichokes in it, but the spicy was just a bit overpowered by the red pepper flakes. The flavor wasn’t blended as well as it could have been. The Bowtie festival was just that, a celebration in my mouth. From the asiago cream sauce and bacon, it couldn’t have been prepared any better. (Note– it’s also excellent cold in the AM)
Yes, I got dessert. As per Louis C.K.“The meal is not over when I’m full. The meal is over when I hate myself.” Thanks Carino’s for having mini dessert options! Turtle cheesecake and Italian chocolate cake.
Things that chain restaurants need to stop doing– giving people their main meals while still eating their appetizers. Wait til we’re finish, clear the table and THEN onto the next course. It’s less crowded and messy. They were not busy this night and although we were told no rush, I felt it a little bit. Savor the moment.
We got home and instantly had to take a nap. it was worth it though :)

We went for the first time tonight. Sat for ten minutes without being greeted by anyone. They were not busy at all. Servers passed us and never acknowledged.
As we left I told the hostess that no one came to our table so we were leaving. Her reply.“okay, well have a good night”.
We own a restaurant… we don’t expect miracles, just a little customer service. Sad.

I love this place! I found it when in town for business — had no clue it was a chain. The atmosphere is odd — a country cabin theme with italian music and menu. Oddly — it is inviting and comfortable though and I find myself returning each time I am in town.
I make my own pasta — angel hair with alfredo, sauteed mushrooms, and italian sausage. They nail it every time. The wedge salad is the best I have had in a wedge.
Sounds simple enough but with the homemade baguettes and delicious oil dipping sauce (something about dried crispy garlic and spices that warms me up!) complete the meal. The portions are huge and I usually have enough leftovers for at least two more meals.
Finally — the staff is excellent each time I come. Very pleasant. I am a 30% tipper each and every time. I usually dine here alone and they make me feel as though I am their top priority.

I’m not a huge fan of eating pasta in restaurants just because I feel like I can make a pretty mean pasta at home. However, Johnny Carino’s is a great contender when it comes to Italian food (especially against Olive Garden). The quality of their food was good – ordered the seafood alfredo and boyfriend had some type of spaghetti. The orders were also super large so I had plenty of leftovers coming home. But those dynamite sticks, oh man… so good. I forced myself to eat all of them. I never usually go for desserts either, but they offer HALF-​SIZED DESSERTS. This is a beautiful option that should be offered at EVERY PLACE. I’m only rating it a solid ⁴⁄₅ because I wasn’t «wow’d» by anything other than those sticks. Foods good, but I wouldn’t go back unless someone had suggested it or if I was craving those dynamite sticks.

Waited for the waitress, she never showed up so we left guess they didn’t have enough help.

Left after sitting for 10 minutes. No water no one came by the table. Disappointing.

Very good customer service. However, the appetizer was undercooked. One of our meals was incorrect and had a long dark hair in the pasta. The great service isn’t worth the mediocre food.

You have to pay attention here if you have a coupon that came to your email… Apparently, there’s some glitch in their email system that will send you promotions for locations other than the one that you signed up for, and because this is a franchise location and not corporate owned, they run their promotions on a different schedule. The manager told me in my most recent visit that this «happens all the time», so they are aware of it, but would not honor the promotiion, despite it being a known issue.

This has become one of our favorite restaurants. The service is excellent, the food always delicious. I find it far better than Olive Garden with the menu choices. The less than desirable review of unclean plates, and fly in salad, I really have a hard time believing that person knew where they had actually eaten.

Always wanted to try this chain. I can see why the Mason Ohio one went out of business. It is below Olive Garden and Carrabas and Maggianos. I should probably be shamed for comparing to the last two. Décor is drab. Service was good but the place was dead. Appertizers came from a box like Sams Club or Costco. Chicken parm and pasta was nothing special. Not sure what classifies homemade. Caesar salad had too much dressing.

The food wasn’t bad. The ministeroni soup was awesome. Service when i went was awful. Waiting on drinks and even for him to check back in. I will say the deserts were good. But waiting on coffee for 5 min after ordering was ridiculous, at lease it got there before the deserts

Okay, I’m very persnickety about restaurants, food, service, etc. — and this place absolutely gets my approval! I was really surprised to see some of the other reviews, and have to wonder if maybe the restaurant went through a rough patch for a while before bringing itself to the great standards it has now.
My husband and I go here from time to time and get take-​out fairly often during the week. We’ve always had great food here, and the service has been really great. The atmosphere is nice, quiet, clean — good place for us to go as a couple when we just want to unwind in peace and have a nice dinner together.
Because we get take-​out a lot during the week, I will say that the servers who carry the bag of food out to our car seem to be expecting a tip — something that we just perceive because of body language and the time they sort of stand there, lingering. We didn’t know if we should tip a person who runs your food out to your car (like at a fast food drive thru when orders are backed up and someone just runs a bag out and says «Sorry about your wait», turns and runs back into the restaurant). We figured since the tips we leave servers are for those who brings us drinks, come back and take our order, deliver our food, check back with us to see how things are and if we need anything, refill our drinks, etc — that leaving a tip for someone who walks 10 ft out the door to hand us a bag isn’t quite the same thing. Although we could leave a smaller tip, I really don’t want to insult someone by handing them 50 cents or a dollar, which would be commensurate with the level of the service being provided — it’s just not worth $ 3 – 4 to drop a bag at my car. It’s just kind of awkward though — like someone seeming to think they should get a tip and you’re not giving one, because as the consumer you believe the very minimal act provided isn’t tip-​worthy. It would be nice if the restaurant posted a sign by the drive-​up curb that noted, «Please, no tipping» — like a local supermarket chain used to do when they had people carry your grocery bags to your car and load them for you. That would just make the etiquette understood to all and ease that awkward moment each time.
Prices are reasonable.

Johnny Carino’s Review
by: Joseph C Bell
Upon entering the establishment of Johnny Carino’s, I was dumb-​founded to realize I didn’t enter through front door. After entering the «Side Door» and wondering through a very claustrophobic, never ending– hallway we finally got to put table. The waitress was rude not even asking me for my drink preference and simply gave me water, which I let slip by since I’m having a pretty good night. Also on a good note the very attractive diving coach from the Cransbrook team was here, so my mood was content. Carino’s gave us two servings of bread which tasted amazing and at the moment, gave me high hopes for the soon to be Meatball Panini I was going to consume. The main-​course came shortly afterwards (I estimate around 15mins) and after taking my first bite, my heart stopped beating. I truly believed, I reached my full potential.
I was in summer again. The panini nice. The Panini was soft. It was comforting. It gave me warmth. The food was a ¹⁰⁄₁₀ no doubt about it. The food was excellent and the price was very reasonable coming out around 11 $ with tip. I would love to give it a rating ⁵⁄₅ but because of the sketchy entrance and the below par service and treatment I received from the Waitress in the beginning, I give it a 4.6÷5. Bring a date to Johnny Carino’s and take back the night. For more reviews follow me on twitter: bell– reviews, and if you are really craving food visit Johnny Carino’s located in Holland.

Carino’s in Holland has the same excellent menu as Grand Rapids when it was still open. Visited last Saturday and once again made it well worth the drive. Management and wait staff very attentive and ensures the experience exceeds expectations.
We sure do miss the Grand Rapids location as we were weekly visitors

Used to be one of my favorite places to eat, over the last couple years they have just grown to disappoint me, always get the same thing, lobster ravioli, though the price has stayed the same the quality has gone down, went from getting 12 ravioli to the last visit «6»!!! And the sauce used to be a nice white cream sauce to now a yellow reheated many times mess! I totally understand food costs on the rise but for 15 dollars a plate I expect more! It’s sad cause the food is decent in taste! And they used to have a plank salmon dish they changed for some citrus salmon that’s not nearly as good!

What has happens to this place? My advise is never go there. I can give you 5 reason for my advise, including stopwatch time of service but then I just cannot see my kids …

Knowing this was a chain, I had certain expectations. I expected something between the mix of Olive Garden and Ucellos. The outside is beautiful and the inside was nice. The host was nice, and the server was nice. It was just nice. I had a sangria which was good, the bread was okay and the food was sub par. Nothing about the place really made me want to come back again. The lasagna was over spiced and there was not enough sauce for the Gorgonzola pasta. The bread was okay but the table side service was just, nice. if you want good pasta, I wouldn’t recommend this place.

I am writting this review for my children. We love Italian foods. We don’t always have lots of time, so we are happy to live close to Johnny Carino’s. However it is too bad my children refuse to revisit Johnny Carino’s after the third times of bad experiences. I just can’t convience them any more.
My children saw red sauce with pieces of tomatoes on the so call cleaned plates.
There were dead fly on the salad. The food is always too greasy and salty. Let’s not go on any further.
I am hoping manager is taking Unilocal reviews serious and consider improving their GREAT LOCATION restaurant. I would love to have a wonderful Italian restaurant on the north side of Holland.
Inspite of the issues, the service is always pleasant and excellent! Our server checks on us appropriately and get whatever issue there was corrected.

For being a restaurant chain it still felt local and original in décor — that was the first impression. Our server was overwhelmed with the crowd of people we made up but did his best to make everyone happy. That was satisfying to see. We had a variety of the appetizers and main dishes. The favorites were the nachos (made with won-​ton shells– uniquely delicious) and calamari with marinara (surprisingly good together). I didn’t try pasta but what my friends ordered looked very nice with appealing presentations. The drinks were also well done. I would recommend this place to anyone that would appreciate a creative twist with their Italian meal out.
Note: They do offer ½ price on some appetizers after 9pm. Just be sure to find out exactly which ones it applies to before you order. And although the restaurant can be seen from Hwy 31 the entrance is from W Shore Dr. right alongside Culver’s.