Carmine's Restaurant - DCFamily environment, great foodTraveling with the family in Washington DC, and found this place. Food was great. My only recommendation would be for them to offer 1/2 portion sizes, this way family can order a couple of dishes.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMYumFantastic Food. Little expensive but it is family style and all you can eat so he more you have the cheaper it is. I always leave here sooooo stuffed and happy. Definitely can't pass up the Carmine's Salad. It is out of this world.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Service.We booked reservations through open table. We arrived before our reservation time. We had a table for 7 well before the time of our reservation. They were very accommodating that way. Our server. Molly, was EXCELLENT!!! Very pleased with the service. There was one large party in the bar area, however that were YELLING most of the time. This distracted from our family dining experience.6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMgroup of 18I planned the menu ahead of time to make things simpler and cheaper for such a large group. The large bottles of house wines also helped keep the cost down. This restaurant is perfect for large groups.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and plenty of it!Great food and plenty of it! The kids enjoyed the home-style service.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Italian EVEROutside of Italy, hands down best Italian meal I have ever had. It even rivaled some of the meals I had in Italy! The service was outstanding, I love the family-style servings, the whole experience was fantastic.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMPortions are huge! Plan toPortions are huge! Plan to take home a doggie bag.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat valueI have been to Carmine's many times and food is always consistent and very good. This restaurant is great for a large group as everything comes out in family style in large quantity. For a party of five, the bill (including tip) was $100 and we left with full tummy. Great value, great food and outstanding service. Will be back soon5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMafter a day of sightseeingAfter a day of sightseeing this was a wonderful place to relax and have a great meal together. The seven of us shared the spaghetti carbonara, the rigatoni with broccoli and sausage, and veal cutlets along with a very nice salad. Definitely as nice as the Carmines that we have visited in NY. We will be there again.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful!We took an office group of 16 to Carmine's for a going away party. The event couldn't have been better. The restaurant is so easy to work with and super accommodating.... from their special events person right down to our waiter. On top of that the food is absolutely out of this world!! I can't wait to take my family here.
You will definitely be happy with Carmine's no matter the size of your group.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for large groupExcellent like home Italian food served family style.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved our meal.The food was awesome. My officemates loved the menu. Everyone loved the Carmine's house salad.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMGraduation celebrationWe had a wonderful graduation celebration! The food was delicious and plentiful, service was very good, overall a very enjoyable experience .5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Food - Not So Great ServiceMaybe it was because it was graduation weekend in DC with large groups. We had a reservation for 5 at 7:30 PM . The waiter was prompt to our table and the drinks and a bread basket came pretty quickly. The main courses took over 1 hr to get to the table. The waiter kept apologizing (it was NOT his fault.) When the food did arrive it was hot and plentiful as it always is. The coffee & dessert cannoli were great. Carmines has always been a great place for a group celebration but, given the number of diners who had bookings that evening, management should have had a plan to serve all diners that evening without making them wait up to an hour for their main courses. Otherwise, it is a fabulous place to eat great tasting Italian food.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMFood for a feastVisited DC restaurant for son's graduation. Had fun time, lots of food. Waiter was very friendly and attentive.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGraduation party.Dishes are great for large groups so you can get a variety to share.
Service was great and efficient. Definitely request Kelvin Laster, he will give you that
personal attention that everyone wants while dinning.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMCarmine's Police week 2013. Seating was prompt for a large group service was good but could have been better but tough with one server with large party over 14. cold antipasto as well as calamari and one of each was more then enough for table. Had two pastas the seafood mix with large lobster and shrimp in white sauce. The mixed ragu was tasty the meat was plentiful but lacked enough meatballs and sausage for a large table with similar tastes and went fast.
Main course was steak pizziallo as well as chicken in lemon sauce. The porterhouse steak was cooked perfectly and had great flavor and was more than enough for the whole table. The chicken was thinly cut.The desert was also good the Tartufffo was awesome the tiramisu I would probably skip.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved Carmines - as usual!Although we've been there many times, we brought 3 friends who had never been. Our additional friends were accommodated with no problem. They were very pleased with the food, service, and overall experience. New customers when they return to DC.5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent atmosphere and food!!Hubby and I are extreme foodies and this is the real deal!!! You must get the meatballs!!!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMy experience at Carmine'sMy experience at Carmine's was totally awesome. The service, ambience and most of all the food was very good. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone, especially large groups.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGREAT FOOD.! THERE WERE LOTSGREAT FOOD.! THERE WERE LOTS OF LARGE FAMILY GROUPS. BRING YOUR APPETITES SERVED FAMILY STYLE! WE ORDERED ONE ITEM FOR THE TWO OF US AND BROUGHT HALF HOME. NOT A QUIET RESTAURANT.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWe Love Carmine'sCarmine's is wonderful. We first went to the one on Paradise Island in the Bahamas and then the one in Atlantic City, NJ. The one in DC lived up to the other's. Great family style Italian food.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMHappy4AllEnjoyable dinner party for 13th Birthday. Carmines was able to accommodate the group of picky eaters. The food was excellent, waitress was friendly and helpful but seemed overworked. Although we could only get an 8:15 reservation, the restaurant was only 1/3 full, perhaps short staffed. Fun place to host a big crowd.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMSF GalCelebrated my sister's 50th birthday with a party of ten. Great time! Food great and service was excellent! Would definately recommend for a fun time!!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experience for at risk kidsWe took some of our students here after seeing a show at the Shakespeare Theatre Company and they were blown away by the experience. It is crazy that since they live on the other side of the river they have never experienced anything like this. Thanks Carmine's for an exceptional meal.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMThe host staff was very nice,The host staff was very nice, getting us seated while a group in excess of 200 children piled in also at the same time. Food was good and our server was efficient.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMDozen Diners DelightedThe food and service hit the spot for our going away celebration. Family-style Italian comfort food pleased all tastes. Server's recommendations for number and type of dishes were excellent; then appropriately attentive without being intrusive.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMgood group experienceI took a group of 11 here and found it to be a good value for such a large group, but also nice enough to feel special. Ordering family style entrees is a great way for a group to bond. We spent about $35 per person and that included drinks and appetizers - you can't beat that in DC for a nice group outing.
Food quality is only okay - I went to Carmine's in New York and it was somehow much tastier than DC. Our server was good - service overall was good. Ambiance is a little noisy and our table was a little crowded, not much elbow room.
Wine list is expensive - they need a selection of lower-priced wines ($46 a bottle is cheapest we found)5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMLove CarminesHave been going to Carmines in NYC for years, was so happy to have one open in DC. We were not disappointed.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMHuge PortionsThe food portions are huge (designed for feeding large crowds). My husband and I shared the entrée and still had enough left over for a second large meal for each of us, plus a lunch portion. But the food is very good, very satisfying Italian meal.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent for Girl Scout Troop!Excellent experience for a Girl Scout Troop visiting Washington, DC. We were a group of 16. The family style service was perfect for us. The food was excellent, fresh and well prepared. The staff arranged three tables so the whole troop ate together. Highly recommended for groups visiting DC. Do make reservations ahead of time. Our bill came to $25 per person and that included the tip, dessert, appetizer, salad, and four huge sharing entrees.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMPleasant diningWe dined at Carmine's after a performance at Ford's Theatre--a little further walk than anticipated but a pleasant walk in good weather. We had not looked at the menu on line beforehand and were surprised at the menu but plunged in with the help of our server. The result was a delicious dinner that we all enjoyed and an amazingly low priced check. We definitely plan on returning the next time we are in DC.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for groupsThree of us shared a vegetable "side" and an entrée at Carmine's and we had plenty of food. The "side" was a delicious eggplant parmesan the size of a loaf of bread! The veal scallopini was simply terrific. How this kitchen turns out such good food for such masses of people (they cater to bus tour groups) is a mystery. Do not miss the basil, berry, bubbly cocktail! Highly recommended for no fewer than three people.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMThe BEST!!I LOVE this place - from the front door to the check the staff, food, and atmosphere is perfect. You can go here anytime and feel as though you are a regular. Don't change a thing!4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMFamily style Veal ParmigianaFamily style Veal Parmigiana and a spinach salad special, with a side of pasta of course, made for a very nice pre-theater luncheon. Friendly service, very tasty food, and a nice glass of wine. It doesn't get much better than that.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat spot right in the middleGreat spot right in the middle of Chinatown for big groups, families and noisy friend gatherings.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMCarmines DC Great Food and ComfortI combined a dinner with friends from work with my siblings who drove 4 hours just for dinner. The meal was fantastic; the room fun, my reservation was ready upon arrival, the family style meal helped people I care about from work and my family to become fast friends very quickly. We have dined at Carmines New York and had the same great experience. (altho this waiter was a bit more subdued, he was responsive.)
My best friend who was visiting from California captured the night with these words: "Its my favorite place to eat good fun and have fun in D.C.". Considering he is a foodie, this is quite a compliment!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMI went for the first timeI went for the first time for an office-mate farewell luncheon. Why did I wait so long to try Carmines? I cannot wait to return with my own family!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMConsistently FabulousDelicious food and great service. Bring lots of people because it's family style and there is plenty to go around! This was our third visit to Carmine's and it has never disappointed.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat service and HUGE portionsGreat service and HUGE portions for a fair price! what can i say?4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMI have been to carmines inI have been to carmines in NYC and it is excellent. There is no drop off in service and quality here in DC. You will not be disappointed4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was SUPERB!!!!! TheThe food was SUPERB!!!!! The only thing that I recommend is that you go with a group as the items are meant for sharing.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMReally fantastic SouthernReally fantastic Southern Italian fare, prepared and served family style.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMFamily style done right!!!Family style Italian done right! Great prices, perfect location. Out server was very attentive and knowledgeable, just a touch militant in her suggestions. Other than that, it was a phenomenal restaurant experience!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMHad a great time with my sonHad a great time with my son and his college friends! This Carmines is a gem and we always go when we are in DC - food is good and service is great4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMApril the 19th was my daughterApril the 19th was my daughter sweet sixteen dinner was very special to us all Carmines is one of my daughters favorite dining spots and she enjoyed it. their was a chicken sapreran(may not have spelled it right)but it was chicken dish it was overly cooked and very dry and had to send it back the overall was great.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMMy family and I enjoyed ourMy family and I enjoyed our dinner at Carmines. The service was good and the food was very good. I wish you could order slightly smaller amounts of food--it felt wasteful. There were four of us (my kids are nearly adult sized) and we only ate about half of our dinner.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways serving great food.Always serving great food. Server had some challenges but ended up ok. I believe he had preferred to be elsewhere on that particular evening. Still, no regrets!4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMGroup DinnerCarmine's was great as usual. We had a party of ten and it was quite busy for a Monday night. The only drawback was that I tried some new dishes (shrimp scampi & chicken parm) and we did not know that pasta does not come with it. It was a little strange to see a plate of shrimp and chicken with no pasta. Overall a great dinner.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome! Love the concept.Awesome! Love the concept. Appreciate the seriousness with which staff and kitchen took our many food allergies! Everyone ate well. We will definitely return whenever we are in DC!4/15/2013 12:00:00 AM