Carmela’s Pizzeria Cafe & Deli

Excellent food. Large generous portions. Reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. House wines were top notch. Definitely will recommend to others.

The food was good but overall the service left a lingering bad taste in our mouths. Our family, like this one is in the service industry and know how important it is to treat your welcomed guest, like your welcomed guest… something our waitress has not yet learned or has not yet been made aware of by this family owned and operated establishment. The restaurant was about half seated, yet we waited about 20 min before a drink order was taken. Okay that’s fine, maybe there was some uncertainty on who was waiting on our table. FREE PASS! We’re still happy patrons. We ordered a couple of appetizers and one person in the group ordered a small dinner salad. Eventually, all is brought to the table and we proceed with ordering our entrees. Here is when the wheels began to fall off the cart. Prior to ordering our meals, we asked that she split the check amongst the four couples ordering. She informed us that she had already started one ticket and would not separate it. Really? Never has this been an issue or hardship for other servers, but oh well, if she can’t or won’t then so be it. The person who ordered the small dinner salad ordered the spaghetti and meatball entrée and asked the waitress to please note that her dinner salad be paired to her spaghetti order so she would not be charged the higher cost of ordering the small dinner salad alone as opposed to coming with the meal. The waitress responded by saying «Oh no, I can’t do that; you should have told me that you were going to order an entrée. I can’t automatically know that this is what you wanted. I have to charge you for the salad without an entrée because you didn’t let me know ahead of time.» My niece is such a sweet and non-​confrontational individual and said, «Oh, okay I’m sorry, I understand.» I, on the other hand, don’t take kindly to seeing anyone I care about getting lectured on ordering procedure and protocol by a curt, tired waitress who obviously needs a day off. Now we’re not as happy patrons, but because we are enjoying our evening together what the hell… you get another FREE PASS! Much time passes; we were done with the appetizers a year ago and the entrees are passed out. My brother ordered his entrée with the wedge salad. Our waitress gave him a Greek salad. When he told her he had ordered the wedge salad she insisted that she never heard him say Wedge salad and refused to replace the Greek salad with what he had ordered. Are you kidding me, we all just sat there in shocked and in disbelief that she was so defensive about her mistake and unwillingness to rectify it. Makes one wonder what happens to the staff if waste occurs because of incorrect orders. Now, we are not happy, yet we stay positive.
After all, we are still sharing in quality family time… Oh crap; I look down at my entrée. Now, I’ve got a problem with my order but do I dare complain upon deaf ears of the issue… I ordered the tilapia sautéed with spinach jalapeño cream sauce, and for the few bites actually containing cream sauce, it was good; however, the majority of the plate was bone dry and tasteless. The dish needed more sauce desperately. I very politely asked for more sauce and added that I would be happy to pay for it. Now, if that’s not being understanding and diplomatic I don’t know what is… Okay Wait for it… wait for it… Broom Hilda tells me that this menu item is made to order and that they just can’t whip up more sauce. The Chef is too busy to make it right. That is our experience in a nutshell. Needless to say NO FREE PASS. We’re done here. Give us the check so we can go somewhere else and enjoy dessert. We didn’t want to take the chance of another ordering blunder that we would end up paying for. The foundation of this business is solid; it is the flock within that unequivocally needs improvement. I encourage the owners to take a close look at all of the reviews. Most people have nothing negative to say about the food. Most of the negative remarks rest solely on the staff. Time for a meeting to bring the wait staff up to the same standards as the food they serve.

A very nice surprise. We stopped at the gas station next door and decided to try this place last night. Very warm atmosphere. Excellent service. The bread and olive oil before the meal were excellent. We had the house salad with vinaigrette and an Italian shrimp pasta with jalapeño cream sauce. Shrimp were plump and juicy. A very nice dish. Will definitely give this one a try next time we are in the area.

I visited Carmela’s for the first time tonight. I just moved to the neighborhood and had wanted to try this place out. I was dining alone so I ordered the Spaghetti and Meatballs and a salad. The meal was awesome! So tasty and authentic! I will be back with my family. Really yummy Italian meal. Can’t wait to try their other entrees. Good value too.

Oh how good the food is! This is a genuine Italian food eatery. I know, because I am a certified fat boy! OMG, Garlic Jalapeño Tilapia… Delicate tilapia sauteed with spinach, jalapeño cream sauce and fresh tomatoes. Topped with shredded cheese and served with pasta… Absolutely to die for!
Great wine bar also!

This is now my favorite Italian restaurant in the area. We went for the first time last weekend. Nice ambience, friendly service, good crowd but not too busy to get seated right away. Good for a quiet date night but also quite casual and family friendly. It’s not a white table cloth kind of place.
My husband and I shared the spaghetti and meatballs (yummy with 3 large balls and tons of pasta, enough to take home for another dinner) and the chicken dish with artichoke hearts and lemon sauce (I forget what it was called). It was also delish. The chicken breast was pounded out somewhat flat, dredged in flour and pan fried in skillet, prepared similar to marsala but with a different sauce, obviously. Loved it.
We each added a dinner salad to our entrée for $ 2 or $ 3 extra, can’t recall exactly. You can choose house or caesar. They also bring fresh bread but I didn’t love it because I think it has anise seed (flavor of black licorice) or some other strange flavor that saved me a couple hundred calories. Score!
The desserts in the case looked good — chocolate chip cannoli and NY black & white cookies. Definitely a surprise for Dripping Springs!
We really enjoyed our dinner here and will be back frequently.

We really like this place! The food is very consistently very good and the service is always spot-​on, and fast! Family-​run, and you can tell they all take pride in their restaurant. The last time I called in an order for pick-​up, they mistakenly made the wrong pizza. Not only did they make me the correct one (super quick and at no charge), but they also gave me the incorrect one to take home for my husband. Now, that’s service!

We just moved to the neighborhood and heard great things. Needed to see for ourself since it’s in a gas station strip mall… unfortunately I never would have gone if not for the rave reviews!
Called in for pickup, service was great and I loved that the seeming high schoolers working there take pride in the place and their jobs. Super friendly staff. Food was great! Pizza was cooked well and my pasta dish was delicious. Have ordered once more and salad and pizza were again great.
The scenery inside reminds me of an old Italian joint in my home town so I can’t wait to go and dine in soon!

Always good service and flavor. The owners are constantly supervising every little detail.

First time here. 18 inch pizzas for 9.99 on Monday and Tuesday’s. Also tried the Italian trio. Everything was great!

We love Carmela’s! Sure the food isn’t crazy fancy or knock your socks off, but the place is clean, the staff is fantastic, they get your drinks and orders out quickly, and the food is always satisfying. Never fails. Solid place.

Great food and service. If not for Unilocal,we would have blown by this little place in a small strip mall. Great food and service. Wish we had this place at our location!

I had heard great things about this place so I decided to go in and try it out. Plus, I really didn’t feel like being in a crowd in Austin.
When we entered, we didn’t know what to do. There’s no sign telling you to seat yourself or wait. I looked over and only assumed that we wait because there was a stack of menus and rolled silverware to the side. A waiter then yelled across the restaurant, over a filled table for us to pick a table. The restaurant had a good number of people inside but he decides to yell. We chose a table and he handed us the menus, stated he’s going to get bread and oil and asked what we wanted to drink. I said I wanted water with lemon. He immediately said only to me, «Across the table?» I said, «oh…ok sure» since it through me off. Waiters usually ask each person what they want instead of asking one person what everyone wants. He disappeared and handed us all water. We waited for the bread. He reappeared and told us not to look at the menu because we will want the specials but he’ll be back to tell us what they are. He said all this while passing us by. He then comes back and gives us slightly warmed mini loaf of bread. It was an immediate turn off because I can’t stand to have to put my hands all over bread, tear it off and the last person who gets a piece has had other’s hands all over it. It is pretty gross. Finally, he brings the oil. The bread and oil were both tasteless although both had herbs. Seems like cheap olive oil and somehow bland bread and bland dipping herbs. We kept eating it because we were hungry. He comes back to tell us the specials and how we will want them over everything else. We just hsve him all uncomfortable giggles. We didn’t get any time to look over the menu before he came back. He then announces loudly that the specials are some kind of shrimp and oysters or clams and the other dish being a wine lemon sauce over chicken breast all over spaghetti noodles. I had this picture of plain noodles, and chicken breast on top with a lemon sauce. Sounded sort of boring but hoped for the best. The dish came out and it looked exactly how I thought it would. I could tell they cooked a wine sauce, probably butter with lemon juice (didn’t taste fresh) and placed a butterflied chicken breast in the sauce as it cooked, causing the chicken to become slimy. No seasoning on the chicken and none on the pasta. Just capers. Taking a bite, the sauce hit the back if my tongue and gave an odd flavor. It was as if they used the wrong white wine. I’ve had many a lemon wine sauce and have never had this reaction. It’s actually one of my favorite type sauces to get on chicken or fish but this? Just off. I then tasted the pasta with the sauce. No flavor except for the odd bitterness plus tang the sauce gave. I asked a friend to try it. She made a cringing expression. I told the waiter and he said hold on. The manager or owner showed up and holds my plate as the waiter walks past her, yelling, «She didn’t like her dish! She’d like to return it!» Seriously, dude, you don’t need to yell. She then asked, «You don’t like??» with an expression of disbelief. I apologized and said I’m sorry but it just wasn’t good to me. She still stood there but very slowly moved away as if to wait for more reasons so I kept going. She smiled and said it’s okay. The waiter came back twice and both times, very loudly asked what I want to order instead. Nothing seemed appealing to me after that so I told him I’m okay. Meanwhile, I’m watching the waiter bounce between 3 tables, including us and not giving the tables any time to talk but kept going back for their orders.
I’m hoping this was just an off day or something. If this dish is an indication of the other dishes, I’m going to have to question the other reviewers. I’ll probably only be going back if a friend wants to try it, hoping their pizzas are better, but won’t go back any other reason. The waiter was too pushy, loud and embarrassing and the food was off.

Great hill country restraunt! Food was excellent. Wait staff, nice. Family has eaten there several times and we have done carry-​out pizza several times.

Wonderful family restaurant, one of the few left that still makes their food from scratch.

Went first time last night with my teenage kids. They shared a huge pizza for something like $ 10. I had a delicious Greek salad and a fabulous chicken/​mushroom/​artichoke dish with a side of pasta. Warm (and I assume homemade) bread was a perfect appetizer for us hungry people. Great food and very good value. Bit of an odd location… but nice ambience inside. Has that family owned Italian restaurant feel that’s common in the NE but so rare in Austin. Service was friendly and responsive. I’ll be back for more!!!

Excellent service and amazing food. I love to see family in a family business; and this one does an amazing job.

We have been going to Carmela’s since they opened. Every couple of months usually. Great good. Pretty short but traditional menu. The pizza is really good too. They do a lot of pizza takeout biz. The owners are almost always on site, which I think helps the consistent food quality. My only gripe is the service. At best its really spotty and unfortunately at worst it can be really bad. The servers are always pleasant, I just dont think they staff enough for busy nights. OK other gripe they did away with tap beer because they could not get their keg system working correctly. Too bad! I will be back.

Food is really pretty good, especially for an Italian restaurant attached to gas station. Service was terribly bad on the two occasions I have been to dine in (and even poor the two times I have gotten to go orders). Love to see small businesses do well but I won’t be back for dine in as my experience each time has been over an hour wait and meals coming out at separate times.
On a positive note. The salads are great, calamari is good, and the pasta dishes were better than expected. Have ordered the pizza to go twice and it is really large. Crust isn’t great, but I will order pizza there again.

Awesome Italian eatery tucked quietly at the intersection of HPR and RR12.
Great service, nice wine list, house made pasta and red gravy — just like NYC or Philly little Italy. Thanks for the Friday night spot to eat.