Carmine’s La Trattoria – Miami

The service was bad and the wait for the food was to long. Very upset when we finally got our meals it was the wrong one and had to wait another 45 min. Spoke with the manager and not even a discount for the inconvenience. We will never ever go again. The food truck at the parking lot that was there had better service.

Horrible, me and my friends all got burnt pizzas.

I’ll admit I was skeptical because of of the bad reviews but is apparent that someone in management has been reading them and subsequently coaching the staff better.
We went because it was the best deal on Groupon. From the start, attentiveness wasn’t an issue. The waitress asked us if we would like anything to drink quickly. She then asked us if we were ready to order appetizers nearly a half minute later. Our food came almost right after we ordered, which was impressive. Despite our server’s supersonic speed, she wasn’t the friendliest, and for how fancy the interior is (looks like something out of The Godfather), there should be servers that aren’t prissy and non-​engaging, managers take note. I’m usually easy on young girls, because I am one and because I worked customer service in the past, but she was standoffish. She didn’t look like she enjoyed her job, or serving us for that matter. I could tell the hostess was at least trying to smile and be friendly at first, but she was on her phone texting the entire time after we were seated, and was flirting around while letting customers walk by when leaving instead of saying «good night» a like a hostess gets PAID to do. They shouldn’t be on the company payroll in my opinion. Their actions reflect badly on this beautiful restaurant. As for the food. It was really nice! The fiocchi di pera and eggplant parm pasta were more than palatable. They didn’t rock my world or anything, but the portions are huge, and it all tasted pretty fresh and yummy. We also had plenty of options to choose from that weren’t stereotypical of most Italian restaurant chains, I appreciated that.
We didn’t get a starter because they cost the same as the pricey entrees, which is ridiculous. Our tab came out to 60 bucks for 2 entrees, so if you’re a broke college kid, don’t come here. Yay to the food, nay to the experience.

Estive no Carmine’s a noite para jantar em um Sábado.
Minha esposa correria no domingo a maratona de Miami, e precisava de uma dieta com carboidratos. As avaliações que encontrei da casa não eram super tops, confesso, mas resolvi arriscar assim mesmo.
Ambos pedimos massa. Eu pedi um linguine com frutos do mar e ela um penne ao molho funghi.
Os pratos são bem servidos e os preços bons. o Restaurante é simples, mas bem arrumado.
A comida estava boa, longe de ser um gourmet espetacular, mas adequado aos preços e ao padrão do lugar.

Great food, great ambiance. The pizza is amazing. On Thursdays they have half off wine bottles which is a plus. Their bread is also very tasty. The shrimp scampi was very good. Lasagna was great and servings are large. Service took a little long, but the outdoor area is nice so didn’t bother me. Will come again soon.

Where to begin. We had one server with a 20 person table. Finally got our drinks after 45 minutes. I had the lobster ravioli which left much to be desired. All in all every dish I tried was Chef Boyardee quality and the 45 min wait between each beer was unacceptable. You’ll have better luck at Olive Garden than here. Only reason I give two stars is because of the good company I had during this ordeal.

Got to the Resturant at 8:00 and didn’t get our appetizers till 9:15 after talking to a manager that never came by to see how we were are asking if we needed something. The main dishes arrived at 9:30 and came incorrectly so we left and told the manager how we feel and he didn’t even care and I told him the we were not paying for the. Wine or the appetizers that he was going to comp. everything and we left.
What a terrible first experience and our last !!!

Although the food took awhile to be served, the service I received tonight made my visit to Carmine’s worthwhile. There is a manager named Clay who shines with warmth and happiness. He listened to our complaint with an open and patient ear. He went above and beyond what we expected and really turned the entire experience around for us. Thanks to Clay, we will be coming back! I recommend anything with the vodka sauce, it is delicious!

I ate here for the first time the other night and have no complaints. We sat outside and the view was beautiful with the fountain in the background — a very nice setting. (The inside of the restaurant was very nice also.)
Our server was friendly and the service was good. We started with some fried cheese ravioli and brushetta from the happy hour menu — good price ($ 5) and both were good. In hindsight, we didn’t need the brushetta because they bring out a DELICIOUS basket of bread with olive oil and balsamic before the meal — I really loved that (free) bread.
Then we had a margarita pizza — it, too, was very good. The dessert, a berry pie, was also very good.
This would be a good place to come and hang out with friends after work. The happy hour menu was cheap, and the drinks were cheap too (my friend had a beer for $ 3-​something). It’s a nice setting to sit and relax. The outdoor space is very big, and so is the inside.
The prices are reasonable and if you go on Monday thru Friday, look for a Groupon that’s a really good deal (but, beware, it’s not good for Friday, Saturday or Sunday!)
A good dining experience, we enjoyed it.

This place is a tiny step above Olive Garden. The hostess was the rudest young girl I have ever encountered. She basically stared at me when I asked her a question about the menu with a look like she had no interest in engaging with her costumers. Later she circled my table with an attitude. I was honestly scared she was going to have the kitchen do something to my food. She was Very disgusting and immature and made my dining experience with my family miserable. Oh and about the kitchen … You can hear the kitchen staff yelling to each other in Spanish using very low class language.
Honestly The only reason I gave this one star is because the waiter was friendly and apologetic. Poor guy couldn’t apologize enough for the hostess and her rudeness. I wish I had her name. She should get fired.
About the food. No big deal. Save your money and eat else where !!!

We went to Carmine’s last night to bring in the New Year after a very nice experience last year. We were a party of 8 adults and 1 small child. We ordered our food at 9:30 and left angry at 11:45 without any of the main dishes or pastas having been served. They could not even get the child’s penne pasta with marinara out in that time despite our questioning. When we asked to speak to a Manager he did not come and I had to be taken to the kitchen to speak with him. We left because our 2 year old was asking for her pasta and began crying. We will never bring our business to Carmine’s again and suggest you consider this review when deciding if you should go there period but especially so for special events. They ruined our New Year and many other large parties around us who had similar experiences.

Horrible!!! We sat down and no one asked us what we wanted to drink. I waited 14 minutes before I got up and left.
And the place was empty, while waiters walked around talking. Terrible customer service!

Go to Red Lobster or Olive Garden. Yeah, I said it.
My friends and I came here on a double date and while the atmosphere and service are absolutely wonderful, the food was ehhhh at best. My linguine fruitte di Mare was bland and so was the risotto. And the biggest sin on the night was the mozzarella caprese. They served me two FRIED mozzarella squares with marinara sauce and basil pesto. I had to ask the waiter if it was the right dish. TL;DR save your money and go somewhere else. Anywhere else.

This restaurant has a cute little date night ambiance to it, sometimes they even have a live performer. Our server was Ana and she was fantastic. We started off with some calamari and hot marinara sauce. As an entrée I asked for the Fiocchi di Pera and my partner asked for the Osso Bucco. The Fiocchi di Pera was pretty rich, with equal amounts of cheese and pear flavor blending together rather than having one overpower the other. The portions were just right, I didn’t feel disgustingly full which allowed me to save room for some dessert. I did try the Osso Bucco and it was good, just not as good as my pasta. For dessert we ordered the lava cake which comes with vanilla ice cream. I don’t really care for vanilla ice cream so my main focus was on the cake. As soon as you cut into it, the chocolate flows out (jackpot). Again, portions aren’t huge but that’s what allowed me to enjoy multiple dishes. Definitely enjoyed my experience :).

One of my favorite happy hour spots Monday thru Friday 4−8pm.
Food is fresh, healthy as pasta can be healthy and savory. Favorite are the meatballs and caprese salad.

I should’ve heeded the poor reviews I read before deciding to come to this sub-​par restaurant. The food’s quality didn’t come close to justifying its price, the service was slow, especially considering how empty it was, and the atmosphere wasn’t any more authentic than an Olive Garden.
There are half a dozen better restaurants in walking distance.

Have dined here previously but waited to sample enough if the menu to review Carmine’s. Here goes:
1. Avoid the happy hour bar menu– tried many items and, without exception, they are disappointing. (Side note — bartender was good, but servers (one young lady in particular) should really not be socializing with two male patrons seated at bar terrace counter, eating snacks they brought, at the counter right in front of diners — highly unprofessional– for over 20 minutes!) Dried out, tough fried polenta; burnt garlic on overdone bread with a watery bruschetta topping; calamari flavored chew rings. Can take 40 minutes for bar food to arrive (on a slow night!). Drinks are good and fairly priced.
2. Service is pleasant and generally good. Last server we had (Samantha) was very helpful and attentive.
3. Antipasto platter was anti-​taste. Artichoke and red peppers clearly canned. Chunks of cheese were rough chopped and piled up beside olives, getting bathed in the olive juice. Pass on this one!
4. Like meat? Order the sunday sauce (had it with penne) — meatball, sausage and chicken in marinara (great carnivore fare, although sausage was tough this time). Wife’s lobster ravioli was very nice: creamy sauce, plenty of lobster.
5. The lack of live music on a Friday night 8 pm) was a huge let-​down; it’s one of the most memorable aspects of dining here! Hostesses simply shrugged when I asked about its absence; note: shrugging is not an acceptable reply to a customer!
Overall a good experience. Warm setting, great for a date. Dinner with 4 glasses of wine, two large entrees and appetizers for two was $ 100. Will be coming back soon (looking forward to dining outside by the lagoon and fountain, and trying some veal dishes).

Sure it’s right by the water and has an outdoor bar and live music, but Carmine’s did not live up to my expectations.
The décor here was tasteful and had an old vintage feel that reminded me of a scene from Mad Men. The menu gives you spaghetti, pizza, chicken, risotto, veal, seafood options galore. Our group had the bruschetta and stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer, the bruschetta was tasteless and the mushrooms were nothing worth wild. For a main, I had a calzone and it’s big enough to be shared. I had trouble finishing off the second half of the overwhelming cheesy bready-​ness.
For what it’s worth, I felt it was overpriced for what you are getting. Oh a word to the wise, if you’re up for a meaty pasta dish, and I mean a plate-full-of-meat-where’s-the-pasta, then go for the Sunday Sauce. And you will not be let down.
Service had room for improvement. With reservations and a huge table of 11, I thought they’d be a little more attentive. The bread was never refilled as requested, water glasses filled the table half empty and food took forever to get out. All in all, I came and saw and ate, and I won’t be back.

After reading some of the other reviews, I wondered if we made the right decision to visit Carmine’s. I was wrong! We were seated immediately at a table facing the town and country spectacular fountain, our server, was attentive and efficient, the atmosphere was lively but not overly loud, and the food was delicious. Other times we have visited the restaurant was empty, sad and we seemed to be the only ones dinning there. Another time we went there was even a Sinatra impressionist. He kept the patrons entertained and even came and sat in our booth while keeping perfect tune.
Although we ate at Carmine’s on a Friday night, part of this positive experience was arriving at 9:00 pm before the heavy weekend crowd. Carmine noted that there were reservations for over 300 plus frequent walk-​ins so early arrival made for better service.
We requested a leisurely service and we received it. We ordered a nice bottle of the House wine, and shared a Tutto gusto salad Tutto Gusto Salad — A Trio of Crab, Chicken and Tuna Salads served on a bed of Lettuce accompanied with toasted crostini. This can easily serve as a light meal for two with a bottle of wine! Or an appetizer as it is intended. Very fresh and tasty!
We followed our order with the Mediterranean Mussels — Freshly Steamed Mediterranean Mussels served with a spicy Marinara Sauce. I also had the
Frutti Di Mare «Freddo» — A Seafood Salad including Scallops, Calamari, Shrimp, Octopus, Pepper’s, Red Onion, Cilantro, Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
The chicken Picatta — Free Range Chicken Breast cooked with Capers, Lemon Butter Sauce and Spaghetti, also a very good dish.
The Chicken Parmigiana is a Hearty Portion of Chicken Flavored with their signature Marinara, topped with welted Mozzarella, Sliced Tomatoes, Oregano, and served over a bed of Spaghetti.
Merluza Salmoriglio — A cod-​like fish, pan seared with Grape Tomatoes, Capers, Kalamata Olives, Fresh Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and a 25 year old Balsamic. This fish is like butter. It is decadent and packed with so much flavor and so worth ordering time and time. The salads had a sample of chicken, tuna and seafood salad over a bed of lettuce, tomatoes and legumes.
We ate too much so there was no room for dessert. We enjoyed a double espresso and sipped the remainder of the wine. The restaurant was «humming» at 11:00pm when we left.

So sad that such a nice restaurant with great waterfront views located at The Palms at Town & Country in Kendall where the shops are in open air can’t seem to win a loyal clientele. It has a very relaxing atmosphere. Ideal for date nights and great for family outings too!
I have eaten here more than enough times that I’m long overdue a review! Each time the experience is different, with the service that is. Sometimes we’ll get an excellent server such as Darian other times we’ll get servers with mediocre service. The service at the bar has always been friendly and quick. You do get noticed right away. Although I must admit, I’ve never eaten here on a weekend. I don’t care for crowds.
I’ve had a variety of outstanding items from their menu:
Tutto Gusto Salad — A Trio of Crab, Chicken and Tuna Salads served on a bed of Lettuce accompanied with toasted crostini. This can easily serve as a light meal for two with a bottle of wine! Or an appetizer as it is intended. Very fresh and tasty!
Mediterranean Mussels — Freshly Steamed Mediterranean Mussels served with a spicy Marinara Sauce. So good it will leave you wanting more!
Frutti Di Mare «Freddo» — A Seafood Salad including Scallops, Calamari, Shrimp, Octopus, Pepper’s, Red Onion, Cilantro, Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Mmmmmmmmm
Picatta — Free Range Chicken Breast cooked with Capers, Lemon Butter Sauce and Spaghetti. Very tasty!
Parmigiana — A Hearty Portion of Chicken Flavored with their signature Marinara, topped with welted Mozzarella, Sliced Tomatoes, Oregano, and served over a bed of Spaghetti. Delicious!
Merluza Salmoriglio — A cod-​like fish, pan seared with Grape Tomatoes, Capers, Kalamata Olives, Fresh Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and a 25 year old Balsamic. This fish is like butter. It is decadent and packed with so much flavor and so worth ordering time and time again. I have recommended this dish to a few who have left with a happy palate and belly! ORDER IT, YOU WON’T REGRET IT!
Carmine’s Pinot Grigio does not disappoint believe it or not.
Note:
There are plenty of booths and tables inside and plenty of outside seating as well. Parking can be a breeze on the weekdays but on the weekends… Good Luck!
I believe they now have live entertainment on the weekends (a one man band).
Oh before I forget, their bathrooms are clean!!! :D
I have used Groupon’s plenty of times without any problems.
One thing I must point out. They close at 11pm, but if you get there by 10pm, I kind of feel rushed. Maybe it’s because it’s dead and they’re dying to get out of there. I really don’t know. I have mixed feelings about this. I guess that’s why it’s dead at that time during the week… people like me feel unwelcomed. :/​
Until next time Carmine’s!

I usually check reviews before going to a place but this time we were just hungry while walking around and decided to stop here because of the beautiful view of the lake at the outdoor seating.
The hostess placed down water glasses on the table for us but they were very dirty. Our server came and changed out the glasses for us. Honestly, service was not that great. The place looks really nice and fancy, I kind of expected somewhat better service.
we ordered manzo e arugula which was very tasty.
The broccoli gamberi is supposed to come with whole wheat penne pasta but we ordered it with angel hair instead. I was disappointed because the pasta was too overcooked.
We also ordered just a side of pasta aglio olio which is basic angle hair with olive oil and garlic. That was more al dente.
The only good thing about this place is that the portions are huge! So I would recommend to share. Makes up for the price of the dish.