Carmaleno’s Pushcart Restaurant

Absent Unilocal it is highly unlikely I would have found Carmaleno’s. Tucked in a strip mall it is definitely a low visibility restaurant. Fortunately Unilocal search and the accuracy of the reviews lead me here last night. Here is my take:
Parking: Easy and readily available. A+
Atmosphere: Nice and low key with thankfully no TVs in the main dinning area. A
Drinks: They have a limited liquor license so any hard liquor is confined to menu drinks. They do pour a decent drink and glass of wine. A
Service: Service is good; prompt but you do no feel like they are trying to turn the tables. A
Food: They serve a wonderful bread with an addictive olive oil. Interestingly they are do not overwhelm you with a huge basket which I appreciate. The fried mozzarella with marina sauce was awesome. The stuffed mushrooms were good but compared to everything else they are a B /​B+. The steak masala was incredible. Cooked perfectly it was substantial but not over the top. I ate every bite. The eggplant Villianese (spelling might be off) was vast (the lesson here is go easy on the apps). You need to like ricotta since they have a heavy hand with that one cheese. Sautéed broccoli with garlic was delicious. Overall the food is definitely an A.
My only suggestion is that these folks might want to add water service since that was missed.
Overall my advice is bag the North End with the high prices and crowds and come here for better food, better prices and absolutely no hassle. A

Very nice small Italian restaurant. Easy parking, very nice staff. Accommodated our family on a Saturday night with ease after calling ahead. Service good — food delicious, bread, shrimp florentine special excellent. My sons ate all their ravioli /​meatballs. My wife enjoyed her chicken broccoli and ziti (or equivalent). Full liquor license might propel this to ⁵⁄₅. Definitely recommended for a great Italian meal without the hassle of the North End (minus the charm of the North End neighborhood). Reasonable pricing as well. Worth checking out!

This place is great!!! The pizza was amazing! The salad was amazing! The service was amazing!!! There is nothing negative about this place! Nice neighborhood restaurant, you feel like you’re dinning in the north end, but you’re in Saugus!!! I met one of the owners, she was a sweetheart!!! Very very nice people, that appreciate their customers, and treat them as family!!! I went there last night, and I’m still full!!! I can’t wait to go back

Best italian food around. Whenever I’m in the area I stop in. Joan, the waitress, is always friendly and knowledgable. The other waitresses are just as good. Great family run restaurant.

Fabulous experience! My whole family walked (maybe rolled) out of this restaurant commenting on how delicious the food was and how friendly and accommodating the waitress and the cook were. Rosie, our waitress, was very attentive and fun and helpful with recommendations. Laurie, who prepped and made the meals, was delightful with conversation and genuinely interested in getting our responses about our meals! From our apps to our desserts, the four of us were delighted and hope to someday go again!

Let me start off my review by just letting everyone know I am not a HUGE Italian food eater. Gasp! I know, people can’t understand it but I just don’t eat it a lot. Now, with that being said, all of the times I have come in here with someone who really wanted Italian food, I have LOVED whatever I have gotten. The sauce is sweet, the sausages are sweet and so is the staff. The portions are huge, the drinks are good and dessert is a must! Definitely a hidden gem in Saugus, I am glad I found it.

Hands down the BEST fried tomatoes I have ever had. I’m ½ Italian so there is nothing that I dislike more than bad, imitated Italian food. This place is delicious from the drink (offer a variety to pick from) to the dessert (ice box cake!). I usually get the pink pesto on just about everything and anything. Staff is so friendly & attentive & cater to your every request. The food is made to order so it’s super fresh and hot when it comes to the table. I highly recommend them and bring your family too! The more the merrier.

Great food, great friendly service. A little pricey, but it’s definitely worth it. Chicken Parm pizza is the best!

Stopped in here recently after learning that Fat Fingers closed and this new shop opened. I ordered a chicken parm sub which was good but not mind-​blowing.
I also ordered a caprese sub *with prosciutto* — got the sandwich for my husband, brought it home — no prosciutto. I was even charged the extra $ 2.50 for it. The cashier appeared to be new and asked for some help at the register when I put in my order. I should have checked the sandwiches after witnessing her confusion.
Overall, not a bad place for lunch. Their dinner menu looks yummy so I’d definitely consider stopping in again.
The restaurant itself is very small — can’t seat too many groups at once.

Delicious! I’ve been about 4 times and every dish is so good. Love the Fried Green Tomatoes and have had the Veal Parmesan and it’s great. Great service! Love the mom and pop atmosphere.

Great Food Family Atmosphere will bring the family here anytime we are in the neighborhood!

Excellent. I have taken my signiifcant other there twice for a special occasion. We have pretty high standards for Italian food. Both times our expectations where met and exceeded. The service was exceptional. The Italian Wedding Soup was tops! No need to drive into the North End. It is near-​by on Main Str Saugus. We can get there without getting on Route 1, that is a plus. If you live near-​by try it. If you don’t it is worth the trip.

The place was decent. The food was tasty, large portions, nice layout soft music, easy parking.

My girlfriend and I went here for Valentine’s Day a few months ago and really enjoyed it. It’s in a little strip mall but don’t let that stop you from giving it a shot. It’s small and cute on the inside.
We started with the calamari appetizer and it was delicious. I got the chicken broccoli ziti dish for my main course that we both enjoyed. She got the steak parm dish and we both thought it was only okay. Steak was a little overcooked and seemed dry (ordered medium rare). We both shared a side of meatballs which we both thought were pretty good for restaurant meatballs. We are both pretty picky when it comes to meatballs.
We got a dessert special that was only offered on Valentine’s Day and I thought it was a pretty good end to an enjoyable meal. Their regular desserts looked appetizing.
The wine selection wasn’t bad for such a small place and we enjoyed the wine we ordered.
The menu is moderately priced ($ 10-​$ 25 a plate) and I would definitely eat at this place again.

Loved the food here and the service was excellent. I thought having the owner? come around to check on us was an excellent touch. Very warm and friendly place-​my only problem was that we didn’t really like the location of our table-​right in the middle of the floor-​felt like we were on display. They did seat us quickly though and we could have waited for a better seat but once we saw and smelled the food, that was not an option!!! Will be back for sure with friends!

This place is THE BEST. My family & I cant get enough of the great food. I have been there many times and more than happy with every meal. The food is awesome as is the decore and mostly the staff. I am amazed every time how nice they ALL ARE. My favorite is the chicken masala. Delish and the portions are huge. Love their sauce on the pasta also, Mmmm good stuff. You cant go wrong at this place. Above & beyond fabulous. Cant wait to go back and I live on the south shore, so worth the trip. So yummy I always order a meal or 2 to go for the next nights meals, it is that good

My boyfriend and I frequent the Pushcart. The food is always delicious and the service is awesome! The entrée portions are huge! I recommend the linguini with clams, frutti di mare, and the chicken parm! So good!

Sorry, but if you don’t order the special, don’t bother. Sauce is ok. Nothing great to say. Over priced. IMHO.

This is the epitome of a family run business and they make you feel at home complete with some of the best Italian food in the area. We have visited them on several occasions and the service has always been warm and on point. they often have one of my favorite dishes on special, «Pollo Carmaleno». This special consists of chicken layered with their addictive ricotta cheese, topped with prosciutto and mozzarella and served over pasta with a killer pink pink sauce (I can’t remember what’s in it but it doesn’t matter because I love it). We started with Pepe’s Calamari, lightly breaded and deep fried and served with a spicy and very light sauce. Tonight I had the haddock in white wine and my beautiful date had the Chicken Angelique with marsala sauce. The haddock is always fresh and it’s a huge portion and HEALTHY as well. We skipped desert tonight but in the past they have been very very good and sometimes include a nice homemade treat.
The dining room is immaculate and tastefully decorated and brings back that North End feel. The owners are super friendly and the staff is very attentive. We love this place!

I had a really, really delicious meal here the other day. I was at an appointment in Melrose that ran late, and cut way into dinner time, so by the time I left, I was utterly starving. I wanted Italian food, and this little spot was the first thing that came to mind, so we decided to give it a go. Good call.
It’s in a strip mall, and looks pretty unassuming, but rest assured that it’s a quality place. We got in there, and the hostess showed us to our seat and was very friendly. The waitress brought over some bread with some delicious dipping oil, which helped my empty stomach. The mister and I decided to share a couple of things: the artichoke and mascarpone ravioli in tomato pesto cream sauce as well as an eggplant dish (sort of like eggplant parm, but the eggplant was marinated and came with some ricotta cheese, etc). The eggplant came with a side of pasta, so I ordered the house-​made fusilli, which cost an extra $ 2.
When the food came, I was very surprised by the portions. The food wasn’t cheap — the eggplant dish was about $ 16 — but it was humungous, and came with a big plate of the pasta. And it was so good. The eggplant was tender and flavorful, and ordering the fusilli was my best decision of the night — it was fantastic. The ravioli was good as well.
Even though we shared those two dishes, we still left with a heaping container of eggplant and fusilli, and that provided me with two whole meals as leftovers. And it was just as delicious the second and third time eating it as it was the first.
We spent a bit more money here than we typically spend for a regular old dinner out, but it was a nice change of pace and I wouldn’t hesitate to return.