Maison Carlos

Food is awesome and has a nice clean atmosphere. The staff are the nicest friendliest people you will EVER meet! I would totally recommend the Penne a la Vodka and Zucchini Chips are SUPERB!

I meant to take my pictures at the beginning of the meal but I devoured this before remembering the goal of snapping a picture. Everything was delicious and it is excellent Italian food. They treat me and my family like we are visiting royalty. If you want excellent Italian in Palm Beach, make a reservation. Older and have difficulty with cutting your food, the owner will come over and cut it for you personally.

Well, we were disappointed. The service was not attentive. The «veal pizzaiola» was small and wanting; food presentations were small and not attractive, and with my mahi-​mahi I couldn’t eat the one side-​dish of spinach offered that was encumbered with garlic. We had to wait for rolls and we had to wait for coffee, which we always want WITH our dessert, not following. They should tell patrons right away that «we’re making it fresh,» explaining the delay. You need to know there is no bar if you want a pre-​dinner drink (wine and beer are offered). The desserts are FABULOUS.

We’ve now been to Carlos twice, and both times it was EXCELLENT. Regardless of price, it is definitely one of the very best restaurants in Palm Beach County. Waiters are helpful and friendly, and the owner is right there making sure you have a good time. Reasonable wine list, fresh fish and great cooking.

Nothing special at all! Lame beet salad followed by $ 28 chicken breast that was just ok but left me hungry. Salmon dish with poor quality green beans in a not very good sauce. $ 85 check with tip for barely average meal with no drinks. Not sure what any hype is about.

Not familiar with the area, we searched for Italian food with pizza for the youngest in the group of 3.
We were casually dressed (jeans and collared shirts) and felt underdressed; however, the maitre de warmly welcomed us. The staff’s attention gets an AAA+++.
There were 6 occupied tables and our total dining experience was about 1 ½ hours. The food was better than good, but not excellent, and we were there far longer than expected. The crowd was older which reflects the demographics of the area.
Our party had mushroom risotto w/​chicken (nicely prepare, but that flavor profile is repetitious), mahi mahi (quite good, but we’ve had better), hamburger w/​frites (good), appetizer of three little pigs (boar in a blanket) (my husband liked it), and water to drink. All totaled $ 75 plus tip.

What a delightful place: delicious food and fine service. So good that we’ve been back with other friends.

What a little Gem of a restaurant.
I had been wanting to go to this restaurant for several years but trying to get my friends to agree on the same thing is like herding cats.
Anyway, I had a particularly demanding week and decided to go last minute. I called at 8 pm on a Saturday to see if they could accommodate me. The gentleman, Guylindo, was incredibly gracious & ensured a table would be ready at 8:30.
The location is a small unassuming mini strip mall outside the El Cid neighborhood & across the street from the PB Post.
They have a handful of outside tables lining the walkway adding to the cute Bistro like setting.
The inside is lovely with soft lighting, white line table cloths & soft music in the background.
I was greeted with a smile & quickly ushered over to a small 2 top in a corner by the window. The entire Dining Room was filled with a well heeled, well mannered genteel crowd which was a welcome relief.
I ordered still water & a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. A busboy stopped by with fresh baked bread & a small dish of creamy butter. I was later give a medium sized dish of freshly zucchini chips. I skipped the bread but tried a few of the delicate chips. They were delicate, savory, & delicious.
The menu has a lovely, varied & classic continental menu.
I chose to start with the Vichyssoise. It arrived in a bowl. A much more generous portion than anticipated. It was very good with a lovely nuanced flavor of cream & Chix stock.
I followed the soup with the Beet salad. Again a generous portion. The beets were perfectly cooked on a bed of red leaf lettuce and tomatoes & goat cheese crumbles accompanied by a light balsamic vinaigrette.
Finally, I ordered the cheese soufflé. It was served in a small ramekin & was accompanied by a small bowl of silky cheese sauce. It was airy, light but with a gorgeous cheese punch.
The Service was polite, gracious & attentive.
I thoroughly enjoyed my evening & look forward to going back!
Definitely recommended!

Went to this restaurant because it was close by and they had a special $ 10 pasta deal. Was pleasantly surprised how romantic the atmosphere was and how excellent the servers were. We received truly 5 star service during our entire meal. I got the pasta with clams and my partner got the beef/​veal pasta. It was pretty good. Nothing life changing but I would definitely return!

4 of us decided to try this restaurant after a TGIF write up last week. What a pleasant surprise! A plate of zucchini chips to munch on while we looked the menu over and they were delicious! So much better than the old bruschetta with toast. Since 2 of us were risotto lovers we ordered that & without a doubt it was the best we have had in a long time. It was mixed with chicken but we asked Carlos if we could order it with lobster next time & we were told we could order anything.
I have to say even the rolls were extraordinary.
If you want an excellent meal with a nice quiet atmosphere you must visit Maison Carlos.

Went for dinner. The atmosphere is charming. The menu offers a little of everything. I had the beet salad and the greens were very watery and I think the beets came from a can. I ordered fish in a meunière sauce and it lacked flavor. The service wasn’t the greatest. Don’t think We’ll be going back.

Food was good. Appetizer of prosciutto and melon was sweet and ripe. Varied entrees were good from linguine Al carbonara to yellowtail meunier. My criticism is that the waiter started taking our order, one of five when another customer came in. Our waiter rudely left our table without an explanation or excuse me. Seated the new customers and provided menus and special info before coming back to our table to complete the order. No apology offered. We will not be back as a result. Too many top notch Italian restaurants around to be served like this on a $ 500 check.

Very friendly staff. The food was above average and the atmosphere is intimate. The location is a bit odd but manageable as they have a parking lot.

We went to Maison Carlos because it is participating in the Taste of Palm Beach promotion ($ 35 fixed price, 3 courses) and we thought it would be a good introduction for a first visit.
First a note about the location. It’s right on Dixie Highway, so traffic is very close. Maybe not a bother to some, but it bothered me. I sat on a banquette and the seat was uncomfortably short. Overall the ambience was very nice, with water/​boat themed oil paintings on display.
First to the table was a plate of zucchini chips — a little greasy but we liked the creative thinking and they tasted good. My husband’s Caesar salad was excellent and my Vichyssoise was good if a little low on salt. Also we had an Australian Shiraz, which was delicious.
For the entrees, my husband had penne rustica, which included hot Italian sausage. It was amazing. The sauce, everything was just perfect. My salmon came with a black olive tapenade, the strong flavor of which overwhelmed the delicate fish. I scraped off all but a little, and it was good but not great. Half the fillet was tough!
For dessert, the chocolate mousse was literally the best I’ve ever had, while the «torta» (flourless chocolate cake) was a little too dry and therefore unexpectedly crumbly. The accompanying vanilla ice cream was good.
Service was congenial and quick, even if we felt as though we were asked too often how everything was.
Based on the best of what we ate, Maison Carlos would be a 4.5. But unfortunately the experience was too inconsistent to give it more than a 3.

Maison Carlos is a non-​conspicuous spot that, unless you’re familiar with the El Cid neighborhood, you’ve probably driven by several times without batting an eye.
Do yourself a favor. Next time — stop and go in.
Saturday night was surprisingly quiet — we were two of ten diners and the youngest in the place by at least 40 years– but don’t let that discourage you.
The wait staff is attentive, prompt and knowledgeable without being pushy and the ambiance was gorgeous. Soft, dim lighting and Sinatra playing softly in the background made for an almost cinematic backdrop.
The meal starts with complimentary fried zucchini crisps. Does anyone out there work for R&D at Lay’s or Herrs? Is there any way we could make these a national thing that I could purchase in Costco-​sized amounts whenever I wished?
I ordered the quatro formaggi soufflé — an airy dish that reminded me of eating a really big gougère
In my world, eating a really big gougère is pretty much at the apex of my wishlist. I want to see the world, write a book, see the Stones live, marry Ron Livingston and eat a really big gougère.
One down, four to go.
The soufflé was served alongside a chive-​studded cheese sauce that I want to incorporate into all elements of my life.
A nice touch at the end of the meal — a complementary shot of homemade limoncello. This is not the artificial neon yellow sludge served at pretty much every other Italian restaurant I’ve ever been to.
This is housemade limoncello that does not mess around. It is refreshing, delicious and likely to grow hair on one’s chest as it’s essentially straight lemon-​infused vodka.
Everybody eats when they come to Carlos’ house so go soon and go hungry.
And seriously — order the soufflé. It’s equal parts cheese and magic.

This place is beautiful – serene and perfectly appointed. The food is outstanding — we felt we ate better than at Café Boulud or the Omphoy, for instance. Service makes you feel among friends you really love hanging out with. We were stunned, and that’s not usual for us cynics. I can see why it’s packed unless you get there at 5:30, but I can’t see why I hadn’t heard of it until a Palm Beach matron recommended it.

Looking for a place to eat after visiting a car dealership, I stumbled upon the two previous reviews and remember seeing this place on Dixie Hwy while looking for a house in El Cid several years ago. We didn’t have a reservation but the owner worked us in, but I highly recommend reservations because the place is small and quite popular with the local crowd.
After noshing on the zucchini chips (which were wonderful), I enjoyed a sublime penne carbonara and my lady had veal piccata. Each dish was wonderful and the owner came by many times to make sure we were satisfied.
My only regret is that we scampered off without trying what looked to be a great dessert selection.

Consistent High Quality Food and Service! Amazing Crème Brulle!

This place was great. Food was great… Service…Décor. Decided to do 4 apps rather than an app and dinner. All 4 were delicious. Had the Boar Sausage Pigs in a Blanket with mustard. Outside breading was cooked to perfection. Had the cheese soufflé, which was delicious. Had the prosciutto sandwich app… meat was some what fatty but great overall.