Really cute Italian restaurant with awesome vibes! The wait staff was great (slow, but it was very busy). The food was slightly better than average food. But the portions, OMG they were HUGE! I like how they do their menu, everything is family style. So what you order is 2 servings (but high key is so much bigger than just 2 servings). BREAD - comes with the meal and this may have been the star of the show. Super buttery and fluffy CAESAR Romaine lettuce, house made croutons, parmesan cheese, tossed with Caesar dressing - very average Caesar CHICKEN PARMIGIANA Lightly breaded and fried, baked with marinara and melted mozzarella - also pretty average, but SO much food TRIPLE LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE Candied almonds - also average but average chocolate cake isn't a bad thing read more

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We have been to Carmine's on Penn many times, which made tonight's experience especially disappointing. We had a reservation for six kids before Homecoming and asked if we could add one additional person. I completely understand if accommodating a seventh guest wasn't possible. What I don't understand is the incredibly rude and dismissive attitude from the manager. Rather than trying to help or simply explaining the situation politely, he told us we would have to wait at the bar for 1.5 hours and spoke to us with such unnecessary attitude that we were honestly shocked. This wasn't about being told no. It was about how we were treated. Hospitality matters, and a manager should know how to handle a reasonable request with courtesy and professionalism. As longtime customers, we left incredibly disappointed and questioning whether we will return. read more

Carmine's on Penn is a great family style restaurant with large portioned dishes. Definitely come hungry or look forward to leftovers for a few days. The menu is very straightforward and the menu is written on several chalkboards throughout the restaurant. You can get the smaller portion (it is still large and can serve at least 4 people) or the large portion (serving more like 6-8 people). My husband and I got 3 dishes and had leftovers for a few days after. We got the eggplant parmesan, stozzapreti (sausage and peppers with shrimp), and the ravioli special - saffron ravioli. I appreciated that our server scooped and served a sampler of each dish for us. Everything was cooking well and tasty. We were recommended Carmine's by a friend and I was a little underwhelmed. That being said, this is a solid option if you want to have a family style meal or are dining with a large group, or just want a lot of leftovers! read more

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We went for a family dinner last night and they were unwilling to offer any menu alternatives to accommodate a dietary request. One of our party has an allergy to onion and garlic. They couldn't even handle a salad of plain lettuce with an oil and vinegar dressing. After multiple requests they finally offered a dish that was sub-par, not visually appealing and frankly not very good. It also made her extremely sick and so likely had either garlic or onion in it after all. The waitress was nice, and the rest of our meals were good but it is hard to enjoy a meal when one your family is so easily dismissed and has such a poor experience. We've been coming here for years and are very disappointed. We will not be back. read more

After being away for ten years, our return did not disappoint. We got off to a very slow start with a long wait to get seated (we had a reservation) and too long to order drinks and apps (50 minutes in total) - but the food was amazing and came at a good pace once it started. Love the family style service. Waitress was friendly. We sat inside near the windows, but the doors were open to the patio and we enjoyed the fresh air. read more

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Went for my friends birthday with 10 people and we just ordered a bunch of things and shared! They have a really easy, shorter menu and I love that. There's something for everyone and the servers actually prepare your plate for you if you order multiple things. The chicken parm and the vodka ravioli are my favorites!! I live super close, so I'll always be back. Classic Italian- can't go wrong :) read more

Carmine's On Penn - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

My wife and I frequent this Carmines regularly with our 3 little daughters. It's an awesome place for kids and the food hits every time. We had Alyssa as our server last night and I just had to hop on here and give her a shoutout. She has incredibly positive energy and made our dinner so much fun. The pace was perfect, and we can't wait to go back again. Thanks Alyssa for making our night out with the family an awesome one! read more

Carmine's doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside, the decor is simple but feels cozy and welcoming. The food is served family style and is extremely plentiful. A serving for two is actually good for three or four. The side of spaghetti in marinara for three must have been a full pound of pasta! The eggplant parm was thick-cut. Carmine's eggplant was not peeled, and the skin was a little chewy. It was a single thick slice, breaded and fried crispy. Each slice had melted mozzarella on top and was served with marinara on top of the cheese. It was good. The salad for two was very good and plentiful enough to serve four. The best of the best were the dinner rolls with olive oil and garlic. They will give you more if you ask! The Aperol Spritz was skimpy and weak. We also ordered chicken piccata, which we did not like. Funny taste and too much lemon. The servers were very nice. Overall, Carmine's is a very good value for the quantity and quality of food you are given. I would like to go back and try other dishes. I agree with Jessica C that it is a place that works well for large groups or if you like leftovers. read more

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It took me way to long after hearing about this place to finally visit. What a Denver classic. Family style Italian. We had a sampling of a few of their dishes between me and three other people. Sadly they were out of mussels but they made up for it with the other dishes. The Rollatini was the hit for us, delicious eggplant battered with cheese and marinara. So good! The sausage and peppers came in with high marks too. We all shared the carbonara and chicken piccata. Such a treat. Full bar with great cocktails. Beautiful art on the walls and a nice enclosed patio giving it extra space. The staff was knowledgable and super helpful. I'll definitely be back. read more

Carmine's is definitely one of our favorite places to dine. The bread is to die for, and we really enjoy their cocktails, pasta dishes and salad. Also, the portions are huge, so, it is well worth the price. The low light ambiance makes for a romantic atmosphere and service is great, we always look forward to dates nights at Carmine's! read more

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3 Italian-Americans (lol) went on a wintery Sunday afternoon (before seeing the lights in D'town Denver) First time We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves: - Pleasant & Simple Decor - Focused Menu - Solid food (Chi Marsala/Specialty Pasta/Caesar salad) - Excellent friendly service - decent price Keep in mind it's Family Style But that is actually half the fun Thinking the outside seating might rock in the summer (will check it out) read more

Womp womp ... i was very excited to try this place during my trip to Denver & was disappointed. I chose pasta as a "safe option" for my first restaurant in the city. Parking is street. The ambiance was very nice, a little more on the fancy side I would say. Service: I must say, the service was great. If this review was just based on service alone it would be pretty high. The hostess was very friendly, asking us if it was our first time & making small talk. The waitresses we had were very attentive & asked us what we liked to come up with recommendations. They served our meals for us & refilled our drinks. We never had to wait long in between placing our orders, getting our meals, & getting the check/to go boxes. I really appreciated the hospitality of this establishment. Food: We ordered the Caesar salad, Alla Vodka Ravioli, & Pesto Primavera. The meals here are family style, so we ordered the size for a party of 2. The meal starts off with bread & butter as appetizers & man the bread was so good. Really warm, butter compliments the bread. At this point I was very satisfied. The Caesar salad was great as well. Generous portion, fresh romaine lettuce, & the dressing was tossed evenly by our waitress. The main courses were disappointing. The sauce was overwhelming compared to the quantity of ravioli given to us. The first bite was great & cheesy, loved the garlic oil too. But after a couple bites & the meal cooled down the cheese hardened fast & it was hard to finish. The pesto primavera was... interesting. I am a pesto enthusiast so was really excited to get some. The waitress also said this was a tasty dish. I thought it was interesting they added seasonal veggies, but I love veggies so didn't mind. However there was too much & the veggies overpowered the entire pasta. It felt like they just put a bunch of veggies that didn't really go well together. The sauce was not pesto-y at all & this dish we could not even finish half of it together. Overall, I don't think I would visit again. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Ravioli Alla Vodka & Pesto Primavera - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I was so excited the Carmines on Penn was participating in 5280 Restaurant Week. I found their menu online which stated "$35/pp, select a salad, and entree and a dessert." Well I'm all in for that deal. I cam with 2 of my very best friends last night. When we arrived, the service was slow. We waited several minutes at the door to be greeted and seated. Our waiter was nice and helpful and explained that the 5280 menu they were offering was was $70 for two people sharing a choice of salad, one entree and one dessert.... well that's is not what was billed online. Well that just isn't what it says online. He really could not help us. We decided to order 1 of the 5280 menu and add an entree for the 3 of us. We started with their warm garlic buttered rolls which are honestly delish. We asked our waiter for butter. We asked several times before he finally brought some cold cubes of butter that tasted like they had been in the frig too long uncovered and picked up an off flavor. He did offer some olive oil and balsamic which was much better. We ordered the house salad which was very uninteresting, but fresh. We ordered the Chicken Montana (house special pasta) as our entre with the 5280 menu and a small portion of Chicken Marsala. The Chicken Montana arrived on a huge platter which was mostly pasta, overcooked chicken pieces, and a small scattering of sundried tomatoes and pieces of asparagus (hardly discernable) in a gorgonzola cream sauce. In my opinion the pasta was tooo andante and chewy. It was very disappointing. Was is so crazy is that they charge $68 for this dish off their regular menu. Our side entree was Chicken Marsala. This entree arrived with 3 small chicken breasts smothered in a marsala wine sauce with a few sautéed mushrooms. The chicken pieces were a lot more tender, but the sauce was too thick and there were hardly any mushrooms (another disappointing dish). Finally we ordered the chocolate cake as our dessert to share. So funny, after the huge portions of pasta, we received a small piece of cake that was cold and had very little flavor.... All in all our experience was much less than ideal. I will be cooking pasta at home.... I think I can do it for less than $68. I will not be headed back anytime soon..... read more

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My two besties and I decided on Carmine's on Penn to kick off 5280 Restaurant Week. We scanned the online menu, which clearly said $35/person and gave choices of salad, entree and dessert - stating that the entrees were the family size ones. So I made the reservation and paid the $25/person reservation fee - which is only charged if you no show for your reservation. When we arrived at the restaurant (after the challenge of finding parking), it took over 5 minutes for the host to speak to us - even though we were standing next to him the whole time. The restaurant wasn't too busy since we were there early but the staff seemed to be a little frazzled. We were finally shown to a table in a room towards the back and there were only 2 other tables seated in the room. We looked at the Restaurant Week menu and were surprised to see that it was actually priced at $70/couple. Our server was Jack and he was very nice and helpful. He explained that on that menu, you really could only order one salad, entree, and dessert per couple but that we'd have enough food for more than the 3 of us. He suggested that we order one extra smaller entree to go along with the "meal". So we ordered the large Chicken Montana and a small Chicken Marsala. We were first served a basket of delicious garlicky, buttery rolls. We asked for some butter to go with them but when Jack brought out the butter it had a strange taste so we asked for olive oil with balsamic vinegar instead. Even though there weren't many customers at that point, it seemed to take a long time to get anything. The salad was good, served in a large bowl with enough to take home. The family size Chicken Montana was enough for 5 portions but was mostly pasta. There were a few tiny pieces of asparagus and a few more sun dried tomatoes along with some not so tender chicken but great gorgonzola sauce. The Chicken Marsala had 3 slightly more tender chicken breasts smothered in a way too garlicky sauce with some small chopped up mushrooms and no discernible marsala flavor. It was disappointing. Then came the smallish slice of chocolate cake that had the same strange taste as the butter and for some reason was chilled. We were thinking everything that came out of the walk in fridge had that weird taste - fridge definitely needs cleaning! I don't think I'd hurry back to Carmine's on Penn but I'm glad I got to try it once. read more

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Stopped in for a quick dessert and coffee with friends. I was stuffed from dinner so I chose to drink my dessert. I chose their Italian margarita which was a generous cocktail served in a pint glass. It was a balanced blend of citrus from the lime and sweet from the nuttiness of the liqueur. Our server kept water glasses and coffee cups full and they did not seem to mind that we stopped in only for dessert and drinks. Food looked plentiful at the other diner's tables and the tiramisu my friends got was definitely a heaping portion. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Italian Margarita - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Stopped in for dessert after dinner across the street. I have been to Carmine's before for their family style Italian meal and it was good as I recall. For dessert, I split the tiramisu with a friend. While it came out looking like a giant white soap with a spider web, it was actually very tasty. The sponge cake was well absorbed with the coffee and all flavors complimented each other as well. Our waitress was very attentive and kept our drinks topped off at every opportunity. It was very nice they accommodated us at a table for quick dessert during the later dinner hour. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Had a reservation Saturday night during Denver Restaurant Week. We did Cesar Salad, Chicken Parmigiana, Carbonara, Cheesecake and Chocolate Cake, house made rolls and various spirits around our table. We picked the Family Style meals and there was definitely enough for 4 adults and leftovers. Service was good, they did have a new guy shadowing who poured water in my son's gin and tonic... but he was learning. The restaurant felt like going to grandmas house eating until you were full and ready for a nap. read more

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Was in Denver for a weekend family event and this was our final meal out and we really enjoyed everything about it! We had the seasonal gnocchi (pork), the seasonal risotto (squid ink), the eggplant parmigiana and the seasonal ravioli (crab) for a party of 7 after both the arugula salad and the caesar salad. Everything was fantastic. Arguably the only flaw was the risotto was slightly under salted so that was easily addressed. We ate early in the evening so the restaurant was not full when we arrived but filled as we dined. The service was great and remained so throughout the meal. The cocktails were fantastic and we were assisted in choosing a lovely red wine that went with the meal. The ambiance of the restaurant is great and the table truly catered to a great family style dining experience that reminded me of family dinners growing up. All in all, it was a fantastic experience and meal. Five stars for sure. After reading some of the other reviews, it seems it should be noted that as a family style restaurant, the cadence of service can be expected to be a touch slower in some regard but we sure didn't feel like there was any unreasonable delays. We got fantastic advice from our server and the entrees were all delivered piping hot and ready for a great share table experience! My Nonna would have been proud.... Kudos!! read more

We made a reservation through Open Table since it was a bigger group of us. We arrived a little early and were able to get seated. I've been to the McGregor Square one so it was fun to try a different location. We got to sit out in the patio. We ordered the bolognese, seafood al diavola, and the baked penne. There was 5 of us and we still had leftover pasta! The baked penne is very good and cheesy. The seafood pasta had a good kick to the sauce. The group are all the bolognese - lots of meat in the sauce (like chunks). After, we did get dessert. I tried the cheesecake - the seasonal on for the night was a peach one. And then there was a gelato cookie. That was my fave of the two. The cookie was soft enough and chocolate sauce all over the plate!! I liked this one just as much as McGregor square. The pasta is good. The family style is the part that's a little tough when there's several different taste/diets which is what made us over order. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I hadn't been to Carmine's in years and was excited to try it again during Restaurant Week. There were three of us, and after standing next to the hostess for 10 minutes without acknowledgment, we were finally seated in a small back room. The space had six tables, only two of which were occupied. The restaurant itself is nicely divided into three separate rooms, with a bar up front and an enclosed patio. While our room was quieter, the service back there was noticeably slow. We had checked the Restaurant Week menu online beforehand, which advertised three courses for $35 per person. We had already decided what we wanted, but when we received the menu at the restaurant, we were surprised to see it was actually $70 per couple, with only one of each item to be shared. When we pointed out that the website hadn't mentioned this, our server just shrugged and suggested we order a half entrée in addition to the shared menu since there were three of us. It was disappointing since we all wanted different salads, entrées, and desserts but were forced to agree on just one of each. The garlic rolls arrived quickly, but the butter that came with them was badly freezer-burnt. We asked for olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead, and our server was happy to provide it. For our meal, we chose the house salad, Chicken Montana, and chocolate cake, with a half-order of Chicken Marsala on the side. The house salad was tossed tableside and had fresh ingredients, but it was drenched in dressing. The Chicken Montana was a generous portion, but it was mostly pasta with a few sun-dried tomatoes, barely any asparagus, and some very overcooked chicken. While the Gorgonzola sauce had good flavor, the dish overall was disappointing. The Chicken Marsala was slightly better--the chicken was much more tender--but the Marsala sauce itself lacked depth. Dessert was another letdown. The chocolate cake was ice-cold and had the same freezer-burnt taste as the butter. Overall, I'm sad to say that the experience fell short of expectations, both in service and food quality. The best thing about the meal was the garlic rolls. read more

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Came to Carmine's for Denver restaurant week because the friends we came with had heard great things. We all walked away with the same feel, it was fine but not authentic Italian and felts a bit like a Maggiano's (large portions, and not authentic). You had the option to order off the regular menu or partake in the restaurant week menu but the whole table had to do the same - that was a bit disappointing. So we all did the restaurant week menu. The deal was $45 for salad, bruschetta app, entree and a dessert. We had 3 couples. When the bruschetta came it was one two plates that we were all to share. Then the salad came and only two arrived (they definitely skimped on this because we should have received two Caesar's and one house salad) instead we got one of each and they wee the same size, no extra for the couple that also ordered a Caesar. Then the entrees came. Naturally when at an Italian restaurant we got pasta dishes. The portions were huge but the quality was just ok, definitely not fresh pasta. The one couple ordered linguine (as it was an option to select Thule of pasta you wanted) but got spaghetti. I would expect an Italian restaurant to know the difference. The deserts are delicious and rich. Overall, not with the price for lack of quality. There are better Italian rest in the city to experience. read more

Carmine's On Penn - New York Cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Solid Italian food! Amazing table service (ask for Tony)! Really cool setting, especially on the covered porch.

Ate here tonite during Restaurant Week. Food was good, but the service was terrible. We had 20-30 minute interludes of contact from our server Brian. After bringing our wine bottle to the table and leaving it sitting there, he disappeared. We had to ask the Manager to finally uncork it for us. We had to ask another server to bring us bread after another 10 minutes Desert was forgotten for over 30 minutes, in a room with 3 tables left at 930p. Brian brought us the bill before dessert and picked it up about 20 minutes after we ordered dessert. When it finally arrived after we reminded him, the chocolate cake was not as advertised. Like a very sad looking small piece of cake. We were forgotten-early and often. We were a table of only 4 people. We are not people who require a lot at a meal and generally have grace when a restaurant is busy. But this was exceptionally bad I spoke to the manager on our way out about thr experience and he didn't really seem to care either. Overall disappointing experience tonite read more

This was my first visit to Carmines, as I was meeting new friends from a social app, so it sent me here! I was definitely excited to try the place. We ordered the bolognese and the pasta in clam sauce. What I first noticed about the bolognese was that the meat wasn't really tender, usually what I've been use to is tender ground meat and a richness to it that I didn't really get much of from the bolognese, the pasta with clam sauce was pretty good though and I enjoyed the flavors of that, it was garlicky, a bit lemony, buttery. Also to note the bolognese pasta was cooked a bit before al dente so it was still a little hard, wasn't bad and still edible so that was okay. The restaurant is lovely and clean, lots of space it looks like and a nice outdoor space as well. I don't typically eat Italian and might give this place another go. This place is definitely for parties of 2 or more since it's family style. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This place is a 50/50 shot. First time we visited Carmine's we had one of those meals that you talk about long afterwards. The food was outstanding, the service top notch and as soon as we walked in the door we were made to feel like family. We told our friends what a great place this was and recommended they visit. Fast forward a couple of months and it was like visiting a different restaurant. We were still warmly welcomed when we arrived but after that nothing was the same. The service was horrible (like fill up your own water glass horrible) and the food wasn't much better. The raviolis were stuck together in a big lump, the chicken parm was burnt and chewy, the salad was pretty overdressed and average at best. We didn't really eat any of it and might have said something, but never saw our server until she dropped off the bill and scurried away. Maybe we just caught them on a bad night but for the price it's not worth taking the chance. There are a lot of great restaurants in Denver that are consistent so why risk it here. read more

I have been dining here for nearly two decades and it just always incredible! It is very intimate and cozy but noise level is usually quite manageable, unless you have a loud group who is quite unaware sit at a large table near you but that is not a reflection of the restaurant! You will never leave hungry as all portions are served family style, even the portion for "2". A friend and I shared the carbonara ands the short ribs , which come on a creamy Gorgonzola polenta. We are like it was our last meal and we were wrong because we both took home enough for another whole meal!! Mango's! The service is impeccable and definitely a team caring for you. They still bring the food out and send it from a big player into individual portions in such a beautiful presentation! I won't be a stranger for so long this time, and look forward to trying the location down at McGregor square! read more

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What a great time at Carmines on Penn! It was a great atmosphere to have new year dinner! The dessert was interesting to say the least but the pasta was great. I wish they would have some more cream sauce options! read more

Carmine's On Penn - New York Cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Just okay. I'm from the east coast so take any Italian or seafood out here in Denver with a heavy grain of salt- but I was still disappointed with how mediocre this place was after hearing good things about it. Came for my friends bday with a party of 10 and ordered various share sized things: bruschetta, mussels, chicken and eggplant parm, short ribs, baked ziti, chicken piccata, linguini with clams. Everything was just okay. The short ribs stole the night, but everything else was just eh. The piccata sauce was way too thick, and the mussels were SO tiny we were all laughing about it. Our waiter was also very odd- starting off the night by telling us he'd help us choose portion sizes because he didn't want us to 'over order and be packing our meals up into boxes at the end of the night'... I think it was meant to come off as funny? But as someone who has waitressed for 10 years that is the dumbest thing to say. When we did order we asked if he thought it would be enough for all of us and he said 'honestly it's probably too much'.. it was not, and we all regretted not ordering one or two more entrees. Again, when your livelihood is your check average I found that super strange. He also got visibly annoyed when we tried to order apps before putting our entree order in bc we were still deciding that. And when we tried to order apps said 'so you don't know your entrees yet? I'll come back when you have it all figured out' and abruptly walked away, lol. We all found that bizarre and then rushed to decide entrees bc he seemed so upset we were catching up with one another. All in all I think the 5 star reviews of Carmines are from native Coloradans who don't know what a good Italian/seafood dish tastes like (no offense, it's geography and not their fault). There was also no music playing which was weird ambiance to sit in silence in a social environment. Won't be back. read more

The good, atmosphere and service were great, as it usually is here. Then why the one-star rating? This service fee. In general I'm not at all opposed to a service fee. But this time I am. The owner takes a portion of the service fee to "offset increased pay and taxes". That's very unfair. The owner should raise prices for that and leave the service fee to the staff that they fully admit they do not pay a livable wage. And the bill indicates that only 22% of the service fee goes to the staff. So the house keeps the rest? That seems very unfair. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Service fee - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

We showed up a bit earlier than our reservation and it was a very busy Saturday evening (2nd weekend of restaurant week). After grabbing a quick drink next door we came back to see if they were ready for us. It was a brief wait until we were sat, but it was smooth sailing after that. Being that it was a late dinner, we were some of the last people coming in and I could feel the pace winding down. Our server (Bishop) was very helpful in answering questions and making suggestions and he gave us plenty of time to make our choices. We started out with the Caesar salad which was excellent! We chose two small entrees - the Lemon Shrimp with linguine and the Chicken Montana with rigatoni. Both were great, but the Chicken Montana is a must - sun dried tomatoes, asparagus and gorgonzola with a cream sauce. So good! We also had tiramisu and espresso to cap things off. This place is popular for a reason. The dimly lit, cozy atmosphere feels special and great attention is given to each dish. Service is friendly and fast (manager also came to check on us) and the portions were plentiful. Great date spot or place to take a large group. read more

Carmine's On Penn - Lemon Shrimp and Chicken Montana - asparagus season! - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I always love coming here. The ambiance is great, the servers are very attentive, and the food has been great every time. Last night we got double bread (honestly what we came back for the most, it's insanely good), chicken parm, eggplant parm, and the Carmine's pasta. I know it sounds like a lot, since they're all family style but I'm a huge fan of leftovers, so it was a great option. Everything was amazing and I have absolutely no notes. read more

My husband and I went out on a Saturday date. Evan was our server, he was great. Very helpful, super friendly and explained everything on the menu as it is normally family style. We loved that. Everything we ordered were delicious. No music but it was fine. The only person I thought were a little snooty to us was this guy that served our salad. I was asking him a question about one of the things on our charcuterie plate but the way he answered me seemed like I should have already known. Other than that, we had a great time. We will be back read more

What a gem of a place in the Wash Park area! Classic, family style Italian food, with great specials and wine! 22% gratuity is included here with all bills and I felt the service was amazing! I enjoyed the Bruschetta Appetizer with the Strozzapreti Pasta dinner! Both were amazing, though I wish the pasta dish had more pasta, compared to the amazing sauce we enjoyed--it was overwhelmingly sauce. Great family style, classic spot! read more

Carmine's On Penn - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Ross and I dined at Carmine's on Penn & had a fabulous Italian meal - la cena era deliziosa! Carmine's on Penn boasted a wonderful staff and equally good food to boot. We arrived at Carmine's on Penn and were seated in the dining room adjacent to the bar. The aesthetic of the restaurant was warm & relaxed with family sized portion Italian fare & a lively bar. General Manager, Jessica took great care of us. She was lovely and gave us a great background on the restaurant and menu items we should try. Our servers Shae & Aaron were attentive and quick with service. Shae started me off with a White Wine - the Argiolas Costamolino, Vermentino 2021, Sardegna. The Costamolino had flavor notes of ripe stone fruit & citrus. The wine's lemony acidity paired well with the vegetables in the bruschetta & Caesar salad. Jessica brought us garlic bread that was made fresh in house. The beautiful bread knots were warm, fluffy and filled with fresh garlic, butter, and olive oil taste. For Appetizers we had the Bruschetta made with fresh mozzarella, baked crostini and tomato bruschetta mix. The Bruschetta was bursting with fresh flavor. The bruschetta mix had a beautiful balance of mellow acidity and subtle garlic taste. The baked crostini was made in house and I loved that it had some flexibility to it - it wasn't messy and crumbly like standard crostini is. For Salad we had the Community Caesar made with romaine lettuce, housemade croutons, parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing. This Caesar was amazing - the romaine lettuce was perfectly coated in thick, tangy Caesar dressing and each bite had parmesan cheese in it. For Ravioli we had the Vodka Ravioli made with three cheese ravioli in a vodka cream sauce topped with arugula and garlic oil. The Vodka Ravioli was a lusciously melty dish. The vodka sauce was bright in color and flavor from the tomatoes, vodka and crushed red pepper. It was creamy on the tongue while the pasta had soft chew and a warm cheesy center. For House Specials we had the Beef Short Ribs made with a pound of chianti-braised beef short ribs, creamy gorgonzola polenta, roasted carrots and cider vinegar poached kale with a chianti reduction. "These are the best short ribs I've ever had" Ross exclaimed after taking his first bite. The short ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender. We didn't even need a knife to cut the juicy meat; it fell right apart under our forks. The ribs topped dreamy polenta that made for velvety bites against the steaming meat. Shae paired the Ravioli and Short Ribs with a Red Wine - the Cantele, Primitivo 2019, Salento. The Cantele had flavor notes of plum and sour cherry. It was an excellent pair for the rich vodka sauce of the ravioli and juicy red meat of the short ribs. For Dessert we had the Carmine's Tiramisu made with fresh baked lady finger cake, dunked in coffee, topped with rich mascarpone cream sauce and drizzled with chocolate. This Tiramisu was sinfully delicious and I couldn't get enough of the rich mascarpone cream sauce and chocolate drizzle that topped it. The pastry quality mascarpone cream was so silky and generously coated each bite of fluffy lady finger cake. read more

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REVIEW AND PSA: Review: We have been eating at CoP for, well, decades and have always had a wonderful experience. So, when my sister and brother-in-law asked to meet for a holiday dinner, we immediately thought of CoP since they'd never been there. The experience was very DISAPPOINTING, to say the least. Our server seemed to either be very distracted or lacking any in depth of knowledge on the menu or how their process worked. When my wife had a question about the salads, before she could ask the Q entirely, he said "you can't just order the salad without ordering your entire meal". Ok, but that wasn't the Q. When we were close to finishing our meal, my wife said we wanted to order one of the dishes, which are family style, and have it split into 2 meals to take home for the next day. Our server responded "we can't do that" and when questioned as to why, he said I will have to check with the kitchen because that's never been done before." REALLY?!? So no one has ever ordered take out from CoP before! Hmmmm.... Each of us had a salad, but two people didn't get any of the pears (which was the highlight of the salad) ONE plate of pasta each and a total of six drinks. Three of us had coffee and the server brought the creamer in a large hot coffee mug and said "don't worry, the mug is hot but the cream is cold". ?? PSA: As we were having a general conversation, my brother -in-law pointed to the little placard in the center of the table which read "a 22% service charge will be added to all bills. Tips are appreciated, but not expected." We generally leave a 20% - 25% tip, depending on the overall experience. As stated previously, the service was about as bad as we've ever experienced, so it would have not been 20%; therefore, leaving an additional tip, even 15%, would have equated to a 37% gratuity overall. This forced service charge brought our bill for the dinner described above to $284!! Trust me, we understand the cost of everything is skyrocketing out of control and the management and owners of restaurants in general need to understand that for many of us, going out to dinner is no longer a Nice-to-have, but a luxury because, guess what, we work hard and everything is expensive for us too! If I am forced to pay a special service charge, please make it worth while. We WILL NOT GO BACK TO CoP and certainly won't embarrass ourselves by recommending them either. When you take into consideration the overall experience and tie it to the cost, the Olive Garden is a really good deal!! read more

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in Denver. Great atmosphere, amazing staff, and perfect spot. I don't believe you could go wrong with anything on the menu...everything is SO good. I love the chicken parm with ziti (to die for!)...a Manhattan (whomever made my last one did with perfection) and the cheesecake. Great restaurant!!! read more

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I've had it with this place -- we used to love coming here but unfortunately they keep cutting and short staffing the place. Last two times we came they seated us 50 minutes after our reservation time. Nobody checks in to say hi who are you/what time is your reservation. We all just stand there piling at the door not knowing what to do while they quickly walk past awkwardly and ignore everyone waiting. This was a cute little spot we looked forward to coming to but we won't ever come back and I'd recommend you don't too. Letting go of staff means losing customers. read more

We went here for a day with about 7 of us. We first started out with the ceaser and pear salad. Both of these were great and it would be hard to pick only one. For our main we ordered the carbonara, gnocchi special which was a spicy vodka sauce, chicken parm, and the Ragu funghi. All were very good. I'd say our favorite was the gnocchi and our least was the funghi. Our server was excellent and personable. I would def venture back out here for another occasion. read more

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We had a 5:30pm reservation and was seated promptly. The restaurant was not busy and it took a while for our server to take our drink order and far too long to receive an italian soda and a glass of wine. We then ordered a salad for the table and for dinner two entrees. We waited an additional 30 minutes for the salad to arrive. And then after the salad, our dinner didn't arrive till an hour after. We were told from our server that it will be right out and also the kitchen is backed up and also that they didn't know what they were doing. Carmines is a Denver staple- serving the same menu for years. You would think that they had it down. The food arrived and someone dished our meal onto plates. I asked for a smaller serving and was told that I was asking him to "bend the rules" and asked if he should take the food back to the kitchen. Which I replied- no, leave the rest on the table, we will take it home. When we asked about putting an order in for dessert, we were told it would take a very long time. So we had to go without. No visit from a manager to address the situation. We did see many tables who arrived after us, leave with leftovers in hand. We won't be going back. read more

I have lived in Denver for far too long to have never tried Carmines! Went to the original location and sat on the lovely patio. The service was really great, food came quickly. The garlic bread is out of this world- Simple and delicious- careful not to eat too much, as the dishes here are all family style! We had the short rinds braised in Chianti and polenta- beef was tender and delicious and the polenta was creamy and very satisfying. We also ordered the carbonara that was very flavorful, but the sauce was thicker than I prefer. Though it was still good, I have had better carbonara. I definitely want to return to try their other dishes- overall, a very pleasant visit and we will be back! read more

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