It was good, but nothing extra special. Comes with one free basket of bread per table. Seater was very friendly and personable, seating us in her favorite spot where you can people watch from inside. The server left lots to be desired. She almoat seemed annoyed by anything we said. Ordered the chicken parm (small, moist chicken was a plus, but no breading, covered in mushrooms under the cheese, and not much cheese) with stuffed shells (not quite stuffed and only 2). Also had the shrimp scampi. Shrimp were large and clean. Lemony scampi sauce and a small side of pasta. Italian wedding soup was good, but again not the greatest. read more

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Caruso's has always been one of the best spots to go to for authentic Italian food. Lately it's been lacking good taste. The seafood pasta really missed the mark--scallops and shrimp lacked seasoning, and the pasta seemed straight from the pot, watery and bland. A little more attention to flavor and texture would make a big difference. read more

I'm sorry to place this review since we loved Carusos so much. It's hard to give it a one star, we've had so many good meals and so many memories here. With that said... We arrive and put our name on the list for 3. They advised a 25/35 minute wait. Which is pretty normal when you eat in. We waited in the lobby and time went fast. We were finally called and advised our table was ready. We sat on the back room heading out to the patio dining. There was no patio dining that night due to cold weather. So as we walked to the back we noticed that it was pretty busy. We got to our table and we're seated. Once seated it took a while before a server came over to introduce themselves and take our drink orders. (10/15mins) by that time we were able to use the restroom, settle back in and still no server. We understood they were busy but it was obvious that it was not going to be a good start to service. The server finally came and introduced themselves and took our drink order and water. We ordered a beer, 1/2 carafe of Chianti, and a Shirley temple. We assumed it was a fairly simple and easy order. Unfortunately this also took a long time to receive, approximately another 15 minutes. When the server finally came back with our drinks, 3/4 parties were sat in our area. One being a couple, and the other being a party of 8. The server finally took our order, the Caruso special, the stuffed shells chicken parmigiana, and the manicotti. Once again we felt it was a pretty easy order. Nothing special/time consuming order. We asked for bread and that also took a while. By this time I was done with my beer and requested another. This too took a vey long time (20min.) While waiting we started to see that tables that were seated 10/20 minutes after us started to receive there food. Including the table of 8. At this point it had been over an hour since we had been seated. My beer finally came and the server asked if we would like more bread no mention of when our food would be ready or if they were having issues in the kitchen. We waited several more minutes and the server would not come over or make any contact. She seemed to be busy with bigger tables and we were forgotten about. Finally, about an hour and twenty minutes into it and seeing all the tables around getting their food the frustration kicked in. The server was not coming over so I went to look for a manager (something that I rarely due) as I finally found a host to speak to a manager and walked back to our table with the host. At that time the food finally came out. I let the host know that since the food was out I would like to eat but still let the manager know about the situation. I was so hungry that I apologize for not getting pictures of the food. The Carusos special had good flavor, the manicotti looked over cooked and had some burnt spots from the broiler, the stuffed shells chicken parmigiana was over cooked. As we were finally finishing up our meal, the server came back over and apologized for the issue. And the long wait time. She let us know that they were having some trouble in the kitchen, they had overcooked the chicken parmigiana, and had to remake it. It was interesting to hear this because she never once told us that this was an issue and it looked like the chicken Parm that they gave us was over cooked already so they were having issues in the kitchen. She did let us know that they apologized and that the manager will throw in a dessert to try to make things better. We understood they were busy and that they were having issues in the kitchen, but not once did they ever relay this information while we waited over an hour and a half for our food. The manager never once came over to speak to us. The server finally took our order for a dessert and we were astonishing and confused when they only offered one dessert for a table of three. I felt that they could've at least made it better by offering dessert for each person at the table, or even possibly discounting the meal. None of this happened. It was sad because this was a special celebration for both of my special girls(my wife and daughter) for a belated Valentine's Day celebration. It definitely put a damper on the evening with the bad service and lackluster Food. I'm not sure if we will be back, this isn't the 1st time we've had subpar service at Caruso's, but we always gave it another try. But unfortunately this one was really bad. read more

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This place was so good last year I had to come back again this year. The service was amazing and the food was even better. The mood in here is beautiful. Reminds me of an old mob movie. Five stars highly recommended. read more

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Love this Tucson classic, I have not been here in so long but came to celebrate a birthday. The lasagna was so delicious! we were sat outside in the patio area and the weather was perfect. They kept our cake in the refrigerator and brought it out with a knife and plates when we were ready, our server was top notch. We did not wait too long for anything and our beverages never went low. read more

Food was good, service was good, but the the food prices are way over blown. We had a 19" pepperoni pizza and 1 order of spaghetti with meatballs with 4 drinks. After tip it was $96. I have been going to Carusos for over 50 years and now I must say good bye. read more

Food is nothing special. Ambiance is fine but dated. Service was good. Had the antipasto, basically a salad with two slices of meat, four or five very small pieces of cheese, piece of artichoke, one black olive and one green olive. Basically the only difference with my wife's salad was one piece of meat and the artichoke piece plus $5. The main entree was a chicken and eggplant caked in cheese. Cheese has a taste that isn't good and the texture was kind of gritty and chewy. Cheesecake was half frozen and crust had no flavor. Update my wife and I discussed our meals a couple of times in the days after and decided that it was overpriced with nothing justifying the price charged or even half the price. Won't be returning read more

So we arrived for dinner about 5:30 PM on a Friday night and we were seated pretty quickly to our surprise. We ordered our drinks both iced tea and ordered right away. For starters, we got the double order of the meat and cheese tray that comes with salami, cheese, lettuce, tomato beans, some pasta, lettuce, olives, very delicious and it comes with a side of dressing. The garlic bread came out with the salad nicely flavored I got the spaghetti with marinara and a side of sausage my wife got the lasagna with the meatballs. Everything was very good. The only thing that I had a problem with was it's nine dollars for a small piece of sausage, which is very heavily flavored with fennel. Other than that highly recommended to get there early because of parking, sometimes it can be a challenge especially if there's special events going on downtown. read more

Caruso's - Menu - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Last night was supposed to be a very special night. I was to propose to my lady so we decided to chose your restaurant. I called to make reservations and the young lady said that we don't accept reservations just walk ins only. So we arrive around 5:30 pm to be told that we would have a one hour wait. We had not eaten all day so I was not pleased at all. We waited for the hour and came back and walked right in. Unbelievable! Then I ordered sausage with my spaghetti and it did not come with the dish. When my fiancé asked for fresh shredded cheese the waiter pointed at the jar on the table! Are you kidding me? This restaurant may have been a hit 30 years ago but the quality of the food was severely underrated. Authentic Italian not hardly! Even Olive Garden provides you with fresh grated cheese. Huge mistake! Think twice if you are looking for good quality Italian food! Ruined my experience as I asked my girlfriend to be my fiancé that night. Hers basically tasted like it came out of a Stouffers box! Seriously? Do better!!! Sincerely, not impressed! BM read more

I've been wanting to try Caruso's for a couple of years now. We keep driving by it and love Italian food. It has that old timey venerable look from the outside that you see in a lot of cities with their well-loved local Italian restaurants. They provide some toasted garlic buttery bread pieces to start with. My wife had the baked Chicken Tetrazzini and loved it. Lots of food here so a to go bag was necessary. My daughter had the Stuffed Pasta Shells & Chicken and I tried a bite. Pretty good. I had the Caruso Special with meat sauce and meat ravioli and a glass of Dry Chianti. Everything was as expected with great friendly service and good ambiance. Very filling and just what we expected. This place is great to try for a local long standing Italian restaurant. read more

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Caruso's is a Tucson staple and a must for anyone who's never been here! We arrived close to closing (approximately 8:40 or so) and we weren't sure how it would go (they close at 9:00pm). We were welcomed as if they had just opened and we were their first customers. They had a spaghetti and ravioli special which my husband got and was delicious (yes, we share) and I got the shrimp alfredo. Delicious!! The ambiance was nice and cozy, and our waiter was super friendly and helpful. When we were done eating he even asked us if we wanted dessert and he said there was absolutely no rush if we wanted to hang out. By this time, yes, it was way past 9! Probably 9:30. I'm not sure if we were the last customers out of there but there were certainly several other couples and parties there when we arrived. It was a very delightful experience! read more

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My wife has been telling me about the lasagna at Caruso's for over 20 years. Finally we had the chance to go and see if her memory of it matched reality. I mean this is the standard by which she rated all other lasagne. Well, sometimes you can go home again. It was everything she remembered and I have to concur. It is one of the great old school lasagne. Many thin sheets of pasta layered with cheese then covered in a deeply flavorful red sauce. Baked Al forno for an amazing finish. Those who didn't go the lasagna route also enjoyed their old school classics. Clearly if you want the red checkered tablecloth Italian food experience then Caruso's is the place in Tucson. read more

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Nice, older atmosphere, especially in the patio area... but the food has been consistently overcooked, overpriced & small portion sizes. On a previous visit, quite some time ago, we ordered a pizza and it was burned/ black on the bottom. We brought it to the attention of our server, who told the cook. The feedback that we received from the cook via the server, was that the pizza wasn't burnt and that's the way it was supposed to be. So, we didn't return to Caruso's for a few years after that experience. Last night, we attended a friend's birthday gathering at the restaurant. Decided to try the Stuffed Pasta Shells & Chicken Parmigiana plate. It was also OVERCOOKED! The pasta was rubbery and the chicken was dry and tough. I didn't let anyone at the restaurant know, as I wasn't about to make a scene, especially since I was a guest at a friend's event. Another issue I bring up in this review is the cost! I understand that most Italian restaurants tend to be on the more expensive side, but typically one will have leftovers to take home with them for that $20+ entree. Definitely no "family style" portions being served at Caruso's. read more

Shitty management, subpar food. The atmosphere is the silliest of them all, feels like you're in a Peter piper pizza, or Chuck E. Cheese. Tables are like a foot apart from each other, so you're uncomfortably close to others. There are FAR better REAL Italian options than this joke of a place. read more

I've been eating at Caruso's since I was a child... more than 40 years... but NEVER AGAIN! I just got charged $35 for spaghetti and meatballs and a club soda. The plate of pasta wasn't even a large plate and came with two small meatballs. Cold garlic bread was brought to the table when we sat down. My friends had lasagna, for $20 a plate which at least was worth it. My spaghetti was what you'd see as a kids entree anywhere else. I feel like I was robbed. read more

Caruso's - This is my spaghetti and meatballs before I even took a bite. - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The pizza and the limoncello cake were so good! Service was friendly and the back patio area is like eating in an Italian vineyard or garden. Love this place! read more

Caruso's - Limoncello cake - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Lasagna is on point. Manicotti was disappointing. The noodles are odd and it's just swimming in sauce on a dish that doesn't contain it. Garlic bread was amazing, I just wish it was served with the meal instead of before because I had no bread left to mop up all the sauce. Service was good and food came out fast. Very loud place! read more

Dropped in on a whim and had great friendly service and a great meal. It's now going to be part of my Tucson routine when I get to visit.

Great old school Italian place in DT Tucson. We had about a 45 minute wait which was fine. The prices are so reasonable! The food was great, not the best Italian we've had but everyone in our group was very pleased. I loved the Italian style salad ($5.25) which had rotelle pasta (twisty) with garbanzo beans amongst the usual salad ingredients. Just perfect with great italian dressing salad. Lasagna al forno with Chicken parmesan ($16.25) was great. The lasagna had a nice toast to the cheese on top which I love. Chicken Tetrazzini ($14.00) was good but my wife wasn't crazy about the peas that are in the sauce. I will say we have a favorite at another restaurant in Orange County (Lupos), CA that is hard to beat. Service was excellent and the large outdoor seating (patio area) was very nice with a fountain! LOL. You can't go wrong with this family owned staple in Tuscon. I highly recommend it! read more

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Carusos is a Tucson classic. They have been around forever and they were have come here for many special occasions. The ambiance feels like an intimate classic Italian restaurant. Service is typically good here and the food is yummy. They have a variety of traditional Italian dishes all served fresh. It's definitely worth checking out for a good Italian food meal. read more

I had dinner here with three friends tonight. It was my first time here in several decades. We sat on the patio outside. The weather was nice, so we enjoyed sitting outside. We shared garlic bread, an antipasto platter, lasagna and a 13-inch pizza with bacon, Italian sausage, diced onions and green peppers. I liked the garlic bread. The antipasto was OK but nothing special. I thought the pizza and lasagna were way too salty. Prices are on the high side, and you can get better Italian food at lots of other restaurants in town. read more

Caruso's iconic neon sign is what attracted me to this restaurant. I came early (4pm), so parking wasn't so bad and my service was excellent. Jared recommended a bottle of Chardonnay and added that if not finished, he'd cork it for me to go. I chose the chicken and eggplant. It was very tasty but on the small side. Same for the 4 slices of garlic bread that if I wanted more, it would cost me. I really enjoyed the Mediterranean garden and statues while dining on the patio. I will definitely return when in the area again. read more

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Location on street car route. Pasta made to order. The staff treat us like family and the food is outstanding. read more

Caruso's - A very happy kid, in his wheelchair, who loves the homemade cheese stuffed ravioli, with marinara sauce and yummy garlic toast. - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Never visited Tucson before so this was an unexpected treat for a rainy Sunday night. The mood was very relaxed & quiet when I walked in, there was also a gentleman lightly playing classical guitar which, come on now that was , the tetrazzini was delicious, over all 5/5, try it out, your stomachs will thank you read more

Caruso's - Chicken Tetrazzini & Spellbinder IPA - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

As a native Tucsonan this has always been my favorite spot. This time I came to beau who has never been to Tucson and wanted him to try Caruso's. Since we had a late brunch we only had adult beverages and the salad which hit the spot on this warm spring day. Brianna was our waitress and made drink suggestions. I even wanted to take home the dressing and she inquire about the transport which we teuly appreciate it read more

Made reservations and unfortunately had to wait 30 minutes. Waiter seemed overwhelmed. However The bread and salad 10/10. Food was ok, not as good as it use to be smaller portions. I got the seafood delight shrimp was not fully cooked. Disappointed. read more

Caruso's - Garlic bread - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I love this place because of the history and memories I have there. I went here last night and honestly wasn't all that impressed. First off, the parking or lack there of, was a nightmare. The service was pretty good, the prices were a little too high because the food was just plain nothing special. I had the meat ravioli in meat sauce. It was 18 bucks for about 6 ravioli. I wanted to go here because it was one of my late grandmother's favorite places. It's just gone downhill a little bit. The lasagna looked pretty good, but my plate was just what I would consider a mistake. read more

Caruso's - Meat ravioli in meat sauce. - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Well my wife and I were so excited to go to carusos with a party of 14 , my grandsons graduation, use to be soo good , wow ! The server did a great job , but the food was nothing like it used to be to be , wedding soup tasted like bland water , tasteless meatballs in it , he duo I had was chicken parm and lasagna,, terrible, it's just buried in sauce, the only meal I heard was liked was cheese ravioli, only 2 baskets of bread for 14 of us , then they charge 3 dollars for another basket , there are so many Italian restaurants now I would put them at the bottom! It's a shame ! read more

Awesome outdoor patio with a great classic feel. Any staff we came in contact with was friendly and helpful. Great food, lasagna was amazing!!! read more

Caruso's - Chicken Alfredo - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This is great mom and pop Italian restaurant in the heart of tucson! Great music, great service, great price and authentic Italian food is what keep us coming back again and again year after year! Reasonable prices and the plates are more than enough to have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch, which taste even better, their home made garlic bread is also a popular choice from my kids. They do have kids menus, yay! Date of visit 2/2020 read more

Caruso's - Garlic bread - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Friends and I went to Caruso's for her birthday. Caruso's is a real Lily good place to eat. The knowledgeable staff will help you select a good wine if you're not "wine savy". The waiter helped us choose an amazing wine for our meal. The only bad thing is... I can't find this wine for sale anywhere. LoL. This was my second time going to the restaurant. I must say, I'm not a huge Italian food fan. I'm more into Mexican food. But when someone who love Italian food asks where to eat in Tucson, I point them in Caruso's direction. read more

Caruso's - Pizza Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Stay away from the shrimp scampi, not good for 21 dollars , it drench in lemon juice , no flavor. Disappointed in the quality of food.

I'm not exactly sure what's happened to their kitchen or management, but the changes aren't for the better, perhaps. The employees are still pleasant and helpful, but their takeout took a deep dive into one-starland. Truly, we'd gone for takeout 3-4 times in as many months , but tonight's order was a mixed bag. The redeeming qualities were the speed of the order (I ordered at the hostess stand and waited), the marinara sauce (excellent), the bread (plentiful) and the pleasant employees. The disappointments were the very noticeable reduction in quantity, lack of utensils and napkins, and the order was slightly incorrect. I'd ordered one special half and half with marinara and the other half and half with the garlic mushroom sauce. The entrees were both delicious, but the amount was noticeably reduced, and they both came with marinará. It was a Sunday 4:30-ish, so perhaps there were other factors behind the scenes affecting our order, or maybe just a change in the kitchen. We'll try Caruso's again, but warily. And if it's takeout, we'll check the goods before we go. $41.51 before tip. read more

I understand Caruso's to be an institution in Tucson, and I am guessing that is the only thing that has kept this place busy. The local "this is a cornerstone of our downtown " sentiment has to be the only thing that has kept the doors open. Let's start with the service. Absolutely some of the worst I have experienced. We were sat quickly which was nice, and then promptly forgotten about. Our waitress took our drink order, delivered the drinks and then disappeared. A different person (who did not appear to be wait staff) came back after about 20 minutes and took our food order. This would also be the only time our drinks were filled. Someone from the kitchen brought our food out. I had the lasagna with chicken Parmesan, my companion had the chicken tetrazzini. My dish was unremarkable but ok (nothing I would order again) and the chicken tetrazzini was so bland and tasteless that I think we used half of the salt and pepper just trying to make it taste like something other than moist cardboard. The price was reasonable and keeps it from being 1 star. The atmosphere dark dingy and so incredibly loud that I felt like I was in the middle of a packed bar. There was no possible way I was going to carry on a conversation. All said unless you are from Tucson and have been coming here for family gatherings since you were little there are many more good Italian restaurants that Tucson has to offer. read more

The first thing I ever tried was a chicken pasta dish. The taste was good but someone was very heavy handed with the Oil. I still ate it all. Next, I got the Tuscan pizza and carrot cake. Love the pizza. Crust is deliciously homemade and ingredient combo was good. Carrot cake was good and fresh. Wish they made a pizza with brussels sprouts. read more

Take it for what it is! Cute mom and pop local Italian. Truly a 4th Avenue landmark. You're going to end up waiting if you don't have reservations. It was a super busy Friday night when we went. BUT sauce is flavorful. Garlic bread is tasty and salad is old school. Great place for date night. read more

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Caruso's is one of my favorite Italian restaurants of all time. The ambience is charming, especially on the back patio when the weather is nice. The purple lighting effect inside is also cute in its own way, as well. The food is always well prepared, and super yummy. I prefer the spaghetti with meatballs and the Italian sausage. The garlic bread and antipasto are always a must have when I dine at this lovely restaurant. The creamy Italian dressing is the best I have ever had. Highly recommend Caruso's for you and your family. read more

Great Italian restaurant in old town Tucson. We've been going there for years. Delicious ragu and marinara, pasta al dente and the lasagna is yummy! read more

This place never disappoints! The didn't have reservations on this special day, but because we were early they took us to a table after a short wait. The staff are always so polite and the busman (who has been there for years) services the entire restaurant superbly! Your water glass never gets below half full. No matter what I order, the antipasto salad accompanies the entree. I enjoy chicken carbonara, so I thought I'd try the spaghetti carbonara for the first time. It was FULL of flavor and lots of spaghetti. The chicken parm is my partners fav and once again spot on. The restaurant is a 4th Ave favorite and I highly recommend! read more

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Great Pastas with home made sauces. Service staff was very attentive. Appears as an Eastern Italian Bistro! Checkered table cloths with the correct background music. Good selection of pastas, wines and desserts. The expresso was perfect! It's worth a repeated visit for great Italian food! read more