Carmela's Pizzeria Cafe & Deli

Carmela’s Dripping Spring is the real deal! From the moment we stepped inside, the cozy, warm atmosphere—soft lighting, and that heavenly aroma of pizza and simmering sauces—made us feel right at home in a little slice of Italy. Their thin crust pizzas are absolute perfection: crisp, charred edges with a chewy center, topped with vibrant tomatoes, creamy fior di latte mozzarella, fresh basil, and just the right smoky depth that only a blazing oven can deliver—no soggy spots, no skimping, just pure balance and flavor in every bite. The handmade pastas are equally stunning, like the rich, slow-cooked Bolognese clinging to wide al dente ribbons and the bright, garlicky penne all vodka. What seals the deal is the exceptional service—our server was warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate, perfectly pairing our dishes with a spot-on Chianti and even surprising us with dessert at the end. Add it all up—unbeatable pizza and pasta, heartfelt hospitality, and an inviting vibe—and Carmela’s isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience we’re already counting down to repeat. Mangia bene!

I visited Carmela’s Pizzeria Cafe & Deli last weekend and had a great experience! The atmosphere was warm and inviting — perfect for a casual meal or a night out with friends. The bar offered an impressive selection of beer and wine, and the staff was incredibly friendly and attentive throughout my visit. The food was excellent — especially the pizza! They have a great variety to choose from, whether you’re dining in or grabbing takeout. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful. Overall, Carmela’s is definitely a spot I’d recommend for anyone looking for good food, good drinks, and great service. I’ll definitely be coming back! 🍕🍷

Amazing pizza and meatball sub. We were in town and looking for some Italian. Happened upon Carmela's. Nice interior. Great staff. Margherita pizza and sub were amazing. We've found our Dripping Springs Italian joint for future visits. Thank you

HOLY GUACAMOLE, BATMAN! What an amazing find next to a gas station. We walked in, dressed like we were ready for a sleepover. And got treated like we were going to a ball. The service was impeccable, the food was Mmmmmm good. Staff super friendly with our to go order. Everything was packed perfectly. Still warm when we got home. Highly recommend the chicken Parm, pizza and the penne a la vodka. Desserts were amazing. If you are in Dripping Springs, stop by and have a slice of pie.

My kids and I love coming here for our close to home Italian fix! My boys love the spaghetti and meatballs, my daughter loves the chicken parm or chicken picatta, and I love the blackened salmon. You also can't go wrong with the pizzas! Everything is truly fabulous!

Local favorite! And the new owner really has things running great. The food is awesome and the service is always amazing.

the service was beyond goated (shout out lincoln and ben) the food was so awesome sauce and i especially loved the eagles chain hanging from the wall

The French fries are the best in Dripping Springs. They are cut fresh and coated in seasoned flour then fried to perfection. This is new since our last visit a month ago - an exciting addition.

We visited for a birthday dinner and the food was good and the server was really nice. We had a great time with delicious Italian food and really enjoyed ourselves. The restaurant was popular and couples and families were visiting. It's very welcoming.

We regularly order their supreme pizza it is best around this area!! Service is fast ambiance is very nice.

If I could give 10 stars I would. Carly was so friendly and very attentive. The penne with shrimp was delicious and the fresh bread was so so good!

I absolutely LOVE this little neighborhood Italian place! The owner is the SWEETEST, and it is truly some of the BEST pizza in Drip! My tastebuds LOVE "supporting local" at Carmela's!!!

Every time we stay in dripping springs, we grab some food from Carmela's. The pizza is good and always hits the spot after a long day hiking/swimming. The young lady at the cash register was very courteous and provided great service. We haven't dined in, always get take out and never been disappointed here. Definitely recommend if you are in the area.

Impromptu weekend getaway to Dripping Springs for hiking and visiting the area parks, wineries and olive oil company. After searching for a place to get pizza we found Carmela's. Drive the windy, dark country route 12 to the restaurant and at first we weren't too enthused about the place as it's located in a small shopping strip attached to a gas station but I'm so glad we didn't judge a book by its cover. The parking lot was full so we figured we'd try it out and we were not disappointed. Since we were a party of two we sat at the bar. Service was great. We got our complimentary bread with olive oil & herbs. I ordered a Cabernet and enjoyed a local Texas wine from Becker Vineyards. Ended up ordering a pasta entree and chose the Mama Carmela's Verona Chicken which was a lemon piccata dish with capers, artichokes and a lovely white wine lemon sauce. My husband also ordered a pasta entree and even with the extra bread and two glasses of wine and sodas we made it out of there for less than $90!! What a great deal and So delicious!! I'd come back for sure if we wander our way back through Dripping Springs.

Normally come here for the pizza, but lasagna quickly rose to be the of the show for us. Incredible flavor! I think everybody had a bite at the table and we pretty much all shared it!! Worth a stop!

The pasta I had (penne alla vodka) was sooo good! It is right behind a gas station which may make it seem like it's not the greatest, but it is definitely worth a visit. Everyone was super happy with their food and wine.

The staff are always very friendly and food is tasty and very consistent. Highly recommend their supreme pizza and any of their desserts.

Amazing place!! Their food is amazing, their desserts are sooo tasty. Best Italian around dripping springs.

This place is not crowded but the pizza is amazing! Also, they have the best beer prices in Austin/Dripping Springs. I'll be back here soon. So good. Two thumbs up!!!

It was not good. Not even a little bit. Not to mention expensive. The atmosphere was ok and the server was fine just disgusting food and pizza. The pizza at the gas station is for sure better. Don't waste your money

I try to like this place since it's family run and authentic Italian recipes brought over when the family moved to the United States, but it's just not working for me. My orders haven't been right, it's not very clean, I watched them refill a used beer mug on the tap and let the foam pour over the glass (mind you - it was already used once and it is during COVID), the staff aren't wearing masks most of the time. Then they gave me my to go order of warm focaccia bread and said my meal still has 10 minutes to go. After a long time, maybe 20 minutes and multiple times asking what I ordered, I got my food. It was so hot it melted the bags and burned my hand. I love my food to be scalding hot, but not hot enough the plate melts through the carrying bag!!

Been wanting to visit Carmela's for awhile. Not being a normal supper eater it was a little hard with their hours. We arrived just after opening, waitress was attentive and even offered suggestions on entrees. Tea refills were plentiful as well. Every diner is served rosemary focaccia bread; extra loaves cost a little extra. We liked the flavor, but found it a bit tough on the edges. Only other negative I encountered was a sub par Caesar dressing. Not creamy enough and a vinegar taste that's not original to the classic recipe. Mom's dish was a suggestion pairing the shrimp Italiano appetizer a side of pasta underneath. Interesting breading on the shrimp, possibly a hybrid of a beer or club soda batter? All gently tossed in a caper and artichoke cream sauce. Near prefect amount of capers; the tiniest bit of briney flavor. Can't remember my what two choices I pondered over but ended up with the lasagna. Instead of a beef and pork mixture, Carmela's combines Italian sausage, pepperoni, and salami with the ricotta and mozzarella. The dish could have used a tad more sauce. Salt was a bit more obvious because of the meats used. Dessert was a tuxedo cake with layers akin to tiramisu except denser like a cheesecake. I got away with a couple of bites to round out a 4 star experience. I understand why there's no lunch, tough market north of Dripping Springs with Proof and Cooper nearby. Only other lunch option being the convenience store next door for grab and go stuff.

This is a great place to go with family and friends if you want a leisurely meal with plenty of time to visit. Don't let the location next in a gas station strip mall stop you from going. The inside is quite nice. The server was outstanding, but the food takes quite a while to come out. They do serve complimentary bread and dipping oil to munch on while you wait, and it was good. I have to say that for the prices they charge, the food didn't meet my expectations. The pasta was cooked well, and the sauce tasted pretty good, but the chicken was so dry it was difficult to swallow, even though it had a lot of sauce on it. The dish was fairly bland, as far as seasoning goes. I will probably try them again at some point in the future and have a different dish, but at this time it's not one of my favorite places.

Oh my goodness! We love Carmela's but tonight was super good. I had the Italian shrimp with pasta on top and I practically licked the plate. So good. This restaurant is a hidden gem between Bee Cave and Dripping. Who knew such delicious Italian food lived in a strip mall

Josephine and staff were very courteous and professional. The food was great and will return!!!

Food four stars. Decor three stars. Hey, these are hard times for restaurants. Give 'em the four stars. * * * Carmela's is a Latin-American-run Italian restaurant. God bless the new migrants who are saving Italian food in America. In the 1950's and 1960's, Italian families ran the Italian restaurants of America. They did a wonderful job. But their kids and grandkids don't want to work in the family business. So those old dynastic houses have died or are dying. (The same thing is going to happen twenty or thirty years from now to the great Mexican restaurants.) One reason that we still have solid red sauce Italian restaurants is that a lot of Latin American immigrants have stepped into the void - particularly Latin American cooks who do not want to have to cook the same stereotyped Latin American dishes they grew up with. They want to do something new and fresh that carves out their own place in the world. Their command of the Italian standards is solid. Through their efforts the Italian standards are kept alive. * * * There are two ways to do this - Traditional and wacky. My own vote is for wacky - but I can see the case for going traditional. Carmela's is a traditional house. They cook the classics just the way you remember them. If you go to a place like Bella Donna Subs in Far South East Austin - You see a different approach. I think the owners of Bella Donna are Honduran. (If I am wrong, I openly invite other Yelpers to message me a correction.) They work tiny little Honduran touches into the Italian recipes. A slice of avocado here. A peppery sauce there. The personalized accents are incredible. But if you go too wacko-badacko, You lose your connection with your original sources. So I respect Carmela's playing the recipes very straight. I had a meatball sandwich and tomato bisque. My wife had fish in a white wine and butter sauce with shrimp and artichoke hearts. Execution was eminently respectable. We would have any of those dishes again. * * * I do wish that restauranteurs who want to show that their restaurant is authentically Italian would pass on replicating the stereotypical Italian restaurant decoration. The handpainted view of the view from a piazza looking past pillars on to a Tuscan landscape with vines. Fake mini-golf-cottage-style windows on the walls. Pictures of famous Italian movie stars throughout the establishment. (Usually it is Frank Sinatra. Here for a change of pace it is Sophia Loren.) There is a picture of the Grand Canal of Venice in the men's room. The decoration says "Look-at-me-I'm-Italian-I'm-Italian-I'm-Italian!" I would rather have the quiet confidence of an owner Who knows her cooking is good in its own right and Decorates a room just to look nice and be beautiful in its own right. * * * But that said, Carmela's is basically a decent place. Everyone is having lots of trouble during the pandemic. I hope all the good restaurants make it. One of the restaurants that I hope survives all this is Carmela's. Her kitchen is solid.

Best chicken parmigiana. I am so impressed of the atmosphere and the food. You must come out and enjoy there food. Dripping Springs is the best

Really enjoyed dinner here with friends. The Cesar salad was delicious along with the hot bread. The lasagna and chicken Verano were both really good. We definitely will return.

I was disappointed overall at this place but the food was decent. The problem was the wait I had waited an hour to order my food and told the 2 waiters I was ready but didn't come to my table. It was overall a bad experience. Maybe you will have better luck when you go!

To the Owner of Carmelas: We just recently dined at your restaurant and was hoping to find our new "go to" Italian restaurant. We are empty nesters and eat out a lot. That said, have some constructive criticism for you: 1. $38.00 for the Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio that we can purchase for $8.95 is "Restaurant Robbery. I don't mind 2.5x or even 3.0x but over 4x the price of the wine is uncalled for. BTW, a $20 corking fee is way too much (i.e., because I asked). $10 or $15 is far more reasonable. Don't try to gouge restaurant savvy Customers - you will lose our business in a heartbeat. 2. You have the potential for a great Italian restaurant. However, as much as I'm a Beatles fan, playing the Beatles nonstop takes away from the ambiance. There is a lot of very nice Italian instrumental music for the background. 3. Your marinara sauce had too much oregano. My Bride's Chicken Parmesan was almost inedible until we asked to try your Meat Sauce. The good news, it made the Chicken Parmesan much much better. The bad news is you charged us $3.00 to make an inedible meal edible. BTW, Peyton was an awesome Server. Please take this as constructive criticism because we really want you to succeed. A Potential (if you fix these things) long- term Customer.

The best pizza ever. The shrimp Italiano is the best the company and pianist was amazing.

Disgusting followed by No One Cares. My wife and I ordered a Salad each and one Appetizer. After the food was delivered I could smell urine. The horrible smell was coming from the person in the cubicle behind us. When that person left the waiter proceeded to spray the cubicle out with vinegar. Seriously Urine followed by Vinegar?? I spoke with the Waiter then the Owner. They were dismissive - "why did you sit there?" My answer: it's because I did not know we were going to be seated next to someone someone with pungent smell of urine, you did, and yet that's where you sat us. BTW, we were charged for the extra salad dressing and bread on our bill. No One Cares.

The staff was very nice and helped me thru making a custom pizza with exactly the ingredients I wanted. The pizza was one of the best I have had since being in the area. Easy to get to in the Dripping / Bee Cave area and didn't have to wait very long. Enjoyed the night of and made good leftovers.

The food at Carmela's is consistently fresh with large portions. The staff is friendly and their prices are reasonable. It's a good family restaurant that we frequent from time to time. We'll be back.

There were 4 of us had 3 the trio and I had the egg plant parmigiana all of us agree we won't be back it took 45 mins to get our food. The food was pretty bland my eggplant was very thick and lacked flavor. Overall we did not have a good experience for our first time. The up side the waitress did comp us 2 slices of cake. Very disappointed

Everything is so good! Love the pizza, pasta vodka, and lemon fish! Service isn't as good as I'd love for a mom and pop type of place, but no biggy- the food is soooo good.

Carmela's was recommended by my friends who said the food was very good. I wanted a margherita pizza and the picture on their website looked delicious. Shame on me for not checking it before leaving the restaurant. When I got home, the pie was burnt and there was very little mozzarella and no basil. There were lots of tomatoes, which were not in the web picture. I called the restaurant and spoke to someone who offered another pizza. I had worked a very long day and the last thing I wanted was another trip to the restaurant or another pizza. I just won't be returning to that place again.

Just moved to Dripping Springs and hoped for a good local restaurant/bar. One of the most disgusting meals I have ever had. Tomato sauce out of a Ragu bottle would have seemed like bliss. Pizza was like throwing cheap cheese at a glob of dough. Need I saw more.

We were so disappointed that COVID caused us to miss our Boston pilgrimages to Boston and the Cape this year. Carmelina's is always our "last supper" when we return to Boston. Everything on the menu is phenomenal, so IMHO anything you select will exceed expectations. Let your cravings guide your selection...you'll be back! Make reservations well in advance as demand exceeds number of tables! God bless our friends at Carmelina's, we hope to see you in the spring and praying we can get back this fall.

Carmelas is usually my go to for pizza. Unfortunately last nights pizza wasn't very good. I asked for fresh garlic and got it in spades, penny size clusters all over it. Looked like they emptied a jar if it on my medium size. Ended up having to scrape it all off. Even then I just barely managed it.

I order pizza from here all the time the fettuccine is fantastic, dessert is great. Try the southern pizza (large, obviously).

Great little Restaurant located in the heart of Hamilton Pool Area. Restaurant has about a dozen or some tables and a really nice bar area with multiple TVs to watch sports games. All of the food is very good, it's a family restaurant, with a very relaxed atmosphere. Don't expect things to come quickly: this is a relaxed atmosphere and take your time having dinner. Food is very good, well prepared with very large portions. Expect to bring home some food for next days lunch. Great wines too. Definitely have to give it a try.

Sorry, can't give "0" stars, had to give at least one....walked in, seated ourselves and sat there for a solid 10 minutes. Never was acknowledged, never asked about drinks....NOTHING. Needless to say, we drove an extra 20 minutes or so into town for a delicious Pizza Hut dinner. Wasn't our first choice but it was good! Save yourself the heartache and find a restaurant near by with better service who cares about customers. It wasn't even busy and it was 3 hours before they closed that day.

Stopped here on a whim to buy our eight-year-old some Fettuccine Alfredo. The fettuccine was terrific and my wife and I had a Mediterranean pizza. It was the best non-meat pizza I've had in a long time! The wait staff was very friendly and very good. Marie was very quick, very sweet and just excellent!!!

Food was decent. Nothing special but good for the price. The staff were definitely odd. We entered and stood by the door, waiting to be greeted. Three staff members stared at us from across the room and then went about their business like no one had entered. We took this to mean that we should seat ourselves, so we did. We were brought drinks promptly and food didn't take long to arrive either. We enjoyed our meal. We were also ignored the entire evening, even made vain attempts to get someone's attention. After feeling quite uncomfortable and satisfied enough on the hunger front, we rose to leave. We said goodbye to the waiter as we passed and received NO reply. I'm not sure if the staff were tired, rude, indifferent, or what, but I have never felt so uncomfortable in a restaurant before.

PROS: The manicotti, lasagna, and chicken parm are delish. The chicken Verona is good too. The deserts we have tried have been pretty yummy as well. The owner is very sweet and we like when she answers the phone! CONS: Do not get the calamari. It is literally nothing but batter and flavorless. Literally every time we order takeout they forget something. The service is slowwwwww. Like snails pace. We have had a few things that were good. The pizza was not one of them. The pizza crust does not taste fresh, and it's never crisp. All in all, we are glad to have them in our hood. We have literally nothing else.

I have never been in the store but I have had it multiple times , drunk AND sober. I will continue going back for more!!

Amazing authentic food with fantastic service. It was one of those experiences where I couldn't even tell you what the bill was because it wouldn't have mattered. Super friendly people who take their time to get to know you.

We have been going to this place since it opened. Love the southwestern pizza-our go to. We are happy to go pick up our order. Usually ready in 20 minutes. They have a nice dine in area also.

I have eaten here in the past and it is enjoyable. Normally, excellent wait staff, but today really turned me off. Our waitress clearly did not want to be there. She came and got our drink order, and we waited near 10 minutes. I got a hold of the woman, that I think is the manger (at least she has always been there in the past, and told her we are still waiting for water and someone to take our order. Finally, the water arrived. We didn't want to miss opportunity to not get her again so we asked she take our order. I realize I did not get a straw, so I had to flag someone down who eventually brought it to me. The food was not up to par. I asked for some parmesan when it was delivered and she said she'd get it to me. Considering the wait resulted in my own food getting colder and colder, I decided to get up and find it myself. I did watch the other staff, you had one side of the room where periodically, the waitress kept checking on her clients and filling both tea and water very regularly. I had to flag someone down for some water. The lasagna was very salty even before the addition of parmesan. We finally asked for our checks and take out boxes. She was kind enough to place it in to go boxes herself. It is unfortunate that a nice meal can easily go down the drain with bad service. I don't see a return in my future. What was most disheartening was attitude. If you don't feel like working, please let them go otherwise you risk losing customers.

Great pizza - fantastic service - friendly staff - very happy with the entire set up - thank you for being absolute champions! Eating here is a must!! Hidden gem!

My grandson took me for a car ride through the Hill Country and we found this place. I'm glad we ate there. Took me back to my mother's cooking in New York City. The Verona chicken was great. Will be back.

Was our go to for Italian food. Friends offered to take us out over the holidays, due to size of table, you could tell waitstaff knew they'd be autograted, as a result it took over ten minutes to acknowledge us. We were not only embarrassed but vowed not to come back due to rude waitstaff.

We stopped in the other night for dinner and what a surprise! We were expecting a little pizza joint like a dominoes. But no! A full restaurant with great menu, great food, great service, great pinot grigio for only $30 a bottle! We had a large Mediterranean pizza and ravioli , all veggie and no meat, along with the bottle of wine for 3 of us for a little over 60 bucks! This is a very nice restaurant and don't think you will find anything better for miles away. We will definitely be back. Our server was also very good with suggestions. Would definitely recommend this restaurant for a great dining experience.

Food was mediocre, but what really got me is the cheap utensils. One of the forks I was using had a small bur on it which sliced my lip open leaving me bleeding. The owner dismissed it. Didn't even bother to comp me. I did not finish eating because my the bloody mess.

Oh my goodness, what a lovely restaurant. I am a bit of a food and wine snob in the sense that I would rather eat what is safe and ok and be happy with that then order the most expensive thing on the menu and be slightly disappointed, while expecting the world. This restaurant situating in rural west Austin Texas near a gas station is the perfect dichotomy and insanely my cup of tea!! The food, sensational!! The vibe, like family. What a gem! If you want great food, it's it. If you want to feel at home, it's it. I only wish it was in my hood. The owners are sisters and have been around and know what they are doing, and btw, have for a long time!!!

Great pizza and chicken Parmesan. All the pasta dishes are great. Wonderful old school Italian family owned!

Delicious food! Friendly staff. A little diamond in the rough. Pasta, pizza and Italian desserts are amazing. Seafood dishes surprisingly fresh! Love this little place.