Carmelo's Spaghetti Room

This is a local gem! Service is always friendly and the food is delicious. It is small, but that’s part of its charm. Definitely call ahead to make a reservation just to make sure you can snag a table for the night. And save room for dessert!

You must try the Caesar salad, the croutons are incredible! Their freshly made bread is also delicious. One of the best bruschettas I've had. Great service, great atmosphere and yummy food. Definitely worth trying.

My family loves Carmelo's! Kind, friendly staff, straight forward menu with a good wine selection. The bread you get with your salad is excellent! Recently remodeled (end of pandemic), the room feels cozy and authentic. The bathroom is downstairs, which can be tricky depending on how much wine you've had... :) We'll come back again and again!

Food and atmosphere were amazing. It was an intimate restaurant with authentic Italian food. We enjoyed our experience very much. The people filling our waters and clearing the tables were friendly and attentive. My only complaint was that in the hour and half we were in the restaurant, our server maybe came by twice to check on us.

Absolutely wonderful! The BEST pasta I've ever had and their alfredo sauce is divine! The atmosphere was calm and relaxing and the service was top notch. Absolutely no complaints! I will be returning very often!

This is the best little, quaint Italian restaurant! The atmosphere was wonderful, the service great, the food was awesome! We had bruschetta and the artichoke dip. Both were delicious. The balsamic was tangy. Homemade bread with salad so good! All entrees we had were wonderful. Portions good, all needed boxes for leftovers. The flourless chocolate cake and teramasu irresistible! Highly, highly recommend. Make reservations and enjoy!

This was hands down the best meal I’ve ever had. We got bruschetta to start which was delicious. Our entrees came out shortly after finishing our appetizer. We upgraded our salads and received Cesar salad. I loved that the dressing isn’t super heavy but still was very flavorful. The bread was perfection. Our pasta dishes were also very flavorful and cooked perfectly. We finished off with 3 pieces of cake. Tiramisu, coconut crème, and chocolate cake I believe. I wasn’t able to pick a favorite since they were all amazing. Thanks again!!

Amazingly rude service. Open tables and diners were seated as they arrived and yet, we were constantly asked if ready to order. Tried to give us boxes minutes after starting meal. Wine and water was taken away before we were finished. Incredibly obnoxious staff that bummed-rushed us out. Food was sub par as well. Could hear staff making fun of us from the kitchen.

I typically don't like to knock restaurants based on service (a food-only critique is optimal), but the service here was unsatisfactory. There was only one server (I could hear her to other tables that the manager was on vacation as the reason they were short staffed). Nearly the whole restaurant was waiting for long, and I honestly tip my hat to the server because she held her cool in the midst of every single person in the joint being dissatisfied. Otherwise, it was overpriced generic pasta. I wish I would have ordered the ravioli, then I could have tried their fresh pasta and perhaps had a better experience.

The best restaurant in St Paul by far. Great atmosphere, fantastic food. The stuffed steaks are the bomb. A real hidden gem.

dinner Live in Highland decided to take grand daughter to dinner for birthday . The jazz overhead was Tony Bennett all the way to Frank and Billie Holiday. Decor was lovely calming...owner was very pleasant and even sent me home with some homemade bread....it was really a nice night.. but Carmelo's food took the starring role. All homemade.. great service. We had Bruschetta made like the real deal...half my plate was fabulous chicken and capers. My Grand daughter's eyes widened at the size and taste of meatball and spaghetti and a side of spaghetti served with every entree.Caesar salad perfect...this one you don't want to miss. Had to go back with friends again this week. They loved the food , the service.... Just a perfect night to eat and catch up. I wish I had found this restaurant sooner. I'll be back again. It looks like they did a redecorating project recently! It's small and cozy so be sure to make a reservation!

Lovely traditional Italian restaurant in St Paul. We had Arancini, salads, fresh baked bread, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Sundried Tomato Pesto pasta. The dining room is nice and cozy. Service was friendly and attentive. We had reservations at 5pm and the restaurant filled up quickly and stayed full the entire time we were there.

Excellent food! Great service! Ambience is rather relaxing. I had the Carmelo Chicken dish which was rich, well balanced and best of all delicious. My party had chicken parm, one of the steak dishes and artichoke pasta. We all tried out dishes and we all agree that this is one of the few delicious Italian restaurants in the area. I liked the fact that their menu has elements from all parts of Italy. Regional cuisine is very unique and they beautifully replicate the food palette of Italy. Make reservations not a walk in place. Service is helpful, kind and quick!

I am always looking for a great serving of carbonara and have wandered all over the Twin Cities seeking it. Imagine my joy and chagrin to find it nearly in my own neighborhood! I called for my take away order because the website wouldn't let me order through it but the person on the phone was very polite and professional. They bring the food out the back into a small lot off the alley. There's a spot reserved for their pick ups. It was that simple. It came to with a nice little side salad I hadn't expected but did enjoy. The carbonara serving was abundant. Even though I'm trying to gain weight, it turned out to be two servings for me. I'm delighted with the whole process and the meal. I will glean the menu and see what I want next.

This is my wife and mines go to spot for going out with family and date nights. The food is always hot, service always excellent and soooo delicious! It's an amazing cozy atmosphere to enjoy! Def make reservations, be a courteous patron and try different dishes to find your fave (mines the Shrimp Macalester!).

An absolute GEM in St. Paul!! I've lived in St. Paul my entire life and I can't honestly say there is a better Italian restaurant within the city limits. The ambiance is perfect, service is amazing and the food is definitely something to brag about!!

FANTASTIC Find, took friend to dinner - new place to both of us...and we both agree Best Italian foods we've had in years! Service Great and SO realistically priced.. Quaint, old style comfortable place - True GEM!

Ordered the fettucine alfredo for takeout. I was told it would be ready at 7:05. (Very precise, eh?) I showed up at 6:55 and it was already ready - and it was already cold. They need to learn to manage their takeout orders. The salad was crummy and they only offer two types of dressing. At least the bread was good. Definitely not worth a visit.

Carmelo's was fine. Issues included salt n pepper shakers that were plastic, shared between tables...like they just bought them from Oxendales..I mean thats weird for a neighborhood Italian place. Our food was fine- neither good or bad but fine.

Only giving 1 star, would've given zero if I could. The pasta I ordered was pesto and was $16. I order chicken with it which $6 extra and was like RUBBER. It was so bland! the whole meal was SO DRY. I could've made a better dish. The Caesar salad was an extra $4 for CHEESE AND CROUTONS! The waitress never stated "hey that's an extra charge of x amount." NOPE. I ended up paying $28 for garbage. Update: I was charged $32.23 on my card when I signed for only $28. The scams from this place keeps on coming. This place should be shut down.

One of Mac-Groveland little gems. Everything was ... I don't even know what to say. Perfect. From the moment I called to make reservations to the greeting once we stepped in. You are transported to a time before covid. They are covid safe mind you. That being said they really treat you special like customer service used to be, and should be. We got a delicious Prosecco that was every bit dry, sweet and tickle your nose. Crab stuffed mushrooms very good, house salad with a creamy vinaigrette fresh and light. Rigatoni with Sausage, mushrooms, onions with a perfect creamy spicy red sauce had just the right amount of heat. Alfredo with added chicken was rich, creamy and the perfect amount of garlic. I would of preferred the chicken breast be made fresh for the order. However I understand that's a lot of additional prep and work. Still very nice. And the final bite was a beautiful luscious blueberry cheesecake. One bite and we couldn't put the fork down. This will become one of our go to spots. Everything was done with grace and perfection.

If i could leave a zero, I would. I was excited to visit this restaurant. I'd driven by it for years. I have never been so rushed in my life, am 51, and have visited countless restaurants. You are bombarded the moment you sit down, over and over again. 1/2 way through our meal, the waitress sent the hostess over to see if we needed boxes. While we were eatting with 1/2 full plates. I wrote a comment about how rude the team was through the whole meal and was disappointed. I was catching up with a woman who's young husband had just had a stroke and whose mother died a week later. Knowing that, we were then stared at by everyone in the back, including the chef, and they clapped when got up to leave after reading the comment card. Ievergreen explained the situitation and instead of having compassion for someone who is having a difficult time we were treated poirly. We were stunned. We paid our bill, left a 20% tip, etc. After they stared at us, one woman came and blew out our candle, only ours. I can't begin to express the level of rudeness exhibited within this restaurant by the entire staff and leadership. The food, was marginal at best. They leave a comment card when they drop the check, but clearly do not want feedback, and are incapable of talking to a patron to see how they can improve. I would not waste your time or money. There are much better experiences to be had!

All in all, a very unpleasant experience. Here is why: a. The food took forever to come out. We were seated for 45 minutes before our entrees were served. b. The server told me I could choose between the salad or soup with my entree but did not mention that the soup option is $4 extra. They simply tacked it on to the bill without explaining why. c. They snuck in an additional 5% charge without showing a separate line on the bill. If I had not done the itemized calculation, I would not have known what it is for. If it is for gratuity, why not just mention it? Seems really shifty to not tell the customer what they are being charged for. A fine-print on the back of the menu is not a substitute for a separate line on the check showing the 5%. d. The pesto pasta was really bland. The pine nuts had more flavor than the rest of the dish put together. It cost $6 to add chicken to the pasta, and the chicken was just as flavorless as the pasta. The positives: nice environment, cozy seating area, and good wine selection

Cute 70s style decor. Friendly service and great food (best free bread)! It's a smaller place, and you can't stay too long; overall I liked it.

Absolutely delicious!! Shelly was so lovely and helpful, and it was a perfect atmosphere to enjoy Valentine's Day!

The Arrabiatta pasta was the best I've ever experienced. The sauce was a comforting tomato based cream sauce that was so pleasing. Although this sauce brought the heat, it was so pleasant, just enough! For those who have not enjoyed Arrabiatta in the past; I'd suggest giving this Chef's version a try. A great experience all around.

This place used to be our favorite restaurant in St. Paul, but no longer. The owner's wife Shelia has turned into a real witch, who acts like she is doing you a favor waiting on you and seating you. We called for reservations and when we arrived, five minutes before our reservation time they had given our table away and told us to wait half an hour. While we waited, we were offered nothing and then requested two glasses of wine. It took Shelia 10 minutes to bring our wines of wine, even tho the restaurant was half empty. We waited 40 minutes and when a table opened up they still failed to clear it and kept us waiting. We finally left and went elsewhere, but was willing to give them one more chance. When we wrote the owner about the bad service, instead of attempting to make things right, they accused us of being rude and told us they didn't need our business, to go elsewhere, they said they would do just fine without customers like us. The owners wife was a real witch and acted like they were doing us a favor letting us eat there. This is an prime example of how businesses fail. Be nasty to customers who have been coming for years, referred them to others, then call them rude and tell them to go elsewhere. We will be following their advice. We will now be going to La Grolla for those special meals in St. Paul. Good bye Carmello's.

Carmelo's is definitely a gem in St. Paul. The food is fantastic, the atmosphere is lovely, and the staff is friendly. I love their pasta and all of their sauces, and the chicken Milanese is spot on. And some of the best tiramisu I have ever had. The negative reviews about being up-charged are bogus, it states clearly on the menu that various substitutions are charged accordingly. Try it for yourself, formulate your own opinion.

Great food, lovely atmosphere, terrific service! Will be back when we visit our son at Macalester.

The food is fab, the service is amazing, and I love the old-school supper club vibe! Do yourself a favor, and please come to this restaurant! We cannot lose small independent businesses.

Really nice ambience and great service by Shelli. The pasta and shrimp were flavorful and fresh. Bread is excellent and tiramisu is best in town!

Not worth the prices. We had been in MN for a family need. We were in the cities for the night before our flight back to Florida. We came across Carmelo's while we were looking for a place to have dinner. We sat in a booth which was way too tight to be comfortable so we moved to a table. We were served bread with butter...not with oil and spices that we expected in an Italian restaurant. Tom had beer...my brother Allen, his wife Maryann and I split a bottle of zinfandel that was $36...too much for what we received. Tom had Chicken Carmelo that was "okay". Allen, Maryann & I all had Ravioli that was on the dry side. Our bill was $123...then we added a 20% tip...the meal, drinks, service and ambiance was not worth the cost.

I reserved a particular table for my boyfriends birthday . We got there and they didn't have my name correct and I didn't think we were going to get a table . They eventually had my phone number so gave us the table . I ordered the pesto . I did not eat any of it . Terrible . The bread was amazing . We were there less than an hour and we were finishing up when the waitress told us the next couple was waiting .. seriously it clearly states on the tag on the table we only get an hour and a half and it wasn't even an hour . We felt pushed out . Will not be going back . Very disappointed

Carmelo's is a very nice, neighborhood Italian restaurant. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is nice, I'd call it semi-casual, a good place for a family occasion or a date night. This was the first time we'd eaten there, I've waited for the bus in front of it for a long time and finally had an occasion to eat there. There food was really good. My wife had the Carmelo's signature ravioli, she really enjoyed it. I had the pasta with pesto and sun dried tomatoes, also excellent. The wine list was fine, to extensive but all the basics were covered. The staff is attentive and the experience was very nice. We'll defiantly be back.

Just dined here this evening.. wonderful menu, great service and a lovely ambiance about the place ! Reminds me of the small Neighborhood Italian Restaurants I grew up with in New York.. just great....we'll be back!! BUONO!!!!

Nice little mom & pop Italian place in St. Paul. Good food & prices are reasonable. Chicken Carmelo is always good. Only area for improvement is parking can be tricky.

I had high hopes but have to say we had a pretty mediocre experience at Carmelo's. It feels like the kind of place that is a neighborhood establishment and has a loyal following but perhaps isn't quite what it used to be. The restaurant itself is cute. It's very small but cozy painted in warm colors, dim but not dark. When we arrived, it took awhile for us to be acknowledged and then seated. In the end, our waitress ended up seating us because the hostess was busy. Once seated, our waitress was a bit overwhelmed. I think she was the only one on for the whole dining room. It's not huge, but I counted 21 total tables and I would say there were maybe eight filled when we arrived. Because our waitress was overworked, there were big gaps in our service. It took a long time for her to come back to our table after seating us. She waited until we were finished eating our appetizer to take our entree order. And it took too long to get our bill when we indicated we were done. But on the plus side, our server was very nice and had good menu knowledge. We were disappointed to hear that they were out of the ravioli Carmelo -- after reading reviews here, that was something we wanted to try. We got the calamari, which I honestly did not like. The breading was very thick, slightly undercooked and very oily. The creamy sauce wasn't good and I wished for a good old cup of marinara. My husband's side salad seemed pretty average, and my asiago cheese soup was oily, lukewarm and just OK. Honestly, the bread in the bread basket was the best thing on the table until that point in the meal. Entree-wise, things improved. My fettuccine Alfredo was very good -- rich and creamy with perfectly cooked pasta and a good hint of pepper in there too for a little kick. My husband tried the seafood cannelloni, which he said was good. He said that he was impressed that the seafood was fresh. We skipped dessert, so no comment there. In all, it was OK but not the best. I honestly think we would prefer Scusi or Broders for Italian. But I'm glad we tried it and am not sure if we just caught a bad day or what. At $50+, it was a little steep for what we got, we thought. Not sure when we will be back.

The service was absolutely great. All the servers seemed to help each other and there was a quiet kindness in the dining room. The new decor is lighter and very warm and welcoming. Food as usual is great and they have gluten free options. Delicious. Tiramisu was fantastic - maybe the best ever? But that is not gluten free.

I ordered from Grubhub tonight and wound up throwing out half of the order. The stuffed mushrooms even smelled bad. The whole order smelled of old garlic. But I've got to hand it to them for the bread. It was the best part. I do wish them well, but I cannot stand rancid garlic in Italian restaurants.

My wife and I have experienced this twice and that's what prompted me to write this review. This restaurant is supposed to be open until 9PM on Wednesdays but, now, this is the second time that we have showed up at around 8pm to find that the place closed. The first time we even saw people finishing up their meals.... This reflects bad on the management!

I have not actually ate here however my boyfriend and I have tried twice on the weekend, where their hours specify that they are open until 10pm. The first time we went to the restaurant at 9:00pm and we were seated and then told very apologetically they were no longer serving for the night and offered us bread and dessert on them. The second time we called on a Friday around 7:00pm and asked how late they would be serving because we could not be there till 9:00pm. They stated if we came in at 9:00pm we should be just fine. We called enroute to the restaurant at 9:00pm to ensure they were serving since we anticipated arriving around 9:05pm and they told us they were no longer serving. My boyfriend and I have heard great things about this place and really wanted to try it, however every time we try to go they are closed prior to the listed weekend hours of 10:00pm. If they are only open till 9:00pm on Friday and Saturday's they should indicate that as being their normal hours, not 10:00pm

Beware of added amounts to your credit card. When I got my credit card bill they had added another $2 to my charge without my permission. I called to get an explanation of the $2 and they said they would check into it and call me back but seemed perturbed that I wanted them to research for $2. I told them it wasn't the $2 but the principal of it, were they adding $2 to every bill or was it a mistake. 2 weeks later still no response so I called again and was told they were too busy to check into it and were again surprised that I wanted them to give me an explanation for $2. They said they have never gotten this request before and had no way to credit my credit card for $2 and would have to mail me the $2 minus the postage fee, if they could even get time to determine if it was their error or the credit card company. Again, it's not the $2, it's the principal of a business adding money to people's credit cards for any reason and then being rude and confrontational when asked for an explanation. Keep your copy of your receipt and check it against your credit card bill.

This is a favorite of ours - wonderful Italian food, cozy ambiance, excellent service. This restaurant deserves our business. Make a reservation and enjoy!

Visiting from Texas for the Twin Cities marathon. This place was a slam dunk! Charming, quaint atmosphere, easy parking, friendly service. The artichoke dip ruled! Caesar salad was good but probably not worth the upgrade. I ordered the Shrimp Macalester. It was beyond excellent. My girlfriend got the Chicken Picata & she thought it was as good as any she's ever had. Another nice thing was they did not over salt their food! Dinner with appetizers ran about $50. It took us about an hour & 15 minutes from the time we arrived. Reservations on weekends are probably the way to go. This place is tiny & there was a wait when we left. The neighborhood it's in has a great bookshop, record store & some other cool shops. Great area!

This is our go to spot for our date nights! It's an intimate setting to have a delicious meal on white tablecloths with very friendly, personable service. Shelly is amazing and we love to spend a few minutes with her chatting. I can't say enough great things about this spot. Lovely wine menu, fabulous menu and an atmosphere that we just love!

Our favorite, locally owned restaurant in the MacGroveland & Highland area of St. Paul. It was a consistent go to for date nights and family events. Now, with young kids at home, it's in heavy rotation for take out. Yes! Great place for take out. The food has consistently been delicious, homemade, and fresh. Love this place and hope you try and share it. Tom - a neighborhood friend.

Food: The food was good, but not great - . The flavors were all very simple and not particularly complex. I had the Brascoletti and the steak had good color (medium to medium rare), but it was not particularly juicy or tender. My wife had Veal Parmigana, and the flavors were good, but the veal, which is know for its tenderness, was not tender at all. Drink: They have 1/2 off wine from 5-7 Mon-Thurs, which allowed us to get a nice bottle of wine at a very reasonable price. I don't know a lot about wine, but their selection seemed good and I enjoyed what we had. Service: The server took away a used fork after appetizers and we had to ask for a new one after our entrees had been delivered. They took our leftovers to box them, then brought us our paid bill without bringing back the box. Again, we had to ask for it. All-in-all the service left something to be desired (though, in all fairness, there were only two servers and 1 hostess for about a 15 tables or so). 2 stars = "Meh. I've experienced better." (via yelp)

I can not believe it took me this long to try this place. My husband and I would pass this place all the time and say that we need to try it. It took the pandemic for us to finally experience this delicious place. During the past several months, we have only been supporting local places, and I am so happy that if helped me find this place. We have been here multiple times now over the past 4 months, and each time it has hit the mark. We have had both the baked spinach ravioli and non-baked. I prefer the baked because it is cheesier and creamy. The non-baked is our son's favorite. I have also had both the pesto dishes - basil and sun-dried tomato. The dish is simple but extremely flavorful. In addition, we also got the rigatoni (substituted mushrooms for the sausage). The rigatoni has a spicy kick to it which is perfect for us. In addition to all this food, all the entrees come with salad (which is nice since restaurants don't do that anymore). But the BREAD - is homemade and fresh. I love how soft and tasty it is. We will definitely be back. The only thing that I wish is that the hours were a bit longer. I am hoping that these are just pandemic hours, and will be more accessible for late date nights.

The food was excellent! The service was WONDERFUL! I would go back in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, I probably won't. The reason? Well, as a senior citizen with mobility issues, it was more than disconcerting to find out that there is NO ADA-compliant restroom in the facility. To get to the restroom you must descend a steep, poorly lit, narrow flight of stairs, with a low ceiling. The reason given was that it was a small space and there was no room for ADA compliance. Well, that simply means that handicapped people are not welcome. (And, I have no clue how they got fire marshall approval. The only exit from the basement is the same staircase, no second exit. The restrooms are a fire trap. At least put it on the website that there are no ADA compliant restrooms so someone doesn't drive 40 miles to get there (like I did) and have no restroom. I am mobile enough to go ahead and use the restroom but I did NOT feel safe on the stairs. Not very 21st century for a modern progressive city.

I have tried this place twice now. Both times were extremely disappointing. Horrible food. The chicken piccata tasted and looked like it was microwaved. Absolutely no browning. It went in the garbage.

For years this has been the go to for budget Italian. Cheap. Cozy. Dependable. I love their steak and lasagna. No frills and decently priced.

Nice place. Food was fantastic. Loved the atmosphere (lots of Frank Sinatra music and candles). Service was really good. Parking lot across the street. I'll definitely be back.

Recently discovered this hidden gem. The food was amazing, the service great (our server was Shelly), the atmosphere cozy. The prices were great as well (and if you go on a week night the wine is 1/2 off!). I started my meal with the house salad with peppercorn dressing. The dressing was so good. They also give you homemade garlic bread that is so soft. For my entree I ordered the seafood cannelloni (seafood mixture of crab, shrimp, scallops, ricotta, fresh basil & sun dried tomatoes wrapped in a pasta sheet. topped with a portabella mushroom cream sauce). It was delicious. The sauce was amazing, the seafood not at all fishy. The only complaint would be that the sauce got a little salty towards the end, but that is somewhat common with white sauces. My companion ordered the Chicken Carmelo (lightly breaded, baked & topped with fresh crab, parmesan & a lemon cream sauce served over angel hair & garnished with roasted vegetables) which was absolutely amazing! The veggies were so crisp, the chicken was tender, the lemon very refreshing. If I went again I would order this dish, hands down!

I cannot believe I forgot to review this little hole in the wall that if you blink while driving down Snelling you will miss. It is small. Which makes this a wonderful intimate dining place to have a nice meal with somebody you enjoy. My daughter and I used to go here for lunch because we are big pasta lovers and we enjoy the cozy atmosphere. Never had anything that I did not like here off the menu.

It's been a while since we've been to Carmelo's. After the meal we just had, I'm kicking myself and wondering why it took so long to get back. It's just what you want in an Italian restaurant. Family owned, quaint, unpretentious, beautiful hearty meals, and a very attentive and helpful staff. I had the Bistecca Pomadora which is a NY Strip stuffed with garlic and Parmesan, served on marinara and topped with onion, mushrooms, and roasted red pepper. Very nicely cooked to medium rare. My wife said her Chicken Milanese was very good. I've had pasta dishes in the past that were excellent also. The bread is homemade and extremely fresh and tasty. As good as I thought my meal was, nothing could prepare me for what came after. I ordered the Tiramisu. My wife and I spent our honeymoon in Italy, and I can honestly say that this Tiramisu was better than any I had there. It was so much different. Not prepared in a big pan. It looked individually prepared and the Flavors and textures were amazing. I highly recommend Carmelo's. Not the place you would want to bring the kids (although last night there was a table with rather young kids there). Prices are very reasonable throughout the entire menu. We will be back soon for sure.

This very well could have been the restaurant that Billy Joel was singing about in "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" on The Stranger album... "A bottle of white, a bottle of red Perhaps a bottle of rose instead Get a table near the street In our old familiar place You and I face to face A bottle of red, a bottle of white It all depends on your appetite I'll meet you any time you want In our Italian Restaurant." Visited Carmelo's on a quiet Monday night, around 6:30. Had called ahead for reservations, although for that night, at that time, they weren't really necessary. It certainly is a cozy (but definitely not cramped) dining room, so I could see how Thurs-Sun you would want to call ahead. There's a great atmosphere going inside Carmelo's. We chose a comfy booth, along the side wall. There was a good vibe going, with classic American standards (Frank, Dean, some Ella) playing softly in the background, and a good level of conversation happening among patrons - that perfect level of background noise, but not so loud that you felt distracted. The small candles on each table and good lighting completed the atmosphere. A pretty standard, nice wine list...none of the glasses were more than $5/6. Our waitress was very pleasant and confidently explained the specials to us. I went with the Chicken Parm with marinara, while my date chose a chicken ceasar salad (what's up with girls ordering chicken ceasar salads everywhere?). She said the salad was good...certainly looked good, so that's cool...I've got to compliment Carmelo's on my Chicken Parm. Good sweetness to the sauce, nice and hot bubbly cheese melted on top of a perfectly crispy, breaded chicken breast. Totally standard Italian-American fare here...but what's not to like about that? Carmelo's doesn't try to hide what it is...a completely unpretentious, comfortable, friendly, Italian restaurant. Our waitress was really attentive, the food was good, and the atmosphere was great. Check it out next time you want a good meal.

Teeny-tiny and unpretentious. I will admit that I am biased towards long-standing neighborhood restaurants, cafes and bistros, so even if there are things that I do not like about them, I will rate them higher than other places. I am also especially biased towards neighborhood Italian places. Let's see; my visits here were for date nights and my dad's birthday, (where I inherited my preferences for neighborhoody italian joints). I ordered the signature lemon chicken entree, which delicious other than being heavy on the lemon, and the pasta was a bit too oily. My BF ordered seafood cannelloni, which he raved about for days... months! So the food was great, but service was casual, in some cases, lacking. It's clearly a family-owned place; the owner's kid was working the restaurant floor, and would lift the glass by the rim - right where you put your lips - when refilling water. But it's evident that the owners/managers have a good relationship with their staff. Every visit in has had friendly but not obnoxious demeanor. They like working there. Lastly, the ambiance. From the street, it's nondescript. The space is tight, decor seems to be an afterthought, and the crowd is the frumpies you'd expect from the St Kate's area. My BF was going to wear dress slacks and a button down. I convinced him to change to jeans but he definitely was one of the more dressed up in his button down. It's homey - you hang your winter coat on hooks in the stairwell, and you can tell the focus is on friendly service and the food.