Caro Amico Italian Cafe

Classic Portland restaurant and vibe! if you want to go back in time to when Portland was a small undiscovered city that was still affordable for artists and working creatives - travel back in time to Caro Amico! Thank goodness this delightful restaurant survived the pandemic and all of the changes to the city! Incredible cocktails, they are unique and one of a kind crafted by the staff. Delicious and nuanced food. Thoughtful, fun. And kind staff. Don’t miss it ❤️

PORTLAND INSTITUTION I’m soooo happy Caro Amico survived the pandy and that awful fire they had. We always have exceptional service and a good night when we come here. Pizza and food are always good, but never great. We come for the ambiance and nostalgia. I would not classify this as authentic Italian food and would say it’s Italian-themed American food. They do not make any of their pastas or their salad dressings. This is a tragedy IMO and I would encourage them to consider a housemade pasta along with a housemade dressing. This would make this lovely spot more like Italy and less like Olive Garden

Wow! I couldn't love this restaurant any more! The atmosphere is sophisticated and yet familiar, cozy and inviting! The outdoor deck seating in an early Fall evening was glorious! The food is upscale yet traditional and truly authentic Italian fare! Simple ingredients prepared to perfection! Such a culinary delight! I am gluten free and had one of the best meals I've ever had! The staff were kind, professional and attentive. The chef substituted veggies for the pasta and I couldn't have been happier! If you're in Portland, you must visit this historic Italian gem!

This place is incredible. The food is amazing and everyone working there is fun and nice and great at their jobs. The owner cares deeply for her customers and the restaurant and it shows.

My lady found this place and hails from Italy so we went to check out the food. There is very little proper parking here and the little lot they have was full so you will have to find street parking in the adjacent neighborhood so I'm glad we were driving her car. We came into the place from the Barbour side and you walk through the restaurant and go down some stairs to the host station. Not sure how folks in wheelchairs navigate the place. Now, to the food. My lady loved it and I thought the food was great but since I've never been to Italy, my opinion does not count as much as hers. For dessert we had the Tiramsu and for dinner I had the scallops and pasta plate that the table next to me recommended and I ate it all. Prior to dinner, we had antipasto plate. One thing I really liked was the time between appetizer and dinner. Some places, you barely finish your appetizer and the main course is already coming out so there was plenty of time between. For drinks, I had a Manhattan and Old Fashion and my lady had some compari drink (uh yuck).

Had my first dinner at Caro Amico tonight. This was the best Italian meal I have had in years. It reminded me of fine Italian restaurants in St. Louis with sauces that have cooked for hours. Service was outstanding and had a lovely booth next to the window. Felt spoiled from the service. The food was absolutely delicious. I had cannelloni & manicotti with a perfect marinara sauce. My friend had a special of veggie lasagna with eggplant. It could not have been better..

If you want an old school Italian restaurant this is the place. Frank Sinatra's music playing. Great service and nice views of Portland. Food was fresh and delicious.

Ok here's what you need to know. I found it difficult to glean much from the existing reviews/pictures so hopefully this helps someone in my position. There are two dining rooms, upstairs and downstairs. Upstairs has much better/classier vibes; when we were driving in and I saw it through the windows I worried it would be too nice to bring our toddler. Luckily, they sat us in the downstairs dining room, which still has a nice view from one side, but is otherwise a stark white room barely concealed by very generic Italian images (vespa, etc). Unless you have kids you do not want this room. There is also a bar area which looked very cozy and perhaps the best reason to go here? Our biggest gripe was value, prices didn't line up with the quality/level of the food. Bummed to pay $17 for a mini pizza that reminded us of our kid's frozen pizzas from Trader Joe's. Our dishes were definitely a bit better, but still walked away feeling like we paid $80 for a $60 meal. Same with the service/hosting, which while efficient, was lacking in warmth. I think the host said "yes?" to us when we walked in the door, seemed like they grabbed a random person off the street and threw them into the job. Overall, I'd be happy to go if someone else was paying (and we sat upstairs), and will likely return to try the bar experience, but overall it just didn't hit.

I have not been here in YEARS! I have had a couple of recommendations lately from friends so we decided to try it tonight. The report: food ok, service excellent, ambience meh. The deets: we stared a Caesar salad for a starter. It was pedestrian with a strangely sweet dressing. Anchovy no where to be found. It was ok, just not actually a Caesar salad. They have NO gluten free pasta so our companion with sensitivity had the sausage with veggies. The only other option was a salad as an entree. It IS 2025, right? Charge me more, ok, but gluten free pasta has come a long way and offer it! I had the scallops with spinach, pasta and a cream sauce. Scallops a bit over cooked and the sauce a bit bland, not much spinach but ok. Our other friend had the pasta putenesca. It was very tasty and a generous portion. The bright spot was our waitress. Funny, attentive and helpful. Am I in a hurry to go back? Not really. The crowd on a Tuesday was older and we closed the place at 8:00. The food was acceptable, but three of us , with a glass of wine each a shared salad and shared spumoni for dessert spent a round $200 on a Tuesday night for dinner with tip. Meh.

great to have Carl Amicos back open. definitely a treasure! Best romantic bar on the Westside.

I stumbled upon Caro Amico a few days ago for an impromptu date night. After learning that it was a fourth generation family owned Italian restaurant, I was hopeful that I'd found another Portland gem. Unfortunately, almost everything about our experience was underwhelming. That said, I realize they just recently reopened after being shut down for a few years due to a fire, so I'm hoping in time some of their downfalls will improve. Pros: 1. No wait to be seated. 2. Large variety of menu items. 3. Food arrived relatively quickly. 4. Our server was very prompt, friendly, and she provided several recommendations. 5. The flavor of the chicken piccata sauce was delightful. Cons: 1. The ambiance left much to be desired. The decor felt very thrown together. Considering the price point, I was expecting a slightly more upscale experience. 2. Much like the ambiance, the presentation of the food itself was disappointing. The caprese salad appeared to be a bit of a jumbled mess and the tiramisu has chocolate syrups drizzled haphazardly all over the plate. 3. The chicken used for our chicken piccata was severely overcooked, making it challenging to cut and chew. The fettuccine Alfredo didn't seem to have any seasoning. A little garlic and salt would have made a world of difference.

We love this place. We prefer to sit in the tiny bar with mood lighting on date nights... To date, we have enjoyed all of the delicious options for food- pizza is stellar, pastas are plentiful and delish with enough to easily feed 2 or take home lunch for the next day :) Never had a bad meal here, and we've been enjoying it for more than 20 years!

Mediocre at best, we were disappointed with our meal. Since veal parmigiana is hardly on menus in Portland, and is a staple back in NJ / NY where I grew up, I ordered this Italian American classic, The dish arrived with penne pasta on the side, and immediately I knew the pasta would have no flavor. Rahter than cook the pasta in the sauce for the last minute or two, along with some pasta water and sauce to ensure the pasta itself would have flavor, it was white penne topped with a spoonful of marinara. No. Just no. Not only do all Italians know that you have to cook the pasta in the sauce otherwise it lacks flavor, every cooking show, every chef also emphasizes this. The penne tasted as if it had been precooked and when a meal was ordered, they added it to the dish with warm marinara on top. The pasta had no flavor and was also over cooked, had no bite. The veal was good, but slightly over cooked. For a piece of meat this expensive, you want to make sure not to overlook it which makes it tough. For $32, I could have made a far better version to feed several people. My friend went simple with a pepperoni pizza. We were shocked that the personal sized pizza was $20. Thats steep! The crust was thin, which I like, but it was so over cooked it tasted like a dry cracker with sauce, cheese and pepperoni on top. It was not edible. The waitress offered to make a new pizza, which we appreciated. It took another 20 minutes so we didn't eat our meals together. The second version was better, but still not worth $20. Caro Amico has remodeled since the fire. If you enter from the back, you must go up a flight of stairs to get to the bar and main dining room. Then another full flight of steps to get to the restrooms and another dining area. For someone who recently had a hip replacement and is now dealing with knee issues, this was beyond challenging. Even the large step from the parking lot onto the small patio to enter the back door required me to hold onto the bench to get up the step. If you are in a wheelchair, there is no way to get inside or to get upstairs to the restroom. While we were not happy with our meal, I will say the restaurant was full and they have been around for over 40 years. Food in Portland has definitely elevated in that time so maybe I have a different palette. The owner came to our table to apologize for the pizza and to engage with us. when we received the bill, the waitress said the owner took our desert off as a courtesy. So I'd give 5 stars for the customer service, but the food is still just ok which is why the 2 star rating. So much good food in and around Portland, no need to eat mediocre.

Wonderful old place on a quirky hillside. Popular spot with cozy/tight seating. Delicious pizza although most of the folks around us were getting pasta dishes. Super friendly waitstaff. Pretty noisy for having a table conversation.

The food was great, we enjoyed the bread with oil and vinegar, as well as the manicotti and the ravioli alla vodka. The best part was easily the tiramisu, it was delicious. The server was attentive and friendly. We sat in the lounge and it was very intimate and cozy. An overall great experience.

Our friend recommended this place. We finally made it over and it was a great surprise. Friendly and attentive service. Food was great. Mushroom Ravioli with a side of bread, you're welcome! Nice view and warm atmosphere. Definitely coming back!

way over priced; $75 for spaghetti with meatballs, salad, bread, no dessert or drinks, 20% tip included. paid a lot for decent Italian dinner with nice atmosphere.

One of our favorites going back some years but we haven't visited since the Pandemic and fire. It was great to be back last night to enjoy the good food, ambiance, and wonderful service. It is great to have Caro Amico back and so will we!

Guess who's back? Back again Guess who's back Caro's back Da NA NA Finally we got back after it's been open 5 months Got an amazing facelift while saving the charm that makes this place special. Happy hour is a great deal and the bartender Sara is a gem Can't wait to bring family and friends back to enjoy a long glamorous dinner.

Our first visit since the fire. Everything is as it was. Great food and service. My only complaint would be that they don't take Mastercard? Hard to believe in this day and age. Thank goodness I also have a debit card.

We've not been to Caro Amico in years- and it was a treat to go back and enjoy their delicious lasagna, salad, fresh garlic bread and creamy mushroom Ravioli. We savored every bite. We loved how quiet it was on a warm rainy night.

We had a little snafu with our order. My husband and one of our friends ordered the Veal Parmesan and got Chicken Parmesan. By the time the Veal Parmesan arrived at the table the rest of us were nearly done with our meal. I order the Chicken Picatta and while it was tasty, the chicken was very dry (over cooked). Because of the noise in the lower dining room (including a loudly crying toddler), we moved into the bar which was only marginally better sound-wise. We love the decor, the outside dining area is nice and the service staff was very nice. We hope they get back to where it was before they closed.

Wonderful food,great service and very warm atmosphere. We will definitely be going back soon. Bradley

I had a reservation for three people one was in her 90's and user a walker. They have absolutely no access for the handicapped a real shame this day and age. When I brought it up to the hostess she could have cared less and said oh well. So we had to leave. Avoid this place.

Prices run high - no Bolognese on the menu, but "after the fact" they say they do have it if you ask?!?!? Charged for extra garlic on the aglio olio, but did not see ANY garlic nor did I taste it - a bland dish! Mistake on the ticket where we were double charged, but she took care of it promptly with a good attitude. Maybe pizza is the only thing here that measures up to expectations (from a friend who went years ago for pizza) and what I saw did look good. It had been 29 years since I was last there and I guess there is a reason I forgot about it as an Italian option in PDX for that long. It will be some time, if ever, that I return.

They are back open!!!!! I drive by this place everyday and have long been anticipating them reopening since the fire. I saw the open sign and pulled right in to pick up dinner for myself, my wife and my parents. Ordered an Italian Greek salad to start, lasagna, Chicken Piccata and Spaghetti Carbonara for entrees followed by tiramisu for dessert. Flavors were incredible, the tiramisu was the best I have ever had. So happy to see them back open and to have an incredible spot back in the neighborhood!

Service is so slow food may be good but the service taking an hour and a half averages that out. 0 gluten free alternatives unless the meal already doesn't have it but no gluten free dough or pasta alternatives it's 2023 let's be real do not rec also this place is so loud and unpleasant

The most amazing experience ever! To be back in business and to staff so fully to make sure everything runs so smoothly! Wow is all I can say and the food is a 100%!!I can't say enough about this place!

Ho-Hum. When I saw just 3.5 stars, I had some concerns. But with nary a decent, home-style Italian restaurant in a town infamous for its culinary delights, I decided to give Caro Amico a shot. Having lived and traveled extensively in Italy and being married to an Italian, I am used to great, authentic Italian food and Neapolitan pizza at extremely reasonable prices. This has not been the case in Portland in the year we have lived here. With pasta dishes at $20+, individual "Neapolitan" pizzas, and I use that term loosely, in the same price range, and veal entrees (no soup/salad, bread, or both) at $25 and up (when you can find veal), I have found Italian food in Portland and surrounds expensive and subpar. Caro Amico was no exception. We were herded into the dark bar at 5:20PM even though there were several tables in the restaurant available. The bartender seemed a bit grouchy, not understanding my wife's inquiry about sauce options for her pizza (she's allergic to tomatoes) and stating "whatever" rather than taking the time to understand or explain. Their "Happy Hour" menu is a joke, with drink prices basically the same as regular prices as far as I could tell and half orders of menu dishes at half-price. Where is the value in that? Being our first visit, we decided to order of the regular menu. Instead of getting an 6.5 inch "small" one-topping pizza/snack for $11.50, my wife ordered a large pizza "Milano Style", which turned out to be "olive oil and sweet basil" (aka "pesto"), with mushrooms ($18.50) so we could take home the leftovers, a much better value. Having lived in Naples, Italy most of her life, she is a bit of a pizza snob, claiming that the size was "OK" and the sauce, cheese and mushrooms somewhat flavorful, but the crust rather chewy and "blah". I went with my "American" favorite, Veal Parmigiana (which you would never find in Italy - there is no such thing as meat with tomato sauce and cheese on top), my go-to dish and a telltale sign of a restaurant's quality and value. At $24.75, the "veal" was not bad, but a bit too thick (could have been pounded more) and a little tough. The sauteed veggies were rather flavorless, a mixture on broccolini, zucchini, onions and peppers and mixed in with the pasta (penne) that did not have enough sauce on it. The sauce was fair, not bad, but nothing special. Either the penne or veggies had not been drained well enough because there was a pool of water under the pasta, an unforgivable faux pas and pet peeve of mine. If you are paying $25 for an à la carte entrée, they could at least drain the pasta and put enough sauce on it so you do not have to eat plain, watery penne ... barf! They also do not serve bread with your meal, something expected at the vast majority Italian restaurants stateside and at ALL restaurants in Italy. There was not even bread on the menu, except for the $7 garlic bread that costs exactly the same on both the regular and happy hour menus. For example, a much better veal parmigiana ($23.45) at another Portland area restaurant is pretty damn good and dinners come with antipasto, soup or salad, garlic bread and choice of pasta (including ravioli), all for a $1.30 less than Caro Amico's a' la carte veal parm. I have yet to find an "authentic" Italian restaurant in Portland where you can order antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno and/or dolce at a reasonable price. The numerous "5-star" reviews indicate that they have obviously never been to Italy, having likely eaten only in Portland's dearth of decent Italian restaurants, so Caro Amico's 3.5 -star Yelp average seems a bit high to me. I give them deductions for a lukewarm reception, shoving us into the dark and dingy bar with a grumpy bartender, lack of bread with our meal, a lousy happy hour menu, watery pasta, and not so cheap à la carte menu. Based on this, our first visit, we will not be returning anytime soon ... not impressed in the least. CombatCritic Gives Caro Amico 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Returned to restaurant after its reopening. Food was fine, service a little slow, but ok. Problem was the amount of the bill that was charged on my credit card. It was greater than my receipt. A $93 bill including tip was changed to $99. Not a lot of money, but something for customers to be aware of.

They're back open! Just had my first meal since they reopened and it was excellent. They seem to be very busy yet don't take reservations. That surprises me a little.

We had to use "open table" to place reservations for my family. They seemed busy on a Saturday evening. Amazing old world Italian is how I would describe this place. Beautiful outside patio with view of the eastern landscape. Dimly lit bar inside, and two dining rooms both upstairs and down. We were seated in main room next to patio. Menu is straight up Italian. Entrees are a no frill selection. (NOT olive garden). Its like there is someones Mom in the kitchen kickin' it out. Plenty of staff to serve you promptly with water and a loaf of bread. My son opted out from finishing his plate of spaghetti and two meatballs. Too much for him. Both girls liked the kids' spaghetti and meatballs. Lasagna for wife and a very plain pepperoni pizza for me. Very enjoyable evening. So much so, that the kids do not want to return to olive garden, and would rather come back here. I agree.

We've been going to Caro Amico's for 54 years and were delighted to find it reopening in August when we visited Portland from Seattle. We had a wonderful dinner with great service. The restaurant is little changed from the way we remembered it with a pleasant ambiance. Nice views of the city. Highly recommended...

UPDATE: Sociopath man is no longer fiancé. Never again, folks! But I'm dying to go to my favorite Italian restaurant again

Outstanding, outstanding, outstanding. I can't believe how long I have been driving by this place. I have driven by this place for 10 years. I always assumed since there was no one out front, there was nothing going on inside. It is in the top three for me for Italian Restaurants in Portland. There is a parking lot in the back. Completely full. The side street which you is not visible from Barbour completely full. I don't know why they don't seat people upstairs, but they don't. It is a reason I have been driving by. It will now be a special stop. Everything from start to finish was delicious. A perfect date night stop. A perfect family night when you are not in a rush. Friends and fellow Yelpers make a trip to this place when you want to enjoy a home-cooked meal. They have bread real bread. Not the hay you are typically served. This practice has seemed to die down as more and more people are gluten-free or cutting down on the carbs. I felt the need to indulge and my eyes did not deceive me. I cant explain to the people that love watered down mass produced food from Costco. I know the large pre-made meals are easy and convenient. They lack flavor. Plain and simple. This place oozes flavor. Every single thing we had was unique in its combination and presentation. The ravioli with sausage and shrimp was mouth watering with every bite. I am salivating just thinking about it now. All we did was rave with each mouthful. I haven't done that in a long time. I won't say there are not some quirks. We asked to sit upstairs. It was explained to me they don't seat upstairs. Just like that. We don't sit upstairs. Why have an upstairs with a view of the entire city and not seat anyone up there? I guess they don't need to have more customers. The bar is almost completely full. There is nothing special about it. It seems like a private club. We went to go in there and thought we would need to wait. It was like the staff didn't want us in there. We were told it was full and led back to the waiting area where we were then seated immediately. We also went to go in after and again as we approached a waiter came out of nowhere to stop us and again tell us it was full. Is it a private club? Are there Mafia connections or meeting happening there? How can you operate at half full? These are all questions that come up to mind. The quality of the food is overpowering. It blocks out all the questions and odd behavior. This place has an Italian Grandmother in the back whipping up some meals that will wake up the taste buds in your mouth that have been hibernating. Well worth the stop. I won't be driving by nearly as often.

Came here last night (Monday) around 8:45pm after my friend and I had a long af day at work and really needed some food and wine. (there were probably 5 other people here, which I actually prefer). We work at OHSU and needed a place close by (all our normal options on the hill were either remodeling or closed). Literally googled the closest place to us and this was it! They close at 10pm but stop serving food at 9pm, so the waiter was super nice and got our food in on time. I got the angel hair with pesto (and it had some kind of ground meat in it I think - I didn't take any pics because this was literally the hungriest I have ever been in my life, which may influence why I thought the food was pretty good? who knows) My friend and I also got the red blend to drink (and it wasn't bad!). I haven't heard great things about the pizza, so I ordered pasta and it was not bad. In total for the wine and pasta I paid around $24, which is kind of what I expected. I think this place is best in the summer - we sat outside and there were pretty lights, the service didn't stick out to me as the best service I've ever received, but it wasn't bad either. Overall, I think this place shoots right in the middle - a decent place to go if you're up on Marquam Hill and have nowhere else to eat and it's 9pm. I wouldn't drive more than 15 minutes to eat here, but it met all my expectations and didn't disappoint me. I'm sure the atmosphere is different during various seasons and times of the night or weekends.

I've driven by this place a few times and made it a plan to try it out. An establishment, since 1949, that has passed the test of time and is still open, so they must be doing something right. They open at 4PM and there is a private parking lot. I arrived just after opening. There are several levels to this restaurant indoor dining as well as outdoor. I can see how we ambience could be quite romantic here in the evening, nice ambience with candles and such. There is a great view of the tram SW waterfront area from the deck. They have a wonderful little lounge here with happy hour menu items available from 4 PM to 6 PM. The bartender seated me on the deck and answered all my menu questions, he was very nice and helpful. The waiter brought the beverages, a basket of crusty bread, butter, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The bread was very good. Cannelloni/manicotti combo and the pepperoni, sausage, salami, mushroom pizza were ordered as entrées. Please no just some of the entrées come with a dinner salad and some do not. You can order a get a dinner salad for an additional $5. The seating filled up fast for Thursday evening as it was beautiful weather. It took some time before the entrées were served but when they were they were very good. The sauce was delicious and very rich, an authentic Italian meat sauce. The cheeses were very high-quality in the filling. The pizza was authentic Italian handmade buttery cracker style thin crust, topped with their delicious marinara sauce and finished off with high quality meat toppings. No grease! :-) They make a homemade tiramisu and I would love to try next time because I hear it is very good. They also serve Sunshine Dairy spumoni ice cream. Service was a little slow. The prices are mid range and a little higher than most Italian restaurants but the taste and quality of food here is far superior to your Italian chain restaurants. I will be back! 2014-73

4.75 very nearly perfect. Two of us found ourselves without kid ( ok well without MY kid) and available to do a grownup birthday dinner at 8:00 on a random Saturday. Janet: What do you feel like? Birthday person: pasta. Janet: oh crap. Italian on this side of town is just hard. ( Spaghetti factory, Bugattis, Pastini, Noodles etc, Mingo, Decarli, Ernestos....been to all of them.and....just no). Looked on yelp at my bookmarks, saw Caro Amico and thought ok, lets go! Then I crossed fingers and toes. The reviews were mixed. We were seated almost immediately in a roomy booth and had plenty of servers and attention the entire time. The place is very romantic and warm. Frank Sinatra croons in the background. We both ordered specials: salmon pappardelle and crab and artichoke ravioli. The server came back and apologized , theyd run out of the ravioli. I settled for carbonara. Both pasta dishes were light and lovely. I only wished mine had been a touch hotter.But thats not a deal breaker. The bread and salad were delicious Actually pretty perfect. Of note, the menu had a nice variety of the usual Italian suspects as well as pizza and calzones. There is something for most everyone here except possibly vegans. The birthday person chose tiramisu for dessert which was complimentary, very nice. The tiramisu was a little wetter than i usually find it, but it was tasty. My bellini was yummy and birthday persons wine was too btw. This was a very successful impromptu dinner with good food and great service. There was butcher paper and crayons on the table, which I secretly love but àlso know is a little gauche. When I asked birthday companion what they thought about that, they pointed out that Caro Amico has been open since 1949. They do what they do and they dont pretend to be something they are not and seem very comfortable with that. I agree. Im going back soon to try their pizza. With our check they gave us cold Andes mints ( nice touch) and a coupon for $10 off our next meal. Sweet!

A little dark, dingey, and outdated like any favorite Italian joint I've ever loved! The food was excellent and authentic! Service was great. Red sauce and white sauce were both delicious! Spaghetti Carbonara, manicotti, cannelloni, and meatballs were all to die for! We made sure to add chicken or a meatball to the entrees which I recommend. My only 2 complaints would be: Somewhat pricey for smaller portions. The bread served was cold and the butter was also cold. But it was so good that we will be back!

Rang up (ok, logged on) to Delivered Dish tonight for a change of pace. We use them quite often, really, I've never had a bad experience with them. They've always showed up on time, and the delivery people are pretty courteous. Delivery fees are apparently set by the individual restaurants and can range for a couple bux to ten. There is usually a minimum $ amount food order as well. Tonight's occasion was that Mrs. BurgerDogBoy is out making the bacon, as she has been known to do, so that means it's burger or pizza night (or both) for me! I've never been into Cara Amico, even tho it's older than dirt, as far as Portland restaurants go (1949). That's even older than BurgerDogBoy! But we had ordered a couple of delivered dinners from them before (also thru Delivered Dish) and I recalled once I had them include a small pie, merely as an afterthought. I seem to recall it was pretty good. And since my local Dominos bit the big one (two owners in a row!), and Apu, over at 7-Eleven, hasn't gotten around to putting in the new whiz bang Turbo oven to crank out the 7-Eleven two minute pizzas yet, I have to scrounge around for delivered pies. So I ordered the large pie (at 18 inches, larger than most pizzeria larges), with three toppings, Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, and extra cheese. Cara Amico offers you a choice of several different sauces as well, but one type of crust only, a thin baby (fine with me). My email order confirmation said my pie would be delivered at (approximately) 6:37pm, and it is now 6:17. Tick.....tick.....tick.... So they pulled in the driveway at 6:39, but only because he cruised by twice, couldn't see the house number, I guess. We concluded our transaction quickly, and I zipped up to the kitchen to pop open the box and examine my prize. It's not 18", it's 15" x 13" of rectangular goodness. That's 195 square inches. (18" round would have added another 25% of noshing surface, if you're wondering). The crust is "New York thin", which is fine for me tonight. Crispy at the rim, chewy working inland. Strong enough to hold the toppings, and no hang or slippage at all. Nice. I am surprised at how much this pizza weighs! It's a heavy sucker! (No, we don't have any scales in this house, what are you, nuts?) The irregular shape of the pie tells me it is definitely hand-formed. There's a slight char in spots, which is fine as well. The bulk sausage is crumbly, also fine with me, I like it small, I like it big, as long as it wasn't formed in a machine. There's ample quantities of the sausage (in fact the pie is wall to wall with it) as well as the pepperoni, which is mild. Real damned cheese, too. The red sauce is mild, there's some fresh garlic somewhere. (Tell them if you don't want it, or tell them you don't want it and to put the extra on my next order!) It's big, it's beautiful, and it's filling! Eating as I am typing this, I have come to the realization I won't be able to finish 3 slices. Wow. But baby, that means 'za for breakfast! YAY!

We loved the owner of the restaurant. She found out we were from Hawaii and shared with us her stories of her husband being stationed in Hawaii and her children being born there. She walked around chatting with various patrons. It was a Friday, so it was packed and the service was a bit slow. It it was expected with the number of people seated. It's very noisy in this restaurant. People with hearing aids might have a hard time. It was a pretty place though. Cozy. The bread was tasty. Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Caesar salad to share was delicious. For dinner, some of it was excellent and some just ok. My dad got the pan seared scallops with linguine in a cream sauce. The scallops were excellent but his sauce was just ok. My boyfriend ordered the chicken piccata. The sauce was the best of all our dishes. The chicken was dry and hard. I ordered the carbonara. That was tasty. Big chunks of pancetta. We would definitely come here again. There's some patio seating which looks nice for summer time. The parking lot is super small. But free parking. Love that you can make Open Table reservations.

Absolutely wonderful! Elsie met us at the door and was gracious in finding us the 'right' booth. Makes you feel like you are in her home. We had two servings of the House bread (that good)... the food was hot, veggies were cooked perfectly... pasta was outstanding...short wine list but they had Pinot Grigio which I can't always find in Oregon or Washington.

My family came in for a celebration looking for good food and drinks. All was well until my boyfriend asked where the bathroom was. It is upstairs. I overheard a woman who seamed like the owner ask staff to follow him and make sure "he doesn't steal anything." This is all based on color. He is a beautiful man regardless undeserving of such treatment. Pretty sad when one has to worry about theft in the toilet

This place is a great restaurant for good food and friendly staff. Although they are closed for remodeling right now (they had a kitchen fire recently). The food is really good and the portion sizes are large which makes it a good deal for the price. The staff here are all really kind and the owner is often in the restaurant and talking with costumers and asking about their meals. Everyone seems to love what they do and they are always attentive. The location is also great with some beautiful views of downtown Portland and Mt. Hood on clear days. They have a small little porch outside of the weather is nice and they have large windows on both levels. This is a great place and as soon as they reopen, I will be back

Disappointed to give this place a bad review. Great location but I just had chicken piccata that was barely edible. Chicken way over cooked and tough, Caesar salad was dry, service was slow at best. They need a new chef! And better service. Used to be a favorite place of mine, but not tonight.

3.5 stars, maybe. I really don't know what to make of this place. Future brother in law wanted his birthday dinner here last Saturday night. The first floor and bar had more of a loud energetic vibe, but we were seated on the top floor which was more elegant. I'm sure this area has a phenomenal view of the river and Mt. Hood, but it was dark. Now, they have white paper covering all tables and a container of crayons. I personally love to doodle, but it adds to the "is this fancy, or is this casual??" confusion. The free bread was okay, I enjoyed it thanks to the bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table. My $17 entree was the spaghetti carbonara. I get that there's pancetta here, but $17 pasta without a major protein is steep. It was certainly tasty, but what blend of carbs, butter and heavy cream isn't?? Would return for happy hour to see the view and better food prices.

We had a wonderful evening with friends on the patio. The hosts were very friendly and accommodating and Celena our server was awesome!!! Look forward to bringing friends here. Thank you for a great space to enjoy a wonderful evening especially during these challenging times.

You cannot find better pizza! These guys have really hit a home run! Their sauce is perfection. Their crust is unique and doesn't get greasy. Their toppings are plentiful and top quality.

Great visit, staff friendly and efficient, food arrived quickly and you can taste the "homemade @ pride! We sat in the booths in the bar area and it really felt quite homey. Lasagna and penne pasta with meat sauce and meat balls were well prepared. We've been looking for a good Portland area Italian restaurant and feel like we've found it; we'll be back!

The pizza was unbelievable and the salads are terrific, too! Great wine options, and don't forget the tiramisu and Spanish coffees. My family has been coming to Caro Amico's for generations. My grandparents ate pizza here for the first time in 1958, and brought their kids here religiously throughout the years. When my aunt married the owners' son (no kidding!) it ensured we'd be coming back for years. And boy, am I glad!

Wonderfully Lovely Staff! Tasty Italian cuzine! My friends have always recommended this cute restaurant in Terwilliger. It's hard?to find and if you blink, then you've missed it. I am so happy i found a rizorte with the taste of old Italy. Manga

This was the most amazing, relaxing wonderful experience! It's exactly everything you want in a good Italian restaurant! First of all the bread was gorgeous, it was rustic, served with good balsamic and olive oil. I ordered the lasagna and my friend ordered the carbonara. The lasagna was perfectly seasoned and didn't fall apart as soon as you stuck a fork in it. The carbonara was cooked al Dente and the sauce was slightly smoky but not over powering. We sat upstairs and had a beautiful view of the city, the background music was turned to the appropriate level so you could hear it but still here your conversation. I would definitely get a reservation and definitely check out the happy hour specials, before 5 pm in the restaurant and 6 pm in the bar area. Would definitely come again if I am ever in Portland! Thank you for making this taste 5 stars!

We live in the neighborhood, and this is one of our favorite date night spots. The ambiance of the bar is romantic and low key, with twinkle lights, and killer dirty martinis. We have never met a dish here we did not enjoy, though I particularly am in love with the Italian Greek salad & order it every time. This is also a great spot for events as they have the whole upstairs level that is removed from the main dining area. They have a great patio with a wonderful view for the summer months as well. It's no wonder this place has been a staple in Portland for so many years.

This place is the real deal. When you walk in you are taken back to a simpler time, when the owner of the restaurant sat at a table and talked to the patrons. The bartender was attentive and friendly. The music, the pictures on the walls, the ambience. This ain't Olive Garden, kids. This is friendly, small-town, face-to-face restauranting. And the food? Oh my goodness. The food is incredible. The price is fair, and at happy hour, perhaps even more fair. My only complaint is that there seems to be some disagreement between their website, their menus, and the sign outside as to exactly when happy hour ends. Plan to be there before 5:30, just in case.

First time here. We've driven by a hundred times, but finally stopped in. So happy we did! Our server Anjila is a sweetheart- genuinely nice and friendly. I had the crab ravioli, it was light and delicious. My husband had the chicken galiano, so good! We had spumoni for dessert and it was equally good. We will be back, I'm only sorry that we didn't try this place sooner. Also, nice view from upstairs while you eat.

Came here for a date night a couple of weeks ago, and they really didn't disappoint. I ended up ordering their fettuccine alfredo, and my boyfriend ordered the cannelloni. We were both happy with our food. It was seasoned well, and perfectly cooked. Most items on the menu were appropriately priced, so neither of us felt like we were being cheated. The waitstaff was incredibly nice, albeit a little slow (I think the night we went there was one girl serving tables). There's definitely some interesting/funky decor in there though, I felt like I was walking into my grandfather's home. I was not a huge fan of the butcher paper on the table. I've since realized that most places are doing this with crayons on the table, but there were no crayons on our table, and when I go out to a "nice" restaurant butcher paper on the table just screams tacky to me. In the grand scheme of things, not that big of a deal, but still a little weird. Overall, we'll probably be back at some point.

This place has been here forever and ever. In fact, when my sister and I took our mom to Portland for a birthday present, this was the first place we had dinner. She used to come here with her friends in high school all the time. It burned down in 1962, but they rebuilt in the same spot. Though she was a bit disappointed that the "new" Caro Amico doesn't have quite the same look or intense pizza smells that the old place had, we all had a ball. As it has been for decades pre- and post-fire, this is a three-story building on a busy street. They have their own parking lot, overlooked by a balcony with tables. They clearly do great business with after-work diners and drinkers as well as people coming in for special occasions. You walk up from the lot and it feels a bit like an old house that's been converted for restaurant work--though it isn't. You walk up a staircase and around the corner into a dining room that's gussied up a little to look italianish. The service is friendly. We had a very cool, laid-back server who seemed like every interaction he had with us or any other table was juuuuust starting to remind him of how much he enjoyed restaurant work. He was incredibly relaxed, but right on point with refills and table visits and whatnot. He patiently answered all our questions and set a great tone for evening. Now, I've been hearing about this place since I was five, even though I didn't grow up in PDX (just born there). As promised, the pizzas come out oblong, almost rectangular. They're delicious, with whole cloves of garlic scattered here and there, and great flavorful meat and vegetables. The crust is chewy and pleasant, not crackery but definitely not too heavy. There are specials, and pasta dishes, and there's incredible crusty bread with oil and vinegar before the food comes out. The lemonade's good, and the wine and beer lists looked serviceable enough. Now, it would probably be impossible for me to go under three stars for this place after a lifetime of built-up expectations, but I can honestly say that it delivers on the virtues of a generations-old neighborhood joint with a city-wide reputation. I'd happily come back here just on the merits, even without fond family memories at the table.