I've always loved Carmine's. We used to go there often when we lived in the neighborhood. We brought friends with us the other night and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Suzanne
The food never disappoints, waitress, and Manager professional ,polite, great service.. but It's too noisy when you sit outside.
PETER
Excellent cocktails. The dishes were well prepared with large servings of each. Service was attentive.
Rashad
My family and I recently celebrated my mother's birthday at Carmine's on Penn, and while the food was absolutely outstanding—the sauces were rich, the dishes vibrant and fresh—that's not really what this review is about. What truly stood out was the service. My mom has some mobility challenges, and from the moment we walked in, the staff went out of their way to make her feel comfortable and at home. The owner, Brad, personally chatted with her about the menu, and it felt less like dining out and more like being welcomed into a friend's home. Our server, Vic, was equally thoughtful—kind, attentive, and genuinely caring. Both Brad and Vic created an atmosphere of warmth that elevated the whole evening. Pair that kind of hospitality with phenomenal food, and you've got a restaurant experience that's hard to beat. I would wholeheartedly recommend Carmine's to anyone—whether you're stopping in for a casual dinner or celebrating a special occasion. Thanks to the incredible team for turning my mom's birthday into such a lovely and memorable night.
Shaune
I wish I could give 6 stars!! I always come to Carmine's on Penn when I visit Denver. It never disappoints but this time the food was extra delicious. Started with the portobello mushrooms. I had forgotten how great this appetizer is. Then we had the seafood fra diavola. Spicy and amazing. We also had the gnocchi special and the ravioli special. Everything was fresh and delicious. Our waiter was friendly and sitting on the patio was perfect. Thank you for reminding me why this is my favorite restaurant in town.
Elizabeth
Our evening was such a delight! Wonderful ambiance, excellent and thoughtful service, and a superb meal. We couldn't have been more delighted with our evening. Thank you!
Ralph Pearson
Good value for big groups
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Alexandra
Servers were not the best our server was a young woman who didn't visit often to our table we even tried calling out to her a couple times. She dropped food on one of our guests back and did nothing to remedy the situation other than a half apology for a table of 8 spending good money service should've been better and more attentive. I don't think I would recommend this restaurant. To people with special events, probably just a quick in and out kind of eat.
Amber
We love Carmine's On Penn! Been going here for over 10 years and happy to see it's still thriving. They always deliver fantastic food and service!
Paul
The experience was saved by one server, Marie, who clearly was the star at this restaurant. Literally watched her work every single table in the place to cover the other staff when it got busy. She did the work of 4 servers and a bartender; the four servers and a bartender did the work of one. Only the FOH manager could describe any of the food. That's sad for the prices, and a poor reflection of the hiring. The bartender dropped off the $40 antipasto plate and said, “here's some arancini .... and meats and cheese.” The plate was not worth it, $20'wpuid be more appropriate. The wine by the bottle here is all under $15-20 and it's bumped to $70+. Not a great selection either. Bad service was rescued by the FOH and Marie. Food was on point outside of the antipasto. It's a great neighborhood place suffering a bit with poor staff mixed in with great staff. In a business where your money is made by service 2/3 people we encountered were fair to poor.
I have been going to Carmine's in Penn for 25 years for my birthday. Every year has been amazing. The free dessert is a lovely touch.
Andrea Kaminoff
I ordered 4 family style dishes for pick up for 6 adults.
Ordering with Evan was a breeze. Pick up was on time. He even put my large order in the car for me which I so appreciated.
Upon arrival at home we immediately opened up the tins and were shocked that the linguini and clams in white wine were served in a dark brownish grey gravy with no taste whatsoever. The spaghetti with vodka sauce and meatballs came with clumpy red sauce, not pink nor flowing as we are used to and the meatballs were hard.
The eggplant parm was good and the chicken parm we enjoyed, although there was a ton of cheese on both that we had to remove.
We are all from the north east and this meal did not reflect anything about the good Italian food that we know and love.
Food was very disappointing but the garlic knots were great and the ordering and promptness were perfect-that’s why I gave them 3 stars, otherwise I would have given less.
Food: 3
Clint
After 25+ years, I will no longer recommend Carmine's On Penn. Their quality of food has declined and the service was poor start to finish. It took several minutes to be greeted by our server. He was not engaging and even recommended going to their website if we had any questions about their dishes. Our party was interested in a large appetizer and he replied “it's too much for you” and walked away. I recommend North Italia or Osteria Alberico for both quality food and superior service!
Emily
We had 5 people in our party. I had not been back to Carmines on Penn in over ten years. It was still really good! Huge portions - we ordered the servings for 2 for Chicken Parm, Chicken Montana, spaghetti and meatballs in vodka sauce and clams and linguini. We also ordered the two portion Caesar salad and House salad for our table. We had the portabello mushroom appetizer as well. The garlic rolls were also amazing! We had an early reservation and the place was pretty quiet but the staff was very attentive which was great. We all went home with lots of food. I would rank the restaurant overall a 4.5 . We had a really nice evening. It is a great venue for a large table! We probably could have fed a few more people easily if that joined us. I am sure we will be back again! Thank you!
Chris Kula
Food was excellent, love the family style ordering. Highly recommended, oh and the drinks were original and tasty.
I've always loved Carmine's. We used to go there often when we lived in the neighborhood. We brought friends with us the other night and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
The food never disappoints, waitress, and Manager professional ,polite, great service.. but It's too noisy when you sit outside.
Excellent cocktails. The dishes were well prepared with large servings of each. Service was attentive.
My family and I recently celebrated my mother's birthday at Carmine's on Penn, and while the food was absolutely outstanding—the sauces were rich, the dishes vibrant and fresh—that's not really what this review is about. What truly stood out was the service. My mom has some mobility challenges, and from the moment we walked in, the staff went out of their way to make her feel comfortable and at home. The owner, Brad, personally chatted with her about the menu, and it felt less like dining out and more like being welcomed into a friend's home. Our server, Vic, was equally thoughtful—kind, attentive, and genuinely caring. Both Brad and Vic created an atmosphere of warmth that elevated the whole evening. Pair that kind of hospitality with phenomenal food, and you've got a restaurant experience that's hard to beat. I would wholeheartedly recommend Carmine's to anyone—whether you're stopping in for a casual dinner or celebrating a special occasion. Thanks to the incredible team for turning my mom's birthday into such a lovely and memorable night.
I wish I could give 6 stars!! I always come to Carmine's on Penn when I visit Denver. It never disappoints but this time the food was extra delicious. Started with the portobello mushrooms. I had forgotten how great this appetizer is. Then we had the seafood fra diavola. Spicy and amazing. We also had the gnocchi special and the ravioli special. Everything was fresh and delicious. Our waiter was friendly and sitting on the patio was perfect. Thank you for reminding me why this is my favorite restaurant in town.
Our evening was such a delight! Wonderful ambiance, excellent and thoughtful service, and a superb meal. We couldn't have been more delighted with our evening. Thank you!
Good value for big groups
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Servers were not the best our server was a young woman who didn't visit often to our table we even tried calling out to her a couple times. She dropped food on one of our guests back and did nothing to remedy the situation other than a half apology for a table of 8 spending good money service should've been better and more attentive. I don't think I would recommend this restaurant. To people with special events, probably just a quick in and out kind of eat.
We love Carmine's On Penn! Been going here for over 10 years and happy to see it's still thriving. They always deliver fantastic food and service!
The experience was saved by one server, Marie, who clearly was the star at this restaurant. Literally watched her work every single table in the place to cover the other staff when it got busy. She did the work of 4 servers and a bartender; the four servers and a bartender did the work of one. Only the FOH manager could describe any of the food. That's sad for the prices, and a poor reflection of the hiring. The bartender dropped off the $40 antipasto plate and said, “here's some arancini .... and meats and cheese.” The plate was not worth it, $20'wpuid be more appropriate. The wine by the bottle here is all under $15-20 and it's bumped to $70+. Not a great selection either. Bad service was rescued by the FOH and Marie. Food was on point outside of the antipasto. It's a great neighborhood place suffering a bit with poor staff mixed in with great staff. In a business where your money is made by service 2/3 people we encountered were fair to poor.
Restaurantji Recommends
I have been going to Carmine's in Penn for 25 years for my birthday. Every year has been amazing. The free dessert is a lovely touch.
I ordered 4 family style dishes for pick up for 6 adults.
Ordering with Evan was a breeze. Pick up was on time. He even put my large order in the car for me which I so appreciated.
Upon arrival at home we immediately opened up the tins and were shocked that the linguini and clams in white wine were served in a dark brownish grey gravy with no taste whatsoever. The spaghetti with vodka sauce and meatballs came with clumpy red sauce, not pink nor flowing as we are used to and the meatballs were hard.
The eggplant parm was good and the chicken parm we enjoyed, although there was a ton of cheese on both that we had to remove.
We are all from the north east and this meal did not reflect anything about the good Italian food that we know and love.
Food was very disappointing but the garlic knots were great and the ordering and promptness were perfect-that’s why I gave them 3 stars, otherwise I would have given less.
Food: 3
After 25+ years, I will no longer recommend Carmine's On Penn. Their quality of food has declined and the service was poor start to finish. It took several minutes to be greeted by our server. He was not engaging and even recommended going to their website if we had any questions about their dishes. Our party was interested in a large appetizer and he replied “it's too much for you” and walked away. I recommend North Italia or Osteria Alberico for both quality food and superior service!
We had 5 people in our party. I had not been back to Carmines on Penn in over ten years. It was still really good! Huge portions - we ordered the servings for 2 for Chicken Parm, Chicken Montana, spaghetti and meatballs in vodka sauce and clams and linguini. We also ordered the two portion Caesar salad and House salad for our table. We had the portabello mushroom appetizer as well. The garlic rolls were also amazing! We had an early reservation and the place was pretty quiet but the staff was very attentive which was great. We all went home with lots of food. I would rank the restaurant overall a 4.5 . We had a really nice evening. It is a great venue for a large table! We probably could have fed a few more people easily if that joined us. I am sure we will be back again! Thank you!
Food was excellent, love the family style ordering. Highly recommended, oh and the drinks were original and tasty.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
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