I originally ate here based on the reviews I read in the Washington Post. After six or seven visits I have concluded that my experiences have been mostly below those reviews. Therefore I have decided I will seek other Italian venues to satisfy my appetite.
sgg5
Food was very good. They have more traditional Italian dishes than some of the others who have “Neuvo Italian” which I think is hard to find around here. Everything we tried was really good. Service was great. We went when it first opened and service wasn't great but this time food and service were spot on! We will definitely be back.
LizS
This was my first time there. I am not a big Italian food eater but my husband is. I heard great things about Caruso's and took my family there for my husband's birthday, last night. It was fabulous! I am not a big pasta or tomato sauce person so I ordered the pasta primavera special. It was amazing! That dish could turn me into a pasta eater. The rest of my family ordered chicken Parmesan. The order was huge and they said it tasted great. They are very picky with Italian food (being NYers) and they don't care for most places in this area. I have had much better bread. The crust should be crispier. The seasoned oil dip was really good. The starter salads were good, nothing great. Kudos to Caruso's. Thanks for a great meal. The service was wonderful as was the environment. We will definitely be back.
CraigP
Fine dinner. Was expecting more given all of the hype. Had a Maggiano's kind of feel. Happy to return for decent Italian food, but no need to rush back. The meat ragu pasta was best item.
We were excited to try the other location The dc location was unbelievably amazing The food in DC was 10 out of 10 Bethesda was not what we expected. My pasta was rubbery, and my pasta dish was called “Spicy” it really didn't have any flavor. I definitely will stick to the DC location.
Loved the vibe, was a little disappointed with the allergy management as my husband has a seafood allergy and they let us know that the chicken parm was fried in the same oil as the calamari. We're lucky they told us but we're disappointed when it was the main reason we came was to try the famous chicken parm.
LisaO
Our food was delicious! Our party of 5 enjoyed the meatball appetizer, burrata & tomatoes, pasta with shrimp, cavatelli, trout almandine and a huge piece of tiramisu. Staff were friendly and helpful. The bread was good but I washed it had been warmed. If you're sensitive to noise, or want an intimate evening, please note: on a Saturday night, this place is LOUD.
Food was delicious, and the service was very good. My complaint is how limited the menu is. No steak? No roast chicken? Veal and chicken cutlets pre-breaded? Not very gluten friendly, and not very authentic Italian, in my opinion.
Lucie
Honestly, the Navy Yard location is so much better. This was our first time visiting the MD location, and we were disappointed by the service, food, and ambience compared to our usual experience in DC. If you have the choice, I highly recommend visiting the DC location instead.
KelseyD
Excellent food, wine, atmosphere, really truly enjoyed everything... except service, our server was terrible, not attentive or friendly, he was actually difficult at times, just not great. But besides service, everything was fantastic!
I came here for my birthday and I must say that they did not disappoint. Our food was delicious. Our drinks were strong and good. Our server was good and knew the menu well. I'll definitely be back again.
Mimi W.
Located in the Pike & Rose area by the garage and the "back side" of the main street. It's a bar restaurant with a divide between the bar with additional tables and booth seatings and the restaurant. The restaurant side can get busy and have a wait, but the bar area is open seating, so just grab a table and booth and you can still order the food. Ambiance was as expected, casual and a bit cozy with warm lighting. Service can be hit or miss. Sometimes I have to keep asking for more water or get none at all. Been here a few times in large groups or on a date for a drink. Good for just grabbing a drink and you can still hold a conversation. I'm mainly here cause they open later or other places are packed. If you take it for what it is (a bar restaurant), then it's a 3. If you want to compare it to the rest of the restaurants in the surrounding area, then it's a 2. But I like to put things in relative terms, so I'll give it a 3.
JulieB
Our server was very sweet but also very slow. For example, it took a very long time for bread and drinks to come out and the glass of wine I ordered came out after I had finished my meal. Everyone's dinner was delicious and decently priced(but no one was in love with the desserts).
es99
Restaurant had a nice ambiance and was definitely on the louder side. Food was good, but everything was a bit too salty, coming from someone who usually does not mind salt. The service was okay, they seemed a bit understaffed. Our server was not the most attentive to us compared to their service for the nearby tables. Nice experience, but was definitely a little bit underwhelming.
bello
This was my and my wife's fifth visit after reading a rave review in the Post and also seeing the restaurant recommended by the Post's reviewer more than once. On none of the visits have I felt the restaurant lived up to those kudos. Some appetizers and meals are solid 10's others strain to get a 6. The four cheese dip for the garlic bread would register a 12 if the scale went that high. The large negatives: only durning the last two visits did we have waitstaff who were fluent with the menu. During the last two visits someone from the restaurant was propping the door open between the bar and the restaurant creating a cold draft along where we were sitting. As we requested the door was closed but a short time later someone else propped it open and a second request was made to close it. This last Wednesday the exterior door [to an outdoor patio?] was blocked open by a rock. This along with gusty winds outside made it very uncomfortable where we were sitting. After making a request to two workers who evidently did not speak English a third person finally understood and closed the door. Perhaps an adjustment to the HVAC system is required. I also just remembered another negative on the last visit. After the waiter in a very nice manner suggested I order a salad and I agreed, it never made it to the table. On the other hand our guests felt good about most aspects.
I originally ate here based on the reviews I read in the Washington Post. After six or seven visits I have concluded that my experiences have been mostly below those reviews. Therefore I have decided I will seek other Italian venues to satisfy my appetite.
Food was very good. They have more traditional Italian dishes than some of the others who have “Neuvo Italian” which I think is hard to find around here. Everything we tried was really good. Service was great. We went when it first opened and service wasn't great but this time food and service were spot on! We will definitely be back.
This was my first time there. I am not a big Italian food eater but my husband is. I heard great things about Caruso's and took my family there for my husband's birthday, last night. It was fabulous! I am not a big pasta or tomato sauce person so I ordered the pasta primavera special. It was amazing! That dish could turn me into a pasta eater. The rest of my family ordered chicken Parmesan. The order was huge and they said it tasted great. They are very picky with Italian food (being NYers) and they don't care for most places in this area. I have had much better bread. The crust should be crispier. The seasoned oil dip was really good. The starter salads were good, nothing great. Kudos to Caruso's. Thanks for a great meal. The service was wonderful as was the environment. We will definitely be back.
Fine dinner. Was expecting more given all of the hype. Had a Maggiano's kind of feel. Happy to return for decent Italian food, but no need to rush back. The meat ragu pasta was best item.
We were excited to try the other location The dc location was unbelievably amazing The food in DC was 10 out of 10 Bethesda was not what we expected. My pasta was rubbery, and my pasta dish was called “Spicy” it really didn't have any flavor. I definitely will stick to the DC location.
Loved the vibe, was a little disappointed with the allergy management as my husband has a seafood allergy and they let us know that the chicken parm was fried in the same oil as the calamari. We're lucky they told us but we're disappointed when it was the main reason we came was to try the famous chicken parm.
Our food was delicious! Our party of 5 enjoyed the meatball appetizer, burrata & tomatoes, pasta with shrimp, cavatelli, trout almandine and a huge piece of tiramisu. Staff were friendly and helpful. The bread was good but I washed it had been warmed. If you're sensitive to noise, or want an intimate evening, please note: on a Saturday night, this place is LOUD.
Food was delicious, and the service was very good. My complaint is how limited the menu is. No steak? No roast chicken? Veal and chicken cutlets pre-breaded? Not very gluten friendly, and not very authentic Italian, in my opinion.
Honestly, the Navy Yard location is so much better. This was our first time visiting the MD location, and we were disappointed by the service, food, and ambience compared to our usual experience in DC. If you have the choice, I highly recommend visiting the DC location instead.
Excellent food, wine, atmosphere, really truly enjoyed everything... except service, our server was terrible, not attentive or friendly, he was actually difficult at times, just not great. But besides service, everything was fantastic!
Restaurantji Recommends
I came here for my birthday and I must say that they did not disappoint. Our food was delicious. Our drinks were strong and good. Our server was good and knew the menu well. I'll definitely be back again.
Located in the Pike & Rose area by the garage and the "back side" of the main street. It's a bar restaurant with a divide between the bar with additional tables and booth seatings and the restaurant. The restaurant side can get busy and have a wait, but the bar area is open seating, so just grab a table and booth and you can still order the food. Ambiance was as expected, casual and a bit cozy with warm lighting. Service can be hit or miss. Sometimes I have to keep asking for more water or get none at all. Been here a few times in large groups or on a date for a drink. Good for just grabbing a drink and you can still hold a conversation. I'm mainly here cause they open later or other places are packed. If you take it for what it is (a bar restaurant), then it's a 3. If you want to compare it to the rest of the restaurants in the surrounding area, then it's a 2. But I like to put things in relative terms, so I'll give it a 3.
Our server was very sweet but also very slow. For example, it took a very long time for bread and drinks to come out and the glass of wine I ordered came out after I had finished my meal. Everyone's dinner was delicious and decently priced(but no one was in love with the desserts).
Restaurant had a nice ambiance and was definitely on the louder side. Food was good, but everything was a bit too salty, coming from someone who usually does not mind salt. The service was okay, they seemed a bit understaffed. Our server was not the most attentive to us compared to their service for the nearby tables. Nice experience, but was definitely a little bit underwhelming.
This was my and my wife's fifth visit after reading a rave review in the Post and also seeing the restaurant recommended by the Post's reviewer more than once. On none of the visits have I felt the restaurant lived up to those kudos. Some appetizers and meals are solid 10's others strain to get a 6. The four cheese dip for the garlic bread would register a 12 if the scale went that high. The large negatives: only durning the last two visits did we have waitstaff who were fluent with the menu. During the last two visits someone from the restaurant was propping the door open between the bar and the restaurant creating a cold draft along where we were sitting. As we requested the door was closed but a short time later someone else propped it open and a second request was made to close it. This last Wednesday the exterior door [to an outdoor patio?] was blocked open by a rock. This along with gusty winds outside made it very uncomfortable where we were sitting. After making a request to two workers who evidently did not speak English a third person finally understood and closed the door. Perhaps an adjustment to the HVAC system is required. I also just remembered another negative on the last visit. After the waiter in a very nice manner suggested I order a salad and I agreed, it never made it to the table. On the other hand our guests felt good about most aspects.