I love Italian food! Carino's has always been a favorite, but living in Lawrence means I don't go to Greenwood very often. The first time I had Carino's was about 8 years ago in Pigeon Forge, TN. I was then excited to see it here in Indiana up in Muncie. I would go often if it were to make it up to the Castleton area.
All the food was delicious. The single serving appetizer menu is a great idea. I had the calamari, and it was perfect. I usually get fettuccine alfredo with chicken when I get Italian, and Carino's did not let me down here either. Will definitely consider when I'm on the south side.
Consider this a written confession. Hi, I'm Jonathon and I am a yelper that enjoys this chain restaurant. The food is consistent and the waiters and waitresses always remember your name and in the end, what more can you ask of a place like Carino's? The menu has everything that you would expect. It has all the stereo typical Italian pastas, pizzas, and breads. The baked cheese tortellini is my favorite dinner dish and I recommend it to those who enjoy stuffed pastas.
I often find myself getting the soup and salad combo. The potato soup is amazing on nights they have it and the Italian chili has an interesting flavor. The one shining star of the resteraunt is the ceasar salad. There is just something about it that really hits the spot on certain nights and I can make a meal of the salad and bread alone.
Bottom Line: It's a chain restaurant with a charming staff and consistent eats. It may not be a culinary adventure and it may not be a place you talk about for weeks. Carino's is just a place to grab a bite after a long work day, or a warm place to dine during holiday shopping marathons in December, but sometimes that is all you need.
I've experienced better is absolutely right.
The food tastes like store bought noodles and store bought sauces. Completely bland. I've whipped up a quick lunch at home with boiled noodles and "jar sauce" that tastes exactly like this.... except I'm not paying $8 for a single portion.
For a few bucks more, go across the road to Bravo. So much better there. Holy smokes.
A recent great discover... Â This place is great for lunch too!
They have a lunch menu for $7.99 that includes a good portion meal, a salad and fresh bread. I've been here 3 times for lunch and each time service has been outstanding and the food was very good. Dinner time however the prices jump. Give them a try for lunch or dinner if you dont mind spending a few extra bucks.
My wife and I have had dinner here 3 times. Â Each time I did not recieve the correct order at first. Â The food is just okay but the service has been awful each time. Â I normally always give places a second chance and I gave this one a third. Â It has never been what I hoped. Â In my opinion there are several places on the southside to enjoy Italian that are not better tasting but much better service.
Review Source:This place isn't very good...it's like a copy of Macaroni Grille but fails in every way possible. I think of it more like Olive Garden...bland Italian food. My tomato soup was decent, but my main entree was terrible. Maybe it was what I got..but there are better Italian places that are cheaper..
Review Source:My husband and I popped into Johnny's after checking out the new Buy Buy Baby in Greenwood a few Mondays ago. Â They were running 1/2 price special on all their "family style" dishes. Â We got a chicken parmasian that would easily serve 4 people for $12.00 with salad (great ranch and a variety of toppings...yum!) and drinks ...our total was under $20. Â
Now, I won't give it 5 starts b/c it's not the BEST food ever, but for the price and a decent meal, it is hard to beat! Â We were seated quickly, our drinks were always full and again, the price was phenomenal! Â they seem to run specials every day of the week. Â I don't live in Greenwood, but if I did, I know we would definitely go back as often as possible, b/c we LOVE to eat out and be waited on.
Yes it's a chain. Â I cannot reiterate enough how MANY chains are in Indy and when you are looking for an affordable meal where you can eat quickly with decent service, it's hard not to just give in to the many chains out there! Â Johnny's is a good one. Â Like I said, on Mondays, it is well worth it for a nice dinner on a budget.
This is still one of my favorite Italian chains for lunch. Â Of course there are going to be better Italian restaurants, but I really don't see pasta dishes this good for under $8 at other places. Â I mean I would go to Carino's over Go Roma's or Olive Garden any day of the week. Â Â
Anyway at this location, I ordered  the spicy chicken and shrimp pasta, and sampled the jalapeno garlic tilapia.  The angel hair pasta with the tilapia was a little boring but I thought the tilapia was just excellent.
I gave them 2 stars and I was not very pleased with the whole quality of the restaurant. Â
Here what I think :
1) The food price is average, except for $15.50 family size fried calamari which I think is too expensive for the appetizer. Â
2) The adult dinner menu is pretty extensive from fish, chicken, pasta etc..., however the children's menu is standard.
3) The taste of the food: average... Spicy marinara sauce doesn't taste spicy at all. Our appetizer: fried calamari, it doesn't taste that great...it was served luke warm. The children's pasta is too buttery and too cheesy.. My kids did not touch the food at all... what a waste..
4) The ambience: nice, but the noise level is pretty high... We had to leave the restaurant as soon as we were done eating, as it was extremely uncomfortable inside the restaurant.
We might choose another Italian restaurants over this one in the future.
Finally, an enjoyable Italian restaurant in Greenwood. Johnny Carino's offers a fresher and more enjoyable environment than Olive Garden, better quality than Fazoli's, and a better location than Vito Provalone.
Also, thanks for the smoking ban, Indianapolis. All of a sudden, with the addition of a more enjoyable bar experience, the typical wait time of 45 minutes has been halved. In fact, I haven't had to wait longer than 10 minutes for a table.
Recommended dishes for the average guy. Spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce has a nice Italian flavor and the meatballs are just spicy enough satisfy to good garlic craving.
Drink recommendation: Not the Rebolli or whatever the Sangria freezy is.
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