Caro Mio: User Reviews

I went there for the first time for a birthday party dinner i was hosting for my sister. I simply selected a BYOB Italian restaurant and from what we read from the reviews, we decided to try it out! Well can I say that this is my new favorite Italian spot in Chicago! The food was outstanding! We had a 7 course meal served family style and it was great because we got to try an array of dishes.
The calamari was tender and fried to perfection! The veal and gnocchi bolognese were just delicious! And the chicken vesuvio one of the best! I highly reccommend this restuarant for anyone looking for an outstanding Italian meal, The friendly service was just a bonus!

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BYOB, got a close parking spot and it was down hill from there. IF youre in a good mood to spend some time with your family be prepared to meet a stand-offish owner who acts like he is doing you a favor by letting you eat there. The problem is the food is salty and bland, and you cant avoid watching the owner order around his employees the same was as he orders around his customers. Yeah, Im bitter...but in all truthfulness I have never seen an attitude like this before. Enough to where I wont ever go back.

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I have had nothing but good experiences at Caro Mio. Their food is absolute delicious; although, it may not be the best if you are trying to trim down your waistline. I find the wait staff to be very pleasant. The space is small, but quaint and intimate – perfect for a date or a quiet dinner with friends. I certainly plan on going back and recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great food and atmosphere.

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I love this restaurant and my friends agree that Caro Mio serves the best lasagna on the planet. The noodles are homemade and the sauce is to die for....try it, you won't be sorry!

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The food and service were supposed to good, but neither was true. The food was overpriced and tasteless; the service was poor. I'd like to know why people think this restaurant is good?

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I love to eat. Especially Italian food. But this is one of the worst restaurants I've been to in Chicago. I've tried Caro Mio a number of times - getting roped into it for birthday dinners - and it consistently disappoints. Over cooked pasta, bland food or over salted. The waiter pretends he's Italian with a fake accent. And he needs to wear a t-shirt under his v-neck sweater! Overall - an awful place. Don't waste your time, your money or your bottle of wine on the place.

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Went to Caro Mio once about a year ago, food was okay if you like big portions of fake Italian food that you could cook at home yourself. Tried to give it another shot last week, and the manager, who informed the 3 members of our party of 7 who showed up early that our table would be given away if the rest of our party was not exactly on time, gave our table away despite the fact that by our reservation time we had over half our party and the other half showed up under ten minutes later. Oh yeah, and the restaurant was less than half full.

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Since being introduced to this BYO neighborhood gem a couple of years ago, I've been a regular. I've brought out-of-towners, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and enjoyed many a fine meal there. The prices can't be beat for HUGE portions of home-cooked dishes and there's no corkage fee when you bring your own wine. Service has always been exceedingly friendly and warm, and until last week, I would have said this place was hands-down my favorite restaurant in town.

That said, after one unpleasant phone call last week when I tried to make a Valentine's Day reservation, my opinion of the service and the restaurant in general has been shaken. Typically Caro Mio only accepts reservations for parties of 6 or more. No problem. I've known about this policy for a long time and was even willing to wait outside for 45 minutes for a table on my anniversary last summer. I was thrilled, however, to find news on their website that for New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day ONLY, they would be accepting reservations for parties of ANY size. So I called expecting a warm reception on the phone.

The gentleman who answered (I can't remember his name, but recognized his voice as one of the long-time waiters who has served me pleasantly numerous times) immediately told me that I would be unable to make a reservation for 2 that evening, as they only accept reservations for 6 or more. When I explained to him that I was aware of this policy but that their website indicated parties of any size would be accommodated that night, he matter-of-factly told me "no it doesn't." Excuse me? He proceeded to argue with me AT LENGTH, repeating as if I was stupid their policy of 6 or more for reservations, indicating Valentine's Day is on a Saturday this year (as if I didn't know...I'm calling to make a reservation!), and basically making me feel as though my business was worthless to him. Finally he said "we reserve the right to change policy at any time" by way of acknowledging that perhaps the website DID indicate they would accept reservations for parties of any size.

What I’m left wondering is why a small neighborhood place would not make a simple accommodation for 1 customer who clearly got some information from the restaurant's OWN website? Is it my mistake that they posted incorrect information? Or if making this one little accommodation was REALLY that impossible, why not just politely say to me "I'm very sorry, sir, but unfortunately we had to change our policy and we will not be able to honor your request." Is it really that hard to treat a loyal, regular customer with a little dignity and respect? Must you argue with me on the phone and essentially call me a liar? (By the way, their website STILL shows that they will accept reservations of any size-party for these 2 nights a week after I called).

The gentleman on the phone informed me that the owner, Emilio (sorry if I have misspelled your name!), is away for the month and left him in charge. I just can't believe after so many wonderful experiences that this gentleman would treat a customer so poorly. When a restaurant starts taking its customers for granted, it's on the decline. In one short phone call, this man managed to turn me from having nothing but rave reviews for this place into someone writing a review like this on Metromix.

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While making our reservations the man on the other line said we should be on time or our table will be given away to another group...well they weren't kidding...our group of 5 had one person there on time, but the other four of us were 10 minutes late and they gave our table away! Luckily another large group left so we got their table, but I couldn't believe they gave it away. The food was okay, nothing great. The ambiance was also okay. The space is very tight and small (not romantic). There are a lot of plants along the windows (makes it look more like a chinese restaurant). I won't be going back. There are many other better places.

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I discovered Caro Mio a few months ago and it has quickly become my absolute favorite Italian restaurant! I took my husband there for his birthday and we haven't gone anywhere else for Italian food since. The food is incredible. Gnocchi is amazing and there is this porcini sauce that is to die for. If you don't like mushrooms though, it might not be for you because it is heavy on the mushroom flavor. They are willing to customize a dish for you, we wanted the gnocchi that was the special of the day but we wanted the porcini sauce with it instead of what was being offered. Our server Gina said no problem! She was fantastic! The wait to get in on this particular Friday night was about 45 minutes, so it can get hectic there during dinner times on the weekends. My husband and I recently moved to Memphis and drove up for a weekend in Chicago and Caro Mio was our first stop. Nothing in Memphis even comes close to Caro Mio, so we didn't mind the wait! And it's BYOB, what more could you ask for??!!

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