1 /5 D H: Growing up, this restaurant felt like everything to me. It was the best Italian food around. We used to celebrate at Olive Garden for every occasion—every football victory, every special moment. It was always an amazing place. When my nephew turned nine and wanted Italian food, he chose Olive Garden, but his mother and I suggested Johnny Carino’s because we believed they were better.
The establishment has become thoroughly Americanized, to the point that there are far fewer Italian dishes on the menu than there used to be. Five years ago, there was so much Italian fare that it was hard to choose; now there is very little, and I ended up ordering a dry, unseasoned burger. My sister ordered the chicken parmesan with spaghetti, and the sauce clearly wasn’t freshly made; it came in a bag, tasted bland, and was watery.
I tried to steer the meal toward something I could enjoy for my nephew’s big day, but he didn’t seem to care for his own meal. One of their best things is their bread, but we only received one small loaf for five people, which felt stingy. I remember they used to bring an abundance of bread to the table.
If you’re thinking of bringing your family, a significant other, or someone you love here, I would strongly advise against it. We even requested a correction for our food, but they insisted on correcting only one meal.
