Carlo's Cucina Italiana

Very nice place with authentic Italian cuisine. Very crowded, but we were seated right away.

Unplanned detour, but glad I did! I was going to just have hot pot, but then I saw this place and the reviews.

Inside: Small place, if I recall like 4, 2 person tables in the middle, and about 4, 5 person tables. Was pretty chill though, family vibe.

Note: Big portions type of Italian restaurant! Luckily went on an empty stomach. Also, good deal on the food, as of writing this today, $13 + $2 for Chicken and Eggplant Parm entree, and you can pick your type of pasta.

First off, why did I take a photo of the free bread. Well, doesn't look like much, but this is usually a restaurant's afterthought, they either don't heat it and/or its chewy as heck. Not this place! They heated it and toasted it so it was crunchy on the outside, but soft and warm on the inside. Much appreciated.

The chicken and eggplant parm was great, and the angel hair pasta with it perfectly cooked!

The waiter was was great too, very friendly.

Definitely will come back, thank you Carlos Cucina Italiana for the simple, yet wonderful lunch.

The food was delicious and the portions are huge! It's a very nondescript restaurant. The location is very ideal for anyone who lives in Allston and for college students. It seems to be a popular place in the area.

We ordered the antipasti, Caprese, veal pasta and seafood Arrabiata linguine was delicious. The Tiramisu was good too. My only criticism is that they should've told us the price of the linguine Arabiata since it was $44 a plate as a special!

The ambience is casual. The service was friendly and casual.

WE LOCE CARLO'S! Went here for my brothers birthday and were NOT disappointed. It's a fast paced environment and a little chaotic but great service and even better food! We ordered the bruschetta and Arancini for appetizers, and for dinner I had the Fusilli con Salsiccia e Broccoli Rabe - amazing! Finished the night with some expresso martinis.

Would highly recommend this restaurant for a smaller group.

My partner and I were trying to go to a nearby Thai restaurant but it was packed. We walked around for a bit before deciding on Carlo's, one of my favorite restaurants in the area when I was in college.

As we walked in, we were greeted and seated by the window. The ambiance hasn't changed much since the first time I dined there over 10 years ago, it was still a unpretentious, but at times energetic spot, that focused on service and food. After a few minutes at the table, our waitress came by to collect our drinks and food choices, and dropped off some warm bread and olive oil. The olive oil was extremely flavorful and included some divine olives. My Peroni arrived shortly afterwards and the Melanzane Ripiene (stuffed eggplant) we order came a few minutes after that. Our waitress noticed my partner's limoncello martini hadn't arrived yet and apologized for this. She came back with it two minutes later as we were thoroughly enjoying the ricotta stuffed eggplant with mozzarella on top, smothered with their tomato sauce. Shortly after finishing that, our main entrees came. I ordered the Linguine Frutti di Mare in a white wine sauce and my partner ordered the Ravioli Antonio, which is the lobster ravioli that comes with sauteed salmon and peas in a light cream sauce. Both entrees were generous portions and very fairly priced as well. Each tasted very good and packed with fresh seafood, I left Carlo's how I used to leave when I was in college- barely able to stand up and walk but happy.

We had a wonderful family lunch this afternoon. I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while. Chris was our host today. The meal was fantastic from start to finish. Our party of three, two had meals off the daily special. The location is small, but cozy for dining. Huge size for dinners and great containers provided for take home. Many pickup, to go dinners and catering orders going out the door. This restaurant is definitely a hidden gem and a five star meal. We were too full for desert. We will definitely be back!!
Thank you!
Mark, Ally and Sally

Omg! This restaurant is THE best restaurant ever!!! I am so glad we chanced upon this restaurant. The decor is simple, cosy and homey. The bread for the table is delish with a dab of butter. We ordered tortellini with pesto sauce, gnocchi with tomato sauce, linguine with mussels and salad (arugula with walnuts, goat cheese and pears). Each dish was cooked to perfection, it was absolutely divine. It was very comparable with our experience in Rome. The portions are generous but we polished our plates off and it is a huge compliment to the chef.
Our server was friendly and attentive. Highly recommend this restaurant, it will not disappoint.

I feel like I just got robbed.

Went in for lunch and ordered the Caesar salad (listed at $11) and a chicken parm (listed at $13). Caesar dressing tasted bland and store-bought despite their claim that it's house-made; $11 is pretty steep for iceberg lettuce and Kraft dressing but hey, everything is expensive these days. Chicken parm was pretty tasty but paper thin, completely reasonable for $13.

I got my leftovers boxed up and after waiting a good 15 minutes to get the check, they charged me $14 for the salad and $21 for the chicken parm. They told me they don't do lunch on Sundays, though this is not mentioned on their online menu or on the menu at the door, and they never gave me a menu at the table.

$45 after tip for maybe $20 worth of food. A big disappointment from a place I know has been a staple in the area for quite some time. Won't be back.

This was one of the worst take-outs of all time. Low quality ingredients, tasteless, terrible meatballs, awful presentation.

Northend quality of food,service and atmosphere in Allston! Authentic and generous portion sizes - just excellent food and a great place for a great dinner!