We had the most wonderful Anniversary dinner. The cocktails and the toasted mozzarella garlic bread was FANTASTIC! I loved the Cannelloni and my wife thoroughly enjoyed her mushroom Ravioli. The owner even came by to congratulate us on our Anniversary!
Becky G.
I stumbled upon Caro Amico a few days ago for an impromptu date night. After learning that it was a fourth generation family owned Italian restaurant, I was hopeful that I'd found another Portland gem. Unfortunately, almost everything about our experience was underwhelming. That said, I realize they just recently reopened after being shut down for a few years due to a fire, so I'm hoping in time some of their downfalls will improve. Pros: 1. No wait to be seated. 2. Large variety of menu items. 3. Food arrived relatively quickly. 4. Our server was very prompt, friendly, and she provided several recommendations. 5. The flavor of the chicken piccata sauce was delightful. Cons: 1. The ambiance left much to be desired. The decor felt very thrown together. Considering the price point, I was expecting a slightly more upscale experience. 2. Much like the ambiance, the presentation of the food itself was disappointing. The caprese salad appeared to be a bit of a jumbled mess and the tiramisu has chocolate syrups drizzled haphazardly all over the plate. 3. The chicken used for our chicken piccata was severely overcooked, making it challenging to cut and chew. The fettuccine Alfredo didn't seem to have any seasoning. A little garlic and salt would have made a world of difference.
Ducky
We are longtime patrons of Caro Amico. So happy to see them back open. Worth the wait for a refreshed atmosphere. Food is excellent, keeping their quality and overall menu as we expected and remember through the years. Highly recommend!
AngieS
My family and I had an amazing dinner here for my birthday. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Food and drinks are always delicious. I have tried so many different things from the menu and I love it all. We plan on coming back in a couple weeks for my nephew's birthday, and I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who is a fan of delicious Italian flavors.
Joyce Schofield
If you want an old school Italian restaurant this is the place. Frank Sinatra's music playing. Great service and nice views of Portland. Food was fresh and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Barb
This is the second time I have gotten sick from the scallops. Also, they were over cooked (2nd time). Service is usually great, not last night ? We love this place, what's happening?
Karen
Food was great as ever and the upgrades are nice. Service was pretty bad. 4 staff in the room , two occupied tables...they're all staring at a monitor with their backs to the room while we waited like 10 minutes to order??? Maybe they're training or something.
Tina Burch
We were in the area for my son's Judo tournament at PCC, so we decided to take a stroll down memory lane. My in-laws used to bring my husband here when he was growing up. My in-laws also frequented here when they were dating. It brought back a lot of memories since the passing of my MIL in February.The food was great and very plentiful. I ordered the lasagna and had leftovers. My son ordered the spaghetti and marinara with meatballs and had leftovers. Basically, we all had leftovers! If we are ever in the area again, we will definitely stop back in.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Garlic Bread, Pizza
Kate manougian
When I say this is the best italian food around I mean it! This is the third time we have come and the consistency is beyond! The staff is incredible. My husband and I enjoyed the whole upstairs to ourselves and had the best waitress sarah! QUALITY! Chicken pesto was a must have!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Garlic Bread
Wanda W.
Prices run high - no Bolognese on the menu, but "after the fact" they say they do have it if you ask?!?!? Charged for extra garlic on the aglio olio, but did not see ANY garlic nor did I taste it - a bland dish! Mistake on the ticket where we were double charged, but she took care of it promptly with a good attitude. Maybe pizza is the only thing here that measures up to expectations (from a friend who went years ago for pizza) and what I saw did look good. It had been 29 years since I was last there and I guess there is a reason I forgot about it as an Italian option in PDX for that long. It will be some time, if ever, that I return.
Food was bland and while charged for my request of extra garlic in Aglio olio pasta, there was none instead of more. No Bolognese on the menu, but after the meal we were told they had it if you asked for it. Prices on the high side for very disappointing meals. We were double charged for one entree, but it was quickly and pleasantly resolved. Pizzas looked good and that may be there one strong point. Not likely to return.
Seth Von Gretlein
Where to begin? My partner has lived in this neighborhood for 8 years and mentioned that she’d never been to the restaurant, so we decided to give it a go before moving to north Portland. Seeing as it was a beautiful March evening we decided to walk to the restaurant. Arriving at the Barbur Blvd entrance we see a beautiful albeit empty dining room with a tremendous view east over Portland… and a sign informing us to use the door on the parking lot side of the building. As we meander our way down we pass another door (the bar entrance?) also informing us to keep on moving. Finally we come upon a door that will grant us entry. Upon entering we are greeted be a nice young person that proceeds to stare at us until we say we are indeed just two people dining this evening. We were seated on the lower level of the restaurant amongst the other diners with a beautiful view of the patio furniture locked up on the disused patio. No matter, we peruse the menu and settle on a regular cheese pizza (I like an even playing field to judge a pizza on), their “wild” mushroom ravioli in a white wine cream sauce, and a bottle of Italian white wine to round off the meal. In short order our gracious server Sara(h?) brought the food, the pizza was square(ish) and cut into 8 rectangles. Though I’m not a geometry wiz, I’m certain there is better ways to do this. I would describe the crust as having all the flavor of a packet of saltine crackers, but that would be unfair to the crackers, as they are actually a wee bit flavorful. The sauce was far from the “zesty marinara” the menu boasts and more similar to a grocery store ragu. The crust was stale flaky, and left a distinct layer of regret on my mouth. At least there was cheese on it? Moving on the the ravioli. The only thing wild about the mushrooms was liberty in which they use the word wild. I’m no mycologist, but if those weren’t crimini, I’ll, well… I’ll correct this post. There were five ravioli on the plate which brings the cost to about $4.80 per ravioli. Not a horrible price for what was advertised, but an atrocity for what was delivered. The white wine sauce lacked any sort of depth to put it lightly and almost certainly came from a large can marked “Sysco Alfredo style sauce”, and was garnished with healthy handful of wilted spinach, conveniently not mentioned on the menu but was simultaneously also completely void of the garlic or shallot that was mentioned.Suffice it to say, I will not be returning. There is plenty of more authentic Italian food in Portland, like Gabiano’s, Pastificio d’Oro, or even Pizza Hut.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Tim Studer
My wife and I were in the area after dropping the kids off at the airport, and we googled nearby resturants. Lucky for us Caro Amica came up. It had good reviews so we gave it a try.The atmosphere is very nice but casual. The service here was friendly and very professional. Our waitress, Celina did a wonderful job.The food there is delicious. We started off with the prawns in a white wine and garlic sauce and some toasted garlic bread. There was plenty for both of us, I soaked up every drop of the sauce with the bread. My wife had the cheese ravioli in a marinara sauce and loved it. I then had the Angel hair pasta with pesto and sausage. The cream sauce with the sausage and pesto was really, really good. The portions were very generous but the food was so good we didn't have any left over to take home.One of the best meals I've had in months.Can't wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
mary russell
The bakers special pizza is not the same. Less bacon and pepperoni and a higher price.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Rose Miller
Outstanding service and quality, highly recommend for any occasion. The bread was an amazing experience all in itself.
We had the most wonderful Anniversary dinner. The cocktails and the toasted mozzarella garlic bread was FANTASTIC! I loved the Cannelloni and my wife thoroughly enjoyed her mushroom Ravioli. The owner even came by to congratulate us on our Anniversary!
I stumbled upon Caro Amico a few days ago for an impromptu date night. After learning that it was a fourth generation family owned Italian restaurant, I was hopeful that I'd found another Portland gem. Unfortunately, almost everything about our experience was underwhelming. That said, I realize they just recently reopened after being shut down for a few years due to a fire, so I'm hoping in time some of their downfalls will improve. Pros: 1. No wait to be seated. 2. Large variety of menu items. 3. Food arrived relatively quickly. 4. Our server was very prompt, friendly, and she provided several recommendations. 5. The flavor of the chicken piccata sauce was delightful. Cons: 1. The ambiance left much to be desired. The decor felt very thrown together. Considering the price point, I was expecting a slightly more upscale experience. 2. Much like the ambiance, the presentation of the food itself was disappointing. The caprese salad appeared to be a bit of a jumbled mess and the tiramisu has chocolate syrups drizzled haphazardly all over the plate. 3. The chicken used for our chicken piccata was severely overcooked, making it challenging to cut and chew. The fettuccine Alfredo didn't seem to have any seasoning. A little garlic and salt would have made a world of difference.
We are longtime patrons of Caro Amico. So happy to see them back open. Worth the wait for a refreshed atmosphere. Food is excellent, keeping their quality and overall menu as we expected and remember through the years. Highly recommend!
My family and I had an amazing dinner here for my birthday. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Food and drinks are always delicious. I have tried so many different things from the menu and I love it all. We plan on coming back in a couple weeks for my nephew's birthday, and I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who is a fan of delicious Italian flavors.
If you want an old school Italian restaurant this is the place. Frank Sinatra's music playing. Great service and nice views of Portland. Food was fresh and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is the second time I have gotten sick from the scallops. Also, they were over cooked (2nd time). Service is usually great, not last night ? We love this place, what's happening?
Food was great as ever and the upgrades are nice. Service was pretty bad. 4 staff in the room , two occupied tables...they're all staring at a monitor with their backs to the room while we waited like 10 minutes to order??? Maybe they're training or something.
We were in the area for my son's Judo tournament at PCC, so we decided to take a stroll down memory lane. My in-laws used to bring my husband here when he was growing up. My in-laws also frequented here when they were dating. It brought back a lot of memories since the passing of my MIL in February.The food was great and very plentiful. I ordered the lasagna and had leftovers. My son ordered the spaghetti and marinara with meatballs and had leftovers. Basically, we all had leftovers! If we are ever in the area again, we will definitely stop back in.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Garlic Bread, Pizza
When I say this is the best italian food around I mean it! This is the third time we have come and the consistency is beyond! The staff is incredible. My husband and I enjoyed the whole upstairs to ourselves and had the best waitress sarah! QUALITY! Chicken pesto was a must have!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Garlic Bread
Prices run high - no Bolognese on the menu, but "after the fact" they say they do have it if you ask?!?!? Charged for extra garlic on the aglio olio, but did not see ANY garlic nor did I taste it - a bland dish! Mistake on the ticket where we were double charged, but she took care of it promptly with a good attitude. Maybe pizza is the only thing here that measures up to expectations (from a friend who went years ago for pizza) and what I saw did look good. It had been 29 years since I was last there and I guess there is a reason I forgot about it as an Italian option in PDX for that long. It will be some time, if ever, that I return.
Restaurantji Recommends
Food was bland and while charged for my request of extra garlic in Aglio olio pasta, there was none instead of more. No Bolognese on the menu, but after the meal we were told they had it if you asked for it. Prices on the high side for very disappointing meals. We were double charged for one entree, but it was quickly and pleasantly resolved. Pizzas looked good and that may be there one strong point. Not likely to return.
Where to begin? My partner has lived in this neighborhood for 8 years and mentioned that she’d never been to the restaurant, so we decided to give it a go before moving to north Portland. Seeing as it was a beautiful March evening we decided to walk to the restaurant. Arriving at the Barbur Blvd entrance we see a beautiful albeit empty dining room with a tremendous view east over Portland… and a sign informing us to use the door on the parking lot side of the building. As we meander our way down we pass another door (the bar entrance?) also informing us to keep on moving. Finally we come upon a door that will grant us entry. Upon entering we are greeted be a nice young person that proceeds to stare at us until we say we are indeed just two people dining this evening. We were seated on the lower level of the restaurant amongst the other diners with a beautiful view of the patio furniture locked up on the disused patio. No matter, we peruse the menu and settle on a regular cheese pizza (I like an even playing field to judge a pizza on), their “wild” mushroom ravioli in a white wine cream sauce, and a bottle of Italian white wine to round off the meal. In short order our gracious server Sara(h?) brought the food, the pizza was square(ish) and cut into 8 rectangles. Though I’m not a geometry wiz, I’m certain there is better ways to do this. I would describe the crust as having all the flavor of a packet of saltine crackers, but that would be unfair to the crackers, as they are actually a wee bit flavorful. The sauce was far from the “zesty marinara” the menu boasts and more similar to a grocery store ragu. The crust was stale flaky, and left a distinct layer of regret on my mouth. At least there was cheese on it? Moving on the the ravioli. The only thing wild about the mushrooms was liberty in which they use the word wild. I’m no mycologist, but if those weren’t crimini, I’ll, well… I’ll correct this post. There were five ravioli on the plate which brings the cost to about $4.80 per ravioli. Not a horrible price for what was advertised, but an atrocity for what was delivered. The white wine sauce lacked any sort of depth to put it lightly and almost certainly came from a large can marked “Sysco Alfredo style sauce”, and was garnished with healthy handful of wilted spinach, conveniently not mentioned on the menu but was simultaneously also completely void of the garlic or shallot that was mentioned.Suffice it to say, I will not be returning. There is plenty of more authentic Italian food in Portland, like Gabiano’s, Pastificio d’Oro, or even Pizza Hut.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
My wife and I were in the area after dropping the kids off at the airport, and we googled nearby resturants. Lucky for us Caro Amica came up. It had good reviews so we gave it a try.The atmosphere is very nice but casual. The service here was friendly and very professional. Our waitress, Celina did a wonderful job.The food there is delicious. We started off with the prawns in a white wine and garlic sauce and some toasted garlic bread. There was plenty for both of us, I soaked up every drop of the sauce with the bread. My wife had the cheese ravioli in a marinara sauce and loved it. I then had the Angel hair pasta with pesto and sausage. The cream sauce with the sausage and pesto was really, really good. The portions were very generous but the food was so good we didn't have any left over to take home.One of the best meals I've had in months.Can't wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The bakers special pizza is not the same. Less bacon and pepperoni and a higher price.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Outstanding service and quality, highly recommend for any occasion. The bread was an amazing experience all in itself.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toasted Garlic Bread