Carmela's Restaurant in South Bend - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Love it here. Food is fantastic and so is the service and the feel!!

Average, nothing special or over the top. Nice staff could be more attentive. Beware of the credit card fee . One time visit. Decorated nicely.

Always a relaxing evening with a delicious meal.

Amazing food and service was super friendly 😀

2.5 hours to eat dinner food was decent after asking for our bill we still waited 45 minutes to cash out nobody ever came to check on how the food was no manager ever came to check and see since I’m sure they knew we were having issues. We didn’t even finish with the same waitress. We just waited patiently hopefully whoever goes next gets much better service experience.

We enjoyed another delicious meal. Everything I come in from Chicago to visit relatives..I have to come here! The staff is amazing...beyond sweet,attentive,kind and caring. The food never dissapoints,serving is perfect! The homemade pastas are exceptional..and the ambiance all makes for a lovely evening! Looking forward to my next visit!

Really good food, super sweet waitress. Was a great first time experience

We had a wonderful dining experience here. There are pics of the chicken/pollo parmigiana and fettuccine alfredo (both were good!). The atmosphere was the best part since it seemed like you were sitting in an Italian cafe.

I really don’t like leaving negative reviews, but felt led to share after two rough experiences here. My wife and I used to love to eat here but feel that quality has been slipping lately. After making a reservation on Valentines Day, something messed up on their end and we had to wait at the entrance for over 15 minutes while everyone else behind us in line were seated before us (again, we had a reservation). Fast forward to last night, we were seated at a table where you could see the damaged/worn surface poking up underneath the table cloth. On top of the cloth were two appetizer plates; one clean and one still with food on it from another guest. I try not to complain (in-person at least) so I wiped it off myself. The food actually came out quicker than expected and had a great presentation. My wife ordered the Cheese Tortellini and I ordered the Chicken Parm. Hers was fine, but she mentioned that it tasted like it was warmed up after being frozen. Speaking of temperatures, my chicken was fine but my pasta was served cold. It wasn’t ice cold, but still much colder than room temperature. We also noticed that they charge 3% extra for paying with a card (not sure how long this has been in place). Most businesses seem to eat that cost, but this seems to be just another cost-saving measure by Carmela’s. We didn’t always feel this way. We used to recommend Carmela’s to friends. However, in its current state, it’s becoming harder and harder to recommend. In a market saturated with plenty of Italian restaurants, Carmela’s is sliding backwards closer to Olive Garden status and further from authentic Italian roots.

This is a special find! The food was excellent and our server, Audrey, was very helpful explaining and offering suggestions. We will definitely return when we're in South Bend!

Beautiful atmosphere, Tony was the best 🙌🏻

Fantastic food and cocktails/wine, great atmosphere and attentive staff with great recommendations

Carmela's is nice, but whey too pricey for the portions. And forget about the kids' meals. $18 for chicken strips for a 2 year old? OUCH! And the lobster ravioli. Next time, use the real thing and NOT the imitation. Although the shrimp were tasty. In all, the dinner party had a pleasant experience, and our server was excellent. Just my opinion...

Had a graduation dinner for 15 and couldn’t have been more thrilled. They were absolutely wonderful in the scheduling process, the food was delicious and our server (Kaylee) was terrific. Can’t say enough good things about this place.

We came to Carmella's for our Mother's Day brunch, let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I had been there a long time ago and enjoyed it. It hasnt changed. You absolutely cannot beat a family owned restaurant. The food was exactly as I remembered, our waitress was so kind and the buffet was ENORMOUS! I highly recommend dining here and taking your family with. Thank you for makikg our Mother's Day so incredibly special!

Our children took us here for Mother's Day brunch. It's the best brunch I've EVER had. Everything was top.notch, including our waitress. There were 9 of us total and the service was superb. Kudos to Carmela, Michael and and the crew! Absolutely delicious! We WILL be back!

What a pleasant experience! Great food, great service, and great atmosphere. The calamari and mozzarella sticks were very good. The lobster ravioli was very good and the cherry cheese cake was delicious! And overall, wonderful experience with great food and service. I highly recommend visiting and trying their food and the many options from the bakery.

Really great service and the food was amazing.

I had the best time at Carmela’s until I got the bill. I asked Carson, the bartender to pour me a couple samples. I was talking to another customer at the bar about how much I love Montepulciano and the bartender assumed that is what I wanted and poured me the glass. Fortunately that is in fact, what I wanted so I was fine with it. It was a reasonable pour so I drank it with dinner. When I went to check out, there was 2 glasses of wine on my bill. I asked him kindly if he was sure it was 2. He said yes, which I was shocked by. I was sure he had just made an easily correctable mistake. I told him I would pay for it anyway but I really did just have the one glass. He said “you definitely had 2 but I’ll take it off”. Then he came back and said, “there’s nothing I can do about it because the card has already been charged.” I told him that it was fine, it’s only $15 it’s just the precedence for me. He then informed me again he was sure I had 2 glasses. Needless to say ,I was incredibly embarrassed in front of the new friends I had made at the bar. I paid my tab and then cried in my car because it has been that kind of week. The worst part about the whole thing was not being believed. I will not be returning to Carmela’s which is shame because I really liked the wine list. Edit: The owners truly listened and did their best to make it right. I will be returning.

Took my wife to Carmela’s on Valentines wow the food was amazing and the service was amazing, we highly recommend Carmela’s!!

Carmella's is a local favorite for us. We had a memorial service today and we got a large group in at the last minute they accommodated us above and beyond. The level of service the quality of the food everything was fabulous!

Very great place to eat and great staff thank you for the great memory we will be back again for sure

Just okay. $25 bought a not-generous bowl of tepid, generic soup and five stuffed mushroom caps. Service is okay, but during neither my December nor January visit did the waitress ask if I wanted a refill of my drink. Walls are painted attractively, but that doesn’t overcome the deficiencies. This is not the first time I have told myself that the food and experience of this restaurant are worth about half of the actual cost. I will remember to suggest somewhere else in the future.

Amazing experience with delicious food. They offer a fine dine in with a great interior or ambiance, i must say. Polite, friendly, and cooperative staff. Good food with a good ambiance is perfect for date nights with your loved ones. They do offer a good silent place to give you and your loved one to connect in a better way while having a meal. I visited with my colleagues, but I was missing my husband a lot because of the vibe.

It’s overrated, the food is expensive versus portions and taste, the services is plane and sometimes forgot ask for the needs, probably you should try another restaurant

********** UPDATE*********** I want to thank the proprietor for reaching out to me and explaining their policies. While I do not agree with all of the policies, I’m grateful they took the time to respond and offer a chance to work through things. This changes my review to a degree. We almost never go out to eat, but when we do, Carmela’s has long been a favorite restaurant of ours. That said I’m not clear we will be back. It’s fine to charge appropriately for the quality of food and service, and the food and service did not disappoint, that said….they have made some changes that are largely financial in nature that I find disappointing and off putting. 1) $20 per person charge if you cancel reservations without appropriate notice. And they take your credit card before they let you reserve now. Not clear they will charge you, but they could. That’s not usual and customary in this neck of the woods and it’s off putting. 2) No more small side salads included with dinner. Gone. Want a salad? Pay $3 dollars each. It’s not a mint, but it’s enough to boost the cost of the meal significantly. 3) Want pasta with your chicken Marsala? (Usually mashed potatoes or pasta come standard at OTHER Italian restaurants that Iv’e dined at) NOPE. Not here. Pay $5 more for pasta. That’s excessive for a few noodles. 4) I was t happy that I found a hair in my meal that wasn’t mine, but the server didn’t even offer to comp the entree for us. 5) This policy was unclear and I’m TRULY GLAD I read the fine print, but I’m still not sure that clarifies this for me. If one accidentally takes the merchant copy and leave the customer copy, they CHARGE YOU a 20% fee on top of your bill and tip! I Have NEVER HEARD of such a thing! What if a customer writes the tip on the Customer a copy and takes the merchant copy? Would you charge 20 % too? Because that was not made clear. It just says if you take the merchant copy you get a charge. There should be some clarity made there. 6) I’m a small business owner, and I know times are hard, but to push off merchant service fees for using a credit card is ridiculous. That’s the cost of doing business. It’s not classy to push those fees off on your customers. So, to be clear, great food, great server, bad policies. The bad policies alone are enough to stop me from coming back. It’s off-putting.

Our annual Christmas dinner was attended by 13 of us. The service was excellent. No one was ever neglected and the food was the best. Carmellas is the best Italian restaurant in South Bend!

Food is good. Our group ordered several appetizers and five meals, and everything was delicious. Server was pleasant but not available to replenish soda or water, though we did get a pitcher of water late into the meal. I doubt that any of our party will return. The prices are high, but we were happy until the bills revealed unexpected charges. Of course the gratuity appeared on the bill (due to the number in our group), as well as the charge to pay by credit card (there’s a sign at the entrance). But the $4 for a single cup of hot water (called it “tea”) and the $5 for an extra plate so we could split a meal ourselves at the table, not even the same size as that which the dish was served on) seem unreasonable to all. Feels sneaky, and changed how we thought of our experience.

Excellent wine selection, service and delicious appetizers and entrees. Everyone was very pleased with their meals.

Authentic southern Italian cuisine, warm friendly atmosphere - linguine and clams is top notch. Amazing desserts and awesome service.

Fairly pricey for what you're getting but food can be quite enjoyable. Service is hit or miss.

Really nice place! Our waitress Samantha was fantastic! Everyone in our party loved the food!

Enormous portions and overcooked pasta. Service used to be better.

The food was amazing! Wonderful service! We will definitely eat there again!

The restaurant's ambiance and decoration were both cozy and beautiful, creating a welcoming atmosphere. The staff's hospitality was warm and attentive, adding to the overall pleasant experience. As for the food, it was truly amazing. I would love to visit again in the future 🙂

Good overall option in south bend for group dinner. Service very good on crowded night and food good also. Only negative there is a 3% surcharge for using credit cards that was annoying especially now as businesses accept more electronic payments and cash is a hassle. Would go again.

The food was outstanding and the service impeccable! The inside the restaurant was so unique and made you feel like you were eating alfresco! My husband and I love Italian food and we have eaten a lot of Italian over the years and this is by far and away one of the best Italian restaurants we've ever been to! I had the chicken marsala and my husband had the lobster ravioli and we had the trumasu dessert.

The decor initially gave us the feeling of being in an outdoor Italian café. The grapevines 🍇 were a nice touch. Our server was cordial. We ordered two Saint George Martinis🍸. Presentation was great; flavor was ok (mostly water). Then came the salad 🥗: it would have been much better had the basil 🌿 not completely overpowered the other flavors. The bread 🍞 also would have been better had it been served warm, with butter, and not-so-watered-down olive oil 🫒 (it tasted like someone had intentionally diluted it with water). I ordered the veal Marsala. Our server brought me chicken Marsala 🐔 , and when I told her I had ordered veal Marsala, she showed us her notepad and said "I wrote down chicken for both of you. See? So that's what I brought out." I went ahead and ate the chicken Marsala 🐔, and it was actually very good. The pasta 🍝 was perfectly al dente -- definitely the best part of the meal. The vegetables 🥕🫛 were also very good: perfectly crisp with just the right amount of butter 🧈. I also ordered a side of Alfredo sauce, which came out very bitter and soupy. My husband ordered the chicken piccata 🐔. He loved the vegetables 🥕🫛 and the pasta 🍝, but he didn't like the chicken at all (he said it didn't even taste like chicken). Since he only took two bites of it, we hoped our server would offer to bring him a different cut of chicken or to take it off the check. However, she did not offer to do so, and we decided not to ask her to. Nor did she offer to bring me the veal Marsala which I had ordered; again, I decided not to ask her to. She also told us that Carmela's does not offer veterans' discounts which most restaurants in the area offer. So instead of ordering coffee ☕ and dessert 🍰, we left and had coffee, tea, and a wonderful dessert at a different restaurant. The prices here are high. However, we are always happy to pay them when the quality of the food and service matches up. This time, they clearly did not. Having read so many 5-star reviews of this restaurant -- both before and after dining here -- we can't help but wonder if they simply didn't want us here.

Had lunch at the Bistro and picked up some Italian pastry from their bakery. Everything was really good. Service food and atmosphere were all GREAT. Highly recommend this place for lunch and pastry. Plan on going back to eat at the restaurant.

Man, this place is popular. It was packed. We initially thought our service may be sub-par because it was so busy. We were wrong. Service was great and food was out fast and very good!

Great atmosphere & excellent food & service

This is a great Italian restaurant! We stopped in during a business trip, and were impressed with the beautiful decor and delicious food. The interior design and atmosphere was so cozy and European. I felt like I had stepped into another place and it was delightful. I can definitely see how this would make a great date night spot. I had pasta with shrimp, spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes and it was amazing. The flavors were great, and they didn’t skimp on the shrimp! We also had the mozzarella sticks, which were delicious. I really enjoyed this restaurant & will definitely go again.

My family loves to go to Carmela’s when we are in South Bend. We sat outside in mid-September at sunset. The patio was only surpassed by the delicious food and great service. The lasagna was perfect. Everyone had a good time. If you go during the day, don’t miss the bakery, Marci’s inside.

Exceptional wait staff...knowledgeable on menu and wine selections...Friendly and efficient. Food is always great here.

Dinner at the bar, mozzarella sticks, manicotti and bolognese linguine. Everything was awesome as usual including bartender Audrey. After dinner went out to the patio for an after dinner drink and to enjoy the great music of Darryl Buchanan. So much fun!!!

Great Italian cuisine and service. Beautiful dining room as well as patio for outdoor dining. Small bar with few high top tables. Good selection of spirits and wine. Every dish is awesome so it’s difficult to choose one that’s my favorite!

We had a wonderful meal at Carmela's this week. Our waitress was Lisa, who was professional, efficient and friendly. My husband' s family is Italian and any of his relatives would love this place. We will be back soon!

Best Italian food! Pasta and desserts top the list.Drinks put it over the top!!!

This place was amazing. The Perch was the best fish I have ever eaten. The stuffed mushrooms were creamy and cheesy and delicious and the Italian dessert was amazing. The dressing on the salad was delicious. Will be coming here again. Samantha our waitress was very attentive and friendly.

great first time here! lisa was extremely attentive and kind, always anticipating our needs before we even had to ask! a great food experience that i would recommend to anyone in south bend!

Fine italian food. I ordered linguini paste and asked to add shrimp for a $7.00 upcharge. Honestly there was just 3 medium grilled shrimp on my plate. Felt that 6 would have been a good number.

We loved it. The food was incredible. My favorite was the Brushetta. Everyone on my table was happy with their choice. The waitress was very knowledgeable. I haven't had a good waitress in a long time. I would give them more stars if I could. Will definitely be back!

We had a fantastic time. Authentic delicious food. Wonderful atmosphere. The alcoves made it feel private and as if we were in Italy. Our waitress was very friendly, and even an owner stopped by to chat. I highly recommend!

Carmelo’s was absolutely perfect! We chose them because of other Trip Advisor reviews and we were so glad we did! The bread and salad were a delicious start. Everything was super fresh! I had chicken Marsala and ate every last bit on my plate! My son wanted bolognese sauce and they happily accommodated him switching from linguine to tortellini. It was delicious! Our waitress Lisa was lovely, attentive, friendly! We were on a college visit and will gladly go back and highly recommend them to others!! Next visit, I would love to try their bakery next-door! Yum!

The absolute best Italian restaurant I have ever dined at. Phenomenal food. Excellent service. You can tell that Carmela's uses the freshest ingredients in their dishes. This was my first visit, and I will surely dine here again. If I could give them a 10 star, I would!

Sat in bar. The service was ok. No real personality by the bartender and not very observant. Food was great. Asked for penne instead of linguine...but got linguine. Told bartender but made no effort to correct so I just ate it Loved the fresh fried mozzarella and the Bolengese was excellent.

Absolutely amazing. The food was perfect and we definitely will go back !!

No One Else in town is serving "Yellow Lake Perch"🐠($26.95) and it's delicious 😋. . . A place well worth the money 🤑, when you are in the mood for the some of the Best food in town 🏞️!

Nice dinner spot I'm South Bend. A bit challenging to get to, but worth the effort. Well priced and a cozy place to eat.

The lobster ravioli and the shrimp scampi were insipid. Who ever prepared the dishes needs more exposure to better chefs.

Had to make it to the airport, wanted dinner first.. server lisa helped to make sure we got everything quickly, so we could make it on time!!! What a wonderful dinner!

Everything was great, the waitress was great

It waitress was delightful, the manner was so kind to get my grandson cookies, you made our day!

It was not that busy, yet our waitress did not have time for us. It’s a good atmosphere but the food was just ok. Went for our 1st anniversary and it was a let down.

We stopped by on our way to Michigan from Indy. The food was wonderful and the service was great. The owner came by and spoke with us and told us how the restaurant started. If we are in town again we will definitely be back Julie and Tom

This is an easy five out of five star review! The food was great, the service was excellent, and Carmela's somehow created a relaxed yet upscale atmosphere. My wife and I were celebrating our four year wedding anniversary and they went out of their way to make it special. They even worked in a special request I made to them the night before. My wife and I are ready to commit to Carmela's being a regular place to celebrate and will recommend it to anyone and everyone!

The freshness of the ingredients is evident in Carmella's excellent quality food. Our waitress was the best, both friendly and professional. I try to be frugal and don't prefer spending $20+ on a plate of pasta, but may have to make future exceptions for this place. We had Arancini, Mozzerella sticks, Chicken piccatta, spaghetti marinara with sausage and chicken parmagiana. (We got some pastries from Macri's before they closed at 6PM as well) There is a bakery / trattoria called Macri's on site that has tempting and delicious pastries, frozen pasta and sauces, as well as imported specialty items

Family table for 11, Saturday Evening, Notre Dame Graduation, the place was packed. Yet the service was great and all of our dinners and desserts were delicious. Bravo Carmela's! We will be back for sure.

Great food, wonderful staff. Was an amazing mother's day brunch. Very highly recommended.

We had a great meal and the service was excellent!

Excellent meal and wine choices.

Went tonight for my birthday, Amazing food, great service. The girl on the phone was a bit rude when we called, but the wine and food were amazing as well as our server.

Best lake perch I’ve ever had Mozzarella sticks are to die for Try the lemoncello gelato!

So my family and I went here for the first time, and it was very good, we were on the patio having a great dinner, until my wife noticed that our little 2 year old daughters drink had a bug in it(it was a roach.). I took it into the restaurant and they(the hostess) took it back to the restaurant manager. Yes, there was a discount, but it was only the drinks that were taken out from a 63.00 bill! I never had a problem with a restaurant that replaced the drinks, but more importantly when I tried to talk to the manager about it on the phone after we paid and left, she was very rude! Definitely not coming back. At least not until the Health Department comes and gives the restaurant a good check up. The excuse she gave me was that it was outside and that the cup is open, even though the cup used for my daughter was with a lid on it. Tell me how a roach gets into a closed lid cup.

My girlfriend and I ate here for her birthday. Food is absolutely delicious! Highly recommend the Arancini! The staff is amazing and very friendly! They made us feel like family!

We enjoyed a nice meal. The wine selection was very good. The restaurant reminds me of dining in Italy and the server was exceptional. The cadence of the meal was perfect.

Went to Carmela's last night and had a wonderful experience. Food and Service were absolutely fantastic. Nice place with a Family feel. Highly Recommend visiting this hidden Gem. I'll be back!!

Margherita pizza was scrumptious.

Carmelas is my go to space for Italian food. Quality food and service, I’ve never had a bad experience there and it’s next level compared to some of the Italian version of Dennys in the area. Their mozzarella sticks are a must have every time. Put other mozz sticks to shame. Excellente!

Service was professional and the food was good.

Wonderful food and you’re supporting an even better family!

The food was amazing. The ambiance is wonderful here. If you are looking for a romantic night out, birthday or just casual dining this place is for you. Fresh ingredients and welcoming environment.

Great Italian restaurant, nice staff It was so crowded on Saturday night and we had to wait for 30 min although we had a reservation. But it was worth it. I got penne with vodka sauce and it was amazing.

Possibly the best Italian food in South Bend.

If you haven't been to Carmela's you are missing a great Italian restaurant what a neat place to have date night even when your in your 60's.

Delicious carbonara. Everything is tasty. Nice ambiance too.

Well run family business. Service was excellent. Atmosphere was loud but not overbearing. Very few vegetarian dishes and $10 for three stuffed mushrooms is a bit pricey. Never the less, food was very good and I will dine here again.

It was our first time dining here, great atmosphere and service. We had the shrimp Alfredo and lasagna, both were very good.

Everybody is so nice and I've never had a bad plate of food. The lobster ravioli is to die for and the cannolis are amazing too!

Wasn’t a fan of the house balsamic. It tasted like it had orange juice in it and it was an odd combination on my salad. Everyone recommended the lasagna so I got that. The noodles were extremely mushy and off-putting. Overall it was a big disappointment. Staff was friendly and tiramisu was good for dessert:)

This is the delicious homemade Italian food I’ve been craving! I had no idea of this place so imagine my surprise when I was able to experience the atmosphere, the kind staff, and amazing dishes. This might be my new favorite!

Delicious! Amazing staff! Beautiful dining room, love the sky painted ceiling and the decor! Thank you!

This is one of our all time favorite restaurants. Staff is so friendly and it is hands down the best Italian food we have ever had! I wish they had a location in Indianapolis, because if they did we would for sure be regulars!! Would recommend this place to anyone!!

Went to Carmela's for the first time last year and loved it. The staff where very nice and helpful and the food was amazing!!! Dessert was very good and it just looked cool, lol. Will be back hopefully sometime soon!!

My husband and I like the manicotti and tortellini.

Had our company Christmas party there with 30 people. Everything was great!

Carmela's is a great restaurant, and you'll never be disappointed with what you get!

Our waitress was attentive and helpful. Just love the food and atmosphere.

Food was excellent & atmosphere festive.

What a gem! Food was delicious! Fun place to shop & eat! Bakery is amazing! Also the assortment available for making charcuterie boards for the holidays is great!