Johnny Carino's - Sioux Falls

I've gotten several take-away orders from this place in the past, but this was my first time actually eating in the restaurant. Went right at the start of the lunch rush so it was busy, but didn't feel overly crowded. The food is all exceptional. I randomly added a side of fries and they were so good I'm going to return to try burger and fries. I know it's an Italian place, but just try it. The real star of the visit was our server, Stella. This lady worked a busy room like a pro and was exceptionally friendly. All around good experience. Recommended.

I really want to love this place. The service is great, the atmosphere is comforting, our waitress was very nice and did a wonderful job. The Italian sodas and salads are delicious! Unfortunately when it comes to the pastas specifically, it starts to fall a bit short. Presentation wise it looked amazing and cooked perfectly. The Chicken Parmesan was quite good, could have been a little juicier, but the noodles and red sauce were quite disappointing, very bland and had barely any flavor at all. The red sauce tasted like warm water and a wiff of tomato and unable to tell what seasonings were even used in it. I honestly wouldn't have even bothered to write this review on it, but these are not cheap pastas! $20-$30 per specialty pasta dish, and it The sauce genuenly tastes like is comes from a cheap bag, mostly about the quality of ingredients. If nothing can be changed due to the structure of the franchise than I guess it is what it is and not for me. I want to give Carinos another chance and try their pizzas next time, I want a reason to come back.

My first time here. They have a great menu and delicious drinks. We did the build your own pasta and it was amazing! Definitely going back when I'm in town again!

The wait to get in on weekends is sometimes 30 to 45 minutes. The sangria, wedge salad, lemon rosemary chicken and chicken scallopini are always great. My daughter likes the chicken alfredo. A friend orderdered the chicken gargonzola and it was not my favorite. The tiramasu is always good here, especially compared to Olive Garden who often serves theirs frozen solid. The chicken scallopini here is also much more flavorful than Olive Garden's. The hot salty bread with olive oil and toasted garlic comes out first and is tasty.

Really awesome building and atmosphere, and many of the dishes sounded great. The food was good, very solid but nothing was memorable. Think of a variation on Olive Garden with a touch of Applebee's but with freshly prepared food not dumped from a bucket. The service was inattentive and it is always a turn off to have the server hover over your shoulder while you're entering their tip on their handheld electronic device.