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Another Carino’s closes in O.C., plus new eats at Lazy Dog Cafe
January 1st, 2009, 6:11 pm · 45 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
Went to lunch at the Lazy Dog Cafe on Thursday and noticed Carino’s Italian Grill closed at the Stadium Promenade in Orange.
This is the second Carino’s to close in Orange County. The other Carino’s closed late last year (2008) in Lake Forest.
I never tried Carino’s.
What was wrong with it?
Lazy Dog changes menu
Back to Lazy Dog: While I was there, I tested a few new items on the menu, including a delicious Pot Roast Sandwich. Yum. Read more at my New on the Menu section for 2009. Also, don’t be too sad about Carino’s.
The Promenade center, which initially struggled to get good restaurants, recently added Prime Cut Cafe. The new fine dining restaurant is carving a new niche, offering “affordable, luxury dining.” I definitely like this new restaurant. It’s open for lunch, and is a great place to get a fine dining meal at a decent price. Read more about the dishes and prices at Prime Cut Cafe here.
The Stadium Promenade, located at Main Street and Katella Avenue, will also get a Bob’s Big Boy later this year. (Read my previous Bob’s Big Boy comeback story here.)
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Why?
For starters, the food was it’s possiblly the second worst italian resturant I’ve ever ate at.
The worst was that place over on Glassell and Katella next to the Chevron. It also went OOB.
The pricing wasn’t that great either;
I loved Carinos in Lake Forest. I think people were not giving them a fair chance.
I thought the food was excellent and the prices were very reasonable. It was a shame it went out of business.
I thought it was great, too. We went to this location several times, but only tried two different entrees. The prices, selection, and service seemed great, but we could tell the place was always virtually empty, and we feared it would close down.
I have no idea why so many people seem to violently hate this chain. It’s not your neighborhood mom-and-pop Italian bistro, but a casual dining chain. I would take them any time over Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden, their immediate competitors.
too much competition for italian eats. If you can’t differentiate yourself, its gonna be tough. In all fairness, i never tried Carinos though. I make homemade italian so pretty tough to beat that price.
I wasn’t very impressed with Carinos the two times I went. It just didn’t have anything that stood out.
Oddly…that places was never full of people. They had large portions, but the prices were a bit high to go with it. I think you could have gotten more people in the seats with 1/2 of the portion and 1/2 the price. The food wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad either.
I also thought it was very odd that the “front” of the restaurant wasn’t the front at all. The outside always looked like it was in a state of construction all the time.
I’ve eaten at a couple of the restaurants and the food is good. I think the reason for this location closing is the enterance to it was not user friendly. They put these restaurants in the malls but put the enterance around the corner from parking where you can’t even tell where to go. I enjoyed Carion’s very much, good food and great prices.
Bummer! I thought Carino’s was great! It may have been a little high on prices but we always had some coupon for buy-one-get-one-free that made it worth it. Plus, the bread with the garlic dip was delicious! It was in a bad location though and it was never full. Maybe a better location would work for them.
it isnt so much that the restaurant was struggling. It is the parent company responsible for the licensing agreement has filed for bankruptcy protection. they have interests in Cocos, Rubys, On The Border and many other franchised restaurant chains. They are scaling back their interests.
Both my husband and I tried the Carino’s in Lake Forest- twice. The first time the food was average and the service terrible. We went back the second time to be fair and had the exact same experience, Im not suprised they are closing. Its a good choice if the parent company is scalilng back, cut this below average chain and concentrate on your proven winners. I’m looking forward to another restaurant coming in and replacing them at The Orchard.
Ate twice at Carino’s at the Stadium Promenade and that was enough. Only went back the 2nd time thinking maybe the horrible service and tastless pasta were just a fluke. Nope - wasn’t a fluke. Went in once to talk to the manager about bringing in a group event (the board suggested the restaurant) and she acted like she was bored even thinking about it. Can’t blame the location - the other restaurants that openened around the same time of after do great and Chili’s and The Katella Grill have always done good business. What’s the difference? Good food and good service i guess. Now the Lazy Dog - perfection! If the only Italian restaurant in the area couldn’t make it right down the street from both the Stadium and the Pond, it’s an inside problem not a location problem. .
I’ve eaten at the Carinos, in Orange, twice. The food was as good as the Olive Garden, but everything is “ala Cart”. This made it much more expensive than their competiters.
I thought the interior deco was nice. The service was good, the two times I went.
Very bland…I have eaten at the Carino’s in Chino and Covina…at the request of a client…..the origonal owner came from Macaroni Grill…that is who should come in to replace Carinos..
The food was very bland–not enough garlic and butter like Macaroni’s. But, Olive Garden is bland also. The big killer was the prices for average, bland Italian food. I can make bland on the cheap at home any day at a way better price.
Not surprised at all, went 3 times and everytime came away with a bad feeling. The last time we went was as a result of such a badly cooked dinner the second time, the manager tried to make it right.
The problem seemed to be no real quality control. Ordered the cedar planked salmon and it came out almost raw, the spinach was just warm……the spaghetti an meatballs was Chef Boyardee quality.
Bottom line, a nice building, nice people working there but low quality food, minimally trained cooks and priced a tad high.
I always knew that this place was in trouble, never more than half full even on a Saturday night…..now another vacant buikding, wonder whats going to take it over. Heard Bobs Big Boy was returning, maybe there?
The place was terrible, I am baffled by the comments that say the food was great…to each his own I guess but I got a better meal from a Stouffers frozen dinner. Did like the bread with the herb olive oil, past that ………no thanks
As for the location, NOT EVEN is right, if the foods good, people will come. There are plenty of people ready to plunk down there hard earned cash for a good meal, at least at Kings or Lazy Dog you know you will always get one, Carinos was a good bet you wouldn’t.
Went there once and ordered the meatball sub. I don’t remember the cost, but I do remember is was too much money for only three half-meatballs I got on the sandwich. It was dry; not much sauce. That was the first and last time I went there.
Cally..yes Bob’s is coming to Orange. I posted a link to that previous story …in the blog post.
kung-pao chicken @ lazy dog cafe rocks!
My family and I went to the orange location soon after it opened. It was great. We went about 2 months ago, it was terrible. Maybe they hired new cheifs.
I never tried Carino’s…only because the place looked empty every time I went by. I figured it must not be very good? Anyway, I have been to Lazy Dog…and I’m curious as to why they don’t have any turkey items on the menu? No turkey sandwich/club sandwich?
We ate at the Lake Forest location once. The restaurant itself is very nicely put together, inside and out. The food, however, was just OK. Nothing special. We certainly expected more for the price. Never went back.
I warned you this dump would be closing…just read my previous post on the Lake Forest closure…In NO WAY was this Italian food. At most it was noodles with no flavor and a lot of attitude!
How can you compete with Olive Garden? I do like eating at the Lazy Dog, and will love eating at the new Bob’s Big Boy when it opens!!!!!!!!
The location was bad. I drove by it several times while going to the Block but never looked at it or thought to stop. However, I will stop for the Lazy Dog Cafe or Bob’s Big Boy.
Love Lazy Dog’s. Great ahi sandwich and the bar staff is excellent. Vegas and Dana are great barkeeps. I look forward to the pot roast sandwich. Never tried Carinos and after reading these posts, I’m glad I didn’t.
Got to be the worst italian food ever. Agree with the entrance someone from GM must have designed it. Ordered a martini and the waiter went and made it brought me back a dirty martini he did not know the difference I said what is up with you making it he said bartender did not mind.
I went once, taking my 9 and 11 year old boys. The service was fine, but the food was awful. I agree with the blogger who said he’d had better Stoeffers. I asked the waiter about one dish I was considering ordering, and he said, “I wouldn’t order it here.” My boys aren’t really picky, but they both said, “Ick” when I asked how they liked their entrees. The location is fine–all the other restaurants are doing well. I think the cooks at Carino’s and the cooks at Aldo’s in the Orange Plaza both went to the same school of tasteless Italian food.
Ate at Carrino’s nearby here (Whittier) and thought it was bad as well. Lousy food for a high price. Nothing really special overall and very tasteless and bland. We sat there in an empty restaurant with horrible food on a Friday night wishing we had gone to Romano’s Macaroni Grill instead. Hubby ordered a glass of wine - $14.00! For ONE half filled glass!
I will be very surprised if this one survives in Whittier as well. It is NEVER busy while the Red Robin right next to it is always packed with a wait.
Carino’s/Macaroni Grill/Olive Garden, what’s the difference? You can get much better Italian food at a mom and pop joint for a lot less money. Try Nick’s in Costa Mesa sometime, there is a reason they’ve been in business 30+ years.
I read your article and was some what impressed until I came to the comment about the Italian resturant at Glassell and Katella.I would agree if the person making the comment was talking about “Fazoli’s” but there is a new propriator “Tutto Fresco” and they have a Very good variety of salads and pasta dishes.I have been there 3 times and have been delighted with the food.I think they should offer waitress service.This should be checked out so that possible patrons will not be given the wrong impression.
It’s not the location. Carino’s is awful. My family and I went to the Lake Forest location after it opened. The food and service was the worst. The waitress even spilled a drink on my brother in law and the manager did nothing about it. We never went back.
High priced, very mediocre food, and inattentive, poor service = a restauarant unlikely to do well in good economic times and a disaster in these bad ones. Went to the Orange Carinos one time and it was enough to decide then and there to never return. Macaroni Grill is 10x better and about the same price—a no brainer!!
To see restaurants like Carino’s close while eateries like Zov’s still remain in business is ridiculous. At Carino’s the food was plentiful and the prices reasonable. Zov’s is overpriced and the food is marginal at best. However, Zov’s has the allure of an “in” place and consequently could serve dog food and would still be a popular place. Matter of fact, the last meal I had there sure tasted like I would imagine dog food would taste.
Ray,
You are correct. I was refering to Fazoli’s. I have never eaten at Tutto Fresco but I will soon.
Hal:
Zov’s is outrageously priced but the food is good. Carino’s was horrible. Whoever mentioned freezer dinners earlier couldn’t of been more on point.
Carinos was horrible. The food was very mediocre. I went once and never will go again. I’m glad to see them go. Let them stay in texas.
I hope something better comes to replace them.
I LOVE the Lazy Dog Cafe ! I have been to the Huntington Beach location and love love love it. Not too sad to see Carino’s go - it tasted like Fazolis and I would prefer the Olive Garden ten times over.
I ate at Carinos once. The only thing I thought was tasty was an appetizer I had. It was the Italian Nachos. It was actually pretty good and quite unique. Otherwise, I wasn’t impressed.
But then again, I am constantly amazed at how the masses actually consider places like Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill and Carino’s as Italian restaurants. I like to refer to their food as “Cafeteria Italian.” How anyone can spend big bucks on these places over the mom and pop places with true Italian food is beyond me. All three are about as Italian as El Torito is Mexican.
I guess it is just corporate America’s influence on todays society. If it isn’t a chain, the majority will pass right by. Oh well, that’s good for us gourmet eaters. Keeps our the lines and wait times in our little, authentic, hole-in-the-wall places to a minimum.
Come check us out in whittier. The food is great but the company hasn’t been well-run in these economic times. I’ve been with the company for 5 years and I still love our food.
it should be closed if the quality of food is bad and overprice. did they expect a miracle ? i did the same thing to my girl friend. she cost me too much money and she was not that good. so i let her go
I couldn’t agree more with the statement about Zov’s. The food is mediocre. Why this place is in business for so long and still charges the prices they do is beyond me. Why because Dean Koontz eats there? The chicken dish I had was clearly a frozen meal. I’m not kidding. I think they must laugh their butts off in the kitchen when they pop a Swanson’s meal in the microwave and then place it on a plate. I’m sorry, but Zov, the woman who owns the place, is snowing all of you Zov’s patrons.
I’m sorry, but all of these comments about the food at Carino’s being terrible are wrong. I was a manager at the location in Orange and the food quality is actually good. It’s the company that owns the CA locations that is bad. I’m Italian, and I’m not saying that Carino’s is authentic Italian cuisine, but neither are The Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill! Give me a break! The company who ran Carino’s definately had the menu over priced and unfortunately is slowly but surely running what could be good restaurants into the ground.
I used to work at Carinos in Lake Forest. I was ther when it closed, we were given no notice and the OWNERS-JOHN GANTES WAS A JERK. He would come in all the time and barely leave any of the servers 10%. He is arrogant and rude. I was told they were ‘RE-STRUCTURING” and would not close. Thanks to the clueless GM MARK CAULKINS. Bad management help close this RESTAURANT.
I admit. Carinos is mildly overpriced. But, there are always coupons out and specials on the menu. The food is good. Not authentic Italian, but very good, homemade, warm comfort food. If you order spaghetti and plain sauce, its going to be fairly plain. duh. Ask to add garlic, or order one of the amazing creations on the menu, such as chicken penne gorgonzola or spicy shrimp and chicken. Service is generally great, and Carino’s offers a great time out with friends. It is not Carino’s that is in trouble. The restaurant is doing fine. The franchise company that owns these Carino’s is the problem. They filed bankrupcy and are now closing several restaurants, including Carino’s, On the Border, and many others. So do not hold this against the still surviving locations. Please go out and support these restaurants and their employees.