Caro on James in Hamilton

Indifferent service. Medicare food

Found a hair in my rigatoni, and the food wasnt even good. Grossed out and wont be back.

Very delicious meal with my daughter for her 25th birthday day. Our server was friendly and attentive. My Negroni was so amazing!

Not sure what happened to this place. The gluten free pizza used to be amazing. It seems like the dough is now different as well as the toppings. Quality definitely seems worse. The final straw was the last pizza we ordered, which was somehow burnt and undercooked. Raw dough and charcoal on the pizza. Its a shame because this used to be the best gluten free pizza in Hamilton.

The food and atmosphere was good and the food came quickly.

The gluten free crust is so dense, almost like the crust hasn t risen. However, I like that caro actually tries to offer gf to those who cannot digest regular pizza. Other pizza places don t bother with gf unless it s frozen pizza crust which is usually disappointing. Food

Cozy restaurant, trattoria feel. Delicious food, excellent service. I ordered the 3 little pigs pizza. Reasonable prices. Recommended.

Caro used to be my go-to place at both locations before 2023, but tonight s visit was disappointing. I reserved a table for 4 on OpenTable, and upon check-in, I told the server we had 4 people. We were seated, ordered food and drinks, and after my first sip of beer, the server came over to ask if we d switch to a table for 4 instead of sitting at one for 5. They apologized while standing by with a tray, ready to move our glasses, leaving us no choice but to agree. After we moved, our food arrived, and not a single dish was good. No one checked on us or refilled our water. The daily soup was extremely salty, like it hadn t been tasted before serving. We mentioned this when asking for the bill, and the soup was voided. Would not recommend.

I loved this place. Fair prices. The best cacio e pepe Ive had outside Italy. The gluten free crust is suspiciously good Vegetarian options: Good options

We had a great time! The gelato was especially delicious

Get the Omar!!!!! My friends and I tried it out just for the fun of it and it was so good, way better than how we thought it d be

Bought very basic food items, but they were all tasty. The server was kind and helpful. Overall it was good, but nothing super stood out to make it 5 stars in the food category. Seeing the pizza oven is a nice thing for the atmosphere. Dietary restrictions: They offer gluten free pizza crust which was great. Kid-friendliness: They have highchairs but no change tables in the washrooms.

Their pasta alla vodka is my go-to from now on, but their pizzas are also great.

Great experience! The pasta is so so delicious and the vibes of the place are really nice. I would definitely come back again. The short rib pappardelle is a standout for me.

Great food , great atmosphere and great staff. Evelin was awesome

Been a few times for brunch and it s been good every time. Can t go wrong

Very eclectic space. Delicious food and great service. We will definitely return!

- Delicious 3-course $25 lunch from Caro Restaurant on James St. North. Pictured was our choice of arugula Gorgonzola salads, margarita pizza, rigatoni a lá vodka, with an added on calamari appetizer for $19. A scoop of gelato was included as the 3rd dessert course.

I am blown away about my experience with this restaurant today I was sitting in my car on James Street wondering where am I going to eat? I have a gluten allergy. I looked online gluten-free restaurants near me or gluten, friendly, and this restaurant came up. I called and said do you make gluten-free pizza thinking their dough was probably frozen she said absolutely I came in and I had this most delicious pizza, best gluten-free pizza ever in 15 minutes Thank you so much for caring and for serving this!

Awesome and service!

Update 2024: recently when we have gone the gluten free pizza has been hit or miss. On our most recent visit it was like bland cardboard and hard to chew. Disappointing that they lack consistency. Good food. Gluten free pizza is better than most. Had three little pigs pizza which was very good. Beer selection very limited. Some beer on their already limited menu was out of stock. Ended up ordering Fairweather Silky Porter, but received a very light beer - not exactly sure what it was, but it wasnt a porter.

My husband and I attended Caro on James Street today for lunch at noon. I got the lunch special, which was $25. This includes either a soup or salad, a choice between pepperoni or margherita pizza or a pasta dish, as well as gelato for dessert. The salad was a lovely size, they did not skimp out on the blue cheese and the dressing was delicious. I was shocked to have an entire pepperoni pizza come out next, which was FABULOUS. I was expecting maybe a slice or so for this price but nope, it was a full pizza. Do not even get me started on the raspberry gelato, it was absolute heaven. We had an hour leave from work to have lunch and I was back with time to spare. Service, timing, food, PRICE - you cant beat this. See you tomorrow Caro! lol yum.

Horrible experience here. I ordered the pappardele bolognese and what I received was not at all what is described on the menu. Why is it advertised with sausage and beef when it comes with no meat on it what so ever? (you can see in the picture). 22$ for plan pasta noodles and bland tomato sauce with no meat. I could make this at home for less than 1$ no joke. Service was also terrible, when I politely addressed it to the server/bartender he was rude and just said that s how it s supposed to be. My friend ordered the truffle ricotta gnocchi which was an EXTREMELY small portion and came with 13 gnocchi pieces exactly and tasted extremely bland. Again, charging 22$ for 13 bland gnocchi noodles is outrageous. Definitely would never come back here, and I wouldn t recommend you waste your money here either. I took one bite of my pasta and we got the bill. We left hungry and disappointed and ended up going to an amazing Mexican restaurant just up the street called Mesa. If you want good food and good service, walk one block up the street and go to the Mexican restaurant instead. I m normally never write one star reviews, but I would give this place a 0 if I could.

Came here for the first time and was not disappointed. We got the bruschetta for an appetizer and the bread was amazing. The dinner was delicious and comes in a large quantity..I couldnt even finish it all and had to take it home. Cannot wait to come back again.

Ordered a family size pepperoni pizza. It was about the size of a large, unfortunately 6 slices of pizza doesnt feed a family. Tastes good but not worth the price.

Everything on the menu sounded delicious. I was able to try a few different options. The polenta fries are an excellent starter. The margarita and The Omar pizza are both excellent. I had the Garganelli Carbonara and absolutely loved it. I will most definitely be heading back to Caro on James. The bar menu is great too. Im looking forward to trying the Ottawa Street location as well! Caro is another great example of the wonderful food scene in Hamilton.

I have ate at Caro on James and the Ottawa location many times and enjoyed the food and service at both locations. Probably my favourite place overall for quality, service and consistancy. The pepperoni pizza is what I get usually, it is very flavourful and the dipping sauce is great. I wish the pizzas were bigger because they taste so good. i would rather pay 17.00 for Caro pizza then 22 bucks for sub par pizza elsewhere. I have always had really great service, fast and friendly. I saw some negative reviews where people order delivery, this is the kind of place for dining in for a nice atmosphere so I dont why people get delivery from a gourmet restaurant and have some uber driver bring them cold food and then complain. I think many people dont know what quality ingredients are and probably shouldnt leave reviews. This is a place with good food, service and atmosphere. Compared to other popular pizza places the staff is not rude. I like this place cause they serve people other than hipsters unlike say Mai Pai and you can actually get a table and actually eat without booking a week in advance. If you want cardboard pizza you will be better off at Shortys or Pizza pizza.

The food was great and the pizza was good as well. And everything was very enjoyable. The pizza was thin crust and was very good. And the chicken parm was good as well. Overall a good restaurant

This is our go to spot to bring friends when they come visit in Hamilton!

Good food

The Omar pizza may be the best pizza I have ever had.

Just want to give a huge shoutout to this place for not only making one of the best gluten free pizzas Ive ever had but also NOT charging extra for it! It is so huge as someone with dietary restrictions to be able to participate in experiences just like any normal, healthy person. And this place is definitely one of our favourite experiences in Hamilton! It gets 5 stars from my boyfriend as well, who has no restrictions and says all the regular gluten-full food is also incredible. Definitely our first choice whenever we visit. Dietary restrictions: Gluten free pizza crust and vegan cheese available

Mushroom pizza (with the garlic aioli dip on the side) was fantastic!

Rated very highly but overall very average food. Pizza was okay. Undercooked, not the best dough. Pasta was tasty but nothing more than average.

A delicious brunch. Avocado toast. Absolutely delicious. Omelet without the cheese and smashed parmesan potatoes were also delicious. Gets loud really fast. Only sore point. Big open space with the industrial ceiling, doesnt absorb much sound. Probably not big deal for most diners. Service is friendly and efficient.

Jerk chicken pasta is awful . What a terrible idea

Some of the best pastas and pizzas I have had at this place

Went on a date, and it was absolutely wonderful. Food is great, the options are plentiful even for vegetarians, and the service was amazing. Aglio e Olio was really well made with baked garlic and peppers and the caro bread was to die for. Shoutout to Dina for making my girlfriends birthday wonderful, you were a lovely server! Food

Do not go here. It is not a good place to eat

Food was mediocre and for the price the portions were all right. Nothing wowed me and service was average. Went here for my 7-year anniversary with my wife and was kind of let down. Honestly, very mediocre. give it a try I guess.

Definitely a great find. A cozy atmosphere and excellent service. A nice place to enjoy dinner with a friend. Food was excellent. Cannot wait to go back.

Dropped in to celebrate a birthday. We ordered 3 pizzas and 3 pastas, plus the polenta fries and bruschetta. All the food was delicious, but especially the latter two. Would come again

My husband and I tried Caro on one of our visits to Hamilton earlier this year and absolutely had to stop back in when we were back last weekend! Food is amazing as always, and service was great. Will definitely be returning.

Small be fantastic menu...great service and food.

The pasta dish while tasty was a little dried out. Not the creamy version that Carvonara should be.

Okay So I went to write a review about my visit on May 11 (last weekend) and found that I had written one a year ago that says exactly what I was about to write again So Amazing place And consistent !!! (Sorry l ate half before taking a picture Last year s review: Great food, good prices, excellent server. I will return.

Huge portions delicious food and amazing staff. Cant go wrong here!

the pizza was amazing!!

We had such a great time! The food was delicious and the servings were very generous. (Couldnt finish the sandwich and home fries, took some home) the atmosphere was nice and relaxed and the service superb.

We came here for the pasta and we were not disappointed, The food was fantastic !!!!! Our server Katie was the greatest and I wish everyone could have her! Room for Improvement,... I would say make sure the place settings and chairs are clean. PLZ VISIT!!! Kid-friendliness: Our table beside us had brought 2 kids and the servers were so kind and patient. Im happy to see a family have a good time!

Amazing place for meetings

Best Italian food. Loved the short rib pasta. Will absolutely be back. Reasonable prices too. Loved that they took reservations for our large group of 9. CARO Bread is a must!

I went here for my 24th birthday with my dad and the food and service was amazing! It was pretty quiet when we went since it was a rainy day, which was actually really nice. If you re worried about whether it s busy, you can reserve tables online through OpenTable! Very cozy and clean atmosphere. We got the $25 dollar lunch special and were not disappointed!! Absolutely love their arugula salad and shrimp bisque. Was so excited realizing their other smaller location on Ottawa St is along my commute as well- more arugula salad for me ahaha. Our server was an angel & very attentive to us. Cannot recommend enough!!

Can t stop coming back here. Love the food. Highly recommend! Chef Pierce knows what he s doing!

Wonderful dining experience through and through. My girlfriend and I shared a pizza and calamari appetizer that filled and satisfied us. Service was kind and attentive. Only a small thing that we found irritating was the music was a little loud making it difficult to hear each other.

Maybe my expectation was different. I first of all expected above average Italian food. What we ordered was a mushroom pizza and lasagne. What we received was a Focaccia with loads of rocket and some Parmesan (because there was no tomato sauce or any other pizza-typical chesse used). Due to this composition, mushrooms couldn t be tasted at all. Next point was that our dishes were cooked out of sync. My lasagne has been ready by the kitchen 10 mins. before the pizza and was brought back. When I received it, it was warm - not hot or fresh anymore. Due to the fact that it was quite big I guess app. 1000g of food it got cold before I could eat half of it. So, my conclusion: A sub-standard Italian restaurant, which excels in mass not class. The lasagne but half that size and right out of the oven would have been okay. The pizza - maybe also smaller but with a more original and rich topping would have been great. Nevertheless, we didn t leave the location hungry. The waitresses did what they could, but had to fight because the whole logistics weren t organized professionally had to wait 30 mins, which would have been okay if the food had been good.

Overall, it was a great experience right from when we were greeted by the host through to dinner. The wood oven pizza was delicious, and our server was fun and professional at the same time!

Great little find on a rainy Friday evening. Casual ambience, good service and food. Definitely nothing to write home about, just good pizza and pasta. Did not like polenta fries at all. Drinks were good. May visit again.

We go here often after having our tiny elopement wedding party try Caro with us on Halloween, the food is amazing, the service is always so nice, and the atmosphere is quiet, cozy and spacious. We come back for the truffle ricotta gnocchi, pizzas are all good including this pizza is terrible lol, and the tiramisu! Dietary restrictions: Has oat milk

I am obsessed with their pasta end of review

Great food great atmosphere. Highly recommend for lunch. Caro bread, pasta and tiramisu were amazing. Parking: Parked for paid parking behind caro block

I ordered garganelli carbonara and the beet panzanella salad. The pasta arrived cold and the delivery bag smelled of stale cigarette smoke. The salad was delicious. Not sure I would order delivery again.

We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Service was great. Unfortunately they were short staffed when we visited so it took quite a while to get out food. Our waitress was very nice and she was doing her best to make everything work. Parking: Some paid street parking available.

Nice atmosphere, great food and excellent service. We had the crispy polenta fries, garganelli carbonara and mushroom pizza.

Warm/intimate atmosphere, Perfect place for a date or a small group gathering. Customer service was professional and quick. Menu was small and simple, options such as pizza, pastas, and sandwiches, plenty of variety. Drinking menu offered various different drinks and cocktails. I had the Omar pizza which was sensational, I highly recommend trying it (Do not let the corn puree be the deciding factor, as for most it does not sound appealing, but I assure you its excellent). The chicken on the pizza was cooked/sauced beautifuly, with a good amount on the pizza (they dont cheap out). Overall my experience was perfect, will be coming back soon to try out the rest on the menu. I want to thank the staff for the delightful evening, keep up the great work!

Had brunch in this cute spot in Hamilton. Tried their take on chicken and waffles and it was definitely one of the best Ive had in recent memory. Super delicious combination of flavors and the serving stuff was extremely kind and helpful. Would recommend.

24 of us.....wonderful time we had...great food...great service...very friendly staff... Great time.... Food

Great place to pop in and have lunch. Prompt service and the food was great. I had the chicken parm sandwich which was very good. Others had pizza and they raved about it. Awesome place with a trendy vibe. Food : 4/5

Delicious food, and friendly service! Would have liked the appetizer to have a bit more salt; the flavour was blander than I had expected. Im not excited about the salt and pepper shakers being carefully guarded by the server; I had to ask for salt and pepper, and the server brought it to the table, added what I requested, then took the shakers away with her. I like to add my own and keep it on the table. The wood fired pizza was delectable, however, and Id highly recommend it! Vegetarian options: Plenty of veg options, as long as you like cheese! Dietary restrictions: Looks like people with sensitivities can usually get a substitute (though I wouldnt recommend anyone with celiac to patronize here). Wheelchair accessibility: Long hallway, zero clearance at front door. Lots of space for wheelchairs in the restaurant.

Very unique Italian spot. Food is a bit different, but tasty different . Great service too.

We had the worst experience here. It was my sister s birthday and we were seated in the separate area near the bar. We booked this area beforehand and were here on time to decorate with happy birthday balloons. From the start, the server Evie, and bartender/server Sierra, were very rude to us and seemed like they absolutely did not want to serve us. We didn t say anything as we were there to enjoy with my sister. The food here is great and I don t want to take that away from the restaurant just because I had a bad experience with service. I brought a birthday cake for my sister which was custom-made and ordered a week ago and were very excited to cut. The cake had icing that could go bad in the heat and as the room had heaters, we told the server to store it in the fridge for us and thats all. After we ate, we told them to bring the cake and they brought the cake precut into slices. The cake was not cut when we gave it to them as I had just brought it from fortinos. I know for a fact that these servers did this on purpose as we could see that for some reason they did not like us. Maybe it was because english is not our first language and we were conversing in our language, but that doesn t mean that we paid less or tried to bargain or communicated in a rude way. We were always very nice to them since the time we entered the place and we heard a lot about the restaurant so we wanted to bring my sister s friends here for her special day. The server told us that cutting a cake was a hazard because of knives, even though knives were provided in the cutlery. I will definitely not recommend this place to anyone unless they want to ruin their special day. A birthday cake is meant to be cut by the person who s birthday it is and a small knife being a hazard in the hand of a 25 year old is a stupid excuse. This really ruined my day and my sisters as we were extremely excited to cut the custom cake we paid a good amount of money to get made. If it was really a hazard, they should have let us know before cutting the cake and we would have chose to go back home and cut the cake. They did not communicate before cutting the cake, they just brought it cut. I have attached a picture of the cake that was given to us when we asked them to bring it out of their fridge as well as the knife we brought to cut the cake which is not exactly a hazardous knife. I am not a person that wishes bad things for people but I hope there is some action taken against those two servers and they re held accountable for their saltiness and rude behaviour. After talking to them while paying the bill, we found out that the information we conveyed to the person on the phone named Ashley, was not provided to the servers, but that does not justify the way we were treated. On the phone at the time of the booking, Ashley agreed to everything that we said and we explicitly mentioned that there is going to be a birthday party and cakes and we also had a sketching activity, which of course we made sure to clean up after ourselves, and they agreed to everything. This information was not conveyed to the servers (according to them) and they were very rude with us because they thought we are doing these things (decorating with balloons, sketching etc.) without letting them know before. Again, this internal communication fault by the staff does not justify the way we were treated. I am sorry for anyone that wishes to celebrate their special day in this restaurant in the heart of downtown. I hope no one has to experience this kind of behaviour anywhere in this amazing city. I know I have said this before but I am extremely disappointed and unfortunately there is nothing we can do except share our experience using reviews so the involved people are held accountable and hopefully others who have had similar experiences get to share their voices as well. I realize this is a long read but I would love for this to reach out to the right people so that proper changes are made and others don t have to experience what we did.

Celebrated our friend s birthday here and was by far the worst service we ve ever received at a restaurant. The servers were rude, impolite, and not hospitable at all. They were unaware that we were there to celebrate a birthday and that we had a planned activity which we mentioned twice while making the reservation. Especially one of the servers - Sierra, spoke to us very rudely and almost threw the food on our table. Worst part is they sliced the birthday cake we ordered and presented it to us. We had asked them to keep the cake box in their fridge but when we called for the cake to be cut, they had already sliced it. Absolute worst experience, would not recommend this place to anyone.

Worst experience ever! Ruined my friend s birthday! They have the worst service I have ever experienced in this country. They cut my friend s birthday cake out of spite, after telling them we just want to store the cake in their fridge. We were absolutely shocked by the way they behaved with us..extremely hostile service. No stars for the service. Please do a take out or delivery and try to have as little to no contact with their servers.

Obviously should be your choice for modern Italian in Hamilton. Food is always good and you can spot the quality. Menu is well crafted and updated. Brunch on weekends with simplified selection. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable on their products. Items that we constantly order. Carbonara, the Omar, chicken Parm, Cannoli... Pictured are items on the brunch menu. Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and hashbrowns... Which are amazing larger potatoes, crispy and full of flavor and crunch! Chicken and waffles. Fresh waffle with a perfect amount of maple syrup and hot chilis. The chicken was juicy and perfectly cooked. Not pictured was the eggs Benedict with short rib. It was very tender and has lots of flavour.

We ordered the calamari appetizer, 3 Little Pigs pizza, Mushroom pizza and Jerk chicken rigatoni. They were all excellent with exception of the rigatoni which could have used a bit more flavour. Our food was served really quickly which was nice and the overall service was wonderful. We would definitely return for the pizza.

I was there for a private event. Pizza was great and the staff were so nice. On my list to visit when I visit Hamilton

Caro on James offers a delightful culinary experience with a diverse menu that caters to various palates. The food is expertly prepared, showcasing a perfect balance of flavors and creativity. The attentive and friendly service enhances the overall dining experience, making it a standout choice for those seeking a memorable meal.

This place is nice and has a cool speakeasy spot downstairs.

Delicious food. Attentive chef and staff. Ordered two days in a row and I ll be sure to come back.

Wonderful restaurant with great service. Loved it!

Came here on Valentine s Day and was immediately struck by the wonderful atmosphere. The smell of smoke from the pizza ovens may be off putting to some but I thought it added to the overall experience. The service was good and decently quick for a busy night. The food however was a little below average. Our starter calamari tasted good but the portions were much smaller than what you would think with the price. This seemed to be the case for many of the appetizers I saw at other tables. The shareable bowl of Sphagetti and meatballs also left a lot to be desired. The noodles were undercooked, the sauce was subpar, and the meatballs were bland and had a strange texture. The garlic bread as well was average and didn t have much flavour. Overall despite the great atmosphere I most likely would not choose to return to Caro with so many other great options on James Street.

I came here for the first time with my girlfriend and her mom and we had a delicious lunch. We accidentally walked in right before they opened but our server still welcomed us in. Very reasonably priced and good food.

Had a wonderful brunch at Caro on James with a group of friends. Ashley was a terrific host and made our entire experience even more positive. The food was tasty, atmosphere was warm and inviting. Recommend for a small or large group.

Cute spot with great food and friendly staff. Good selection of beer on tap, food was delicious, paid parking out back with pathway thru to the street is convenient. Will be back.

We ordered takeout on an early Saturday evening (4:30pm) and what started out as a very promising meal quickly went south with one bite of pizza. The first slice of the Pepperoni pizza was very decent as was the entire Mushroom one for that matter as were the accompanying dips. Unfortunately due to the fact that over half of the Pepperoni pizza was burnt black and left a horrible taste in the mouth the rating plummeted. As a former pizza maker we were always taught never to serve a pizza that was severely burnt. I would have sooner been told I had to wait for a new one to be made. Even more disturbing is the fact that there wasnt a single soul in the restaurant. I cant attest to how many takeout orders they had but considering I was told 20 minutes for my order one would assume that they werent overly busy, which means there is no excuse for the lack of attention displayed. You cant let food leave the kitchen that should have ended up in the bin. The three dips tasted great. The only disappointment was that all three were filled to different levels in the Solo cup. One was filled so much it touched the lid. One was 3/4 full and the third one a little over half. That kind of inconsistency makes no sense whatsoever. What could have been a possible 5/5 rating suffered terribly due to the lack of care involved. Unfortunately Im not the type to call and complain. In a situation such as this its one strike and youre out. The way I see it they knew full well what they served and if the bottom of the pie wasnt checked at all then thats simply a dereliction of duty. Either way I refuse to spend my hard money somewhere that shows such a lack of care.

A group of six dined here on NYE. We arguably had the best seats in the house (right by a big window facing James). It was great for chatting but the general space felt a little bland. The floors, although unique, were quite slippery and a couple of us almost fell. Not booze-related! ;) The service was swift, but our server did leave something to be desired. There was very little energy or enthusiasm. It was NYE and we were one of the final tables, but still. The best part about the experience was the food. Nice variety and flavourful dishes. Would definitely do take-out from here.

1. The pizza is noticeably overcooked and taste bitter, both the dough and the ham on it. Me and my friend called the waitress and she said it was the way it should be cooked. My friend spent 3 years with an Italian family and had pizza for millions of time, none of the previous experience like today. 2. The waitress and the chef were making hearable small talk at the kitchen, she said it s not the chef s problem, ok so it s my problem lol 3. The fried calamari was soggy and plain in flavor.

The food was terrible, the pizza was burnt. Whats more important is the poor service attitude. This restaurant is a joke.

Food was amazing! I had the truffle gnocchi with shrimp and it was delicious and fairly priced. Service was just mediocre.

I really like going here - it s casual and such a good size for a restaurant, small enough to feel almost intimate but large enough that it has a great atmosphere. The service has always been great and so has the food - I like that we can go here and be in and out in an hour max, too!

Excellent food & service! Started with the Polenta Fries, which were TO. DIE. FOR. Then, the Three Little Pigs pizza. Delicious, perfectly cooked & great portion size! They even offer chili oil & chili flakes tableside, which just took the pizza to the next level! Ended off my meal with the Affogato - the perfect little bite of dessert. Will definitely return!

Our table shared some pizzas to start and then had pasta as a main. The food was delicious, and the service was perfect. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was lively and fun, and the speak easy downstairs was a perfect way to finish the night. Would highly recommend!

Absolutely love Caro on James! Everything I order here is amazing. Gluten free vegan pizza is the best I ve found! Shout out to the amazing head chef.

Generous portions and very delicious! I ordered the short rib pasta and it was quite tasty. Great atmosphere.

The food here is so good, you must try the Caro bread. Been here a few times and it is always consistently good.

Yummy food. Cool place to hang out.

Their food is always delicious, the servers are great, and it has a nice atmosphere.

We had a small event in the private room and it was so perfect. Their service was wonderful, the room was beautiful and opened up to the street, and the food was great! I would highly recommend Caro Restaurant!

Too small portion

Sadly, was not impressed. I had been to caro on Ottawa st the week before, and raved to my wife about it. Went to James st and ordered exact same meal, completely different experience that s for sure,no where near as good.

What s that saying?, if you don t have anything nice to say.. I should stop here then. If the service was decent or staff friendly, maybe can overlook the poor quality. Generous with salt?? If you love food loaded with salt, then that is the positive. Calamari, first thing you taste is the salt. Soggy. Not crispy at all. Doused in sodium vs flour. Polenta fries. Not crispy at all. Taste, ok. Arugala Salad - no other ingredients, not as described Pizza had chewy crust, tough to chew, soggy centre. Chorizo was insanely salty ingredient Guests had pasta dishes, all said ok. Affogato ok. After writing, reconsidered, increased to 2 star. Maybe I have been to too many Italian restaurants and been accustomed to good quality food and service. Not fair to mention competition, but owners and staff need to get out and see what decent service and food should be. You re busy for now, take this as constructive so you stay busy. I can say I will not contribute to further business. It was busy ? It felt like they did not need or want our business. From moment walked into, until moment we left. No worries. Lots of restaurants to choose from. If it s inexperience, short staff then management come-by and check on us and explain don t let customer come to conclusions or it just is what it is.. Have to stop or change back to one star.

I was recommended to dine at this restaurant for the good Italian food. The food was good, and it is on pricey side given price and smaller portion sides. Service and atmosphere were good.

A group of us went for dinner. I had Butternut squash ravioli, it was fantastic. My husband had chicken parmigiana- he said it was ok but bland, other people in our party had rigatoni alla vodka and short rib parpadelli everyone said good but bland.

Pretty good! This place I think is just a little over hyped up, to me anyway. It was GREAT tasting food, small selection but everything we had was good, but the service was very sub par. Hoping it was just our waitress, may be back again, possibly with a group in the summer, and hope for better service!

After loving their Ottawa st location, I decided to try here with a group of friends. We had really nice service, good food and overall a fun time. But I did notice that the pizza I ordered was very, very greasy. It didnt take away from the taste at all, but just sorta made a mess. Dietary restrictions: They offer vegan cheese.

An amazing place for any age group. Have visited a couple times now with friends and has a great atmosphere, amazing food, and great service. Dietary restrictions: Gluten free

The pasta carbonara didn t have any taste Plain The service was excelent

Fabulous brunch and great service! The complimentary plant for Mothers Day was such a nice touch!

Really enjoyed our meal here (see photos!) but I think there are some areas for improvement. The food was well-seasoned but at least my meal was only luke warm (possibly mine was ready first and waiting on the other plate to be finished?). The noodles tasted great and homemade. The appetizers were both very good. The arugula salad was refreshing and was a nice contrast to the polenta fries. At this kind of a restaurant, I would have expected a change of cutlery between appetizers and main meal, but that did not happen. That being said, the wait staff were all very friendly! The ambience was good but the music was a bit loud for conversation in the main dining room. We sat in the room closest to the front window which made the noise level better for speaking.

This place has a great vibe. We enjoyed our dinner very much. We ordered the Omar and margherita pizza and it was yummy. The only downside was that after we ordered our food we had to wait 50 minutes for our pizzas, which seemed quite long of a wait! Otherwise everything else was fine.

It was my first time here, and I absolutely loved it. The food was beautiful, delicious and memorable. The staff were kind, helpful, and patient. The atmosphere felt bright, homey, and welcoming! I ordered the Brown Butter Beet Salad and Margherita Pizza. The salad was absolutely delicious, and the pizza was pure perfection! My friend got the Caro Bread and she also loved it. I would highly recommend this place and cannot wait to come back and try the rest of the menu! Vegetarian options: Many delicious vegetarian options available. Parking: Depending on the time of the day, it may be hard to find parking. However, paid street parking is available.

Good pizza, great drinks, and attentive and friendly staff!! Will definitely be coming back here sometime! Food : 5/5

Tried out their pre-fix menu which has their most popular dishes. I had the Arugula and Rigatoni alla vodka from the prefix menu. Salad portion is surprisingly good portion. Price is not too bad. Food is pretty good and tasty. Vibes is Would definitely come back

DO not i repeat do not eat at this place the food is nasty and the service is terrible, the place is always empty for a reason , dont waste your money , i got served the wrong order by the chef and he cuss me out and told be to write a review i give it a year before the place is finally close for good

Well priced meals, great pastas and great selection of cocktails. Only thing that would have made it better is if the pizza oven used wood fire. But Id definitely recommend this restaurant.

Highly recommend Caro for brunch, the food is fantastic and reasonably priced. Service was a bit slow but we didnt mind as we had great company to catch up with. I ordered the mushroom and pancetta omelette with a side of home fries and it was fantastic. Everything was perfectly cooked and seasoned.

I went on Saturday night for my first time, and was very impressed! Im so happy they offer a gluten-free dough option for pizza that is a decent size and is a fresh dough. The drinks and dessert were also delicious! It offers a nice intimate vibe and the servers are fantastic! Dietary restrictions: Gluten-free

My favorite Italian spot in Hamilton. Both locations are great. Really looking to trying the speakeasy that is supposed to be located below, fingers crossed!

great place! great food! love it thanks

I went to this restaurant with my husband for brunch on Fathers Day. Unfortunately, the menu was very limited and they were out of many food items. Not good especially when you cant order what you want.

The new summer drink menu is delicious. Service was quick and fast, but that could also be because it was a Thursday early evening. Food is standard and what I expected for the chicken parm meal. Its a healthy serving, so good bang for your buck albeit the pasta was a bit too al dente for my preference. Parking: Evenings Monday to Friday are free after 6pm at the parking meters. The paid lots are off the main street so you will have to walk a bit if you dont get into the lot behind the restaurant.

Went for a friends birthday, service was not great and they got my order wrong. The waitress didn t even try to resolve it so I said I would eat what was in front of me I guess, I didn t like what was brought so I only had 2 bites and sat while my friends ate. Waitress took away a full plate and still put it on my bill, also didn t even apologize for the mistake. I m not even joking I had to get fast food on the way home cause I left hungry :/ The other location is so much more inviting and friendly. Disappointing experience.

Excellent evening ,flawless. no air conditioning tho

Food was excellent! We tried the margherita pizza, carbonara, peach and tomato caprese appetizer, the crispy crunch gelato and tiramisu for dessert. All of the mains were DELICIOUS and the appetizer too. You can tell they use fresh ingredients. Ambience was nice as well, cool spot with modern decor! Tiramisu was a bit too soupy for my liking, but the gelato was great!

Food was phenomenal, went there for brunch last saturday, amazing portion. id give it 5 stars all around if their air conditioning was working...how does the staff work in those conditions?

food and drinks were great, but the service was a little lacking. the one waitress there did not acknowledge us for about ten minutes after we were seated and the bartender ended up serving us. she was great and apologized for the wait. I m not sure if they were short staffed tonight, but it also was not busy in the restaurant at all. also it s literally 30 degrees outside! does the owner not let yall put the air conditioning on

Great find on James Street South, in Hamilton. It has a small menu, but the food is really good, the Omar Pizza is a must try. The drink selection is unique. The service was a bit slow, but I think it was that we got there before the other servers arrived. If you go in the summer, go on a cool day, there is no AC and very little air flow. Most guests where faning themselves with the menus just to get a little relief from the heat. Overall, definitely check this place out. Dietary restrictions: Does have gluten free options/substitutions

Went for a private real estate event downstairs, the atmosphere was great with the mirror walls, food & drinks were great.

Went here for a small rehearsal dinner. The service was very good. There is no AC inside so it was very hot which was the only downside. Food was good but nothing special.

First time at Caro on James, food was really tasty, service was great and overall atmosphere was nice and relaxing.

They have great food and service. Downside. They need better air-conditioning. They sat our group by the pizza oven. And it was hot. If you come to this place. Maybe sit as far away from the Kitchen as possible.

Amazing pizza. Be warned it can get extremely warm inside though, especially on warm summer days. Was borderline uncomfortable....but definitely worth it for the great food and the cold drinks helped.

Walked in and ordered a takeaway Pizza Kit which was supposed to be the larger option 16 pizza, and received a very small portion of dough (not enough to feed my husband and I)! I am disappointed because it cost $15 and only made one small personal pizza.

Great place. I had a pastrami pizza. It was very good food. Note that a domed pizza oven is used. Dont get misslead by the entrance way, as it would need a bit of tlc. I did not want alcohol. I asked for a lemonade. They made something from scratch. It was very tasty. Ty all for the experience.

It was a really cool vibe with delicious food. The this pizza is terrible is actually a SUPER delicious and insanely cheap garlic bread (as seen in photos). Friendly staff and lots of space. Would love to check out their speakeasy (My Father is Famous) next time.

Food was delicious!! Got the Jerk Chicken Pasta and was very impressed. Service was a little slow but we werent in a rush so it wasnt a big deal. Will visit again

A nice cozy place on James street.

Delicious pizza and carbonara. Excellent service! Recommend this place and will come back

Came here specifically for the gluten-free Margherita as that is what everyone was raving about. However, found it not good at all. Found the cheese was not good at all and not what you would use for a marg, the sauce had no flavour really and hardly any on there and the dough although gluten-free was nowhere near the taste, crisp or look any other GF pizza dough I have had. Did not enjoy it at all, especially due to all the great reviews online. I will say however that the staff was very engaging, helpful and found the atmosphere of the restaurant to be great!

Customer service is awesome when dealing with customer issues. They really care about their customers and strive to keep them happy. The food is really yummy.. Smaller menu, which is a good thing. Everything is great. Do try the peach and tomato caprese salad appetizer..we loved it so much! A cute happening restaurant. I love it.

Highly recommend. Very good pasta. Great stuff

Food was awesome which was the whole reason we wanted to come here. But the service was not. The host was great but the waitress and bartender were not efficient. Our drinks got lost somehow so took forever which they discounted (which was very nice). The waitress was very nice but we had to ask for cutlery when the food came and also had to find her again for the bill at the end. She seemed a little overwhelmed and the restaurant wasn t busy. At least she was nice. I would go back for the food in hopes of having better service.

Food is delicious

The server was very friendly and accommodating. Halfway through our drinks and the food was served. We shared all our orders around the table because everything tasted amazing!

When for lunch to celebrate daughter s birthday. Had the lunch special. Food was excellent and plentiful. Service was great. Highly recommend this place.A hidden gem in Hamilton. Will definitely come back and bring friends.

Great service and great food! I loved their portion size. Food

Great food and friendly staff.

First time in this location celebrating our daughters birthday! The food was unbelievable, and lets not forget that they offer gluten-free items, is safe for sure! Cozy and great atmosphere! I am sure returning.

It was my first time here and loved it!! Such good food and service need to come back and try the rest of the dishes. We shared calamari and polenta fries. The ricotta ghnocci was delicious as well as the drinks.

overall okay/somewhat disappointing. was a busy night when we went. service, food, and atmosphere were all equally unremarkable.

My only knock has nothing to do with Caro. Parking is either a bit expensive or a lot inconvenient though.

Been here twice in two weeks! My first dish was the short rib pasta, it was flavourful but could ve used some more sauce as the pasta soaked it all up. The portion was a good size. Second time around I got the chicken Parmesan pasta as my friend got it last time and it was a very generous portion! This time I asked for extra sauce and it was perfect for me. Lots of garlic, the chicken was crispy but could use more seasoning and this dish can be made into two portions! If you like fresh pasta this is the place to visit, looking forward to trying their other dishes Parking: I parked near the loaded pierogie and it s a two minute walk away from the restaurant

Sierra was excellent at service. Very helpful at explaining the dishes. Food was very tasty. Calamari, caro bread and chicken parm was large with great taste. Espresso martini was good but small. Tiramisu was good but too runny for my taste. A little more firm would have been great.

I dream about these polenta fries. The service is amazing, we were a large group and they brought out our sharables, drinks and meals within a timely manner. The atmosphere is cool and chic. Food was modern Italian. Absolutely delicious!

We had some of the pizzas and they were incredible! Service was great too and friendly. Thank you!

Pasta was really good I loved the alla vodka sauce. The service was also fantastic and everyone was super nice

The service and atmosphere were perfect for a date night. The food was ok.

Food was great. I got the Terrible Pizza let me just say, it was NOT Terrible

Food was excellent! my red wine was delivered within seconds of my arrival very pleasant experience

Very good food, excellent service in a lovely atmosphere. Very reasonable prices for this high quality food. Very impressed. Vegetarian options: Some vegetarian options abailable Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options available for pizza crusts.

The crispy polenta fries are a favourite along with the butternut squash ravioli, mushroom pizza, and truffle ricotta gnocchi. Dishes are always fresh, flavourful, and delicious!

Kid-friendliness: Kids under 10 eat free Food

Absolutely amazing staff and great food! Organizing an event for 15+ people was very easy and the staff was super accommodating. Will definitely be returning.

If I could give a 0 I would. The service was terrible we had to wait a quite some time to get seated even though we had a reservation. The pasta we ordered was undercooked and came cold. The server told us they would remake it for us but it came back slightly warmer but still undercooked. It s like they threw it in the microwave and brought it back. Service was also not good.

My delivery arrived on time but the pear, fennel and arugula salad filled half of the container and had 3 thin strips of cold, very firm pears and a small clump of fennel. I had the same salad at the Ottawa St location and it was so good that I was craving it. I will not be ordering from the James St location again. The polenta fries were good though.

We enjoyed the food, especially the Chicken Parm sandwich. The service was nice and fast.