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Friday, June 28, 2013
Johnny Carinos - Lawrenceville, GA
After riding around for what seemed like an eternity wanting a new place to eat, they found they had made a near circle. The kids were getting grumpy from being in the car so long. They ended up in Lawrenceville, GA, at Sugar Loaf Mills. After pulling into Johnny Carinos, Chad looked up the menu on his cell phone. He wasn't completely sold.
He said it was too expensive for what they were looking for, which was more of a diner experience.
She said, "They have family meals."
They said, "We have to go potty!"
So before they knew it, they were piling out of the van, headed into Johnny Carinos for their first time ever. They should have probably known how this was going to go, as one child had already started crying, worrying about whether the kids menu would be entertaining enough.
This is our dining experience of Johnny Carinos.
The Exceptional: We were seated very quickly for it being a Friday. Our drinks were out fast, and the kids' coloring activity kept them busy. The bread was delicious and unlimited. The lighting inside was dark and cozy.
The Good: There were more children there than I expected. I was worried there wasn't going to be much of a family atmosphere. The menu had a variety of items to choose from. The House Salad was very good, and I liked the Ranch Dressing. On Mondays, the Family Meals are half price.
The Bad: Service was below average, especially since they knew it was our first visit. The waiter could not keep our drinks filled. I thought the sauce on the Spaghetti and Meatballs lacked flavor, and I had to add seasoning. There also could have been a little more sauce for the pasta. The prices were a lot higher than I expected compared to similar restaurants.
The Ugly: We were charged full price for an item we were led to believe was on the kids menu. It's hard to find a reason to go back when something like that happens. Also, the wait staff was smoking right outside of the exit door where the restrooms were located. It smelt like someone was smoking inside the building, and my youngest son was with me. Nothing stood out that would make me want to beg the family to go back. I should have known it was a bad sign that it wasn't busier for a Friday evening.
The Exceptional: Zero wait time on a Friday night. Quick service (may have been because there were only about 4 other tables seated in the entire place). Excellent bread and dip. Loved the house salad.
The Good: The staff was very friendly. Overall the food was good. Some things were a little dry or bland, but not something that couldn't be easily fixed with more dipping sauce or some salt. Monday's they have half price family dinners. This is a steal. A huge bowl of spaghetti, salads, and bread for $11 and some change.
The Bad: Prices are otherwise steep.
The Ugly: Waiter duped us into purchasing a regular entree for our eight year old by acting like we could substitute chicken for the ham on the grilled ham and cheese panini. When asked about it, he shrugged and gave a half-hearted apology. This was especially bothersome since he knew it was our first time. I honestly felt like he was just trying to pull one over on us because they were slow and we had not ordered alcoholoic beverages or an appetizer. Worst of all, Noah wasn't crazy about the panini. He ended up giving half of it to me. The girl's bathroom was filthy. The first stall had not been flushed and I didn't get close enough to see the disgusting crap in the commode. The second stall was completely out of toilet paper. The third (handicap) stall had the baby changing table still down. There was toilet paper all over the floor.
When I first got there I thought it was really dark. I was glad they had lemonade. I liked the bread. I was disappointed that they did not have just a grilled cheese. I couldn't decide between the Mac & Cheese and the Grilled Ham and Cheese Panini.
The waiter suggested a Chicken Parmesan Panini.
The food came super fast. There were a lot of french fries. The sandwich was really big. I wish it would have had more sauce and cheese. It was kind of dry, and because there wasn't cheese on both sides, it fell apart easily making it hard to eat.
I ended up giving half to Momma and eating the family spaghetti.
I was worried there wouldn't be a kids menu that had lots of fun activities, but there were so many that I didn't even get a chance to finish them all. They weren't too hard, and they weren't too easy. They were just right.
The menu promised a cool kids cup, but all it was was a styrofoam cup. Nothing special.
The activities on the menu were fun. My favorite was Tic Tac Toe with Daddy. We also got lots of crayons and our own pack, so we didn't have to share with each other. 4 each. They were even the same colors.
The bathroom was stinky.
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Great review! Well done by all. I love the kids input!
ReplyDeleteI would let the owner know about the problems, especially with the nasty bathrooms and the smoking.
Love it. We need more family reviews...especially where food is concerned. A bad meal can ruin a night. Been there.
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