Mario's Wood Fired Pizza And Pasta — Restaurant in Town of Carmel

I visited this place a few weeks ago and wanted to share my experience. When my son and I walked in, we were seated but felt like an inconvenience to the waitress. After she gave us our menus, two other people entered and were immediately attended to. I assumed she might have thought we weren't ready and would come back to us soon. However, she didn't return after taking their orders, and we waited a few more minutes before deciding to leave. I'm not sure if she was having a bad day or if there were other factors at play, but it struck me as odd that she served the white customers promptly while neglecting us, as we are black. If you're black, you might want to be cautious as you may not receive fair treatment. I had high hopes for a good experience based on the positive reviews, so this treatment caught me off guard.

Edit: I appreciate the owner's response and believe they played a significant role in the restaurant's previous positive reviews. Being a business owner myself, I understand that people can have off days, and it's possible that the incident was not racially motivated. Therefore, I've decided to...

We hired Mario’s Wood Fired Mobile Pizza Truck for our son’s first birthday party, and even with the rain, they absolutely delivered—in every way.

From start to finish, Mario and his team were warm, friendly, and incredibly professional. They brought great energy to the event and truly made everyone feel welcome and well-fed. The pizza? Hands down, some of the best we’ve ever had. We’re still talking about it!

They were also incredibly accommodating of our dietary restrictions, including both gluten-free and dairy-free options. As someone who regularly eats gluten-free, I’ve tried a lot of GF pizza—and Mario’s was by far the best I’ve ever had. The crust was perfectly crisp, flavorful, and satisfying—it didn’t feel like a compromise at all, which is rare.

We’re so grateful to Mario and his crew for being such a special part of our celebration. Highly recommend them for any event—rain...

I can't believe I have been in living in this area for 28 years and have only discovered this great restaurant 3 weeks ago. My business partner and I stopped in for lunch and so far I have been back two other times, both times taking family and friends. The pies are great, the crust and toppings have been some of the best pizza I have had ( I grew up in Brooklyn and worked in the Bronx, which are known for their great pizza, so I know pizza). If you like baked clams oreganata then you are in for a treat. HIs red sauce (gravy) is delicious. And finally the server that I have had all three times, Toni, has been there 30 years and she has been wonderful. I'm going back and bringing...