Carmelo's Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Town of Rib Mountain

Sometime in the past 20 years or so foodie culture and better quality cuisine became much more visible in Wausau. Alas, some places haven't kept up improving culinary standards, like Carmelo's. I've been invited to have dinner there a number of times, always for the fish fry on a Friday night. I've also had one of their pasta dishes. And last night I had an item on their "Chef's Menu," the shrimp tacos. In short, if your standard for food is the local bar and grill with sports games on overhead TVs, then you might not be be disappointed. But, if you're particular about how you spend your restaurant dollars, then you should think twice about dining here. Take the shrimp tacos, for example. What came with the meal were three soft tacos with raw chopped cabbage, a small slice of purple onion, a few sprigs of cilantro and 2-3 salty shrimp per taco. There was also a small cup of salty rice and black beans, possibly no more than 1 cup in total volume. No guacamole, no sour cream, no cheese (this is Wisconsin... what gives?), these were likely the blandest tacos I've ever had, including my own cooking. And all for the price of $17.50. I have a very healthy appetite, but just couldn't finish these subpar tacos. Since the hardworking wait staff needs to make a living too, I refrained from asking for a refund. I'm loathe to leave a negative review on the basis of one dish, but sometimes so little care is put into a dish that it can come to symbolize the entire joint. Including in my evaluation the mediocre fish fries and pasta I've tried, I can't...

First time here! Have wanted to go for years, and finally made it last Friday evening. Called Thursday and found out they don't take reservations. So we took our chances. Close to a 2 hour wait (which we were made aware of, and were ok with!) We enjoyed some yummy drinks at the bar while waiting. When we were summined for our table, I was surprised to see that 3/4 of the dining room was empty and all the empty tables had already been cleared. So I assume either we were forgotten about....or EVERYONE got done eating at the same time. Atmosphere was.....ok. Nothing about it spoke to me as "Italian" or "Supper Club" or anything of the sort. Powder blue wallpaper and light oak everywhere. Although extremely dated, everything was clean and the staff was SUPER nice and attentive. The most disappointing part was unfortunately the food. Watery, bland clam chowder, laughable "Italian Charcuterie", and although the Manicotti tasted good, each one was tiny, and the red sauce was overly sweet. I had I known they were so small (almost rigatoni sized!), I would have ordered 5 instead of 3. I may visit again, but would definitely recommend going on a night where they take reservations- as I wouldn't wait 2 hours again for the disappointing food we received. Summary: Dated decor and OK food. Service and drinks were amazing as well...

We wanted to try this restaurant because the reviews claimed it was “outstanding” and lots of 4 and 5 stars. WOW. I wonder if most reviewers are related to the family? Unfortunately the food was flavorless. Very very bland. Alfredo sauce was just butter. Marinara sauce lacked any spices. Sausage and meatball were so dry and overcooked that we took them home to the dogs (they liked it). The bruschetta was the only tasty item - very good. Lasagna was 90% ground beef and very little cheese. Waitress was good, and salad was crispy fresh and dressing was good. Would not eat here again though because 90% of food was substandard. If it’s a choice between this and Olive Garden, definitely choose...