Carolina’s Italian Restaurant opens second location in Anaheim, California

Carolina’s has been known for their large portioned Italian cuisine for over 35 years. When a prime real estate location on Harbor Boulevard, just blocks away from Disneyland, (in front of the Ramada Anaheim Maingate North) became available and Carolina’s couldn’t resist snapping it up. With the colors of the Italian flag, Carolina’s logo makes you feel right at home. The exterior has the look of a red barn, maybe paying homage to the orange orchards that once graced Anaheim prior to the 1950s. 

The interior is festive with murals of Italian wine country, grapes leaves with lights, and a HUGE craft beer selection (over 400 varieties). The refrigerated case looks like an aisle at a grocery or liquor store. This location is great for locals and visitors alike. 

Your dinner starts with a bread service of garlic cheese bread using the pizza dough topped with gooey mozzarella cheese, garlic, and herbs. It will definitely get your taste buds going for a pizza! 

Peach Italian Cream Soda ($3.99) has a refreshing flavor for summer with a creamy and bubbly texture. It’s absolutely delicious and served is a large frosty mug! Rating: 5/5

Carolinas Famous Meatballs ($8.99) is a platter of delicious meatballs topped with their homemade marinara sauce. These handmade meatballs are meaty, tender, and flavorful. The marinara is hearty and robust. One of the best meatballs around outside of an Italian grandma’s kitchen! Rating: 5/5

AntiPasto Misto ($10.99) is sliced salami, ham, and mortadella on a bed of romaine lettuce along with marinated vegetables, fresh tomatoes, olives, and onions topped with mozzarella cheese then served with their homemade Italian dressing. This is a wonderful antipasto salad. It would be a bit easier to eat if the meats were cut into smaller pieces though. Their Italian dressing or balsamic and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) works wonders with the meats, cheese, and vegetables. Rating: 4/5

Minestrone is a very hearty soup and thicker than you would expect. It borders on being a stew. But it is very flavorful and could be eaten as a meal all by itself. All you need is a meatball or two. This would also be easier to eat if the vegetables were cut a little smaller. Rating: 4/5

Carolina’s Trio ($18.99) is their homemade beef lasagna, cheese ravioli, and fettuccini alfredo all on one platter. The alfredo sauce is creamy and garlicky. The pasta was cooked a tad under al dente. Lasagna has a good flavor from the marinara. The lasagna noodles were also cooked a tad under al dente. The raviolis are tasty with a lot of ricotta filling. But again, these could stand to be cooked another minute or two as well. Rating: 4.5/5

Shrimp Scampi Pizza (Small – $16.99, Medium - $19.99, Large - $21.99) is topped with sautéed shrimp, mozzarella cheese, garlic and sliced red onions. This is an amazing pizza! It has a good garlicky scampi flavor and the shrimp are cooked perfectly. The crust has a fluffy interior and a crusty exterior like a baguette. Rating: 4.8/5

Tiramisu ($4.99) is very light making it a great ending to a heavy meal. Although great, it would be even better if it had more mascarpone cheese flavor. Rating: 4.5/5

Whether your vacationing this summer in Anaheim or a local looking for some great tasting Italian food that won’t break the pocket book, Carolina’s Italian Restaurant is ready to feed your taste buds!

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars

Décor: 5 out of 5 stars

Service: 5 out of 5 stars

Food: 5 out of 5 stars

For more information:
Carolina’s Italian Restaurant

915 S. Harbor Blvd.

Anaheim, CA 92805

+1.714.971.5551

Hours: Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Parking: Free behind restaurant in Ramada Anaheim Maingate North parking lot