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Caramba Restaurante
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Caramba Restaurante
23 reviews in English
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Review from Betty L.
4/4/2012
Caramba is a good caz lively family-friendly Italian restaurant. It serves authentic family style food at reasonable prices. I made a last minute reservation and we were seated in a very short time. When I walked in, I felt like I was in a restaurant in the Meditteranean because the colours were really bright and warm. The atmosphere was really lively.
I ordered an appy and a pasta dish. Both of them were really good. I started with the grilled squid with garlic, lemon and olive oil. It tasted really fresh and the squid wasn't overcooked. I could taste a hint of charness on the squid and the remaining ingredients really enhanced the flavour of the squid. Definitely off to a good start.
Then I had the mussels with pasta in a white wine and tomato sauce. The portion was decent and I had lots of mussels on my dish. Yah!! Every component of the dish came together nicely. It had the right amount of sauce and the sauce was packed with flavour.
This restaurant made my trip to Whistler very memorable in a very good way unlike the other one. -
Review from Mark H.
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
So they didn't have a turkey dinner, but it did the trick for our xmas dinner.
The place was packed, but luckily we snagged a table right away without reservations. Not surprisingly, the staff was a mix of Aussies and Brits. Friendly and efficient from start to end.
I ordered the Contadina (prosciutto, salami, provolone) wood fired pizza. Ingredients were pretty generous for thin crust and the meats were carnivore delicious.
I also sampled some of the mixed rotisserie for two platter (chicken, pork rack, and leg of lamb). All were moist and well seasoned.
Ended with their house made Tiramisu. Easily double the size you'd get elsewhere, I can't complain. I'd lick the plate if I was at home. -
Review from LuvBetty B.
Vancouver, BC
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Food was disappointing service was horrible will never recommend any friend to come here, waited for an hour we were there before 2 other tables, they get their foods before us, waitress never come back to check with us for more drinks or refill water she make us feel like we are wasting her time there!!!
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Review from David S.
4/24/2012
We have been fans of Caramba for years, always making it a point to dine there every trip to Whistler. This year the food just didn't hit the mark for any of us. Let's hope this was a bad night.
It is questionable if we will return next year. -
Review from Herman E.
11/21/2011
Meh.
That about describes it.
This place was a big disappointment to me. The pasta that I had here did not deliver. I don't see it on the menu anymore, and even with my amateur cooking skills, I could do better.
I lived in Whistler for a year and if I were a local, I would not come back, and I haven't. If you're a tourist, however, well you're captive audience and you're at their mercy.
Tough to critique the service because the staff is transient and inconsistent. They are all temporary residents living in Whistler for the ski season, meaning they are British, Aussie, Kiwi, or Japanese, doing their thing here for the winter before they move on. -
Review from Simon K.
9/4/2011 3 Check-ins Here
As we needed a night time snack, but not really dinner to keep me going for the night we came to this restaurant, and for what I have read, I cannot say it was bad. It was packed, and they advised it would be a 20 minute wait, and it was pretty bang on. They took our names, and we came back 20 minutes later they had the table ready.
The restaurant was pretty noisy, and the decor is like an 'Olive Garden', what we ordered was a few finger foods, from two pizza's, and a spinach artichoke dip. The food I had would constitute me on coming back, as the 'dip' was not the same from other places where they do not use chips, but a very thin cut up pita bread. The two pizza's had a very thin crust, and the ingredients used just were the right amount (no cheap out on too little, just right).
The only thing that I have to say, and this might be because it was near the end of the night for this place, was that the service was slow, from ordering the food, getting water, and getting the bill, it was slow. Other than that, it is an alright place to come to get your stomach fixings! -
Review from Amy V.
7/16/2011
Ok, my husband and i wandered around quite a bit, very indecisive about where to eat. I chose here (blast!) because I love pork tenderloin, and that was the special that night.
When you walk it, it feels kind of like... The decor is cheesy. It's kind of a Bennigen's (anyone else know that restaurant?) feeling place. The food wasn't awful, but it was bland. My husband got spaghetti and meatballs, and it was seriously bland. My meat wasn't BAD, but there wasn't much to the meal. It came with mashed potatoes (and I can make better mashers than these), and veggies drowning in butter.
Overall, not nice. Bleh. -
Review from Amy S.
1/3/2012
Should have paid more attention to the previous reviews, especially the one that described this place as 'Meh.'
I'd generally expect that when I eat out I get something that is better than I could make myself at home, and that wasn't the case here. I got the Macaroni and Cheese and took the $3 addition of sundried tomatoes. The pasta itself was very bland - I could definitely make better at home. Very greasy, and there were about 13 slivers of tomato, so not really worth it.
My boyfriend had the mussel pasta and said it was good, but once again, something he could make at home.
Had the local Honey Lager, tasted like it had lost a bit of carbonation which was odd.
What made up for it all, though, was our waitress who was really terrific. Sure she read the specials off a bit of paper, but she got it all right - and she was just wonderful.
You can do better in Whistler than this place, although it is on the cheaper side which is nice. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
For where and what it is, it's okay. It's expensive for what it is, but for where it is, it's a reasonable restaurant. The staff seems a bit uppity, a bit uninterested but they do their jobs.
I've had their grilled calamari a number of times throughout the years, and while it's still tasty, this past time was rubbery and small in size. Served just about luke warm. If you've had grilled (not deep fried) calamari before, I'd give it a skip, you'll probably be disappointed, unless you enjoy overcooked seafood.
As a main I chose the woodfire penne. Surprisingly, I was actually impressed... hence the 3 stars. Hot, lots of cheese and lots of taste. I even took my leftovers home... it was even better the next day! Judging by what my dining companions had (steak) I'd skip the entrees all together. They're a ripoff at over $28, served with mashed potatoes and no vegetables.
The best value for $7.50 was the rose sangria, served in a large glass. Perhaps the best bet is go for sangria and find somewhere else for a full meal.Listed in: Comfort Carbs, On the Sea to Sky, Whistling to Whistler
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Review from Sara R.
Vancouver, BC
5/1/2011
Great-tasting pasta, although it's expensive when you compare to similar restaurants not in a tourist town.
Don't come here expecting world-class service as our table of 15 had to wait a good 30 minutes on drink refills. What I did appreciate is that unlike a lot of other restaurants in Whistler, they didn't auto-gratuity for our large party. -
Review from Eric P.
2/4/2009
If the restaurant were a bar with great drinks and just the fresh grilled calamari appetizer (or a couple more of this level), it could easily be one of my go-to places anywhere.
Found it hard to get excited about anything else. I tried the house salad, mushroom pizza, woodfired penne. Mushroom pizza may have been made by someone with an eyepatch on - I think they missed 40% of the slices with the magic 'shroom toppings.
You know how it sucks to go on stage after a Perfect 10 performance? That's how everything other than calamari at Caramba must feel. -
Review from Tim L.
8/15/2008
Caramba's is another one of those Italian / Mediterranean restaurants that's located pretty much in the middle of the village.
It's nothing exceptional here but given it's price the food is certainly tasty enough. Not mind blowing, but good. The mussels are what delight me here, however in general the food quality varies each time I go.
Luckily being such a touristy place especially with the 2010 Olympics coming up, service here is always impeccable. -
Review from Jyoti H.
12/27/2009
I'm giving this a four star because it is good for what it is - a casual, family friendly, inexpensive place to have dinner. If you go in expecting just this - something like a Red Lobster or Olive Garden, then you won't be disappointed. I thought this pizzas we ordered were good, and my macaroni and cheese was good too. Service was fast and friendly.
Would I recommend this place if you are looking for haute cuisine? no. But if you want a break from 5 course tastings, alba truffles, amuse bouche, and wine pairings, then this is a good option. -
Review from Pete C.
8/25/2009
First of all, this restaurant probably needs to change their name. Coming from California, anythign "caramba" is associated with Mexican culture. In the least, one would expect Spanish food. But you'd be surprised to find that it's an Italian restaurant.
While the food was decent, I was surprised how hungry I was even after I was done with my meal. Now I'm now the type to want huge, heaping portions but it was kind of disappointing given the other options available in the village. -
Review from thomas c.
3/3/2011
Priced as a high-end restaurant, but serves cafeteria-quality food. Their Tiger Prawn appetizer ($12) were just regular frozen shrimps. Decent sangria, however.
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Review from Selena B.
2/7/2010
Eek! Methinks not is right!
The waitress was a real ****. I'm just going to make a list of all the wrongs:
It took her forever to give us a menu
She only filled the water glasses of some of the people at our table (when she still had water in the pitcher)
She criticized our orders by making faces
Our meal was brought out by random people at random times,
When we were done with our food she IMMEDIATELY took our plates from us without asking if we were done
The dessert menu was dropped off at our table when some of us were obviously still eating our meals.
Before we left we heard her giving out the daily specials to a table next to us and thought "theres a daily special menu?" .
What topped it off was we werecharged mandatory gratuity (6 people)!! OMG 18% for shit service!!!! We were nice the ENTIRE time we were there too! Ugh
The food at best was "Meh" the pizza was the only good thing, but pizza is really hard to screw up. Its probably just average tasting food but who knows... -
Review from Purnima M.
9/21/2009
I think this is what happens when you have wandered up and down the mountains all day, can no longer feel your knees, and simultaneously realize your mouth is dry. Somehow, you find yourself in exactly the kind of joint you wouldn't be caught dead in when in your right mind.
Caramba features all the usual Italian suspects, which is usually enough to keep me away. Instead, there I was, ordering baked blue cheese in tomato sauce and pizza. The first wasn't bad, and the second wasn't good. This may be mediocrity done right, at best. -
Review from Thanh H.
2/4/2009
i must second what Eric P reported yesterday! here's my take:
meal started off great! fresh grilled calamari was perfect and tender. red sangria was also a good start.
i love mushrooms, esp wild mushrooms so i was sold when i saw a mushroom pizza but should've been suspicious by the magical experience description - ended up being a letdown and a haphazardly made one at that.
the house salad was decent, nothing special but had a nice tangy dressing. -
Review from Rick S.
7/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place was recommended by our concierge, so we decided to give it a try. Deserves 3.5 stars. The food here is pretty good and the prices are better than average. Service the night we were there was good as well -- although they weren't that busy. My only gripe was paying $6 for a beer on tap.
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Review from Reena R.
9/6/2008
I haven't been to Whistler in years, but my relatives live relatively nearby and I wanted to see how much Whistler has changed in a decade. The city of Whistler is feverishly preparing for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Ten years ago, there weren't any ski lift gondolas, nor were there as many restaurants and shops. In the summer, since skiing is off-season, there's a lot of bikers and other kinds of non-snow-related sports. It actually gets as hot as California for a bit!!!
Anyway, the food ranges from basic soups and salads, pasta, pizza, rotisserie items, and a variety of appetizers. Some of the appetizers they serve are sauteed wild mushrooms (I know friends who are mushrom lovers ;)), sauteed tiger prawns, homemade flatbread (served with roasted eggplant tepanade and guacamole), and hot spinach and cheese dip. I didn't get any appetizers, but they all sounded pretty good. For soups, they offer soup du jour. When I was there they happened to offer chicken and lentil soup (deelish but a little salty....). They also offer black bean soup. For salads, they offer five kinds: cesar, house, caramba (rotisserie chicken/butter lettuce/Thai peanut dressing/water chestnuts), Asian noodle salad (which is what I ordered...but I'll be honest...it wasn't that great and it wasn't very Asiany...), and Insalata caprese. For entrees they offer rosemary chicken, grilled yellowfin tuna, country style pot roast, and even grilled New York steak. I unfortunately didn't try any of the entrees. My family members and boyfriend happened to get lunch specials. They got pork sandwiches. They said the bread was really good. I probably should have gotten a sandwich instead of asian noodle salad.
Anyway...the service was pretty good (a cheery Australian guy that kept saying "cheers!"). This place is good, but its nothing out of the ordinary or amazing. The prices are OK, but I think (depending on what you get) you might end up paying $20 Canadian to $30 Canadian per person. The salads and side dishes are your cheapest options if you're on a budget.
Stop here in Whistler! If its season, go skiing too! -
Review from Zach M.
1/19/2009
The place was packed and even with reservations we had to wait a half hour so it seems popular, but food was at best average. Pizza was nothing special and not compelling even though I was quite hungry. Chicken and mussels appetizer were better. All in all, an OK place but there are better in the village and I would only recommend Caramba to nondiscriminating diners.
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Review from Chi L.
3/12/2009
have to have the grilled calamari. it's much better than the standard batter fried calamari you usually get at restaurants! the salmon pasta dish was great as well. the pizza was just okay though. the restaurant's atmosphere was very casual and fun. our waiter happened to also be the bartender (i think) so he wasn't as attentive as a usual waiter but the host jumped right in to help him out whenever we needed anything so all was kool. would definitely go back for the grilled calamari apps!
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Review from Oscar C.
Vancouver, BC
7/31/2010
I'm surprised this place is still around. By the name and the latin music we expected Mexican at the very least. The concept is straight up wacked. The food was no better. My father ordered bean soup, we being latinos, got a flavorless bowl of canned blacked beans that had been pureed to pass off as soup. He ate it anyways because he likes to see the bright side.
I ordered pizza and frankly it's hard to mess up a pizza so i'll pass that. The pulled pork sandwich my nephew got looked good. My sister paid almost ten bucks for a plate of mixed greens. This place is a jip! My wife ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and it tasted like chef boyardee with added garlic. This is not fine dining and for the price, which is comparable to Earls, it's best to just go to Earls. The menu is simple, sandwiches, pasta, pizza.
i hope it closes and something better moves in. The service was quick but she seemed irritated with our group of 11.
