Caruso's Grocery - DC

“I don’t normally review, but I had to give this place a HUGE shout out…. First thing: It was my boyfriends birthday and we were running late - I must have asked to change that appointment 3-4 times until it was literally almost time for the kitchen to close - working in hospitality myself, I knew how frustrating that may be… But the staff was SO generous, SO accommodating, and just overall did not make us feel guilty for the ridiculous amount of times I reached out, from the manager to the waiter (Scott is the BEST) to the chefs, we had an amazing experience. Second, The food was delicious (my bf got penne vodka, I got a shrimp ceasar) , nothing felt rushed, we got complimentary limoncello and cheesy garlic bread with a side of this white sauce that was to die for.. and they even put a little happy birthday card on the table. As minor as that sounds, I was almost in tears at that point. Thank you Caruso’s Grocery! I will ALWAYS recommend your wonderful service and Italian food to anyone visiting the DC area. (And being a New Yorker/New Jersey-an, I’m a tough critic of Italian cuisine 😉)”

“One of my favorite places in DC! My go-to order: calamari, caesar salad, shrimp scampi, mushroom alfredo FOR SURE, butterfinger sundae. Antipasti, burrata, calamari, and chicken parm to share if more than just two people.”

“Had a wonderful living-up-to-the-hype experience in my visit to Carusos DC location. The presentation and service are absolutely outstanding, making this a very worthy outing for most occasions. The menu is comprised of all the essential Italian/Italian American dishes you’d want and with some more unique ones sprinkled in as well. They also run daily specials with all sorts of super distinctive out of the norm options that make it impossible not to choose one (I had the ricotta ravioli… so good!). Drinks are a plenty and the cocktails my group had were all excellently made. It is a little bit difficult to find and seemingly always pretty packed so be sure to make a reservation in advance! I’ve read complaints about noise but my experience with that was fine despite it being jam packed. May be a by the person type thing. Still this is a must try pasta spot.”

“Caruso’s Grocery has officially become our weekly spot, and the reason starts with Valeria, the General Manager. We had visited a while back and didn’t have the best experience. Instead of brushing it off, Valeria personally invited us back — and wow, what a difference. That kind of accountability alone speaks volumes, but the experience that followed truly blew us away. From the moment we walked in, Valeria made everything feel warm, welcoming, and genuinely special. She was friendly, approachable, and such a pleasure to talk to. While we were enjoying our meal, we watched her doing everything — setting tables, clearing tables, helping servers, checking on guests. Having worked in restaurants myself, I can confidently say she is the kind of manager you dream of having. Rare, hands-on, compassionate, and clearly leading by example. An absolute delight. And the food? Incredible. Truly outstanding. We had: • Seafood Diavolo (extra spice) — bold, perfectly cooked, and packed with flavor • Chicken Alfredo — rich, comforting, and done just right • Meatballs — unbelievably good • And a special limoncello shot that was the perfect finishing touch — so refreshing and delicious Everything across the board was excellent and more than made up for our first visit. Our server, Deanna, was great as well — attentive, friendly, and made the meal even better. Between the phenomenal food and the incredible leadership and hospitality from Valeria, this place has completely won us over. We will absolutely always be back. If you’re looking for amazing food and an atmosphere that makes you feel genuinely cared for, Caruso’s Grocery — and Valeria — are it. 💛”

“This neighborhood gem was all it’s cracked up to be and more. The food was so delicious and unique, giving even a standard spaghetti and meatball dish a level of comfort and tastiness I hadn’t experienced before! We enjoyed the pre-dinner bread and oil and the creamy burrata as well. I will definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone seeking a special Italian food experience! The butterfinger desert was so amazing - save room!!! My only small point on the atmosphere is that the kitchen setting in the very small dining room can be a bit loud and it’s hard to hear your table guests. Might not work best for intimate occasions.”