Vinny’s looks like a very local neighborhood Italian spot that seems to attract a variety of people, including small parties and takeout. It’s not fancy, but it reminded me a lot of the Italian large portion type of restaurants that are spread out throughout the city. On a very lazy Saturday, we decided to give this place a try, so we walked in for 2 around 6 PM on a Saturday without reservations. As expected from the outside, they rotate through people pretty quickly as they come in to eat and leave.
Ambiance & Service
The interior really is no frills, and I think they have a large takeout population. Their portions are quite large and can easily feed a family with a low budget. However, we chose to be seated, and they put us in a booth. It reminded me of the old school pizza parlor booths.
The service was very attentive and friendly overall. They aren’t going to win awards for serving food at the same time, but they were easy to get ahold of for any questions we had.
Food
The Meat Lasagna ($23) came with layers of lasagna pasta, ricotta cheese, tomato meat sauce, and topped with shredded mozzarella and baked. The meat lasagna tasted very hearty, and surprisingly, I thought we could’ve finished it easily. Instead, we chose to not overindulge and bring half of it home. The flavors are very classic NY Italian, so there wasn’t much that stood out other than the portion size being very large. I felt that the lasagna was lukewarm when it was served to us, so it’s possible that they only baked it to just melt the cheese.
The Veal Francese ($28) came with veal lightly dipped in flour and egg and served in a lemon white wine sauce. They served 3 flattened slices of veal, so I was a little disappointed at the servings. I shouldn’t be surprised. The veal was slightly overcooked, but the sauce tasted nice. It was tart with some good after flavors that make you want to soak up the sauce with bread or pasta. When I ate this, I wished I had gotten the pasta instead.
Instead of a side of pasta or steamed vegetables, I asked if I could get a side salad instead. This is the side salad with red onions, lettuce, tomato chunks, and a light olive oil and vinaigrette dressing. The salad seemed like a large portion, but in reality, iceberg lettuce barely takes up any stomach space, and it’s just water. The vinaigrette was balanced, and all the vegetables tasted fresh.
Overall Impression
Vinny’s of Carroll Gardens is basically the more affordable version of classic Manhattan Italian family-oriented restaurants. The portions are large enough to share, but also one can eat them entirely by themselves too. The food quality matches its price point, and for that, I find that to be a great value though not worth a special trip to trek down for.
Yelp & Google Jabs
Plus, the free complimentary bread makes it worth it alone.
I thought this Elitist was amusing in that they shared they really enjoyed the very cheap, complimentary bread. The bread is nothing special. It’s the same bread that is served in Greek restaurants, and it resembles a sliced baguette. I am always a fan of bread and packaged butter, but clearly, we know where this Elitist’s priority is at.
The meat lasagna was completely inedible–it honestly tasted like dog food… I was willing to pay for the meals that my son and I actually ate, even though they were disappointing. However, the manager insisted on charging us for the lasagna that we returned because it was inedible.
One must wonder… if this Yelper tasted dog food before.
Revisions
- Sep 19, 2026 - Initial revision.