32 Best Italian Restaurants near East Peoria

“I no longer even live in Illinois. But I always make it a point to go to a Michael's and get some subs, garlic bread, and some of their amazing cinnamon bread. You just don't find the bread density and sweetness anywhere else. That combined with pretty decent ingredients. Makes for something that I always seek every single time I make my way into Illinois again. Good deals and decent prices also definitely help. Everybody also loves their bucket of spaghetti which always comes out great and is always a good staple whenever we order the family feasts“

“Avanti's is a Midwest icon and for good reason, it's dependable. Everything is always decent, not gourmet but always good. A plain iceberg lettuce salad is just as described on the menu. Truth in advertising! They're not trying to be anything but themselves. I appreciate that. The lasagna noodles were a little past soft and kind of disintegrated into the sauce. But again, it tasted really good. I ate every bit of it and I'll go again when I'm in town because I can depend on it.“

“I was very impressed!!! I really enjoyed the privacy curtains. The food was very good cooked perfectly! the service was perfect as well very polite and checked in frequently to be sure everything was good and we had everything we needed. I will be back and recommend to all my friends! If I had 1 complaint I guess I'd say the prices but in reality you get what you pay for all around here. It's worth it to me! I do not recommend this as a restaurant for kids. ☆☆☆☆☆“

“I dined with a party of 3 and we were extremely impressed with the service we received from Dallas Brown. Friendly, willingness to adapt dishes to our preferences, efficient and continual checks with all of us are a few of the qualities that describe her service. She definitely makes me want to come back again! Thank you!“

“I would recommend Michael’s to anyone looking for great Italian food. The food is great and the staff is extremely friendly. The restaurant has a great atmosphere.“

“Absolutely, fantastic! From the drinks, to the food, and service. Alexis, at the bar, took extremely good care of my husband, son, and I. She was personable and on top of everything even when she was being pulled in every direction. I am so glad we stumbled upon Rizzi’s.“

“It was the husband and I’s first time and we were very thankful for our waitress, Melissa. She took the time and went over things with us, and she was very pleasant and helpful to us. All of the food was great… and we will be back with friends!“

“A little slow, but it feels like slow of dining in Italy. Any sangria you get is amazing (I’ve had multiple seasonal flavors). Everything is good. Highlights: Chicken parm, baked tortellini, Cajun shrimp, fried chicken.

Dietary restrictions: They have gluten free cheese ravioli

Parking: If the place is packed, parking is hard

Kid-friendliness: Kids were present, not sure of a kids menu, but who doesn’t love noodles and free bread basket?

Wheelchair accessibility: Ramps to get in“

“The restaurant itself is rather plain, but nice. But this is THE place for economical, delicious carry--out Italian dinners! We fed 5 adults and 2 kids spaghetti, a nice fresh salad, garlic bread and cheesy garlic bread for $35. Salad and spaghetti come in a nice little bucket---we always seem to have the the most joyful family meals when we order in from LaGondola! Just love this place.“

“Their pizzas are the best around. I order one every time I’m in town. Every time.“

“Dined in last night, 12/22/2023 with a party of 3, was greeted by a delightful hostess that was charming along with a superb server who catered to our every need which included coming 6 times to give me delicious Peoria water. I commend the chef with the best veal parmigiana I have had in Illinois! Tender lightly breaded veal smothered with a delicious marinara accompanied with a delicious a la carte sauteed fresh zucchini. The ambiance is delightful not like other restaurants in the area where you feel like your crammed in like sardines and can't have a nice conversation like Rizzi's on Sheridan in Peoria. Make sure and call after 12 noon to make your reservations at Paparazzi's for a most delightful and delicious dinner. I can't wait to return and try out their Eggplant parmesan.“

“We have never eaten there before tonight! I am hooked already! We had the Steak and Cheese sandwich and potato salad and absolutely loved every single bite. They are so friendly and super helpful with menu items! 5 stars from the Steeles! We can't wait to try the pizza! Also! They support law enforcement and we are a family of many!!“

“Haven't had an issue ordering from this location. Food is always hot and tasty. We had a bigger order a few weeks ago and everything was accurate to what was ordered.

The bread is really good. It's on the sweeter side. My wife likes the lasagna and I like the pizza bread with sausage. The sausage is the crumbly kind which is great. You also get a nice layer of it, so that's appreciated. My other family members like the spaghetti and bread. Garlic bread is great too. Definitely recommend the family feast as a great quick family meal.“

“The food is easily a 10 out of 10. The service is exemplary, friendly and personal. I love eating there. The only con is the price of a Caesar salad, on our last visit my wife and I each got a Caesar salad to start our meal and the two salads alone was $25.00, everything else was inline with the service and atmosphere which is the best.“

“Good food/Thanks, Chefjohn C.E.C., Hunt“

“I will say the food is always good! The spaghetti fest bucket could be filled up more instead of half way but other then that I love this places food.
On the other hand. No matter how many times me or my boyfriend or both of us go in the girls working are always extremely rude or disrespectful. I try to be understanding and smile at them but there customer service skills are very poor but as I said I'm understanding.
It's 2023 no one wants to work or everyone's under staffed. So it's hard having good employees!
I am extremely happy with how close these guys are to me!
I'm 36 weeks pregnant and this place has been my biggest pregnancy cravings plus it's probably one of the only foods I can keep down!“

“Their pizza is good, but it's their pasta sauce for me that puts them over the top. I've had quite a few spaghetti's and baked mostaccioli dishes at other restaurants, but Avanti's by far has the best pasta sauce around making their spaghetti and mostaccioli mmm mmm good. Sad thing, I moved to Kentucky and for 2 years have gone without their spaghetti. Recently I took a trip to Peoria and of course I had to stop off at Avanti's and bought back spaghetti's and of course it didn't last that long lol. I've never had their gondolas, which they're famous for, but I do love their bread. I wish there was an Avanti's here in Kentucky. Thanks for the great food
🍝🍕🥖“

“Pizza was hot and tasted good. Could have put a little more Italian sausage, but other ingredients were the right portions.“

“Fast, friendly service and the food was great!“

“Update:

Mark the owner called me and was amazing. He offered to absolutely make up for everything even though it was Doordash's fault. This restaurant has wonderful customer service and will definitely have our business from here on out. Thank you Mark, and thank you to your lovely wife as well.

Old review:

I don't even know where to start... This review is mostly about their delivery partner.

I just moved to Peoria, and yesterday, after 8 hours of lugging heavy boxes and furniture up 2 flights of stairs into our apartment, we decided to treat ourselves with a local pizza place.

So I called for delivery because we're sweaty and exhausted, and the employee tells me they only deliver through Doordash.

Crap. I hate Doordash. Nine times out of ten, there's an issue with the delivery. I picked a pizza place, because they usually hire their own drivers.

But we're too tired to find somewhere else to order, so I bite the bullet.

My Doordash order gets here, and of course, there's a whole pizza missing from the order. Typical Doordash. I called the restaurant and he confirmed that the pizza was still sitting there. He offered to call Doordash for a re-delivery, and I said sure, thank you.

Well, 7 phone calls back and forth with Doordash customer service, they told me 1) They'd re-deliver, 2) Oops, they couldn't reach the driver 3) Do you want a refund? 4) Oops, we can't process a refund 5) I'll ask my supervisor for a re-delivery again 6) This time I had to call, and they told me they had to "escalate the issue" 7) It is now the next day, and they tell me they have to "escalate it" again to a different team.

So now it's the next day and I'm still without my refund and without my pizza.

2 stars for the food, because what we did receive was very tasty, but after the day we had and the added stress from Doordash, I don't know if we'll ever order here again. Maybe we'll try a carryout order, but between us working crazy First Responder hours, I don't know if we'll have the time.

So, yeah, very tired, very disappointed...“

“I can't say enough about Saffron Social! The food was phenomenal! We had the appetizer special - deconstructed sushi of lump crab, mango and cucumber - a delightful combination of goodness! And our main meal was also a special - lobster and scallops with a wine sauce over spaghetti. Could not be any better! Perfectly cooked and excellent flavor. The ambience was super stylish and our server made it extra pleasant! Oh and I can't forget the delicious smoked old fashioned. The cocoa bitters and maple syrup made it stand out! Can't wait to go back and try more things on the menu!“

“I am amazed by how well the atmosphere and the food and the drinks in the service are“

“They packaged up 14 gondolas for me nicely for an event I was catering for and generally if you throw a ton at the kitchen staff they are mean but this kitchen staff was so friendly and inviting even with my huge order! Very much appreciated all their effort!“

“Love the da Vinci delight 🍕“

“It was family friendly, it's like the one in Bloomington. Some people here and there and maybe 1 or 2 groups.

Kid-friendliness: Safe environment for families to enjoy lunch/dinner

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes has an easy access entry for wheelchairs“

“I definitely recommend the food is great! The staff however is constantly rude. The last 3 times we’ve been there we’ve had terrible experiences with the staff.“

“Love this place! There is a reason that it’s been a local favorite for more than four decades. Always a great experience.“

“I visit Monicals once during the week for lunch with some of my colleagues from work. The store is well managed and the woman who works lunch taking orders and bringing the food and drinks out to the tables is friendly and has come to know our faces and what we typically order! We always have great service and definitely come back weekly for the atmosphere, speediness and quality!“

“BEST. CUSTOMER. SERVICE. EVER. My son and I came in today before a Dr. appt. As we were boxing up our pizza I biffed and dropped half of it on the floor. Immediately our waitress came over and said she was going to get a fresh one to go because of my accident!!! Amazing customer service. She definitely didn’t need to that because it was my fault!! Thank you so much!!!!!“

“We arrived around 6:00 p.m. on a Friday night. There were only 10 people in the restaurant. We were seated and got our drinks right way. We sat for 20 minutes before anyone took our order. We got two different waitresses. The first waitress gave us poor service. The other one at least tried. It took 1 half hours just to get served and paid. I usually leave a decent tip but after this experience I left $2.00. Our food was watery and had poor flavor. We will not be returning which is sad because we usually love the food and always had good service.“

“Ronnie is an absolute treasure and adds such value to this restaurant. His personality draws you in immediately and his kind and helpful demeanor exceeded our expectations for service. Despite dining here numerous times in the past, we have never had an experience as good as this one at this location.“

“Pizza Hut on Perkins offers a satisfying dining experience with a wide variety of pizza options, pasta dishes, and sides. The restaurant provides a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere, making it a great choice for casual meals, gatherings, or takeout. The interior is clean and well-maintained, with a friendly staff that ensures a welcoming environment.

The menu at this Pizza Hut location is extensive, featuring classic favorites like the Supreme, Meat Lover’s, and Veggie Lover’s pizzas, along with specialty pizzas and new, limited-time options. The pizza is consistently fresh, with a crispy crust and flavorful toppings that many patrons appreciate. The pasta dishes, including the popular Tuscani Pastas, are also a hit, offering hearty portions that complement the pizza selections.

The service is typically prompt, with staff members providing attentive and courteous service. However, during peak times, the wait for food can be a bit longer. The restaurant also offers convenient delivery and carryout options for those who prefer to enjoy their meal at home.

Overall, Pizza Hut on Perkins delivers good food and great value for the price. The variety of menu options, consistent quality, and friendly service make it a reliable choice for pizza lovers and families looking for a casual, enjoyable meal.“