50 Best Italian Restaurants near Highland Park

“Todd and his daughter & staff are incredible . their wonderful service made my family dinner something so special. Everyone who works at this tiny gem is so welcoming. In a time when it seems every restaurant experience is rushed and rotten- Viaggo puts personal touch and love into every moment. Thank you so much Todd we will be back .“

“We dine at or pick up from Cansino's all the time. The pizza is good. The Mexican food is great. My kids love the Amerivan food (mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, etc.). Fernando and Alfredo are terrific people. Give them a shot.“

“Aside from the pizza being amazing, big plus for whole wheat crust, I really think they grow their own people there! Every single time I call, no matter the reason, they are SO INCREDIBLY NICE. Every person who picks up the phone; helpful, kind, just NICE every time! How do they hire only nice people? I need the recipe. Thank you Pierros!“

“Lou's pizza is always amazing everywhere, but this specific location really stood out. They were on time with my take out order, someone helped me carry the large order to my car, and most of all, the manager went all out to make things right when there was an issue. Great food and great staff.“

“An intimate space, but the entrées and desserts were excellent and the service was pleasant and efficient. A modest, but reasonable wine list.“

“Always a fantastic meal and wonderful service at Francesca’s!“

“This is a total hidden jewel. Family owned and absolutely delicious. Highly recommend this place for both lunch and dinner 🖤🖤🖤“

“Food was excellent as always and our server Moses made it extra special. Always one of my favorites!“

“My sister and I both ordered the grilled salmon. She asked for her to be cooked through; I asked for mine to be prepred per chef's recommendation. Both of our dishes were prepared to our specifications. Mine was seared on the outside and tender moist on the inside. To add to that perfection, the sunchoke purée had an amazing mélange of flavors. I finished my meal with the Scorza Dolce--also packed with flavor.I have now had three meals that were so exquisitely flavorful that they will stick in my mind forever (previous two are from 1981 and 2005). My salmon at Mino's is now my #1 all-time favorite meals!“

“Great place for Italian!“

“We went to Washington Garden’s last night with friends hoping to enjoy some good Italian food. The food was delicious! The portions were large and the waitress couldn’t have been nicer. We will be returning soon. 🥰👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“So glad I tried and continue to enjoy Maria’s Italian Bakery and Cafe! This authentic spot offers wonderful service and excellent quality menu items— highly recommend!“

“Service was amazing and the food matched. Unfortunately we had to leave before we got the servers name but DL was written on the tabs bill. Amazing service from her and the bus boy working Saturday night August 31st. Very tentative and had great recommendations. We’re from the city and Francesco’s just shot to the top of our list, will be returning when we’re up this way!“

“Great Food! Great Service! Always a Favorite❤️“

“Excellent service, amazing food. Gelato is incredible! :) Very nice people there, too! Will definitely return!“

“3 categories of 5 stars: food, service, and atmosphere. My first visit with 2 other "firsts" and one "vet"...everyone enjoyed their meals and the service was top-notch. No glass went empty or even came close. Recommendations were excellent, food was delicious, servers and wait staff helpful, courteous and smiling ?. The sage butter...my mouth is watering again just thinking about it. Thank you, C and C...I will Definitely be back and wholeheartedly recommend dining here. Excellent. No room for dessert, but they all looked amazing as well. I looked at other dishes around the restaurant as they came out and want to try several dishes just from seeing them. Worth the price of $30-50 a meal.“

“Our food was delicious! We ordered the goat cheese as an app. Our dinner was the Braised short ribs with risotto, And I got the Filet Trio. So yummy!!!“

“Another perfect date night at Del Rio. This family owned Italian eatery has old world charm and is redolent with nearly a century of serving simple, hearty fare to patrons. Simple in this case is a complement. The branzino last night was soft, tender, just this side of poached in olive oil, butter, and lemon, with a touch of sea salt and oregano and parsley. Nothing too fancy getting in the way of this tasty entree. Ditto for my eggplant parm with a side of pasta and alfredo sauce. Topped off by their homemade pistachio ice cream and a light, fluffy tiramisu. The gracious owner is on site most nights and greets guests with his special brand of jokes and anecdotes. He is a local treasure.“

“First time diner. Very good food. Will go again.“

“They had great food !! I liked their chicken with sauce on it !! Very tasty !!“

“Carry out was outstanding! Helped tide us over until we are all able to eat here and in all restaurants again! 👍🏼“

“Thank you Paninos for fast turn around and great food for our group tonight. The food was a big hit.“

“Delightful owners, excellent customer service. The best lasagna we have ever tasted. It melts in your mouth. Beyond delicious!!!!“

“This restaurant oozes nostalgia. The food was amazing, I personally had some like mozzarella filled breadstick, stuffed mushrooms, and lasagna. Portions were enormous and everything was absolutely delicious. Our server was just a delightful young lady who was really sweet and a great server.“

“amazing food and awesome staff!!“

“Fantastic pizza! I love this spot for slices of pizza. Admittedly I have only had their pizza multiple times but I love it. The crust is super crackery and the cheese is so good. It is very unique but also very familiar. They always have hot slices ready. The owner is super cool and all the employees are great! Thanks guys! Worst thing I can say is they are closed on Tuesdays.“

“We had my sons second birthday party here and I would highly recommend to anyone who has enjoyed eating at Morettis. The catering and management team were very responsive, flexible, and excited for host our event. We had about 50 people and the staff was outstanding. Everyone loved the food. I would host again at Morettis!!!“

“SO MUCH FUN! I absolutely enjoyed working a lovely wedding reception at Pinstripes! As a vendor I see so much. Gerald, Nicole, and ALL of the staff on scene and behind the scenes were accommodating, considerate, and professional to the family & guests. I’m just a vendor, but yes they were just as hospitable to me too! Amazing night, full of nothing but good vibes! Keep creating unforgettable memories, Pinstripes !“

“We had family style dinner. Food was amazing!! Service was great. Everyone took such pride in their jobs.“

“Arrived in half the quoted time, piping hot and enough for two meals - not to mention super flavorful and delicious! I ordered fettuccine w/bolognese & broccoli and it was packaged in adorable packaging as well. I will be ordering again in the future for sure“

“Super chic, lively vibe in Winnetka. The service was outstanding and made us feel like “regulars”, even though we have only been there a couple of times. Food was outstanding- nightly special foccacia appetizer with Burrata and melt-in-your-mouth prosciutto should be on the menu! Can't wait to go back.“

“We hosted a meet and greet for work and our team had a wonderful evening and delicious meals! The staff and management are easy to work with, accommodating vegetarian and non-vegetarian requests. I would highly recommend the venue for small/intimate or large gatherings!! The outdoor seating has fantastic views and a relaxing atmosphere!“

“We had an incredible experience at Gusto Italiano tonight! The food was outstanding—authentic Italian flavors and beautifully prepared dishes. The appetizer was amazing, and everything that followed was just as delicious.

A huge thank you to Jim Place who treated us with such warmth. The atmosphere was inviting, and the service was excellent. We’ll definitely be back soon!“

“Amazing service! Above and beyond what we could have expected, especially with our 2 year old! Delicious food and beautiful atmosphere. Highly recommend!“

“Great time last night good all of this world remember when grandma used to make it“

“Love their food but some improvement is needed with ordering. I’ve had 2 issues which I wasn’t going to mention the first one but after today I decided to write about it so maybe Managment can see and tweak things a bit. First issue a while ago (I think about 5-7 months ago) I ordered a plain cheeseburger with fries and bottled water. Drive away from the drive-through and as I get ready to eat my food 10 min later I realize they didn’t put cheese on it. So I drove back and said I asked for a plain cheeseburger and you guys forgot to put the cheese on. Girl says ok and gets me a new one. Drive away and I park in front of the store to just take a peak and guess what. Again no cheese. Burgers have no cheese. Cheeseburgers have cheese. A plain cheeseburger gets nothing else except for cheese. A plain burger is just a bun and the burger patty. I just wanted to eat so I moved on and ate my plain burger. Today I ordered a Buffalo ranch chicken salad but I asked if I can have the chicken grilled instead of the breaded one and they gave me chicken without Buffalo sauce. If they weren’t sure they could have asked but this wasn’t for me. And this was not their first time ordering this item but they’ve never had an issue so somehow this message was confusing either to the kitchen or how it was rung in. This was ordered at 5:04:50 PM on 2/10/2022 receipt DT98. Order Id: AAANPKMJAQAH at the 861 E. Rand Rd. My. Prospect location. We didn’t have the energy to drive back and get the right chicken. Again, we love your food but these things shouldn’t keep happening. Thank you“

“Great food. Their supper club menu is wonderful. #iraeats“

“Wonderful experience! We brought our party of six to Saranello's for dinner on a Saturday evening. We were seated immediately with our OpenTable reservations. The hostess Liz was very pleasant and accommodating. Everyone including 2 children absolutely loved the food. We ordered the Arancini special and they were amazingly delicious. Our server Mike B is the best in the business. He was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. One of the managers Ari stopped by our table to say hello and check on our satisfaction. All six of us highly recommend Saranello's“

“Everything we ordered was great tasting, to go orders arrived in a timely fashion, unlimited salad and breadsticks and very kid friendly.

Parking: Lots of parking spots

Kid-friendliness: Very kid friendly and welcoming family atmosphere“

“Fresh and delicious attention to detail. Just had a deep dish pizza with red onion and yellow peppers. Perfect balance of flavors.“

“The star of the show was the brick chicken. The only thing shinning brighter was my gal! Shhh, don't tell the bird. It was cooked and seasoned to perfection last night. Impressive, as the kitchen was on overdrive, due to the Easter/Passover holiday. Every tender bite was surrounded by a perfect crispy skin. Even, the littlest of appetites will want more! Again, similar to a Peking duck in ( Chicago )China town! The portion is enough to split. It's was accompanied by delicately seasoned spinach. Thank you for a wonderful meal! Bravo to the chef last night!“

“The deep dish was amazing! Loved the crust down to the last bite!“

“Delicious Food and awesome service !!! We have now been enjoying this Dengeos Location for 4 awesome years !!!

Kid-friendliness: There are highchairs and large tables to accommodate.

Wheelchair accessibility: Ample parking and ease of entrance.“

“Great atmosphere and food!“

“We were in town for a convention and staying at a hotel. We decided to order a pizza our last night there. We chose Joe's at random, and we were not disappointed. Our order was delivered promptly by a very nice, and courteous person. The pizza we ordered was delicious. We loved everything about it -the thin crust, delicious sauce (not too much), and generous amount of cheese. I especially liked that the toppings were under the cheese, and there were herbs!! Kuddos to Joe's for great food and friendly service!!“

“I am a Chicago native now living in Colorado. While visiting, I needed to find a place that offered both deep dish pizza for my husband and gluten free pizza for me. This was a great choice. My husband was able to order deep dish by the slice and said it was delicious. My GF pizza was yummy with sausage and onion. I don't know what makes Chicago onions on pizza unique, but they just aren't the same anywhere else. The price was reasonable, and the tables outside in the shade were lovely.“

“The Pizza is the BEST PIZZA I HAVE HAD IN YEARS! I had to put it in all caps because it tastes so fresh and the ingredients are amazing. Hands down you always see bad Reviews so I had to give this a 5 star because hats off to the owner for keeping quality a thing of your business for 2024. I appreciate you!“

“This was the perfect place for my daughter's baby shower. The room was lovely. The staff was excellent and the food was so good! We opted for the buffet. There was plenty of food. The ice cream sundae bar was a hit. All around? The perfect place. I cannot say enough good things.“

“Great place! Great price! Best place to come in a city :)“