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 .“

“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.“

“Omar gave great service! Good was very good (ravioli with tomato cream). Good for kids too!“

“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.“

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

“Great, authentic Italian cuisine. Never disappoints.“

“OUTSTANDING! What an amazing place that has been around and in the same family for decades. We all had homemade pasta including the gluten-free option and they were all delicious and authentic. We had just returned from Italy the prior week and it felt like we were still there! KUDOS to the family and Chef.“

“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. 🥰👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Great place for Italian!“

“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!!!“

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

“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!“

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

“amazing food and awesome staff!!“

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

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

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

“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!“

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

“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!“

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

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

“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.“

“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.“

“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!!!“

“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“

“I always love when the owner comes around to all the tables and checks on you. Makes it feel so much more personal. The food was great! The wait staff and busboys super attentive. We sat outside in a back area that was nice and shady. The fresh pasta was better than what we had in Sorrento. Loved everything about it!“

“My daughter had her wedding at this venue on 8/4/25. From the point of discussing the space, to reviewing the contract, to discussing options, to answering ALL of our questions, to the tasting, to the day of, our event coordinator (not sure that's her specific title) Amanda was nothing short of stellar. She was patient, thorough, and accommodating ensuring that my daughter was comfortable in a very important time of her life. Our event captain (again not sure of her title) Kylie also was amazing -- handling each of our requests quickly and pleasantly. These two ladies are an asset to your company & should be commended for their fantastic work ethic. All the event staff from the bartenders, to servers, to bus boys were pleasant and efficient. The food was delicious as well. Our event was amazing & memorable largely due to the associates we interacted with.“

“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!“

“Went out with the family! Great service, our waitress Jenyttzy is a gem! Very charismatic friendly and energetic! Service was good, time passed by quickly with good times here. The Drink in the picture was strawberry lemoncello margarita. Cheers everyone!! 🥂“

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

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

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

“Amazing food, fettuccine Alfredo was amazing! Smaller portions but eat slow enjoy it. It's actually more than enough. I beg of you to get their cheese cake. The most amazing flavor you'll ever have. My husband and I shared it. It's not slices, it's a whole small cake with caramel drizzled around the plate and I don't know maybe a crunchy brown sugar on top that was been fire flamed caramelized texture .. with strawberry slices and a whipping cream on the sides. It would've been unbecoming to lick the plate so we acted civilized. Good lord..it was amazing! Our waiter was kind and funny. We met the owner, amazing guy. Planning on taking my father here when he comes up from Florida. You won't regret this place. I saw it had four stars and that is so incorrect. This place is most definitely a 5 star restaurant by far if you're looking for areal Italian authentic taste that goes above your expectations. For two people 3 course meal our bill was under 50.00 dollars we expected our bill to be 100.00 but was actually 48.00. now we didn't buy wine etc so of course that can be pricer but we're not into alcohol but I did see people enjoying it with their meal. We sat outside and they had heaters to keep you warm and cozy. Just loved this place can't speaking anymore highly of them and what they've created.God bless you and can't wait to dine again and bring our family to enjoy as well. My father's wife is Italian so she's just going to love it. Thank you for the experience!“

“Great atmosphere and food!“

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

“Fresh, hot bread is automatic and highest quality. Prices were fair. Some meals came with a side or something on plate in addition to main course. The food was hot and fresh and good. They were busy. Waitress forgot to bring my husband his soup, but bus service was very good. We were a group of 6 and everyone could hear each other at the round table we asked for! Thank you Saranello's... it was an excellent night out!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Delicious food and a vibrant atmosphere. I had the pleasure of dining recently with friends, and every dish, from the Octopus to the Sea Bass was cooked to perfection. The cocktails sent our experience over the top, long with the amazing wait service. Anytime I am back in Chicago, Bar Siena will most certainly be a mandatory stop!“

“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!!“

“We had a great meal of Calamari, steamed mussels, pasta dish, and a cherry tart. We ate outside on a perfect evening so what's not to like. I highly recommend for casual dining. I thought the wine prices were a little high but that was the only negative.“

“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.“

“This Pizza place is sneaky good. Easy to miss as its in a strip mall that heads into a subdivision. Both the thin crust and pan slices are great. Crispy crust, flavorful cheese, and when you order toppings, they actually put enough on there! Sauce is slightly acidic but also very good. There lunch special of 2 slices and a drink is a great deal compared to other fast food joints these days. Note that this is a carry out place and there is no indoor seating, that why it got 4/5 stars for atmosphere. There is limited seating outside.“