50 Best Italian Restaurants near Highland Park

“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.“

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

“Really good Italian food and ambiance!“

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

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

“Had dinner last night, great food overall and service, although a bit loud as it is mainly one medium sized open room. The only issue with the meal was the carrot cake we got for dessert which was dry and disappointing. The clam appetizer, beet salad, lobster ravioli, and scallops were wonderful.“

“My palette’s lack of sophistication prevents me from doing justice reviewing the menu items I enjoyed, but my belly is satisfied , and there were no leftovers; however, no matter the exquisite culinary notes I, likely, missed that a more refined pallet might’ve identified, there’s no way there was anything on a plate in the Chicago land area this evening that matched the atmosphere, service, and proud history shared by the staff and current owner, a descendant of the original owners who established the restaurant 123 years ago. A truly delightful experience that I intend to repeat as often as I’m able!“

“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!“

“My favorite Italian restaurant in the northern suburbs. Great food and awesome atmosphere 👍.“

“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!“

“Amazing and now I love the tacos 🥰“

“amazing food and awesome staff!!“

“Great, authentic Italian cuisine. Never disappoints.“

“Came here for Mother’s Day! Great food we each had a different dish and shared Calamari for the table. Delicious. The sauce was just like Nonna makes!“

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

“We celebrated Wednesday! Food and service was great! My only concern was the place is loud. It's crowded. You will definitely need a reservation! They do have Happy Hour! Parking, thank goodness, is complementary since the parking lot is small. Cheers!“

“I’ve had three parties here. The Prices are affordable and the food is absolutely delicious. Shout out to the service! every thing was phenomenal as usual!“

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

“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. 🥰👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

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

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

“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.“

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

“Food and service were great. Got several appetizers, including sausage and peppers, which weren't even on the menu. The veal chop was delicious and huge; and the cannoli was the perfect way to end the meal.

My only complaint was the spacing of the tables. Because the dining room is so small, they stack the tables on top of each other. All night our chairs were banging against the people behind us, making trips to the restroom a difficult task. Even with this, I'd go back in a heartbeat.“

“Great food and even better customer service. We ordered food for delivery and Grub Hub only delivered our pastries, not our dinners. When I called Sorelle, the manager apologized and said he would bring us our food. It is so rare these days to have that kind of service and we were so appreciative. We will definitely be return customers!“

“We went on a very busy Saturday night. The service was outstanding.
The wait staff took great care of us. We had a great meal, cooked exactly as ordered. We will definitely be going back here again. I highly recommend this restaurant. They also have multiple rooms for private parties, good to know!“

“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“

“Great food as usual!“

“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!!!“

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

“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 arrived after a soccer game looking tired and worn out so we weren't the best dressed. The staff didn't mind and treated us with kindness and respect. We had an efficient and friendly waiter Cervantes making sure to stay on top of our requests including drinks. We also appreciated a pleasant talk from the manager Daisy who stopped by our table to ensure everything was running smooth. Overall good food and good service! Would recommend.“

“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.“

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

“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“

“I wanted to reach out and tell you about my son's experience with Moretti's, Emily is EXSPECTIONAL and my son Michael now hangs out Moretti's!!! Michael has told me that Emily is just so kind and always guiding him on her favorite dishes. The most important thing about Emily is she is always smiling and happy to see him :) Brandi VR“

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

“As it goes for Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, this place exceeded our expectations for most everything. The food was good and service was good. We had three appetizers for 4 of us and I had chicken parm with the side of spaghetti for my main. All good for the value. I will come back.“

“Great place to eat and excellent service .“

“Great atmosphere and food!“

“Goirdano’s left our area and I stumbled on to NPC. I ordered and was surprised they deliver to Skokie. I called an hour later and they informed me due to busyness our pizza was accidentally delivered to the wrong location. They quickly credited me the amount and still made a new order for us. The pizza was fantastic. Deep dish and margarita. They totally owned the situation and did their best. Pizza felt cleaner. Less additives or chemicals than Lou’s or Giordano’s. Will definitely return.“

“We dined in tonight. The staff was friendly and helpful and the food was amazing. Will definitely stop in again next time we are in town.“

“If I could give more than 5 stars I would, especially having coco as my server. The two times I’ve been she has been so beyond pleasent and welcoming and made me feel so at home, even noticing things like painted nails. Always checking in making sure everything was awesome with a huge warm smile on her face. This place is just absolutely amazing. 10/10 would reccomend!!!“

“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!!“

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

“I have ordered Pizza by Sal for delivery multiple times and am always very happy with the quality of food. Don’t tell Chicago but I love a New York style crust. They do a great job with pizza but also the pasta, meatballs and salad are delicious. I should have reviewed awhile ago because of the food but my most recent order motivated me now. There was a slight error in our order. Human beings make mistakes, every single one of us have. The way the staff handled fixing the error was above and beyond! The kindness I experienced left my heart as full as my belly! 😍“

“Repeat customer at Beats and Brunch that exceeded my expectations, again! The attention to detail by GM Eric was outstanding, making our entire brunch experience feel like VIP service. Our server, Zero, was exceptional, and the bar’s drink selection was impressive. The staff was friendly and welcoming across the board. For a more intimate vibe, the Chef’s Table is the perfect spot — but if you want to feel the energy and dance vibes, grab a table by the DJ!“