50 Best Italian Restaurants near Highwood

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

“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!“

“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. 🥰👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“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.“

“Great place for Italian!“

“Since the day Lenny opened the place, I have been a loyal patron. Even though I moved out of state in 87, 5 times a year I come in for for the best beef and sausage in them we state.“

“perfectly cooked steak- very creamy mac and cheese- sausage and peppers were perfection- service was top tier- Batman was was playing on the television behind the bar which was in perfect viewing from our table. Thanks for helping make a Daddy Daughter Day a huge success.“

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

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

“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.“

“Great, authentic Italian cuisine. Never disappoints.“

“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 !!“

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

“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 .“

“amazing food and awesome staff!!“

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

“Great experience, staff is always friendly and cleaning. The owner is very nice and was very personable being able to talk about our families as we mentioned we come there after our little one’s doctor visits. We come for the sliced pizzas deal they have although we have had the chicken strips, fries and some other appetizers. Sure we will be back soon. Wish Libertyville had more places like this.“

“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!“

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

“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 Food! Great Service! Always a Favorite❤️“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Great place to have Italian food 😊“

“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!! 🥂“

“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“

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

“We order from here 1-3 times a week for lunch at my shop and dinner at home. The food is always fantastic, delivery is fast and the staff are very friendly and helpful. We've also gotten catering before too and that service was fantastic. Night driver Scott is awesome too!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“brilliant. never had zeppole before but it was a great balance of doughy and crispy. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet, the dousing of powdered sugar not too thick and the texture fairly homogenous, which is a nice moderation after a big meal. salad had a great variety of vegetables and honestly I'd come here just for that. but my favorite part was the pizza. I got mushroom and black olive thin crust pizza. the sauce was lovely, smelled great too. they actually put the mushroom under the cheese, like civilized people, and not on top like the chains do. that way the mushroom juices actually absorb into the sauce and cheese, harmonizing the flavor compounds, instead of evaporating and feeling separated. why order mushroom if you do not love it enough to embrace its essense in abundance? why bother if only to just barely keep grasp on its form as a skeleton? service was great, appropriately timed and nice people.“

“Rosebud is one of our "go-to" Italian restaurants on the Northshore. My wife and I split an appetizer and an entree, the portions are that big. Be sure and ask to be seated at one of Antonio's tables. He is a wonderful waiter.“

“My third visit has cemented my opinion of Half & Half Pizza. The staff at every visit have been helpful, friendly and professional. The pizza is outstanding, I have tried three different pizzas with their classic crust. Very consistent with flavor, cook and quality of ingredients. The wings should not be overlooked as well. Excited for my next visit.“

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