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!!!!“

“Really good Italian food and ambiance!“

“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!“

“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. 🥰👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“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.“

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

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

“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.“

“Four of us went Carlos and Carlos to celebrate three August birthdays. The staff was very friendly, accommodating, and courteous. You need to be prepared to read an extensive menu with specials of Italian dishes including pasta, veal, fish and meat to meet range of tastes. Also, available were soups, salads, desserts and appetizers with a decent wine list. Definitely worth a return visit.“

“Great, authentic Italian cuisine. Never disappoints.“

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

“Amazing and now I love the tacos 🥰“

“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!“

“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!“

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

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

“Came for a celebratory dinner on Saturday evening with my family. CJ was patient and hospitable and took great care of us. The food was fresh, with hearty portion sizes and full of classic Italian flavors.

We look forward to dining here again! :)“

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

“Ovvio provided the best dining experience I've had this year. The service was excellent. With its open air dining, weather permitting, the atmosphere is amazing. The food was outstanding. We had the muscles and chicken parmesan. I especially want to recognize Nate, the restaurant's manager, who went above and beyond to make our visit incredible. We will return very soon.“

“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! 👍🏼“

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

“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 .“

“Francesco's Hole in the Wall is one of those restaurants that reminds you what dining out used to feel like. Every dish is made with care. Nothing is over-seasoned or trying too hard. Everything is balanced. The pasta tastes fresh and homemade, cooked perfectly every time. The tomatoes taste like tomatoes, the herbs are fresh, and every dish feels light instead of weighing you down.

The atmosphere isn't fancy, and that's exactly why it works. It feels like stepping back in time. They somehow fit what feels like 60 people into a space that's about 25 by 25 feet. The tables are small, everyone's close together, and somehow it all works. There isn't a menu at your table either. You walk over to a giant handwritten board, take a picture with your phone, and order from that. It's part of the experience.

The service is what really impressed me. It feels like everyone has worked there forever. The owner is there, watching everything, and the staff runs like a well-oiled machine. Plates disappear as soon as you're finished, silverware is replaced without asking, food comes out quickly, and they somehow keep all those small tables organized without making you feel rushed or cramped.

This is a great place for a birthday, anniversary, or just a really good Italian meal. They don't take reservations, so you have to decide if you're willing to wait. After eating here, the answer is easy. Absolutely. I'd wait every time.“

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

“Great food as usual!“

“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!“

“I lived overseas for a number of years and came back after Covid only to find my go-to pizza spots had all closed. I spent the next three years chasing that real Chicago stuffed-crust fix and kept coming up disappointed.

Then, on my birthday today, I finally found the place that fills the void.

The sauce is robust, the cheese is generous, and the crust is exactly what you want from a quality Chicago stuffed crust pizza. Hands down, it’s the best stuffed crust I’ve had in Illinois in over 10 years, and the price is better than Lou Malnati’s (bland) and Giordano’s (#2 stuffed crust in il IMO, but far away from my location).

Great value for the money, and the people here are genuinely nice. First visit, and now loyal customer now.“

“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.“

“Really like it here. Service is friendly and is has a cute atmosphere. Prices are pretty competitive and pastas come with a soup or salad and you also get bread and oil which I love. Drink was a little pricey and those prices aren’t on the menu but good other than that!“

“Great place to eat and excellent service .“

“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“

“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!“

“I honestly really liked this Olive Garden overall, the food was amazing, wait time was a little eh but nothing crazy and our server was extremely kind, they accidentally charged us for a drink by accident but they quickly removed it and gave our desserts for free as compensation, overall I really liked my experience here and Had a nice time with my family :) 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“

“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!“

“My girlfriend and I had dinner at Saranello’s last night, and once again, we had a great experience, thanks in large part to our server, Damon. I’ve been requesting his section for years, and he has always provided exceptional service. His attention to detail and friendly personality make every visit special. Damon is definitely one of the reasons we’ll keep coming back!“

“Convito cafe has long been one of our favorites. Our kids give us gift card every Christmas. Consistent quality , keeping old faves on menu along with specials per season. Tonight my husband loved the calves liver and I loved the fettuccini with fro magic and peas and pancetta. We each enjoyed the Caesar salads. That's fromagia not magic. And your desserts are always yummy!“

“Not only was this location able to time a delivery to accommodate a train’s brief stop at the Metra station, the pizza seemed to have come right out of the oven. Fantastic food and service to match!“

“Everything about this place is awesome. The service, the speed, and most importantly, the food. Everytime I've ordered from here, the pizza is hot and tastes amazing. While there's no indoor seating, the service is faster here than in other places in the area if you order pick up or delivery.

Plus, I love how for every pizza you get, you get a card. You collect 10 of those cards, and you get a pizza (ANY size or toppings) for half off! Northshore is seriously one of the best pizza places I've done business with. I highly recommend them if you're in the area!“

“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!!“

“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.“

“What a fun place for families (or anyone!) looking for a casual place for dinner. Although known for pizza, the super green salad and spicy sausage rigatoni were outstanding. Nice kids working there who seemed to have fun working. Great spot!“

“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“