50 Best Italian Restaurants near Highwood

“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!“

“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!“

“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. 🥰👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“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!“

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Amazing and now I love the tacos 🥰“

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

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

“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!“

“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 !!“

“I came here on 09/21/26 to bring my lady out for her birthday. I definitely made the right choice! Coming into the restaurant your set with a beautiful fire place scenery on top of nice jazz music playing. Mikita would be my server, to which was SUPERA KIND & FRIENDLY! After getting us our water and providing us with some drink recommendations on our wine, I asked him to start us with the calamari. The calamari was ANAZING! Super fresh, tasteful and literally probably best calamari I’ve had! I also got the Blue Fire Ribeye Steak to which was cooked medium rare and came out exactly that! The food came out so hot and fresh, literally the steak melts in your mouth when biting into it. The steak carried so much FLAVOR!! The sauces added on the side, I kind of wish I would had shook the Chef hands before I left! Mikita then came out with a honey cake for dessert which my lady really ENJOYED! We were completely full but somehow managed to make some room for that cake. The atmosphere was amazing and the service was beyond amazing! If you are truly looking for a nice scenery for a date night, trust my me when I say don’t second guess yourself to come here! Thank you to the Red Bottle team and the chef in the back, you keep doing what your doing! Did not let me down!“

“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! :)“

“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 .“

“Very tasty, good service. Great food. Much better than the Italian restaurant that used to be here.

We had grilled octopus, shrimp, calamari platter and it was awesome. The house salad is made with arugula and baby tomatoes and delicious.

Meatballs and pasta is also fantastic.“

“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! 👍🏼“

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What an incredible experience at Follia! From the moment we walked in, everything was absolutely wonderful. The restaurant is beautiful and elegant, with such a warm and inviting atmosphere. The food was outstanding, every single thing we had was delicious and beautifully prepared.

The service was exceptional, and the entire staff made us feel so welcome. Bruno, the owner, went above and beyond to make our evening special. His warmth, hospitality, and attention to detail truly set Follia apart. He even surprised me with a beautiful gift, which was such a thoughtful and unexpected gesture.

Follia is truly a gem. Amazing food, gorgeous atmosphere, wonderful people, and an experience we won’t forget. We absolutely loved it and can’t wait to come back!“

“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.“

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

“Delicious sourdough bread, eggplant parm, veal marsala, and tiramisu! They were out of mint for a Hugo spritz, but thoughtfully suggested their special spritz instead. Though the dining room got quite noisy as it filled up, the staff was extremely helpful throughout the evening.“

“Dinner was wonderful!! We both had the salmon special. Broiled salmon filled with crab meat, with a light sauce. It was absolutely sublime!! I asked for a side of pasta rather than mashed potatoes. The bow tie with meat sauce was just wonderful!! We were too full for dessert. Next time.“

“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!“

“Popped into here yesterday with my son before making our way to the NW vs Nebraska women’s vball game and they were so busy they couldn’t take any walk ins. As we completely understood, we opted to just order food to go. While we waited for our food, the staff were so kind and accommodating. To the point they managed to fit us at a table so we could quickly eat our meal before the game. Despite how insanely busy it was due to the fans eating before the match, the entire staff remained calm, patient and kind. Personally, that goes such a long way. Plus the food was amazing so it was a win win. Would absolutely eat here again.“

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

“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.“

“I went here today with my daughter and niece, and let's just start with the service, so nice, so friendly!
The atmosphere, cozy.
The food, I'm a city girl and a foody, I just moved to Des Plaines about 4 yrs ago and the only thing I miss about the city is the food.
This place took me back. 👌🏽
We'll be 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!“

“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“

“Great food as usual!“

“Great place to have Italian food 😊“

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

“Stopped here for lunch one day when I was near NW and had a great experience. The food (ham and cheese sandwich) and cream of mushroom soup were excellent. Service was attentive and helpful. They have a great selection of wine and you can buy and consume with your meal. Will definitely be back!“

“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.“

“Great place to eat and excellent service .“

“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!“

“My daughter loves this place. She can still pick her meal from the kids menu and I stick to the never ending salad and soup. I never finish the pasta and always eat a lot of salad before the entree arrives lol I do occasionally treat myself to an entree when I have a craving for pasta. Service has always been exceptional.

Update: We love the neverending pasta promo! My daughter has aged out of the kids menu and loves it when this promo comes along. We love to try an the different kind of combinations! Still a favorite to come to celebrate her birthday!“

“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!“

“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.“

“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!“