Dined in and the food was absolutely horrible. Not authentic at all and was surprised that the food was actually as bad as it was. The salmon was not fresh at all, and chicken/eggplant parm had a microwaved feel with a ketchup like sauce. Everything else's was like watery and even the coke we were served seemed watered down dramatically. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. Service was good and the ambiance was unique nice but had a very distinct old and dusty smell. Not child friendly at all with no highchairs for toddlers or infants.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Michael Grills
DiPiero's Ristorante in Lake Zurich left us feeling a bit disappointed, especially given our hopes for an authentic Italian meal.
We walked in expecting a true taste of Italy, but what we encountered was more akin to an Olive Garden experience, albeit with noticeably smaller portions.
My order of what I anticipated to be Rapini and sausage was particularly underwhelming. What arrived at the table was a meager serving of tiny, disk-shaped pasta with only a few crumbs of sausage and perhaps four minuscule green buds – certainly not the rapini I envisioned.
To make matters worse, the pasta was cooked past al dente, almost chalky in texture, and clumped together as if it hadn't been properly rinsed after boiling. The meal had a few bright spots, with the Burrata being decent. However, the Octopus appetizer was rather bland, lacking any distinct flavor. Our Spaghetti with meatballs was another letdown. The portion was quite small, and the meatballs themselves had an off-putting taste, reminiscent of filler or perhaps freezer burn.
In summary, if you're seeking genuine, authentic Italian cuisine, DiPiero's Ristorante might not be what you're looking for.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Tyler Stenger
The road was closed for construction and I had to turn around in his parking lot and he yelled swear words at my car for just driving through his parking lot. What a completely insane owner.
Matthew
I still like the old school cozy atmosphere and the pizza is still pretty solid ...but the overall food quality has gone down as the prices have gone up ....pizza and pasta much more reasonably priced when you order out of their carryout location a block away ...the restaurant is becoming a rip off to be honest not sure I will be back......like most restaurants these days! you would think with pasta and pizza = huge margins they would be able to moderate prices but obvoiusly not!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Anthony A
I arrived in Illinois to visit a friend who lives in McHenry. I came to visit on her birthday with plans to take her to dinner a Lago. I never been and really wanted to try this place when my friends who have been to Lago didn’t want to return. Something about being too stuffy. So we opted for this local place. And was I pleasantly surprised by how good this place is. When you enter you walk through swinging doors into the bar/ dining room. It’s not really a big inside but it doesn’t really matter because the food is worth the trip. Joel greeted us and told us to sit anywhere. We started off with some prosecco to celebrate a birthday. Then a full array of appetizers which included baked clams fried calamari burrata shrimp cocktail and grilled octopus. There where three of us so we shared everything the baked clams are well, baked clams with season bread crumb filling, be careful the are very hot when they come to the table. The burrata was very creamy served with grilled Italian bread and fire roasted tomatoes on side. Four extra extra large shrimp must've been U-8s (8 to a lb) not sure but they were big. We cut a shrimp in three and it was like eating a whole med shrimp. The fried calamari was lightly dusted and fried, they’re light and airy. They are not coated in Italian breadcrumbs. Now the most delicious item on the appetizer menu was the grilled octopus. It’s an octopus tentacle according to the menu its prepared Spanish style with a vinaigrette dressing. Its absolutely delicious. So after we gouged ourselves on appetizers then we ordered dinners. Chicken vesuvio which was a pounded chicken breast with the bone still attached in a light sauce with roasted potatoes, very tasty sauce. The eggplant Parmesan was lightly dusted pieces of eggplant coated in a rich tomato sauce, covered in cheese, and served with a side of penne. And a shrimp Fra Diablo. Which where a little smaller shrimp than the shrimp cocktail we had, but a nice portion covered in a light Fra diablo sauce. The only drawback was it wasn’t spicy at all, like I like. We then ordered a cannoli and a piece of tiramisu. The waited forgot the candle but came running over and apologize for it and lit the candle in the cannoli to celebrate my friend’s birthday. All in all i’m happy we decided to celebrate my friend’s birthday here instead of Lago, which was originally as planned. It save us the ridiculous valet parking that you have to do at Lago. This seems like an old neighborhood restaurant that serves very delicious food and more people should support places like this so they don’t disappear. I’m only sorry I didn’t take picture of the food this time. Getting off a plane and driving from the airport I simply forgot to shoot pics.🙏🙏 Also my friend who doesn’t eat meat was able to enjoy every appetizer we ordered..🙏
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rebecca Brown
Love the ambiance here! Quaint and romantic. Also, the food and drinks are delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad, Lasagne, Bolognese Pasta
Shelley Emrick
Had an amazing experience. Loved it all and Kim was so much fun!
This squirrel and Momma Squirrel tried DiPietro's for the first time. Right away we loved the retro vibe of the bar/dinning area. The staff was attentive and friendly. We thought he pricing was far for the area. We had the thin crust pizza and was happy with the toppings and fully cooked. Looking around I could tell they had some great Italian special and we are looking forward to visiting again to try the real Italian food. I would recommend calling for reservations, the place is a smaller and can fill up quickly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jennifer Moffitt
One of the only places I have found since moving to McHenry that is authentic Italian dining. Reminds me of many Chicago restaurants that I have missed for a long time! I love the intimate dining room, vibe and atmosphere. Food is fantastic and have always had great service. My 15 yr old son is planning his first official date here with his sweetheart. I'm sure it will make lasting memories!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Duke Warner
Good pizza. Delivery time was pretty close
Food: 4
Service: 4
Nick DiNardo
Excellent authentic Italian cuisine. Kim, our server was amazing. Cozy atmosphere. Calamari was one of the best I've had. Lasagna and Gnocchi were just perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Angela Kollenkark
Dinner last night. Server was not friendly, food extremely mediocre. Weird set up, bar seemed like a tavern, very small dining room right next to it. Like two different places in one building. They couldn't make a decent old fashioned either. Definitely not going back. Only one other table while we were there.
Dined in and the food was absolutely horrible. Not authentic at all and was surprised that the food was actually as bad as it was. The salmon was not fresh at all, and chicken/eggplant parm had a microwaved feel with a ketchup like sauce.
Everything else's was like watery and even the coke we were served seemed watered down dramatically. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.
Service was good and the ambiance was unique nice but had a very distinct old and dusty smell. Not child friendly at all with no highchairs for toddlers or infants.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
DiPiero's Ristorante in Lake Zurich left us feeling a bit disappointed, especially given our hopes for an authentic Italian meal.
We walked in expecting a true taste of Italy, but what we encountered was more akin to an Olive Garden experience, albeit with noticeably smaller portions.
My order of what I anticipated to be Rapini and sausage was particularly underwhelming. What arrived at the table was a meager serving of tiny, disk-shaped pasta with only a few crumbs of sausage and perhaps four minuscule green buds – certainly not the rapini I envisioned.
To make matters worse, the pasta was cooked past al dente, almost chalky in texture, and clumped together as if it hadn't been properly rinsed after boiling.
The meal had a few bright spots, with the Burrata being decent. However, the Octopus appetizer was rather bland, lacking any distinct flavor. Our Spaghetti with meatballs was another letdown. The portion was quite small, and the meatballs themselves had an off-putting taste, reminiscent of filler or perhaps freezer burn.
In summary, if you're seeking genuine, authentic Italian cuisine, DiPiero's Ristorante might not be what you're looking for.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
The road was closed for construction and I had to turn around in his parking lot and he yelled swear words at my car for just driving through his parking lot. What a completely insane owner.
I still like the old school cozy atmosphere and the pizza is still pretty solid ...but the overall food quality has gone down as the prices have gone up ....pizza and pasta much more reasonably priced when you order out of their carryout location a block away ...the restaurant is becoming a rip off to be honest not sure I will be back......like most restaurants these days! you would think with pasta and pizza = huge margins they would be able to moderate prices but obvoiusly not!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
I arrived in Illinois to visit a friend who lives in McHenry. I came to visit on her birthday with plans to take her to dinner a Lago. I never been and really wanted to try this place when my friends who have been to Lago didn’t want to return. Something about being too stuffy. So we opted for this local place. And was I pleasantly surprised by how good this place is. When you enter you walk through swinging doors into the bar/ dining room. It’s not really a big inside but it doesn’t really matter because the food is worth the trip. Joel greeted us and told us to sit anywhere. We started off with some prosecco to celebrate a birthday. Then a full array of appetizers which included baked clams fried calamari burrata shrimp cocktail and grilled octopus. There where three of us so we shared everything the baked clams are well, baked clams with season bread crumb filling, be careful the are very hot when they come to the table. The burrata was very creamy served with grilled Italian bread and fire roasted tomatoes on side. Four extra extra large shrimp must've been U-8s (8 to a lb) not sure but they were big. We cut a shrimp in three and it was like eating a whole med shrimp. The fried calamari was lightly dusted and fried, they’re light and airy. They are not coated in Italian breadcrumbs. Now the most delicious item on the appetizer menu was the grilled octopus. It’s an octopus tentacle according to the menu its prepared Spanish style with a vinaigrette dressing. Its absolutely delicious. So after we gouged ourselves on appetizers then we ordered dinners. Chicken vesuvio which was a pounded chicken breast with the bone still attached in a light sauce with roasted potatoes, very tasty sauce. The eggplant Parmesan was lightly dusted pieces of eggplant coated in a rich tomato sauce, covered in cheese, and served with a side of penne. And a shrimp Fra Diablo. Which where a little smaller shrimp than the shrimp cocktail we had, but a nice portion covered in a light Fra diablo sauce. The only drawback was it wasn’t spicy at all, like I like. We then ordered a cannoli and a piece of tiramisu. The waited forgot the candle but came running over and apologize for it and lit the candle in the cannoli to celebrate my friend’s birthday. All in all i’m happy we decided to celebrate my friend’s birthday here instead of Lago, which was originally as planned. It save us the ridiculous valet parking that you have to do at Lago. This seems like an old neighborhood restaurant that serves very delicious food and more people should support places like this so they don’t disappear. I’m only sorry I didn’t take picture of the food this time. Getting off a plane and driving from the airport I simply forgot to shoot pics.🙏🙏 Also my friend who doesn’t eat meat was able to enjoy every appetizer we ordered..🙏
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love the ambiance here! Quaint and romantic. Also, the food and drinks are delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad, Lasagne, Bolognese Pasta
Had an amazing experience. Loved it all and Kim was so much fun!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hidden gem in the middle 9f Lake Zurich.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Meatballs, Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo, Lasagne
Delicious Italian food with many choices on the menu. Staff is very attentive and helpful
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Neighbor bar/restaurant offering Italian and standard restaurant dishes. Seems very popular with the locals.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
This squirrel and Momma Squirrel tried DiPietro's for the first time. Right away we loved the retro vibe of the bar/dinning area. The staff was attentive and friendly. We thought he pricing was far for the area. We had the thin crust pizza and was happy with the toppings and fully cooked. Looking around I could tell they had some great Italian special and we are looking forward to visiting again to try the real Italian food. I would recommend calling for reservations, the place is a smaller and can fill up quickly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the only places I have found since moving to McHenry that is authentic Italian dining. Reminds me of many Chicago restaurants that I have missed for a long time! I love the intimate dining room, vibe and atmosphere. Food is fantastic and have always had great service. My 15 yr old son is planning his first official date here with his sweetheart. I'm sure it will make lasting memories!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good pizza. Delivery time was pretty close
Food: 4
Service: 4
Excellent authentic Italian cuisine. Kim, our server was amazing. Cozy atmosphere. Calamari was one of the best I've had. Lasagna and Gnocchi were just perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dinner last night. Server was not friendly, food extremely mediocre. Weird set up, bar seemed like a tavern, very small dining room right next to it. Like two different places in one building. They couldn't make a decent old fashioned either. Definitely not going back. Only one other table while we were there.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
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