20 Best Italian Restaurants in Springfield

“I can honestly say Vele is the best fine dining experience I’ve ever had. The service, the food, everything is consistently incredible every single time we go. Yes, it’s on the pricier side, but it is so worth it. I’ve never had a bad meal here, and I’ve never had anything less than amazing service. Every dish I’ve tried has been absolutely divine. The Filet Mignon is my favorite and is 10/10 every single time. I celebrated a friend’s birthday there last night, and it was just another perfect experience. We had Shane as our waiter (again!), and he is always fantastic, attentive, fun, and truly great at what he does. I actually worked with him years ago at another restaurant, and he’s just as wonderful outside of the restaurant as he is there. Vele is lucky to have him, and I feel lucky to have a place like this to keep coming back to.“

“This place is absolutely excellent, the service was fantastic, and the food is authentic Sicilian rustic deliciousness. I very highly recommend anyone who is, or will be in Springfield Illinois to put this on your to do list. Brick Oven Goodness“

“Went to Mario’s tonight and my server, Lauren was so sweet! She gave us excellent service and the food was great as always. The chef salad is huge and a good price!“

“This spot is one of our favorite places for great food! The pizza flavors are amazing. The Sophia Lauren is my favorite even made vegetarian style. Yeah, they managed to make it for me vegetarian style and it was perfect! The sandwiches are loaded with meat and flavor. They have frozen take and bake items, a wall of Italian pastas, sauces, cookies, oil and dressings.“

“Got a pizza at Mario’s on Piper Glen tonight and it was delicious! I wanted to make sure the pizza guy, Alvin got a shout out! Thanks for the great pizza!“

“Attended a Wedding Saturday that Fulgenzi's catered. Wow, wow, wow! Best Wedding food ever, by FAR! Every comment we heard (which were many) was all great and bragging about the flavor of the food. Staff taking care and keeping the food filled up were so friendly, courteous (offering to carry plates if someone couldn't carry their own), just all around making you comfortable! Definitely recommend Fulgenzi's Catering for any occasion!!!! Thank you for making our dining experience the best ever!“

“All recommendations were phenomenal!“

“My youngest son took me to dinner at the Olive Garden for Mother's Day..We had a great time!!
Our young girl waitress (Layla) was very nice, bubbly, giggling, amazing!! The food as always was beyond 100+ score!! Our bill was $50+ and my son left a 100% tip 😀“

“Love their pizza! Definitely will be back!“

“We have made this our go-to pizza for Friday night dinner and movie with the family. Always consistent and delicious. We get a large thin crust, a two ply pizza, and an order of garlic cheese toast.“

“My wife and I were there last evening, Saturday, March the 22nd., and there were well over forty of us in the group. The atmosphere was perfect, and the service was perfection. In addition to that, the owner of the restaurant was genuine and helpful, and an extremely wonderful person. I wish everyone was just like her! We will most definitely be returning there! John Elliott“

“best Italian restaurant Ever.“

“The best food & service! The restaurant is always clean.“

“It's been years since I had Monical's Pizza. But last Wed I needed to grab lunch while waiting to bring my dog home from the vet's. I did take out, but the staff was so very cordial. Then I had a personal thin crust cheese and a small salad, but wasn't really able to focus on my food. This weekend I decided to get a pizza and their pecan salad delivered. I got a 16' inch thin crust extra crispy. The food was delivered before the stated arrival time, and even then the young man apologized for the delay. The pizza was hot. And both the pizza and the salad were amazing. They are my new "go-to" for pizza and salad.“

“We chose Bella Milano for our wedding reception. The Tuscan Room was absolutely perfect for our group (around 45 people). The restaurant was so easy to work with, and they were great about communicating with me throughout every step of the process. The servers were wonderful and attentive. Management checked on us throughout the evening to make sure everything was running smoothly. Most of all, the food was absolutely phenomenal! Many of our guests said it was the best wedding food they’d ever had. I’m so glad we chose Bella Milano for our special day. They really are the best kept secret for a small wedding in Springfield.“

“best pizza in Springfield“

“My name is Mike Lawrence. I began coming to Joe’s when it was still located in a somewhat decrepit house located just one door west of the building it’s now in. The front porch on that old house was loose and would bounce or sag a bit when you walked across it and my joke to guests I took in there with me, was they should carefully walk around that bad spot when we left because we’d all be heavier from having eaten and would probably fall through.

My daughter lost her first baby tooth while eating Spaghetti at Joe’s. She’s now 43 so, yeah, we’ve been coming for decades; certainly since the days when Joe Porcasi ran it.

All the food was great and, through all those years, I NEVER heard anyone say anything bad about the food, the service, the price, nothing … until now.

I guess it’s to be expected, especially in the food industry. Over time people weary of doing the same job day after day, get tired of serving the same food to the same people. Pride in performance gives way to pet peeves and personal pity parties. Oh, I get it. I do.

The reviews I read now talking about bad service, bad food, no longer being able to dine in … none of that would EVER have been true back in the day. Back when we came and sat down, talked, laughed, took in the awesome smells, and delighted when the food came. Even standing up to get the door for someone exiting with boxes of pizzas and more to take home to loved ones. Man, those were the best of times.

When we first found Joes, we didn’t go to any other shop in town. Why, when you’d found the best, would you want to go anywhere else?

We had even talked, briefly, with the original owners about opening a franchise on the east side of Springfield. Wish we’d carried through with that instead of opening a restaurant. Ah, well.

I don’t know if it’s still there, but I donated a kitchen chef statue to Joe’s when Jeff bought the place. Used to be right up on the counter.

I live in St. Louis now but, from time to time, when I long for one of Joe’s pizzas, or meatball subs, or lasagnas … and it’s only a 200 mile round trip but, frankly, some of the reviews have kinda bummed me out about doing it.

Ah, well. We’ll see.“

“Delicious pizza with consistent quality! The crust is perfectly baked, the sauce is rich, and the toppings are fresh and generous. Orders are prepared quickly and served hot. The staff is welcoming and provides excellent service. A wonderful spot for enjoying tasty pizza with family and friends.“

“We've never had a bad meal here and a special shout out to Jackie, who may be the best waitstaff person I've ever had in my life. She stopped and chatted with us and seemed genuinely interested in what we had to say. She chatted with us when we came here with a larger group. She's waited on us more than once. She anticipates your needs and asked if we'd like more sauce on the pasta. I love the baked ravioli in spicy marinara and my husband gets the spaghetti and meatballs. The people who seem to dislike the place make me wonder if we're talking about the same place.“

“Great pizza as always. Still the best pizza in Springfield! Lucy gave great service!“