Bella Bacino’s Menu

  • Antipasti
  • Insalate
  • Panini
  • Speciality Pizza
  • Pasta
  • Pecse E Carne
  • Dolci

Diabetics at Taco Bell

The biggest concern for diabetics is to find healthy food with less sugar at restaurants. The hunt for the right food becomes even more challenging for diabetics when dining at a fast food restaurant. Well, Taco Bell changes that with Fresco style. Simply ask or order an item from the Taco Bell menu in Fresco Style.

Food Suggestions for Diabetics at Taco Bell:

Crunchy Taco Supreme

Nutrition Fact: 190 calories, 11g Fat (4.5g Sat. Fat), 340mg sodium, 15g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 8g Protein

Fresco Steak Soft Taco

Nutrition Fact: 150 calories, 4g Fat (1.5g Sat. Fat), 460mg sodium, 17g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 10g Protein

Fresco Soft Taco – Shredded Chicken

Nutrition Fact: 150 calories, 6g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 9g Protein

Fresco Soft Taco Beef

Nutrition Fact: 160 calories, 6g Fat (2.5g Sat. Fat), 480mg sodium, 18g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 8g Protein

Veggie Power Menu Bowl

Nutrition Fact: 480 calories, 19g Fat (5g Sat. Fat), 970mg sodium, 65g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 13g Fiber, 14g Protein

Bean Burrito

Nutrition Fact: 380 calories, 11g Fat (4g Sat. Fat), 1060mg sodium, 55g Carbs, 3g Sugar, 9g Fiber, 14g Protein

Mini Skillet Bowl

Nutrition Fact: 180 calories, 11g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein

Foods to Avoid at Taco Bell for Diabetics:

You must avoid all kinds of Drinks and Freezes at Taco Bell if you have diabetes. Almost every beverage offered at Taco Bell contains high sugar content.

High Cholesterol at Taco Bell

Fast food restaurants are known for serving high calorie, greasy food with lots of sugars. Taco Bell changes this trend by offering Fresco Style option where your favorite food item is prepared using pico de gallo as it will cut down 20 – 30 calories easily from the original meal.

Food Suggestions to Maintain Cholesterol Level at Taco Bell:

Mini Skillet Bowl

Nutrition Fact: 180 calories, 11g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein

Breakfast Soft Taco – Egg & Cheese

Nutrition Fact: 170 calories, 9g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 330mg sodium, 15g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, less than 1g Fiber, 7g Protein

Spicy Tostada

Nutrition Fact: 210 calories, 10g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 440mg sodium, 22g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 5g Fiber, 6g Protein

Fresco Crunchy Taco – Beef

Nutrition Fact: 140 calories, 7g Fat (2.5g Sat. Fat), 300mg sodium, 14g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 6g Protein

Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla

Nutrition Fact: 200 calories, 10g Fat (3.5g Sat. Fat), 490mg sodium, 15g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 1g Fiber, 10g Protein

Crunchy Taco Supreme

Nutrition Fact: 190 calories, 11g Fat (4.5g Sat. Fat), 340mg sodium, 15g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 8g Protein

Spicy Potato Soft Taco

Nutrition Fact: 230 calories, 12g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 460mg sodium, 27g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein

Foods to Avoid at Taco Bell for High Cholesterol:

It is best to avoid Bacon or Steak dishes at Taco Bell as such dishes contain a lot of fat. Also, try to avoid all kinds of Drinks and Freezes which are full of sugars resulting in empty calories.

Healthy Meal suggestions for Bella Bacino’s

  • Antipasti
  • Insalate
  • Panini
  • Speciality Pizza
  • Pasta
  • Pecse E Carne
  • Dolci

High Blood Pressure at Taco Bell

People with high blood pressure must avoid food with high sodium levels. You can either ask the people at Taco Bell to add less salt in your food or choose the food items with less sodium content or customize your order using Taco Bell's own nutrition calculator.

Food Suggestions to Control Blood Pressure at Taco Bell:

Fresco Chicken Soft Taco

Nutrition Fact: 150 calories, 6g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 9g Protein

Spicy Tostada

Nutrition Fact: 210 calories, 10g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 440mg sodium, 22g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 5g Fiber, 6g Protein

Grilled Breakfast Burrito - Sausage

Nutrition Fact: 340 calories, 17g Fat (5g Sat. Fat), 730mg sodium, 36g Carbs, 3g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 11g Protein

Veggie Power Menu Bowl

Nutrition Fact: 480 calories, 19g Fat (5g Sat. Fat), 970mg sodium, 65g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 13g Fiber, 14g Protein

Foods to Avoid at Taco Bell for High Blood Pressure:

Taco Bell offers a wide range of Grande Scrambler Burritos, Crunch wraps, and Quesadillas which are high in sodium. It is important to limit the sodium intake at Taco Bell and avoid any meal with over 750-800mg sodium.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.

High Cholesterol at Taco Bell

Fast food restaurants are known for serving high calorie, greasy food with lots of sugars. Taco Bell changes this trend by offering Fresco Style option where your favorite food item is prepared using pico de gallo as it will cut down 20 – 30 calories easily from the original meal.

Food Suggestions to Maintain Cholesterol Level at Taco Bell:

Mini Skillet Bowl

Nutrition Fact: 180 calories, 11g Fat (2g Sat. Fat), 430mg sodium, 16g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein

Breakfast Soft Taco – Egg & Cheese

Nutrition Fact: 170 calories, 9g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 330mg sodium, 15g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, less than 1g Fiber, 7g Protein

Spicy Tostada

Nutrition Fact: 210 calories, 10g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 440mg sodium, 22g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 5g Fiber, 6g Protein

Fresco Crunchy Taco – Beef

Nutrition Fact: 140 calories, 7g Fat (2.5g Sat. Fat), 300mg sodium, 14g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 6g Protein

Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla

Nutrition Fact: 200 calories, 10g Fat (3.5g Sat. Fat), 490mg sodium, 15g Carbs, less than 1g Sugar, 1g Fiber, 10g Protein

Crunchy Taco Supreme

Nutrition Fact: 190 calories, 11g Fat (4.5g Sat. Fat), 340mg sodium, 15g Carbs, 2g Sugar, 3g Fiber, 8g Protein

Spicy Potato Soft Taco

Nutrition Fact: 230 calories, 12g Fat (3g Sat. Fat), 460mg sodium, 27g Carbs, 1g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein

Foods to Avoid at Taco Bell for High Cholesterol:

It is best to avoid Bacon or Steak dishes at Taco Bell as such dishes contain a lot of fat. Also, try to avoid all kinds of Drinks and Freezes which are full of sugars resulting in empty calories.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Paul L.

    Ate there for the first time yesterday and was very happy with the deep dish pizza. We got the sausage special and it was great. Flaky crust and good amount of everything. The owner was there and was very friendly. We had a good time there.

    (4)
  • T T.

    Stayed upstairs and checked this place out for dinner. Despite the weak reviews on yelp, we decided to give it a try, and maybe we got lucky, the food was great as advertised and the service was almost better than the food. Sitting in the patio section watching he sunset was pretty nice, and we were able to watch the city turn from late afternoon to night while sipping decent wine. In short, we were delighted by the food and the service was much better than the few reviews on yelp.

    (4)
  • Maricela A.

    My favorite part of dining here was the exquisitely delicious chocolate cake. It was out of this world. If it wasn't for Yelp, I wouldn't have known about it. First, we had a taste for some unique pizza not just any pizza. I checked Yelp and that's how we ended up here. The service wasn't that great. As soon as we walked in, we asked to sit outside. Most of the time when I go to most restaurants, I get walked by the hostess to where ever I will be sitting at. This time the guy just point out to the area, so I could just walk by my self. I don't care about this things, especially if the place is busy. This was not the case and was not that easy. I felt rushed and almost if they didn't even want us there. We order a thin margarita pizza with half of it with pepperoni. Very delicious and a bit thinner than what I'm used to but very good. While I checking in on Yelp I noticed a picture of a chocolate cake. So, I asked for one. By the waiter's attitude I don't think he would have sugested anything else. Well, the chocolate cake was Amazing! It made my day. The price was not bad for what we got. I'll definitely be coming here again to have that chocolate cake.

    (4)
  • Hans B.

    Review for breakfast here. The granola parfait is very nice, but avoid the cinnamon 'belgian' waffle. Way too rich for me, and the nuts are out of balance: too salty. It reminded me of a "welsh" I had elsewhere: one lump of calories. Other than that: staff has that strange mix of grumpy and helpful. For the granola parfait alone I would come again, but I know what to avoid.

    (3)
  • Kristen H.

    Worst service I've encountered. We came in late (9:40pm) after flying to chicago - craving deep dish pizza (yelp has the wrong times, maybe?!), so when we walked in the server warned us that last call for dinner was in a few minutes. We agreed and quickly started perusing the pizza menu. A few minutes later, a waiter walked over to tell us that deep dish was not available. :( We then wait another 10 minutes for one of the 5 waiters to come by and check on us - they were all drinking at the bar jamming to Mariah Carrey and Alanis Morrisette on full volume (god). We finally put in our order and after a while, my pizza comes out, but not my friend's chicken. Odd. I start munching but a waiter NEVER checks on us, even though we are about 4 feet around a corner from their party. We actually see the chefs leave the kitchen to go home. We finally flag down the EXCELLENT bus boy (the only courteous person in the entire experience - he should get promoted), and he grabs a waiter. I can see one of the possibly tipsy waiters looking shocked at the busboy's question - but it still takes another couple of minutes before one of them works up enough nerve to come around the corner to tell us he forgot to order the chicken and the kitchen is already closed. My friend and I split my now-cold pizza (poor guy), and we wait ANOTHER 15 minutes longer than we should have for me to catch someones eye to get the check. We walk payment up to the waiter party at the bar and finally get out of there. No apologies for the missing food or lack of service. We were never once checked on by anyone other than the busboy. Absolutely terrible. #NeverAgain

    (1)
  • Levi B.

    Our friends brought us here for brunch and everything was fantastic, especially the bloody marys. We stopped in for lunch today and I asked if they could make a vegan variation of the mixed mushroom rigatoni. Absolutely no issues at all and it was delicious! Everyone at BB's is friendly and knowledgable. This is solidly our go-to place and is definitely where we will be bringing our friends and out of town folks.

    (5)
  • David P.

    The best pizza in Chicago, bar none. Stuffed is the only way to go. So good, that I take two par-baked frozen home every time I visit & my uncle takes one or two back to California too. Spicy, not sweet, sauce on the pizzas. Outdoor dining available. Classy place. Great servers every time. This is a "Do Not Miss" if you are in Chicago.

    (5)
  • Wen H.

    Bella Bacino delivers in the biggest way with the amazing staff. The pasta and sauce are excellent. This cute little restaurant has the most incredible view, overall pleased with food and service. I stayed at the hotel attached to this cute gem, came back for just food or drinks night after night! Thanks Bella Bacino for making my Chitown visit great!!

    (4)
  • Jeffrey T.

    No spoons no Splenda coffee is awful. To pushy service. At least let me read the menu. Tables have no covering and they put silverware on dirty tables. The music is like awful for dining. And it changed five times since I've sat here for five minutes. Can't wait to see the food. The restaurant is in great disrepair. Food is not good at all. They need more practice.

    (2)
  • Rebecca P.

    When you're surrounded by Chicago, it seems odd to go to an in-hotel restaurant such as this. But, hey, my friend was staying in the attached hotel, so we went there. We got the bbq chicken pizza. We were warned that it was "very thin", so it was no surprise when it came out and reminded us of the $5 happy hour pizzas we find frequently in Los Angeles. As for flavor, it was good enough, including some fairly yummy pools of mozzarella. But, in retrospect, I should have just ordered their deep dish. To follow up our pizza, we ordered the tiramisu. It was terrible--I think because it had gone bad. But, we quietly sent it back, and our server took it off the bill and brought us a couple of wonderful chocolate chip cookies on the house instead. Bottom line: When in Chicago, it makes more sense to venture elsewhere, but if you are here, a pizza ain't too bad and the service is swift and friendly.

    (3)
  • Lisa M.

    Our last evening in Chicago had us walking the Mag Mile, going thru the park and then looking around for a bite to eat. There are lots of places and this was an especially warm evening so we wanted to have a place where we could eat outside. Bella Bacino's was the perfect spot! Nice al fresco dining with wonderful views of the River and the Wrigley Building! Our waiter was AWESOME! They had on tap some local brews and he even brought us out some samplers so we could try them as he is as well a beer connoisseur! We shared the caprese salad which was awesome and we both had a different pasta dish which were also quite tasty. For all the service, drinks, etc. the cost was pretty awesome too! We would definitely try this place again if /when in Chicago!

    (4)
  • Chris X M.

    We had a fantastic server here for a large group and they accommodated us well. The little outdoor patio was nice too. The building is a bit dated and the hotel itself is showing its age. But, it's charming and an above average Italian meal. Our concierge strongly recommended this place for groups and I am not sure why they like it so much... I'd say the food was 3 and service was a solid 4. Prices are pretty reasonable for Downtown Chicago too.

    (4)
  • Meredith K.

    This is the kind of place where its nice to know its there - in case you forget to make a reservation at Petterinos before going to see a show at the Goodman. The food was ok, the service is very friendly and helpful, the atmosphere is clean but like you're in a hotel lobby. They were generous with their wine pours and coffee. We started with the goat cheese salad. It was enjoyable and served with grilled bread that we liked better than the bread they put on the table. Then we shared a mushroom rigatoni and chicken parm. We loved the chicken parm special! The rigatoni was just ok. Not great but not bad either. Then we tried the homemade tiramisu and flourless chocolate cake. Both were excellent. Also if you are seeing a show at the Goodman show your tickets for 20% off!

    (3)
  • Katie F.

    So we had dinner here and it was great. Most of us had the create your own pasta. The pasta was really good and had good flavor. The restaurant also treats you with a complementary bread yummy! This place was wonderful.

    (5)
  • Jen W.

    Stopped in today for my first taste of deep dish Chicago pizza. I'm giving this review 3 stars for the pizza only. It was the spinach deep dish and it was truly amazing!! The service however was almost non existent. We sat ourselves at an outside table and had our order taken 20 minutes later. After 40 minutes of not even being checked in on by wait staff I finally went inside and asked to pay for the cocktail we had and just forget the pizza. The waitress told us the pizza was almost ready and she would be happy to box it up to go. I wasn't going to give up on my first Chicago pizza, so of course I took it to go. That service is horrible though.

    (3)
  • Sam S.

    After always seeing the patio packed with people we decided to have lunch here on a Saturday. I ordered the Frutti de Mare which is served with linguine and a marinara sauce. The sauce, although good, was more of a broth. I ended up asking for toast points to dip into the broth/sauce. Plus the scallops were over cooked. The reason for only 2 stars was the service. Our server seemed nervous and unsure and despite good intentions he was really awkward and slow. (Does anyone ever fear their Yelp review will be the cause of someone's termination, ala Seinfeld when George gets a busboy fired?)

    (2)
  • Amanda B.

    Best stuffed pizza in Chicago! The spinach supreme with added garlic was one of the best pizzas I've had. Way better than any other deep dish pizza place around. Our server was very attentive and timely. Would come back in a heart beat!!

    (5)
  • Alexander A.

    Bad service, Nice people but they don't get it right 1 hour wait for a French toast and a dirty glass ! Well I just feel bad for the servers it is just disorganized !

    (1)
  • Shawn C.

    Conveniently located next to my hotel/ timeshare resort; Wyndham owners get 20% discount on good. This Italian restaurant had a simple pasta menu and two types of pizza menus. Then thin crust, brick oven pizza is delicious with a nice crispy crackery crust which only takes about 12 minutes to fix, but if you desire a Chicago style deep dish I was told it would take about 45 minutes to get. Well it was late and I really didn't want to wait do I got the thin crust. Mushroom and sausage to be exact and it was perfectly cooked and quite yummy. The pizza went well with a very nice glass of pinot noir (see photo). The decor is cozy with low romantic lighting. The back wall is berry unique with a wood covering made entirely of repurposed wooden wine boxes (see photo). I plan on one more meal here before I leave Chicago to try there deep dish pizza. It looks totally yum!!!

    (4)
  • Xiaoxi W.

    Seriously, the service is very slow. My Chinese friends visit me and choose this spot to eat. It took them 15 mins to give us water, and another 15 mins to take the order. And then without any bread and snack, there is another 30 mins waiting for the un tasty food. ( BtW, the restaurant was not even busy at all!) Seriously, this place humiliate Chicago food heaven name. I will definitely not encourage anyone go there again.

    (3)
  • Kashif K.

    I had tried the Bacino's stuffed pizza before, and loved it so much that I had to return. I was given a 10% discount for being a "Friend of Bacino's". The restaurant is located inside the River Hotel. Be aware that if you need to go to the restroom while you are dining here, you need to go into the hotel lobby and up a couple of flights of stairs to use the hotel restrooms. The fried calamari was a tasty appetizer, especially with a side of the Calabrian aioli, which I had requested. The stuffed pizza was as delicious as ever, with the stuffings generously piled high on the crisp pie crust. Sam, a transplant in Chicago from Indiana, was a great server; very attentive and cordial. This place will be seeing plenty of me!

    (4)
  • Mike N.

    Great place for years. Best stuffed pie in Chicago. Always our first stop when we are downtown. All sizes of pizzas to fit your hunger level. Had a Caesar salad, italian meat plate with our pie. Didn't have it this trip but the thin crust is good also. If you are ever on Michigan avenue it's worth your time to enjoy a great place to eat. Outdoor seating and great people watching are bonus.

    (4)
  • Anthony B.

    I remember visiting this place back in high-school and really wanted some good pasta, so I stopped by with a friend on Friday night.. we waited at the door for too long for a host, that was nowhere in sight! After waiting, a waitress came and seated us all the way in the back in a very smushed/crowded area. The busser (who was nice and smiley) brought us water.. After being seated for 10mins, I had to get up and ask the waitress for bread, that should've been brought with our drinks. The food was not what I was expecting, very lack luster! I got the meat balls & spaghetti, which was very flavorless- The only good part of the meal was the meatballs, very tender and the sauce was good! My friend got the chicken parmesan, no complaints, he enjoyed it The minus two stars is mainly for the poor, lack of service! The waiter never came to check on our table. Our drinks were never refilled, or even asked. He came to ask us about our meal AFTER we were done eating, but we seen him kept going to the old/white ladies next to us, skipping our table. Not somewhere I will visit again.

    (2)
  • Toni F.

    We came here for a work team outing after taking the Architectural Cruise on the river. Bella Bacino's is a short walk from where the boat launches just under the bridge at Michigan and Wacker. The weather was picture perfect but we sat inside because not everyone was appreciating the sunshine. Definitely less ambiance indoors - we sat in a sparse area near a fireplace that seemed to be a hallway between two dining rooms. What the place lacked in esthetics, they made up for in their food and service. We had a variety of dishes that ranged from the crab ravioli special, to risotto, fruiti de mare and the grilled pork chop. Everything was very good - nice sized portions and served promptly. Our waiter was courteous and took expert care of our table of 11. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Bella Bacino's if you're in the area - there are many dining options in this section of the city, this is a great choice.

    (4)
  • Shelly S.

    Love taking people to this restaurant. Great deep dish. You can eat inside or outside. Nice romantic ambiance. Usually get the deep dish but this time tried the thin crust pizza and loved it!

    (5)
  • Danika C.

    My waiter at David Burke's Primehouse recommended Bella Bacino and I'm so glad he did! The food was very bit as delicious as he promised. Friends and I split the classic deep dish and dessert sampler. Both are hearty, absolutely tasty and to die for. One slice of pizza was a meal in of itself, an inch deep and stuffed with melted goodness. The dessert sampler consisted of a just right creme brûlée, lava cake and a generous serving of tiramisu. Though full, my table demolished this quickly. Additionally we ordered our own plates, including ravioli, the arugula salad, a chicken sandwich, etc. Everything was on point, especially my prosciutto salad. You can say it, we're fatties.

    (5)
  • Natalia K.

    I purchased both lunch and dinner groupons for this place, neither of which included a deep dish option, or maybe my experience would have been better. This place is definitely not a quick loop lunch kind of establishment. It must cater to tourists who are staying in the area and don't mind waiting an hour for service/food. There was only one guy working the lunch and he was the host, the bartender, the server, and the food runner. We waited forever to send our orders and get served, which really made us go over our allotted lunch time. The food was good though and almost worth the wait- though maybe they starve you into enjoying every bite because you're so hungry by the time the food comes. As for dinner, we had more time to enjoy the food, so I was hoping for a better experience. It was, but since they had more servers and I wasn't starving this time around, nothing I ate wowed me enough that I would want to come back. Reading all the reviews about the pizza, it really is unfortunate that I didn't get to try it, and probably never will.

    (3)
  • Daniel N.

    Really hoped their Chicago style pizza would be good since their location is ideal for me but sadly, their pizza was just ok. The crust was very bready, the sauce was kinda bland and the Italian sausage was almost non existent, especially compared to the sausage patty of their competitors. Their cheese blend however was really good.

    (3)
  • Amanda D.

    It's a lovely place, but it took very long for them to bring us our deep dish pizzas. Pizzas were fairly priced, but the wine was too expensive. The individual deep dish pizza was really good! I had the cheese stuffed pizza with meatballs and I totally recommend :)

    (4)
  • Kristin M.

    A-OK rating: food was good but not great, but the service was friendly and helpful. We went on a Thursday before a play at the Goodman (if you bring your tickets you get 20% off your meal). We started with a couple glasses of wine which were reasonably priced and very generous pours. Foodwise, we split the warm goat cheese salad, the mushroom ragout rigatoni and the chicken parmesan special. All were tasty, but I wouldn't write home about anything. Desserts were delicious: the warm flourless chocolate cake and tiramisu were equally delicious, I recommend ordering both. Our server was accommodating and friendly. We inquired about vodka sauce, which wasn't on the menu and he graciously asked the chef if he could do it (he could, but we didn't end up ordering it).

    (3)
  • Ryan T.

    I'd like to think of myself as a little experienced with deep dish pizza. Why, cause I've now eaten at every one of them in Chicago. I had to, because if you ask 8 different Chicago locals/regulars their favorite deep dish place, they all say something different, NONE of them gave me any kind of consensus on where to go to get Chicago's best. So I was left on my own... No one told me about Bella Bacinos, so it was near my last stop, but I was floored. I'm a sauce guy. Most deep dish pizzas have a small semblance of tomato sauce on the pizza but then it's all cheese. As much as I like cheese I crave a great tasting sauce. Bella's delivers in the biggest way, with nice outdoor seating when it's good weather. The ironic thing about this restaurant is I think they promote their thin crust pizzas instead. Don't miss out y'all!

    (5)
  • Masha T.

    Small portions but definitely delicious. I came here on New Year's eve for a quick dinner. The cheese/sausage sampler was delicious and the flourless chocolate cake was so good, we had to order a second one to split. I can't remember what kind of pizza we got but our minds were blown with every part of the meal so I would say I recommend this place. It's pretty casual and in an easy to find location.

    (3)
  • Sandra A.

    I had dinner here a couple of times on my stay in Chicago, mostly because of its location. I stayed at Club Quarters and it was right downstairs. The food was very good. My review would have been 'Excellent' if not for their bizarre and very strict rule of not allowing two people to sit at a four-top even though the restaurant was empty except for one other table. They needed to "keep them open" for some unknown reason. So, a tip to the staff...if the place is empty - let people sit where they'll be comfortable. Also, to the waiters - offer bread and appetizers or suggest things to your customers. The staff was helpful, but their personalities were lacking. There is a busboy, however, that was the sweetest most helpful person there. He should train the rest of the staff - host and hostess included - on how to treat your customers. I'm sorry I didn't get his name, but he had an accent and a perpetual smile. Tip him if you see him!

    (3)
  • Leondra G.

    This was a great small and quaint restaurant. I was staying nearby in a hotel and this place was in walking distance. The stuffed pizza (Special in a bambino size) was very good. I also the house salad which was mediocre. Although I wasn't overly excited about the salad I would definitely visit again for the pizza.

    (4)
  • Kelsey S.

    The food was out of this world. I should be paying WAY more than I did for such gorgeous food, especially with such generous portion sizes! The poached pear and walnut salad has opened my eyes to the versatility of salad and I swear I could eat it every day for the rest of my life and still drool at just the thought of it. Shout out to David, the manager, and Chris, our out of this world server- who went above and beyond in every way they could to make this such a gorgeous dining experience. New fave, I'll be here as often as possible. Especially if I have someone to impress ;]

    (5)
  • Philip O.

    Waited for ten minutes while everyone around me got service. I smiled, I stared, eventually I started to wave. No luck, no service. Too many good breakfast joints in this town to suffer this kind of service. One star for not even being able to get it started.

    (1)
  • Phoebe J.

    I don't know what the other reviewer is talking about.. I came here for a quick lunch and a glass of wine al fresco and had a very good experience! Really friendly, sweet staff .. Nice outdoor seating.. The bruschetta (~$6) was AWESOME and made for a very light, inexpensive lunch.

    (4)
  • Kelly H.

    Great food and great service. Music is pretty good too. I highly recommend this place.

    (5)
  • Scarlett M.

    We had an amazing experience at Bella Bacino's! The food was phenomenal. I recommend the ravioli! We had breakfast, dinner and pizza there while staying in Chicago. Our server Dax went above and beyond to make our experience perfect. We loved every single thing he recommended, mostly the creme brulee! He gave us great suggestions about what to see in the city. He was polite and efficient. I will tell any one of my friends visiting Chicago to visit Bella Bacino's!

    (5)
  • Roger B.

    A great evening turned lousy. We found this place the night of Wallenda's tightrope walk and decided to eat there and watch. The hostess was great in getting us a table and even had heavy coats for those who sat outside.. From there on the evening was a mess. We ordered an appetizer and meal and a bottle of wine. The appetizer came out and then they brought the mean immediately after. We had not even had two bite of the appetizer. Then they said they were out of the bottle we ordered, then they were out of the second bottle. This took so long, we were done eating which was a mediocre meal at best. MY wifes ravioli was average and my pasta and sauce was way over cooked and dry. They waiter apologized for the wine issue and offered to buy us coffee "on him". Wow, A lousy meal, never got any wine and he offers to buy us a cup of coffee. What a guy. We were so upset we left and did not even stay for the walk. Maybe its a good place some days but we won't be taking that chance again.

    (2)
  • Anthony S.

    Excellent from all respects. Veal Saltibocca and Fish in Crazy Water had deep flavors, prepared and presented perfectly. All the pastas looked too damn tempting for somebody on a low carb diet. Italian wine selection was awesome at all price points. Several very good Barolos and Barbaresco's for under a hundred bucks. Not too expensive given the location. Can be very busy. Did not try the pizza.

    (4)
  • Mickey A.

    What's this at the bottom of the greasy delivery bag? Complimentary chocolate chip cookies with my order? Nice. I can't say the same about the BBQ chicken thin crust pizza though. The mozzarella cheese and itty-bitty chicken pieces weren't cutting it for me. It's a one-size order (no options) which can feed at least two people. It lost its 'zzzahhh once it got cold...so eat it pippin' hot (or microwaved). I think next time I'll stick to my grilled veggies, mozzarella with toast salad.

    (3)
  • ND DC D.

    If you are a Chicago transplant craving true double crust, stuffed pizza look no further and order their pizza to be shipped to you overnight anywhere in the country right now! The half baked, finish at home product (30 min) is as good as anything you will get back in Chi city. Absolutely delicious. Having suffered through the fall of Giordano's quality and quantity and the closure of HomeMade Pizza Co here in DC this is a most welcome find. Explaining the stuffed vs deep dish experience is hard...finding it outside Chicago impossible until now.

    (5)
  • Paul B.

    I actually joined yelp to write this review. This food was decent but the heater in the restaurant was turned up WAY too high. We were literally sweating. The waiter was ok but there was a manager hovering over him like a creepy soccer mom and didn't see her speak to a single customer. I would've hated to work there, even managers at lower brow chain restaurants know better. Finally, we had a gotten a groupon that was not honored. We had ordered a 4 course meal and they charged us for 3. On top of that, they charged a 23rds gratuity for 2 people. Again, decent food but horrible business practices!

    (1)
  • Suresh S.

    April Fool's day, and at a loose end for dinner, so the wife and I decided to stay close to our hotel, and the concierge recommended Bella Baciono's as a family establishment with good food. So off we went, and found the place fairly empty, but I place great stock in the words of concierges, and so we went in. We were seated, and the feeling of loneliness dissipated as the waitress arrived, with a beaming smile and a "can do" demeanour. I ordered an Aperol, and we ordered just the mains, a Pizza for me and the pasta for the wife, which involved some complicated changes that she suggested to the lady, and usually, in other establishments, we get the 'chef will not change anything that is on the menu', but here it was 'I know exactly what you want and I too like linguini exactly like how you have outlined!' The Pizza was perfect, it was the thin crust variety, not terribly popular in Chicago, but done superbly well. The wife's Pasta looked superb, and she pronounced fitting judgement by cleaning up the plate. We had some banter with the lady about the quality of the food, and she understood enthusiasts like none other. She bantered right back and it was a great culinary experience. My father has always maintained that the perfect number for a good meal is two: you and a damned good head-waiter, and now I know why. With this lady, the meal became a simple instruction of trust. And, by the way, the place was heaving when we left. So more Italian in dinnertime than American, which is also a good sign. We will certainly go there once again before we leave these shores....

    (4)
  • Alex K.

    Everything from house salad, bruschetta to the stuffed pizza was exceptional. Service was very attentive and the outdoor seating was comfortable. I give it a big thumbs up if you're around the corner of Wabash and Wacker.

    (4)
  • Marci J.

    I had chicken and ricotta cheese ravioli. It was the raviolu special. VERY GOOD!! This was my first time here. I plan to come back. Waitress was wonderful and very attentive. Definitely recommend.

    (5)
  • Amy V.

    Forget everything your parents told you about talking to strangers. "Thank you" to the gentleman outside of the InterContinental Hotel for recommending this place. Honestly, we were headed to Gino's East Pizza, just like most every other tourist in Chicago. We still visited the trademark, but just to compare it to the glory of Bella Bacino's. Here's what we ate: Classic Bruschetta: fresh tomato, fresh basil, grilled garlic rubbed Tuscan bread and extra virgin olive oil. ***This is not your average/classic bruschetta. IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND*** Every ingredient is perfect, but most of all the tomotoes. We couldn't help but ask the waiter, who informed us that they are shipped in from Italy. Please forgive me as I try to find the words to describe them - seculent, rich, sweet, tangy, juicy. I have never had before or since such a delicious tomato. It gets better... Sausage & Mushrooms Pizza (Chicago style): Again, those amazing tomatoes, sliced and smashed into a delicious sauce. The crust is nothing short of perfection, flakey but thick. The only down side to this pizza is that one slice is a complete meal. Prepare for leftovers. Of course, the location is the shiz. Who doesn't love The Windy City.

    (5)
  • Mickey D.

    We tried both the thin crust and their stuffed deep dish pizzas. It was definitely nothing to write home about, yet I'm still writing about it on Yelp. :b The outside seating was nice and service was ok.

    (2)
  • David O.

    I had dinner here last week while staying at Club Quarters. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the hotel, on East Wacker close to the intersection with Michigan Avenue. Service was good, as was the food. I started with a sausage & cheese plate as an appetizer. For my main course, I got the Rigatoni with Italian Sausage, which was very tasty. They have a full bar, which is nice, and they have a decent selection of wines by the glass as well. I would suggest eating in the restaurant itself, though, as the decor of the rooms at Club Quarters is somewhat dreary and would probably cloud an otherwise tasty Italian meal.

    (4)
  • Valentin T.

    The only reason this place gets as high as two stars from me is its central location with incredible downtown views and its friendly attentive staff. If it was rated solely on the quality of food, I would've given it just 1.5 stars. I came in very hungry, yet the omelette and hashbrowns were absolutely unbeatable! I don't know whether it was the cook or the ingredients, or both, but there was just no taste to it. And the coffee was just a brown water. I need to go get some pastry with Starbucks coffee or something...

    (2)
  • Alper S.

    Just fine! They came through in a pinch when a group of 12 were trying to find dinner downtown on a Saturday night (yeah, that's hard). Their estimation of 25 minutes turned into 45 quickly, but it's hard to blame anyone for that. We all got their deep dish pizza. Their special was good, but it came out cold (rather, barely warm). The crust was cripsy dough, and I loved it. A buddy's birthday was the same day, and the waiter/manager were nice enough to comp two slices of tiramisu for the table. Great place in a pinch, but I learned we should've probably planned ahead for something more memorable. The decor was kitschy, and there were only two servers working the restaurant, poor things! Tipped 'em well though, they did quite the balancing act :)

    (3)
  • Alexandra P.

    Balls. This place sucks. Took forreevver to get seated by a prick of a host. Then, our waiter could give a shit less about doing his job . Took about 30 minutes to get a glass of wine . Pizza tasted like Pizza Hut at a hockey stadium.

    (1)
  • Howard H.

    I'm an infrequent Chicago visiter from Austin, Texas. I think I know food. I sat down at Bella Bacino's patio tonight to enjoy the breezy Chicago temperatures and the view next to the Illinois River. Tonight I ate with the Wrigley Building, the Trump Tower (eff him), and the Marina Towers. How Chicago can one get?? First off, the services was just great. I'm confused by the negative reviews here. Every place is bound to have bad nights. The food and drink were just excellent, a total surprise to me. The waiter tells me that the restaurant has been there for 30 years or so. I can't corroborate but a nice detail. I had the small cheese and sausage plate and the poached pear & gorganzola salad. The "small" plate featured 4 cheeses that change weekly: smoked provolone, farm cheese, asiago (though a strange one, I swear), and a fourth (oops). The sausages were varied and wonderfully tasty. They were accompanied by fresh and dried fruits. I could have ordered a second plate. The salad was quite good, the gorganzola itself was eye-rolling. I finished up with a flourless chocolate cake, which was like a unleavened egg white cake. The best example of a "flourless chocolate cake" I've ever had, perfect chocolate taste and nice mouthfeel. I had two local beers that added to the dining experience. After one visit, I'm a fan.

    (5)
  • m g.

    We were told to have deep dish pizza here by ur taxi cab driver the previous night. We arrived and were seated on the outside patio, it was GORGEOUS! We ordered the crispy polenta with mushroom ragu, it was the best appetizer I have ever had. Next up we ordered the small Bacinos special deep dish pizza, we are from California and usually like thin crust but we are in Chicago so deep dish it is. It came out and it was good but I have nothing to really compare it to. Finally we asked for chocolate chip cookies because we saw other Yelpers talk about how good they were. The waitress explained they are usually only made for banquets but she would see if they had any....she came out minutes later with a bag of cookies. The cookies were delicious and should be added to their menu. Our service was great and the view was amazing, such a great spot!

    (4)
  • Kim B.

    First experience my boyfriend and I had on our visit to Chicago, and it was suggested by a Chicago native. Not a great start to what I thought was home of the deep dish pizza! We ordered the Spinach Supreme and Bacino's Special. Both were underwhelming. PROS: 1. LOCATION. Beautiful spot on Wacker where you can eat and enjoy Chicago's gorgeous architecture 2. Our waitress was friendly and attentive 3. The Bacino's Special was somewhat flavorful because of the sausage. But that is the only pro about the food that I can think of CONS: 1. Waited about 30 min. for our food 2. Everything was under seasoned 3. The dough was bland, and some parts didn't cook all the way 4. The pizza was too small for the price we paid. A small is around $15, and it's definitely small! Only eat here if you absolutely have to. Otherwise, continue looking for other pizza spots to satisfy your cravings.

    (3)
  • Jon D.

    It's a little discreet hiding out in it's building on Wacker, Bella Bacino's is your fairly average Italian joint with what I suppose would be exactly what you expect. Pizzas, pastas, a selection of antipasti. If being an Italian joint was a job, hey, it got the job done. It has the prerequisite dim lighting and candles. And in the downstairs room, you get a bit of quiet privacy while listening to late 90s, early 00s hits... nothing more romantically Italian! But let's get to the food. Aside from the menu, there's also a pizza menu which details a "build your own" sort of deal. "Specialty" pizza (more like traditional thin Italian), thin pan pizzas, and deep dishes. The bread comes out a bit of a bland tasteless thing to chew on with a bit of a shaker of olive oil. Okay, not the best (the second bread basket was... eh, burnt). I ordered the Caesar salad. It was certainly a decent salad, but didn't quite have the bite of a Caesar that I'd like. A bit more of a bite of Romano or anchovy would have spruced it up. I followed it up with a pesto pizza, with goat cheese and onion and pepper. The crust was crisp, and the flavor of the pizza was quite good. Service was prompt and helpful. Water was always flowing, and I came in a rather large group, and they did a good job of handling it.

    (3)
  • T M.

    I came here the first time on the recommendation of my boyfriend's family members who are Chicago natives. They highly recommended the thin crust style pizza at this place. Of course we didn't listen and ended up ordering deep dish which I can't really remember so I won't review that experience here. I visited again this time around with some co-workers and again did not have the thin crust pizza, but had an absolutely delightful goat cheese salad. I followed that with the mushroom rigatoni that had a tomato based sauce, which I also thought was excellent. Overall, this place had a good selection of food to satisfy our diverse group and it was reasonably priced especially considering the location. Also, we had great service, our waiter was helpful (but not overbearing) and even accommodated member of our party who wanted to order off the menu. There is also outside seating but we decided to heed to heat advisory and eat inside.

    (4)
  • Zila O.

    Polenta was not crispy as it is described, it tasted as it was just heated with a good sauce on top. Ravioli was good. Risotto of the day was dry and tasteless, mixed with a grilled chicken that was good. Service was very poor, felt like they were inexperienced and not in charge. We had to get silverware because table was set for one person and there were two of us. We got no plates either.

    (2)
  • Nikki S.

    I would give this place five stars. I enjoyed the complimentary bread very delicious and the deep dish was great. This is one of few spots in all of Chicago that take reservations for deep dish, it allows you to avoid the big chain madness that is for sure!

    (5)
  • Lisa S.

    Nice little pizza & pasta restaurant. Good downtown location and clean and nicely decorated with a full bar up front. We ordered the nut crusted goat cheese salad, which was fresh and delicious. Lingonberry dressing was light and not too overpowering. Large salad was enough for two as an appitizer. Then, one deep dish and one thin crust pizza. Staff was willing to make a special request pizza without batting an eye and the deep dish was truly incredible. The crust was flaky and true to the Chicago style deep dish you'd expect. Thin crust pizza was almost cracker like and good, but I feel the deep dish was far superior. Staff was pleasant and attentive. I would definitely recommend tBella Bacinos if your looking for a pizza fix.

    (4)
  • Kaitlin M.

    I went to Bella Bacino's last night! I would have given in 3 stars-they had 2 local beer options and everything you'd imagine at an Italian joint. Nothing especially memorable, but solid. But unfortunately they got my order wrong! I wanted the broccoli deep dish and I got spinach. I hate cooked spinach. I let the waiter know, he realized it was the kitchen's fault, but also realized it would take awhile to get me the right pizza. I said it was fine and just picked around the spinach (aka had the crust). We got the bill, and... The spinach pizza was on the bill! Poor form. Not impressed. Too bad, because the crust was good! I bet I would have loved the pizza I actually ordered. Not the best introduction to Chicago deep dish :(

    (2)
  • Joyee L.

    This is only a review of management and ownership, not of food. I have been trying to get ahold of somebody to talk to for the last THREE months. No matter how many times I leave a message, nobody returns my call. I usually get a response along the lines of, "Oh! Linda [the owner] is usually good about returning calls." If this is any indication of how, they run the rest of their business, I would be very wary.

    (1)
  • Sienne Y.

    Bacino's Pizza is the best stuffed pizza in Chicago. I've been worshipping it since the early 90's. It's better than Gino's, Edwardo's, Giordano's, Lou Malnati's, Unos, Dues, and all of the other popular pizza places in Chicago. I've yet to taste a pizza better than Bacino's. One reason I like this pizza best is because the crust is NOT made of cornmeal like Gino's is. (Cornmeal crust is pretty tasteless to me.) It's a bread dough like Italian bread. They tend to undercook their deep dish pizza at 35 minutes so I ALWAYS ask them to add an extra 5 minutes cooking time. The crust is best firm like in Italian and French bread. If its undercooked, ask them to pop it in the oven for an extra 5 minutes or so. 35 minutes isn't long enough to get the crust firm. Enjoy a salad or appetizers because a properly cooked pizza is well worth the wait. This location is a great spot to chill, enjoy a glass of champagne or wine and take in the view of the river front architecture. Service is always great!

    (5)
  • Shauna L.

    Food is ok. But it took almost an hour to get a regular pizza. Service was terrible. Waitress ignored us when trying to ask for something. Won't be back.

    (2)
  • Lindsey F.

    I am very underwhelmed with the catering services from this Bella Bacinos location. Last week I placed a large order for delivery at a work related function. I spoke with two different employees to get the order placed and confirm the 10% delivery fee would go to the driver. Anyway, when it was already passed the time the food was to be delivered the driver called a different person in my office to say they could not locate the address. They were misdirected by this person to head to our office. I had the chance to quickly correct this by calling the driver to clear up the issue. The short of it is, I ordered early the morning of to get food delivered between 4:30-4:45 and it arrived at 6pm! They did not use the correct contact phone number and did not get the address down correctly. The worst part of this is the delivery location was max 3 blocks away AND I didn't even get a response from management when I emailed them to explain the service I was given.

    (1)
  • Anuj S.

    Last weekend we went to the Taste of Chicago and Bacino's pizza had a stall there. We had the slice of cheese and it was awesome. So today we ordered from Bacino's for delivery. I have to say, compared to what they were serving at the taste, it wasn't as good. The pizza is also quite pricey and they don't offer any coupons or specials. More specifically, I would say the crust was good, although when we had it at the taste it was much crispier. The cheese was good. The actual disappointment was the sauce. It seemed kind of flavorless or maybe there wasn't enough of it. By the way, I wanted to mention that it was a nice gesture of them to send us some complimentary cookies.

    (3)
  • Ashley C.

    Back in the day, we got the Groupon. This turned out to be a hassle. Between their different locations, they couldn't keep track of them and argued each time (and seemed annoyed we had a groupon). Delivery was just okay. Somehow once the guy was "lost" and our pizza was missing for about an hour after it was due. We felt bad for the guy, but weren't comped anything. This was just the accumulation of all the problems we had. Their pizza is substandard for what you pay and the frustration we had. We first tried their Broccoli Bacino. They threw on broccoli and some "herbs" and that was it - it just lacked flavor. Next, we tried their chicken and onion. The first time we had it was tasty, but was very inconsistent when we ordered it again. Frustrated, we tried the Canadian bacon and pepperoni combo which was just okay. Oh yes and had we not had a deal, two pizzas were going to be over $50 with delivery. Really?! All said and done: bye bye bacinos. [Note: there is a west loop location that has a pretty nice lunch deal and much better service from what I've experience here.]

    (1)
  • Juanita C.

    Service & ambiance was great! Food was not good at all. I had their beef tenderloin, the sauce was not good, the spinach had a weird taste (I love spinach by the way), & the steak was too salty. One of my friends had another pasta dish and stated her dish was salty as well... I also had a drink, one that had ginger (I love ginger as well), but this drink had way too much ginger it left a horrible after taste. I think this place has a lot of potential but they should re evaluate some of their cooking and drinks...

    (2)
  • Eva G.

    The food was spectacular, location is great for people who are downtown, tons of outdoor seating, and great overall service!

    (5)
  • Lorena M.

    Came to Chicago for the first time this weekend and loved it! While we were there I wanted some italian food after walking around and site seeing all day so we checked out some places in the area and found this place only a couple blocks from the hotel. It sits inside the Intercontinental Hotel and there is outdoor seating for warm weather. For a Saturday night we were promptly seated by the hostess in a small booth for 2. The place was busy but not horribly packed. Our server took our drink orders right away and we both ordered the house wine, Pinot Noir, which was good as far as a house wine goes, each glass is $10. After looking over the menu's (you are provided the dinner menu and deep-dish pizza menu) We decided on the calamari to start off with and we were brought fresh tomato basil bread with EVOO to dip it in. The calamari had a light breading with a cocktail sauce for dipping, It was pretty good and not rubby or chewy. For our entrees I ordered the rigatoni with italian sausage and my boyfriend ordered the penne bolognese. The servings were pretty large with plenty of sauce and my order included slightly spicy, thinnly sliced italian sausage over pasta and red sauce with melted cheese and plenty of sauce. His bolognese sauce was thick and tasted like it had cream mixed in with the red sauce which gave it a nice, creamy sauce. This place is family owned and you can tell, it has a nice homey feel to it in the middle of the Magnificent Mile so if you wonder by, go in and grab a bite.

    (4)
  • Blake M.

    My wife, daughter, and I had a great time at Bella Bacino's. I called ahead to ask if they had room for a stroller, and they were very accommodating. When we got there, the hostess said "You must be the stroller people," and took us to a table prepped for us. The food was great. I had Chicago-style pizza, and my wife had some fancy chicken with truffle sauce. The meal took a while to get there, because the pizza had such a long cook time, but the service was great. Our waiter even made our drinks free since we had to wait a bit longer than he anticipated. Sometimes it's hard to eat out with a baby, but the folks at Bella Bacino's were very friendly and helpful. We look forward going there again next time we visit the windy city.

    (5)
  • Jay L.

    They delivered to our hotel which was awesome. There was a little trouble with the delivery but it was lolla weekend and I ordered last minute so I was able to over look that after we started to eat. Pizza was good. We ordered stuffed spinach. Also they brought paper plates and plastic ware which was thoughtful. The menu on yelp was wrong I'd go to the website.

    (4)
  • Naomi E.

    This is some of the best pizza anywhere ever. But I have to admit that I was really turned off by the 'look' of this place. I just don't get image they are going for and when I saw it from outside I almost didn't go in - but Yelp reviews persuaded me! Service was pleasant but just a little slow.

    (3)
  • Lindsey S.

    My husband ran the Chicago Marathon last October and we stayed at the hotel right next to this restaurant. We felt like walking to dinner so we tried this place. It was busy and we had to sit outside which was pretty cold, but it was worth it. It was awesome! We both got the same thing, which was a pasta dish with chicken and spinach and we both loved it. Got tiramisu afterwards and that was good as well. Got a small deep dish pizza the next night and liked that too.

    (5)
  • Luke D.

    When Bacino's is on, their stuffed spinach pizza is among the best in the city. The problem is you just don't know what you're going to get. Your pizza might be great or terrible. It might be delivered hot or cold. The estimate for delivery may or may not be accurate. The quality of food and service here is wildly inconsistent. There are just too many steadily solid pizza places in Chicago to roll the dice with Bacino's.

    (2)
  • Rachel M.

    Ordered online at 6:30, delivery service reported fastest delivery time would arrive at 8:10. Accepted because we heard good things about the pizza -- huge mistake! At 8:15, we got a call from the restaurant -- there had been a "mix up" in the kitchen and the pizza would take another half an hour to arrive. When we told them that we'd already been waiting nearly two hours, they apologized and offered to comp our entire meal. When the delivery driver showed up, he gave us $6 in cash (the meal was nearly $40 -- $15 each for two 10-12" pizzas) and five cookies (which we did not order)... along with cold, thoroughly mediocre pizza. That, apparently, was our "comp." Pizza is totally subpar, nothing special at all and certainly nothing to write home about. Agree with the other poster who warned against ordering online from Bella Bacino's. I strongly recommend Pizzeria Ora or Lou Malnati's over Bella Bacino's and will never order from them again.

    (1)
  • Sarah L.

    My office orders pizza from here all the time. Bacino's has amazing thin crust and deep dish! I love a saucy pizza and Bacino's is pretty generous with the sauce. We almost never have any leftovers when we have Bacino's. I have never dined in but it looks very cute and they have a nice patio set up in the summer months. Check it out if you are downtown and need a place to go for lunch. You will love the zzah!

    (4)
  • Liza P.

    I cannot tell you how the food is because we were never seated. I think it was because we had our children with us.

    (1)
  • Chico R.

    My wife and I started with the house Bacino's salad and as other reviewers mentioned, it was bland. Our stuffed spinach supreme with mushrooms came out about forty minutes later which I know can be normal for stuffed, especially on a weekend. The pizza itself was very good, I liked how they dice the spinach, it blends well with the cheese as the pictures of it indicates. The only drawback for us was the crust. It lacked flavor, kind of dry compared to others we have had that have a little buttery taste. So one star gets knocked down for the salad and one star for the crust. Since we live in Chicago, we would try others before we go back.

    (3)
  • Liza H.

    We were staying at the Chicago River Hotel (which doesn't have room service), and we wanted breakfast in. Bella Bacino was the only breakfast menu they provided in their "Hotel Dining" guide. DO NOT EVER ORDER BREAKFAST DELIVERY/TAKEOUT FROM HERE, especially if the employee taking your order starts making mistakes as he's taking down your phone #!! Also, be careful if you have NUT ALLERGIES as they mistakenly put walnuts on my breakfast! We corrected our order for him multiple times on the phone, AND he finally repeated it correctly back to us. What we ordered: Oatmeal PLUS blueberries, bananas, and brown sugar. What we got: Oatmeal PLUS blueberries and brown sugar. What we ordered: Belgian waffle PLUS strawberries, bananas, blueberries, and syrup on the side. What we got: Belgian waffle with strawberries, bananas, walnuts, and NO SYRUP. We also received a huge amount of toast, randomly?? ALL THE FOOD IS EH, AND THE BREAD ITEMS, AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID, ARRIVE SOGGY. When my boyfriend went to pick up the order, the guy was chatting on his cell and wandering around the restaurant. It seems to be a trend amongst the reviews: if you MUST go to this restaurant (i.e. you have no other choice), be sure to dine in, so you can send back the meal!!

    (1)
  • Joe T.

    Seriously the most amazing meal I have ever had. This is more of an experience than a meal. I was never a huge fan of deep dish, but this is a true exception. Tried the signature stuffed spinach deep dish and I just melted. The bruschetta was perfection. Everything was homemade from scratch too. They even had one if the best microbrew selections that I've ever seen in terms of quality and geographical range. The service was fantastic and they are full of tips and recommendations. Want to try an authentic Chicago deep dish? Well you found it. A small pizza is more than enough to feed 2 and the staff will tell you this too.

    (5)
  • Nora B.

    We only got delivery, so I can't comment on some aspects of this place, but the pizza was great! I can't believe i'm saying this, but the stuffed was as god as my favorite, Giordano's!!!! We also had the calamari app. and it was crispy and yummy, not at all gross and chewy like I told him it would be after the drive over here. There was lemon wedges and 2 dipping sauces! We will order again for sure and I will bolster my review!!! ps...even good reheated the second day!!!

    (4)
  • Dawn D.

    Excellent! Loved the deep dish spinach pizza.

    (5)
  • Nancy C.

    APPETIZER: Steamed mussels were exactly how I wanted them -- steamed with a bit of garlic and lemon, topped with some grape tomatoes and basil, and accompanied by two toasted bread slices to wipe up the rest of the soup. DEEP DISH PIZZA: We got the Bacino's Special which has Italian sausage, mushroom, green pepper, and onion. It takes 45 minutes to make (so buyer be prepared), but the wait is worth it. Crust is crispy and not overly doughy, the stuffing is well flavored even with the mozarella that could turn it bland, and there's a nice layer of sauce on top. I think their pizza tastes a little bit lighter than Giordano's deep dish, which makes for a more pleasant eating experience. Definitely would go back for the steamed mussels and deep dish...

    (5)
  • Kira M.

    Bella Bacino's is a convenient destination for a visitor staying at the River Hotel (i.e., me), the lobby of which the restaurant occupies. On our way back from dinner one time, my father expressed interest in a nightcap, so we stopped in at the spot before we threw in the towel for the day. BB's lovely, outdoor seating area offers pretty views of the river and is an ideal lounge on a warm evening. (Save, of course, when one of the city's homeless schizophrenics wanders by, loudly proselytizing. Awkward.) I wish I could wax as positive about the cocktails: I ordered The Rita, which, though initially sweet and tangy, had a bitter, chemical finish. Worse still, very little alcohol was present (if it was included at all). This Russian was not pleased...

    (2)
  • Eliza C.

    I came here for work-day lunch. The hostess was a bit brusque but our waitress was great. I was thrilled to see that they had a thin-crust margherita with buffalo mozzarella. I knew it couldn't possibly live up to Da Michele in Naples but I was immediately turned off that it came out barely lukewarm. I have serious doubts that they used buffalo mozzarella but the worst part was that the cheese was almost tough. It probably would've been a great day-after pizza but I won't be ordering this pizza again here. I might try one of the sandwiches. On a positive note, the bread was yummy and they provided balsamic vinegar along with parmesan cheese and olive oil for dipping. There is outdoor seating, too.

    (2)
  • Michelle M.

    Service was awesome even in a busy environment. Food was soooooo good. Hot, fresh, and flavored just right. Chicago pizza rocks!

    (5)
  • Jessica M.

    We ordered pizza for delivery twice from here and I think it was very good. The stuffed spinach pizza is really cheesey and delicious, although I can't actually believe that Charlie Triotter thinks it's "the best spinach pizza in Chicago" as the menu claims. I'm just not sure about that one. The thin crust is not really that thin, but still pretty good. But after having the stuffed pizza and the thin crust, I'd always order the stuffed from now on. Their special pizza is really good, too. The sausage is great; nice big chunks with great flavor that pairs nicely with the sweetness and crunch of the onions. It can be a bit slow for delivery. The first time it took about an hour and the second time it took almost two hours (and that was for the thin crust pizza which doesn't have to bake as long). But they did include two oatmeal cookies with our pizza as a consolation.

    (4)
  • kat c.

    Food was great, but least to say the service was not. Lindsey, our server, mixed up our bill and her timing was awful. She would come up to the table at odd time when we weren't ready to order or in middle of eating? I found that irritating!!

    (2)
  • Yashar Y.

    Phhhhhheeeeew! So I love Groupon, and 12 Pizza for 60, sure I can do that. But If i could go back in time and do it, I would never. Worst Customer Service EVER! Honestly, me and gf consider ourselves pretty chill.. we read others reviews, saying place X was bac service, and we go there, and are like "well that wasnt THAT bad" but this place is ridiculous! yeah I can go on and on. to make long story short, i live serioulsy 7 minutes WALKING from them, however, somehow my pizza on saturday morning at 1 was delivered to me 2 hours and 25 minutes late, and to top it all off, they forgot to charge my credit card, so here I am hung over, and the guy is asking for cash I dont have! yeah, good stuff! pizza is HEAVY on cheese, but besdies that, its a decent pizza. their deep dish is good, and in all honesty, the service inside the restaurant is good too, its just when it comes to delivery that they are a lil handicapped!

    (2)
  • Laura W.

    My boyfriend and I stopped by for dinner on a weekday night. The outside patio was full so we sat in the dining room. Like the other yelpers who stated they should have went with the pizza, I agree. We both got pasta; whole wheat for him and shrimp linguine for me. I have read great reviews of Bella Bacinos where their fresh healthy ingredients are raved about but both pastas we just average. The portions were a decent size and the bread with the vinegar and oil brought out before the entrees was tasty. Our service was also very cold and I think the hostess was doubling as our server so she didn't have much time to talk and chat with us, which let me feeling like they weren't concerned how the meal was going. Overall I wouldn't make it a point to return unless I was dying to try the deep dish pizza.

    (2)
  • Bill M.

    This is a good spot for some Chicago-style pizza as well as pasta dishes. It is located just west of Michigan Avenue near the bend of the Chicago River. The new updated Bella Bacino's has a sidewalk cafe here in the summertime, and the sidewalk is unusually wide in this area.

    (4)
  • Henry A.

    Came here with a group of friends a few days back for some pizza. We had some out of town visitors coming in and wanted to get deep dish pizza. We ended up choosing Bella Bacino's because it seems to be one of the only places downtown that takes reservations. The atmosphere in here is nothing special - pretty typical Italian restaurant decor and I was surprised that the place was actually kind of empty. The service was not all that impressive either: They forgot more than once to bring drinks that had been ordered and they didn't check by the table when some of our friends joined us late. Overall though, I thought it was acceptable, just should have been a little better. Now to the important part, the food. We just ordered pizza, which was actually very good. Especially the stuffed spinach pizza is awesome and I highly recommend it. We also ordered the "Special" stuffed pizza, which was also really good, but the stuffed spinach was by far the best. Pros: takes reservations, good deep dish pizza (especially the stuffed spinach), not too expensive, no crowds, reasonable prices, many good options for vegetarians Cons: sub-par service, bland atmosphere, no crowds, meat pizzas are not as not as good as the veggie ones

    (4)
  • Patrick P.

    By rateng Bella Bacinos 5 stars I do not imply that it is a Grand place with 100 items on the menu. It is outstanding for what it is, It is located in the Club quarters Hotel at 75 E Wacker drive.(see my review). It has a good North Italian type menu that covers all the bases. The dishes are always well cooked and interesting; the ingredients always fresh. Excellent espresso and a varied and interesting wine list. Full, well stocked bar. Pleasant and informed servers. They seem to feature their pizza, but there is so much more to the menue than that, great appetizers, entrees and desserts!. When I stay at Club Quarters I rarely find a reason to eat elsewhere. There are meeting rooms upstairs, and it is easy to ger a private dining room.

    (5)
  • Jessy P.

    Pizza tastes as good as it looks! Friends and I were having a drinking night, and were so happy that this place was still open!!

    (4)
  • Cheryl Y.

    Perhaps I should have gone for lunch? This place was connected to my hotel and I was hungry for breakfast, so I came here. The waitstaff was slow and didn't seem to even have a good idea of what was going on around them. I ordered the blueberry waffles -- now call me crazy, but I imagined waffles with blueberries in them, like blueberry muffins. I got some waffles that didn't taste very good, with some blueberries thrown on top. Maybe I'm picky, but blueberries by themselves taste much different then when cooked into a pancake or muffin. I ended up just scarfing down most of the waffle and some of the berries, then waited awhile for the check. One of the interesting things though, was that the clientle was ruder than the waiters -- many people made a stink about wanting to sit outside, and not wanting to wait.

    (2)
  • RN G.

    Let me preface this review by saying that I love the thin crust pizza here SO MUCH that the poor service we've endured time after time hasn't kept me away from this place. It pains me to write a bad review about this place, but I hope that they will listen to the reviews and address the poor service for the carry-out business. We get carry-out from this place about 2-3x per month and order the exact same thing each time. The order is not complicated, but over 50% of the time something gets screwed up. As an example, the last time we ordered we were told the pizza would be ready in 40 minutes. We arrived 45 minutes later and the hostess said she'd go check on the pizza. She came back up and told us that it was "almost ready." After 15 minutes of waiting we had to go back and ask her where the pizza was and she went and checked again. She came back and said "We gave your pizza to the wrong customer. We have to re-make the pizza." So we had to wait another 40 minutes for our pizza. This wouldn't be the end of the world, except for the fact this happens REPEATEDLY and they have never even attempted to make the situation right. During one of the screw ups they promised us that a manager would call us... six months later we're still waiting for that phone call. I think we'll try another location rather than continue to deal with these guys...

    (1)
  • Richa A.

    Legit deep-dish. It was never recommended to me by anyone in Chicago, which is a bit of a surprise, but it's the closest to me of all the other big names so I order it for take-out when I don't feel like cooking. I've never dined in here. One odd thing is that the pizza has been slightly different each time I've ordered it (actually better each time, so no complaints!)... The first time I ordered it, it was a little off.

    (4)
  • A Real Person Y.

    For a restaurant that primarily promotes they're Chicago Deep Dish pizza.... it doesn't have much of a selection. Their menus had more NY Style thin crust pizza... I felt decieved. None the less.... I got the Spinach and Mushroom deep dish with added olives and ground beef... pretty F'in good man. The atmosphere was a little too ritzy-high class for me when all I was going for was some pizza. Service was awesome, very personable and attentative.

    (4)
  • Kelly R.

    Have eaten here many times and the food was ok, but will never go back again, I got the worst case of food poisoning from eating lunch here.

    (1)
  • Chris H.

    DO NOT GO AT LUNCH!! We were staying in the hotel above and kept seeing tons of people eating here so decided to give it a try. We went around 12:30 on a Monday. It took an hour to get food, and about 15 minutes before the waiter even came by. They can definitely not handle a full restaurant. The waiters are assigned tables in every part of the place, including the outside, so they were running back and forth to all parts of the restaurant. With all this running around, I rarely saw them carrying food, but always saw them with dirty dished and glasses. It seems that they do not have bus boys of any type assisting with this stuff, so the waiters were responsible for everything. It was terrible. We finally ordered, took another 20-25 minutes to get the pizza (deep dish spinach), and it was not very hot, so the cheese already started getting solid. It was nothing special at all. As we were leaving the place had emptied out and the waiters were running around less, so if you decide to go...go later in the day.

    (1)
  • Andrew B.

    Good pizza, but kind of pricey! I've eaten in the restaurant twice and ordered take out pizza about ten times, and each time I haven't been disappointed.

    (4)
  • Aaron E.

    Had salads, deep dish pizza, and beer in the evening. Service was friendly and efficient, Perfectly acceptable (thought not the best I've had). Will have to return to try other things on the menu.

    (3)
  • Elmo G.

    Awesome value menu with a fun atmosphere. The breakfast omlettes are really well done, and come with toast and hashbrowns for about $8.95. You can sit outside and look at iconic Chicago architecture while you are eating. Dinner is similar quality, generous (but not excessive) portions. There's an old fireplace and sort of a row-house atmosphere inside. I ate there three times last week and the staff were uniformly polite. It does take a while to get your food, but it's worth it. Kid-friendly as well.

    (5)
  • Jess C.

    First restaurant we dined at our first night in the windy city. It was suggested to us by the hotel concierge. The restaurant was a good choice considering it was only two blocks from where we were staying and the cold didn't allow us to walk any further. We ordered the filet crostini to start. I had the pork chop with balsamic glaze for my entree. Two of my friends ordered two different pasta dishes, respectively, though I don't remember which one. The filet crostini was a great choice. It was like a protein brushetta - the meat was prepared just right....very rare. I enjoyed my porkchop. It was tender and they served just the right amount so I didn't leave feeling like I needed to be rolled out the door. My friends liked their pasta dishes but I didn't actually try it so I wouldn't be able to share my opinions. The service was very attentive and kind. Our waiter came back several times to check on us and refilled our beverages often. Prices were completely reasonable. We spent about $25 a person. There are so many restaurants we didn't get to try while in Chicago that I probably wouldn't come back to this place but it was nice to dine at least once.

    (4)
  • Eleanor H.

    I arranged a dinner for a group, with speakers afterwards. We used their basement room, ideal for this size (38), comfortable without being crowded. The décor is very attractive and the stained glass window, lighted from behind, keeps the room from being claustrophobic. The basement can be reached by elevator or stairs. We had an excellent dinner, choice of three entrees and a sandwich, plus bread and the delicious house salad, for a very reasonable price. (If we were to do it again, a buffet would simplify things because we wouldn't have to keep track of entrée choices when people RSVP'd. Bella Bacino's can also do a buffet.) The staff was great. The Events Manager helped choose the entrees to be offered and was very cooperative about all the arrangements. The service was excellent, very efficient yet unobtrusive. Bella Bacino's is a great place for this type of small meeting and if our group does this again, we will definitely go back.

    (5)
  • Leah P.

    Very good pizza and fast delivery! They always seem to forget something though, a topping or our soda. The thin crust pizza is not that thin, but still delicious. Great place for West Loopers!

    (4)
  • Suzanne E.

    The tiny, undistinguished bar is pleasant enough and right across the street from the originating southbound #6 bus (where you get on to avoid crowding). The house cocktails ((ugh, sweet tea vodka) seemed a bit pricey for what they were ($8-12), so I ordered a Manhattan, without specifying the bourbon or anything, and ended up with a $14 bar bill for one of them. WTF? This is not the Phoenix Lounge, where you expect that and there is some artistry and architecture involved that makes it work as a treat. I think this whole stretch of Wacker where the big hotels are has turned into a lobster pot of a tourist trap. I would encourage anyone, from wherever, but especially tourists, to give it a miss and walk south and into downtown more generally, or north into River North. Or, of this keeps up, to buy a bottle of wine at Binny's at Grand west of Wells and drink in their hotel room before venturing out for a long inebriated walk. Faugh.

    (1)
  • Cristina K.

    I had the grilled chicken panini. I just wasn't in the mood for pizza. Our service was just horrendous. We couldn't get a refill to save our lives. Others in my party ordered the pear and gorgonzola salad, which was, by their accounts, nothing spectacular. We needed to find somewhere close and quick with wine. They were close. They weren't quick. Perhaps I should have had the pizza the other Yelpers are raving about. I'm raving about very little.

    (3)
  • Kelly S.

    Although the food was good the service was bad. We got shoved in the basement either because we were not dressed up enough or because we had a child with our group. The waiter hardly ever came around. We ordered pepperoni on our pizza and when it came it was just cheese. However, we were still charged or the pepperoni. We were going to ask them to remove the charge from our bill, but we were waiting so long for the waiter to come back that we just left cash and left.

    (2)
  • Andrenaline R.

    I was staying at the Fairmont and the concierge suggested this place for deep dish pizza. The restaurant was nearly empty at 3pm. It was me and this old dude. You would think with just 2 people ordering, it wouldn't take that long. Wrong! It took 40 mins for me to get my pizza. When the old dude's pizza finally came, they got his order wrong. I came to Chitown for conference and hoping for an authentic deep dish experience. I was disappointed, because I've had much better pizza back home in California. Yup, I said California.

    (2)
  • Michael F.

    The stuffed spinach pizza is great, BUT DO NOT ORDER ONLINE FROM THESE PEOPLE. They take almost 2 hours to deliver when you order online.

    (3)
  • Den J.

    The location is great...truly on the Magnificent Mile...but nothing else about this place is great...chairs need refinishing...walls need repainting...food is bland and "lazy"...even the wine glasses are cheap "buy in bulk" type that look like the ones supplied when one holds a large outdoor function in a tent! Only positive...is that the large, greasy portions won't leave you hungry.

    (2)
  • Patti M.

    The half empty dining room at 8 pm on a Saturday night, along with the great restaurant review from 2003 in the window should have been a warning that this place was way past its prime. The 2 thin crust pizzas we ordered were inedibile. Although the spinach supreme was better than the cheese pie, that's not saying much. Plus when the waitress heard we were dissatisfied, she did not speak to the manager or offer to make amends. The bottom line is in a city with some great pizzerias this one ranks among the worst.

    (1)
  • Eric B.

    Decent food at a reasonable price. I got the Spaghetti Bolognese which was recommended by the more than pleasant waitress. I see others have had bad experiences, but mine was quite good. I stay at the Club Quarters often where the restaurant is located but never ventured in until today. There are a lot of great places in the city, but when time is short I won't hesitate to visit here again.

    (4)
  • Suburban R.

    classy. deep dish pizza joint. next door to my hotel- hotel 71.

    (4)
  • Erin C.

    Such good pizza! We order from here when we're at work - delish. I have only tried the thin crust, but after looking over the menu I really want to try the spinach deep dish.

    (4)
  • Karen M.

    What a great place to enjoy pizza and a glass of wine ! The outside tables along Wacker drive make you feel like you you are at a small cafe in Italy. The thin crust pizza is wonderful and the menu itself has a variety of Italian entrees and appetizers. The prices are extremely reasonable, and the staff are attentive and helpful in menu recommendations. Can't wait to eat there again!

    (4)
  • Mary W.

    I actually signed up for Yelp just so I could give this place a bad review! I work in the loop and me and a friend were craving pizza so we decided to check this place out. First off, we walked in and there is 1 guy taking phone orders, helping with carry out, clearing table and trying to be the host. Needless to say, he was failing miserably at all of these tasks. After standing for 10 minutes without the host/takeout guy/busboy even acknowledging us because he was so busy doing a million other things, we finally get seated at a table outside. The chairs were wayyyy too high for the table so it was really awkward and uncomfortable but at this point we are starving so we decide we will get over it. Well we sat there... and sat there... and sat there without waters even being put on our table. 10 minutes go by and a waiter rushes past our table and says that he will be with us in a minute. Well another 10 minutes go by and we still have no waters, no drink orders, let alone food orders have been taken and we had about enough so we got up and left. Any restaurant in the loop typically understands that people are coming there on a break from work so they try to keep your dining time to under an hour, well not this place, I honestly can't imagine how long they would have left us sitting there. So after wasting 30 minutes of my hour long lunch break, we went one block over and enjoyed some nice flatbread pizza at Emerald Loop (where we were in and out in 40 minutes).

    (1)
  • Kathy P.

    the spinach bacino deep dish pizza is awesome. I learned that deep dish can fit a ton of cheese. i think i may have relived that little caesar's stringy cheese ad scene at bella bacinos. it takes at least 40 minutes to cook a deep dish pizza, so if you want your food fast, call in your order. the bruschetta is also quite tasty and they'll give you extra bread, if you need it.

    (4)
  • Kayem M.

    BRING CRAYONS for the kids to write on the paper table cloth. The deep dish pizza takes 40 min. to bake. But when it comes, well worth it.

    (4)
  • Kathy F.

    I was using the groupon that my office purchased to order lunch for our 2nd shift crew and when I provided my groupon number, they stated that we are only allowed 2 pizzas per day. I referred to the groupon and it states "Limit 2 pizzas PER ORDER." I relayed this information to the woman on the phone and she referred me to her manager. Her manager then got on the phone and immediately had an attitude. He said that he knows what the groupon says, but it was supposed to say "Limit 2 pizzas per order per day." To be honest, I would have probably been okay with that (because the pizza/food here is not great anyways) had it not been for his terrible attitude. So I stated that it doesn't really matter what it was supposed to say, what matters is what it actually says, and that when we purchased the groupon, technically a binding contract was formed. He said, "Well it was supposed to say PER DAY and that's it." Nice- Classy AND intelligent.

    (1)
  • Jim N.

    Service was terrible, but the food was decent. I ordered their thin crust pizza (I know, in Chicago of all places!) but it was really good.

    (3)
  • Rachel C.

    Last month, I visited Chicago for the very first time. I stayed at the Club Quarters on Wacker and Bella Bacino(beautiful kiss) was located in our hotel lobby. How lucky we were!!! I visited other pizza places while vacationing but Bella took top prize. Their deep dish pizza was the best pizza I have ever had in my life! (This coming from an italian whose father makes homemade pizza all of the time!) We tried their spinach deep dish as well and it was delicious. I also ate breakfast there a few mornings and their ingredients are just so unbelievably fresh. I had scrambled eggs with asparagus and it was delicious! The staff was incredibly nice and if I'm ever back in Chicago, Bella Bacino will be my first stop!!

    (5)
  • Kylie C.

    If giving zero stars was an option, I would have chosen that. This was the worst service I have ever experienced at any restaurant in my life. After sitting for fifteen minutes, we were finally brought water and the waitress took our drink order. My boyfriend was then brought the wrong beer and didn't realize it until he opened it (it was the same beer but the pale instead of dark). We were still charged for it even after he told the waitress. She replied, "Sorry, I'll bring you the right one the next time." Wow. Next, the fire alarm suddenly went off and an announcement came on that said 'this is just a test'. I dont see how this was necessary to do during open hours? After this the waitress took our order where we ordered a thin crust pizza. It took a half hour to come out and it was stuffed crust. I dont like stuffed crust pizza so I was very upset. We didnt have time to wait for the correct one to be made so we kept it. Management did take it off our bill however we still had to pay for the wrong beer and no one ever apologized. This place is crap. Save your money and time. With all of the Chicago pizza available, find a place that has a waitstaff who actually know how to take an order.

    (1)
  • Heidi K.

    We had our wedding rehearsal dinner at Bella Bacinos and it was such a nice evening. We love their stuffed spinach pizza and my parents really liked the available private room, so it was a great choice for our dinner. We had about 25 guests and the downstairs room to ourselves, which was very cozy and subtly decorated. The food and service were excellent - we opted for a pizza buffet, which also included a large salad and bread (really good bread!!!). The pizza was cut in "sample" sizes so guests could try different flavors and two wines were to be served - the servers were very sweet to find a different white wine for those that preferred a fruitier taste. We brought in Cheesecake Factory cheesecake for dessert and the servers cut and served the cake with no issue at all. All of our guests raved about the pizza, half being from Malaysia and never having stuffed pizza ;) The servers really made the experience that much better, even offering to box up the leftovers for later - yum! Five stars for such a memorable night.

    (5)
  • Christopher B.

    We've stopped here a couple of times now while in town and enjoyed the experience each time. Food was excellent as was the staff. We sat outside and enjoyed a bottle of wine, salads and pastas. Espresso coffee with dessert was also very good. We would not order the creme brulee again.

    (4)
  • Oscar the Death Cat B.

    I think Bella Bacino's is supposed to be an "upscale" variation on it's other outposts further north in the city. You can get their signature pizzas here, and the menu is supplemented with classier/pricier italian dishes. The dining areas are nice, but up front in the bar area can get kinda crowded with obnoxious office worker/tourist types, especially on a Friday night. If you want to try their pizza (it's quite good) and can travel outside the downtown area, I'd recommend visiting their Lincoln Av location for a more casual & pleasant dining experience.

    (3)
  • H S.

    The food and service is HORRIBLE. I was visiting Chicago from New York City for business and I happen to be stopping by since my hotel was nearby. First of all, the service by the waiter is HORRIBLE. It took a while for them to take my order and glass of water, and utencils were not even ready when I seated. They brought utencils a few minutes AFTER they brought me a dish. And for some reason they did not offer me a bread prior having the main dish when other tables were served. Second, the dish that I ordered, Frutti di Mare (Linguini pasta with Mussels, Calamari, Scallops) was HALF COLD. As I was completing the dish, mussels at the botton of the place was HALF COLD. H-A-L-F C-O-L-D. Other ingredients were well cooked and the sause was fairly good, but the MUSSELS were HALF COOKED.I complained to the waiter about this and the message that I got from the chef was just simple apology through the waiter, not from the chef himself. Also, the waiter asked me if I wanted the check WHILE I was still eating, not even asking me for dessert menu. Apparently the restaurant taught waiters/waitress to make sure to collect guests' money ASAP instead of providing excellent services. Oh, FYI-, the Frutti di Mare is misspelled on the menu. I suggest updating the menu and double checking on the spellings. To be honest, If this happens in NYC, this restaurant will seriously go out of business in less than 6 months (if they're lucky). I will never visit this place again.

    (1)
  • Kar M.

    More great experiences here. We ordered a half-pepperoni spinach pie and ended up getting meat on the whole thing. It's the first time they've messed up the half-meat thing, and it picked off with no problem. But that + some spotty service have me knocking this place down to a still-darn-good 4 stars. Still the best pizza around, but not 100% stellar service. At $8, their Ginger & Maryanne is a tasty but small rum cocktail in a rocks glass, and the Shooter McGavin was a refreshing long island ice tea with more ounceage for the same price. Good selection of beers at about $5 a glass.

    (4)
  • Daniel C.

    Great food. That's all Ineed to say.

    (5)
  • Gina S.

    I've been to Gino's and Lou Malnatti's, and so far this is my FAVORITE Chicago deep dish pizza place! We sat outside on the sidewalk patio which is an ideal location on a summer evening. Our server was a little awkward and a little funny, and together the combination was hard not to like. We started off with a couple of beers. I had a tangerine wheat beer by recommendation of our server, and I enjoyed it. Clean, light and little fruity. We split a Bacino's house salad; the balsamic vinaigrette dressing was really good. And ordered a large Bacinos Special deep dish; Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers and onions. Our server stuttered a bit, just making sure he heard little ol' me correctly. He warned us a large deep dish is very, well LARGE. Perhaps a medium would be enough. I assured him, we really did want a large and leftovers are what it's all about. When the pizza came out, I have to say I was the one stammering. That is one large MF! Our server then asked if I wanted to take a picture as he plated our first slices. Here I am like heck yea! I whip out my camera and captured probably the best pizza porn picture (quote from Dan G.) I have ever captured in my life. Aside from a great looking photo, the pizza was orgasmic. Loaded with cheese (I would have been just as happy with a little less cheese), the crust was crisp on the bottom and the seasoning was really good. Both the hubby and I put a way one too many slices but we still had enough leftovers for 2 days. If the pizza wasn't enough, we got fresh mini chocolate chip cookies with our bill!

    (5)
  • Lynda F.

    I was really disappointed with my experience at Bella Bacino's. The good news is that the location is great and located by the Chicago Waterfront. They have an outside patio which was nice for enjoying the day and people watching. This is why I gave it two stars. I had dinner there on July 4th weekend and it was fairly busy. The staff was frazzled and as we walked in, a customer was complaining to the manager about poor service. We waited anyway and were seated in about 30 minutes. We ordered the polenta with mushroom ragu appetizer which was hard on the outside and very uncooked on the inside. We were also given plastic forks and knives because the kitchen staff was backed up. It amazes me that for a restaurant that charges $17 - $25 an entrée, they could not wash two sets of silverware. I also ordered the "fish in crazy water" entrée. The fish and shrimp in the tomato sauce was tasty but the mussels were not fresh. Easting an entire order of the mussels would have surely made someone sick. To top it off, the manager was sitting at a table nearby entertaining friends while her staff was struggling to keep up. AMAZING! This place is overpriced and overrated.

    (2)
  • Armen S.

    We sat at an outside table on a warm summer evening. At first they were too busy to take the umbrella down for us, but our waiter explained that they had just seated a bunch of tables and the food was coming out. Accordingly, it took a while for our order to be taken, but we didn't mind the wait. Watching the characters walk along the sidewalk is interesting. We ordered the nut and goat cheese salad and a deep dish spinach and mushroom pizza. The salad was great - and they split it nicely for us. The pizza filling was delicious, but I have to say that the crust was a little crunchy and tough, though it tasted good. The crust was better over at Pizzeria Uno - maybe we're spoiled. The Chianti was good. Overall, I'd definitely go back again when we're staying in the area, especially in the summer when we can sit outside.

    (4)
  • Mark W.

    Dinner tonight + breakfast for the week. :P A really delicious pizza that isn't a major hike from hotels in the loop.

    (4)
  • Jodi M.

    My boyfriend and I landed in Chicago last week and were starving but didn't have too much time before we had to get changed and meet friends out. We wanted some deep dish, but the closest place was a good twenty minute walk and we didn't have time. So, we found this little Bella Bacino's at the bottom of our hotel-how convenient! We sat down on the patio overlooking the city, but didn't really get noticed for a good 20 minutes. Once I finally said something, our waiter could not have been better. We got our wine and Bacino's House Salad (nothing exciting) and ate that while we waited for our Stuffed Cheese Pizza with Pepperoni. It was delicious! I am sure some natives are thinking to themselves thats not the place to go for a Chi-Town Original Deep Dish, but we don't know any better and really enjoyed it. We got a small and couldn't even finish it-we were stuffed, but very happily stuffed:)

    (4)
  • Stan L.

    i came here for lunch a couple times due to proximity to my conference... first time i had a panini (apple, brie, turkey) which was pretty damn good.. although when you have that combination.. it's really hard to screw up.. the second time i had their capellini.. the pasta was overcooked.. the sauce was really heavy.. and they drowned it in cheese.. i would avoid this dish at all costs..

    (3)
  • Steve S.

    I had dinner here with my brother and his friends. The food was good but not the best deep dish I've gotten in Chicago. I loved the location and the fact that it had wonderful outdoors seating with an amazing view.

    (4)
  • Philip S.

    Dinner here on 21 June. A serious disappointment. Cramped seating, salad out of a bag. Dry and uninteresting deep dish pizza. One of those places that survives as a result of tourism but does not deserve to. Our server was great and the beer selection good but the food was poor.

    (2)
  • Gary W.

    I hate one-star Yelp reviews, and I usually don't think much of the people who post them. I generally think they're either hack jobs from the restaurant's competition, or the reviewer treated the restaurant staff so poorly that they got exactly the kind of service they deserved. I can assure you, neither one is the case here. I have never written a one-star review, on here or TA, in my life - but I came THISCLOSE to leaving one for Bella Bacino's. Ultimately, I gave it back one star for the food, which is better than average - if you ever get to eat it. However, the service I encountered on three consecutive occasions (I was staying in the attached hotel) was so inattentive as to border on the offensive, so much so that I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone for any purpose. Dinner service on a Tuesday night: One would expect a salad order, placed 35 minutes before the pizza was expected, to arrive before the pizza, yes? Uh ... no. The pizza arrived - lukewarm - at the same time as the pizza, and the bartender explained that the pizza was actually ready before the salad was. Still, the pizza was tasty enough and I enjoyed half of it, then tried to close out my tab and take the rest back to my room. I was sitting at the bar, three feet from the bartender, yet it was IMPOSSIBLE to get the bartender's attention, even up to the point that he left the restaurant to deliver a couple of room service orders. (The bartender? Really? The one guy slinging drinks for the entire place, with three customers sitting at his bar, and HE'S the one who has to deliver the room service orders?) That was Tuesday. Wednesday morning, I decided to give them another chance for breakfast. Service was inattentive but not too slow (even though the restaurant was busy), and the food was okay, so I returned on Thursday morning; BIG mistake. A half-hour after I had sat down in the nearly-empty restaurant and ordered, my scrambled eggs were still not on my table and I had run out of time to eat breakfast. The waiter mumbled an apology, saying the "the cooks were downstairs and the elevator was broken" - a lame excuse given that people seated after me had received their meals. The kicker, though, was that the waiter did not offer a comp or discount for the coffee and juice I had ordered, or even ask me to come back to give them another chance. He simply dropped the bill for my beverages on the table. The manager would not even make eye contact with me as I left. I regret having to leave such a negative review, but I would regret giving the poor service a pass even more. While tasty, the food's three-star quality cannot justify the service at this restaurant. Avoid.

    (2)
  • Seema A.

    I order take out from here and take guests here. Its a great little italian place. Good for family, dates, friends. Amazing risotto and tiramisu. The chicken with mushrooms is perfect.

    (5)
  • Dru M.

    Being right next to our hotel...we found ourselves here a good amount while we were visiting Chicago. They have great coffee, very nice pours for their irish coffee and a good beer selection. We also ordered a few appetizers and they were tasty. Few downsides...it was a bit stuffy in there. Would have been nice if the air conditioning was on higher since it was in the low 90s outside. Also...table service in the bar wasn't as quick as service right at the bar...even though they were only a few feet away from each other. We didn't have to ever wait too long though... Wish we would have had a meal here...maybe next time.

    (3)
  • Cindy C.

    I wanted to try Chicago's famous deep dish pizza and a local suggested I check this place out. They have a bambino size that's perfect for 1 if you are hungry, but be prepared to feel full all afternoon if you eat it for lunch. It was suggested that I call in my order before getting there, since each deep dish pizza takes 30-40 minutes to bake, so I did. I ordered mine with canadian bacon, mushrooms and pineapple. It was perfectly stuffed with just the right amount of cheese and topped with the right amount of sauce although I would have liked to find more mushrooms, but that's me being picky. I ate the whole thing because I had been walking around Millennium Park and was hungry. Afterwards I had to walk all along Michigan Ave to walk it off, but so worth it! Hope there will be another opportunity for me to head to Chicago again and experience the food coma that is deep dish Bella Bacino's!

    (4)
  • Denise R.

    I used to love this place but my recent experience here was not so great. First the service was awful (besides the water guy, he was on his game). It took 25 minutes to get our drinks! The guy blamed the ticket machine being clogged at the bar but you would think he would've checked on it after 5 minutes. Anyway, the bread was good, but he forgot to bring us the olive oil (another wait). I ordered the 5 meat pasta which I love and is my regular dish. It was good as usual but the service was a major put off. Also, we sat inside and there is a huge hole in the ceiling covered in plastic and tape. Pretty tacky. And my last gripe was how dirty the booth was that I was sitting in, food crumbs all over and they didn't even clean it up. Still love their food, but they need to make some changes/updates.

    (3)
  • Dan M.

    Tucked into the first floor of a 1920's "skyscraper" on Wacker just off Michigan Ave, this is a surprisingly good Italian restaurant. It has few of the Italian menu standards, but features a number of nice pastas and offers credible deep dish pizza. Three things I like about Bella Bacino's: 1) Mushroom Ragu with Rigatoni / Penne Bolognese: These are actually two different dishes which I usually can't choose between. The Mushroom Ragu is filled with wild mushrooms in a red sauce that's not too heavy. The Bolognese is unique, a finely ground meat sauce that's mixed with cream and truffle oil. (My strategy is to have them add mushrooms to the Bolognese sauce). 2) Salads: The house salad of field greens is quite nice and good size. Spit it with your date if you only want a bite. Try the Warm Nut Crusted Goad Cheese salad too. 3) Outdoor View: The inside seating is unexceptional, but in the summer there are tables right out on Wacker, looking down the canyon of buildings and bridges that line the river. If you find yourself wandering along the northern edge of the Loop or heading north on Michigan Avenue from a walk in Millennium Park this would be my choice for a relaxed Italian meal.

    (4)
  • Dan G.

    Bacino's has become our go to pizza place for deep dish. I understand that deep dish is going to take some time to cook and still these guys get our pizza to us in under an hour. It is always still hot and we don't have problems with our order. We can easily get two or three meals out of a stuffed deep dish. What I really love about Bacino's is that their pizzas are consistent. That is a big thing to me when after extra toppings I'm looking at a $40 pizza. That has been a huge problem elsewhere (Gino's anyone?) but thankfully not here. We typically get the spinach supreme with mushrooms, garlic, ham and sliced tomatoes. The pear and gorgonzola salad is also really yummy.

    (4)
  • Cyndee T.

    Visited this restaurant for dinner with friends and had a great experience. The food is very reasonable for this location. I loved the portabello stuffed mushroom that we shared for our appetizer and the warm pecan crusted goat cheese salad was awesome as well. The bread was very good too. I'm already planning my next chance to stop here for lunch or dinner.

    (5)
  • Ali R.

    We ate here the night before the Chicago marathon and except for our waiter, the service was AWFUL. First, we had reservations (made far in advance) and they tried to seat us upstairs in the elevator shaft that had make-shift tables and was very bright. We said no and finally they seated us in the main restaurant that had plenty of seating. The manager was RUDE and actually had forgotten about us when we checked. She seemed very put out. She acted like it was brand-new information that the marathon was taking place. Seriously? Food was ok. No deep dish pizza on the menu so that was disappointing. Pizza was ok. Bread before dinner was burned. Salads were big and ample. Always had enough water. Felt rushed. Won't eat there again.

    (2)
  • Ali W.

    Was here for lunch with co-workers. There weren't that many people in the restaurant and the service was a little slow. We ended up having to take most of our food to go. I had the mushroom pizza and it was just ok- nothing spectacular, but the bruschetta and calamari were very good and fresh.

    (3)
  • Vivi W.

    Worst dining experience ever! Not only did we wait and wait for an hour for our pasta dishes, they missed our breads, dishes were bad. Waiters were rude when we asked when our food was coming. On top of that, our appetizer (mussels) came after the entree. They were not cooked right, or simply not fresh, because they tasted sour. My stomach didn't feel right after. The restaurant was not full on a sunday night, and i have no idea why they take so long. Someone at another table sent back their pizza. DON"T GO!

    (1)
  • James H.

    Our two salads were decent enough and not overly priced, But it took 30 minutes for the caprese salad and the Romano chicken salad (obviously the reason for the wait). Only redeeming grace was that our server was friendly and kept out glasses full.

    (3)
  • Patricia T.

    This cozy little restaurant is really wonderful. I am on a conference here, do not want anything big or too expensive . Hyatt concierge recommend this place. I must said this is really great . My waiter Francisco is really nice, friendly and wonderful . I just want something simple: like penne with broccoli with garlic and oil and add mozzarella cheese. It is NOT on the menu, but he made it happen. The food is sooooo group! Penne al Dante ... Just perfectly right! Can you imagine , francisco takes his time to make the order , willing to talk to the chef! Of course, the chef is great, willing to make the dish! Thank you guys!

    (5)
  • John G.

    The only place I ever rated 4-stars and only tipped 10%. Obviously, the food was great and the service on the patio was horrible.

    (4)
  • Scott T.

    Good, casual location for deep dish pizza, in the style of Giordano's. Their pasta dishes tend to be hit and miss, so I tend to stick to salads and pizza. BIG ALSO: they do take home half-baked pizzas that when prepared correctly, end up being pretty incredible. Follow their directions to bake the pizza the rest of the way but rather than applying red sauce to the top during baking, just brush the top with olive oil, adding parmesan and herbs of your choice. Then, after serving up a hot slice, ladle some sauce on top. The crust won't have that soggy layer of dough that you get from Giordano's; rather you get this flaky, buttery awesomeness that seriously needs to be experienced.

    (3)
  • Silvio R.

    Great pizza. Had the spinach supreme. Great taste and great service. Best of all the view sitting outside on the street. Spectacular

    (4)
  • Matty B.

    Bella Bacino's...this place is absolutely brutal. I ended up here by accident with some coworkers on a recent trip to the windy city. In a town like Chicago the bar for great food is going to be set exceedingly high. The woman who booked the reservations was sent there by the Hyatt's concierge, which is always a bad sign and I'm fairly certain this is the only way this place gets customers...subterfuge. When we first arrived I tried to remain open minded even as I passed table after table of disappointed diners. We were seated and a warm loaf of tomato basil flavored bread was quickly delivered to our table. It was the best part of the meal and had it not been there I would have run out of the place for my own safety. Appetizers: Fried calamari served with cocktail sauce- soggy and gross. Sausage and cheese plate- tolerable, but mediocre at best. Prosciutto Flat Bread- dry and difficult to eat as the crust would disintegrate and leave you with hanging dried pork coming out of your mouth. Minestrone- I don't think abomination is strong enough of a word. Dinner: I'll spare this section as no one at our table enjoyed their entree. Dessert: Skipped it. For the food you have access to in Chicago this place just shouldn't exist. I beg you to explore other options and remember if you're thinking this place there are a handful of other joints that are in the same general area and a million times better. Overall experience: D- The waitstaff was attentive and quick to address issues, but that's not why I go out to eat.

    (1)
  • Nick L.

    I had lunch at Bella Bacino's this week. The panini was OK. It was your basic ham and cheese panini. The stuffed pizza the table shared was nothing special. The waitress refilled our glasses of water more than any waitress or waiter in the history of my life. At first we thought it was funny but then it became annoying and disruptive. If I go back I will bring my own bottle of water and hide my glass.

    (2)
  • Erin J.

    I met a friend here for dinner recently. She arrived first and told the hostess she was expecting me. When I arrived shortly thereafter and asked the host if there was anyone there waiting for me, she said no and seated me outside. I ordered a glass of wine while I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally we connected over text and figured out the whole mess. She had been seated in a dark, warm corner in the back of the restaurant. So despite starting our dinner 20 minutes late, everything from then on was pretty okay. I got the rigatoni and Italian sausage; my friend got the capellini al pomodoro and we were both satisfied. I liked the fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies they bring for dessert; nice touch. Overall, it was affordable, the food was fine and the service was good. I don't have any real desire to go back, but you could do worse.

    (3)
  • David M.

    We were looking for good pizza in the heart of Chicago and Bella Bacino was recommended to us. It was a Friday night and the place was hoppin'. Service was still relatively good despite the capacity crowd in that they took our order promptly and delivered the food quickly. We started with the black mussels, which were absolutely delicious. The sauce, for which they provided a crusty bread, was really tasty. I would highly recommend the dish. Four of us shared it, as we knew a big, deep-dish pizza was on the way. We had the pizza half and half: spinach vs. sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, and black olives. It was a very good pizza and the crust was particularly tasty. I would have given an overall higher rating, but the wait staff was pretty much 'slap it down and run'. But as I said, they were busy if you consider that an excuse. The food was extremely good.

    (3)
  • Jackie H.

    Had a pleasant lunch here yesterday while they were filming Transformers 3 just outside. Surprised it was open! But, alas, the patio was closed to only movie crew...More on that later. Not terribly crowded for a weekday lunch hour...Were seated promptly and waited on soon after. I ordered the Turkey and Brie panini (with apple and cranberry) and had the side salad. Quite delicious! Loved the creamy, melty brie with the slightly smoky turkey. And apples are always a favorite of mine! The house dressing on the side salad was satisfying as well. The service was okay...Our server was around and quick, yet seemed kind of indifferent and bored. He forgot to bring out sweeteners with the iced tea. Maybe it was just an off-day, or maybe the movie filming outside was a distraction. Upon leaving, spotted on the "crew only" patio was none other than Shia LeBeouf. A good lunch and a celebrity sighting made for a pretty decent afternoon!

    (4)
  • Mark G.

    Fair warning on this review...I've only had pizza and no other menu items. This is the best pizza option I have found in the Michigan/Wacker area (I'm not a huge fan of Giordano's). I had a small thin crust sausage and pepporoni that I ordered for carry out. It was ready in 20 minutes, which is good considering I placed the order at 11:55am on a weekday. The crust was a little bit hard and cracker-y but the rest of the ingredients were spot on. I would recommend this place for pizza in this area over any other nearby spot.

    (4)
  • Gonzalo B.

    We went here twice while in town for a couple 3 days, mostly 'cause it's in the hotel we stayed at. First stop we made after checking in, needed a quick lunch bite. Had a couple of the pressed panini's which were done very well, salmon and grilled veggies. The veggie mix was not what you would get in some places like say 50% onions, some carrot slices...here it was a nice, crunchy mix of zuchinni, squash, eggplant, peppers, some melty cheeeese, nice, crusty bread. The salmon one was a-ok too, maybe a bit more of the pinkie fishy woulda coulda. But both hit the spot on the dot, and the side salads was good greens moist and groovy good too. We didn't try the pizzas but based on what I saw wouldn't mind a buncha big or tight bites. Pasta dishes seemed to have other diners smiling the smile as well. We were leaving and had a few moments before our ride to the airport. I was starvin' and decided on the aforementioned panini yet again...and, threw in the Polenta with Mushroom Ragu. Get this, and smile. Get this, and feel warm and fuzzy, with some tongue tingles to mingle. Ask for some bread and spread this on it and grin down to your chin. It's a toothsome treat, the combo of sauce, 'shrooms and polenta done right. The panini was even better this time, too! Yeah, the place is a bit beat-down. So's the hotel it's in...but it's an historic building in a fantastic location. It's not all glossed out, but hey, there are plenty of places that have the look and no substance. Also, both our servers were very good, service was prompt, I was actually surprised how quick things went when I said I hadn't eaten all day and was about to catch a ride out of town...well done, all around.

    (4)
  • Jen B.

    Don't EVER order delivery from here! I ordered a sandwich through grubhub and it took 2 hours to get here. It was the grossest, soggiest mess ever. What a waste of money. I've never actually eaten at the restaurant. I'm sure the food is decent. It sounds pretty good. But delivery is a terrible idea.

    (1)
  • Hemant M.

    Italian menu is great. The bruschetta was really good. The calamari came with a cocktail sauce, hmm really. So ordered the red sauce. Anyways, the food was great overall. Do not expect a first class service but expect great service. Hey, it is really casual dining.

    (4)
  • April P.

    Cheers to the person who struck up this place. The food is phenomenal, esp the pasta. Had lunch here with my cousin a few weeks ago. She had the wheat pasta with fresh broc. Tasted very fresh!!! I had some special ordered Lobster ravioli with the vodka sauce. Can i just say???? HEAVENLY....OH. MY. GOD! The ravioli did taste, as menu says, made fresh daily. And the vodka sauce was rich and creamy, borderline alfredo-ish with some cream mixed in. The bread here is soft and great accompimant to their pastas. Have to go back to try their appetizers Also, service was promt for all the Loop Lunchers hurrying back to their desks. Meal was served very quickly Best part was that all their pastas for lunch are offered in half order sizes. Sa-weet! That way, i can go back to the office feeling satified, but not ready to fall asleep from food induced coma. Half order plus iced tea was less than $9 after tax, before tip. Can't get any better....

    (5)
  • Amy B.

    I am surprised by some of the really poor reviews for Bella Bacino's. I enjoyed the food here much more than Rosebud's. This was a recommendation from the front desk at Hotel Monaco around the block. It was late (after 9pm) and it was a Sunday and we were starving for something Italian and nearby. I'd give this 3.5 stars. I think I would have enjoyed sitting inside, but my husband insisted on sitting outside. The outside area is nothing special, but it works. The waitress was fine, not spectacular, not overly friendly, but not bad. We ordered the calamari. I can see why some people may not like this. It is only the rings, not the big globs of squid, but I thought it was fine. It was not soggy or rubbery and the portion was quite large. Definitely not the best, but better than many, as many places don't do calamari well. I had a house salad, which was large and tasty. I love salads and get them most of the time when I go out. The portion was large and the dressing was good. It was fresh and I did not see anything wilted. We had to request bread, although the menu said it was included with our pasta entrees. I was a little annoyed at this, but I've run across this frequently as of late. If the menu says "includes bread" please bring me my bread! That being said, it was nothing really special. It was fine, but not garlic bread or something I would think you'd get at an Italian restaurant. It was not dry or anything, it was actually kind of doughy and comforting, but maybe more of a tomato basil taste? We both got the capellini pomodoro. We both thought it was very good. We were in the mood for something like "spaghetti." Comfort food. It was almost 10pm and we were so hungry. The serving was so large we could have easily shared. We both had at least 1/2 left when we were done. Overall I'd say we probably won't return as there are so many other restaurants in the area, but it got the job done. It was an average experience, but the salad and entrees were really quite good (this pasta better than the "square noodles" people rave about at Rosebud's. Sorry!). I was satisfied and felt like the prices were fine, especially for the size of the portions. The waitstaff could have been a little friendlier, even if it was the end of the night/shift. The pizza looked good....we didn't have any, but most of the tables around us had pizza and if I could eat pizza, I would have. Everything smelled amazing, too!

    (3)
  • Charles J.

    I'll admit, it's been a while since I enjoyed pizza at Bacino's. For the life of me, I don't know why either. When I think back, my mind immediately congers up visions of of sinfully wonderful stuffed spinach pizza. I've never had stuffed spinach pizza any better, anywhere! When I do get downtown for pizza, I seem to gravitate to my old lifetime favorite Pizzeria Due but I've just made myself - and Bacino's - a promise. On my next voyage downtown for pizza, it's Bacino's for their oh-so-good stuffed spinach masterpiece!

    (3)
  • Shanti N.

    This update is for Bella Bacino's delivery service. I have ordered delivery from here on two occasions- on both, the order arrived hot and even a few minutes earlier than the time quoted, if not right on time. Bonus stars for the chocolate chip cookies provided gratis with the order. I understand Bella Bacino's delivery includes wine and beer. I live close enough to Bockwinkels so that I can indulge without having to rely on Bella Bacino's services in this area, but it is great that libations are offered as part of the delivery lineup.

    (4)
  • #NAME?

    I've walked by here so many times, I live really close but just always forgot to try it out-So I made reservations this Sat. at 7, after we watched the fireworks we could go have dinner here- We got there early yet were seated right away-It was rather cozy, I like the atomosphere-Yet even here we were are the lucky couple to ALWAYS get the broken table the bounces around when you try and eat- Menu looked good, I had the ravioli with a wild mushroom sauce, it was good, it had a different taste, something I've never had before-My husband had the rigatoni and sausage pasta-One bad thing, you can half the pastas for lunch but not dinner, they are huge- Only negative is we waited forever for our bill, I think the waiter thought we wanted to sit there and chat but I just wanted to get home-I'll have to come back to try the pizzas-I saw a couple of the thin crust ones come out, looked ok, but not as golden brown as I'd like-

    (4)
  • Jamie S.

    Looooove this place! Went there today for lunch with a coworker. Our server was very nice and attentive without "overdoing" it. I got a caesar salad (which was ...meh...ok). I added salt to it. The crunchy wafer crouton was really good. I got their homemade ravioli which was out of this world. It was ravioli filled with ricotta cheese...? And then it a creamy alfredo-type sauce. Cheesy type flavor with roasted red bell peppers in it. Every part of the concoction was perfect. We then asked for our check and .... oh.. wait a surprise! You get warm, freshly baked mini chocolate chip cookies with your bill. FOR FREE! Delicious... I will definitely be back

    (5)
  • Gayatri D.

    I live very close to this place and I love it. They have a beautiful variety of wine and it complements the food very well. The staff is attentive, polite and very friendly. I had the 4 cheeses ravioli in a tomato and basil sauce. My husband had the pesto pizza. We both loved it. It's a small cozy place so we ended up talking to the people next to us and they loved their food as well. We'll definitely go back

    (5)
  • Boones K.

    I came here for dinner to check it out as an option for a group dinner planned for later in July. The dinner menu was not that exciting, pretty standard options for pasta and entree's. It seemed like most people were ordering pizza. Perhaps we should have taken their lead. We started with the Baked Portobello. The mushroom on its own was good, but the bread crumb and prosciutto topping was dry and the sweet pea risotto didn't add much either. I opted for the hand made ravioli, which was crab that day. The crab filling was good, but I was expecting fresh pasta and disappointed to see that they used wonton wrappers. The tomato sauce was also a bit to oily for my taste. My niece had the Cavattapi con pollo, which was dry and probably something anyone at home could have put together with a jar of Alfredo sauce. It seems like the thing to order here is the pizza, but there are so many places to get good pizza that I don't know it's enough for a return visit.

    (2)
  • Susan G.

    First visit to the city and I wanted to try a Chicago style pizza. Holy cow! Bacino's serves a fantastic pizza. The restaurant is gorgeous - very cozy and inviting. Our server was fabulous. Attentive and efficient. Not realizing how filling it is, we took a lot of pizza with us. Good thing. We went to visit my boyfriend's family after visiting Chicago and I wish we had more to share. They loved it! Thanks, Bacino's, for a wonderful dining experience.

    (5)
  • Kathy L.

    So disappointed! I am a big pizza fan but the pizza here really wasn't anything special. The service was great but our spinach pizza and bella's special pizza was sausage was okay. A total waste of a good meal in Chicago Given all the hype of Bacino's by friends, we were expecting something amazing but next time, we'll just have to do our own research.

    (2)
  • Shradha A.

    First, here are some facts to give you the full picture: -- Tried them at Taste of Chicago. And loved it. -- I don't traditionally like Deep Dish cheezy Chicago Pizza (i know i know) -- My best friend used to be a fan of the original in Naperville growing up -- So both of us decided to give the one in the Loop a try after work last week. Here's our experience: -- We had no reservation. The wait-staff was rude, wouldn't tell us how long the wait would be, and we could see lots of open tables! -- We still decided to wait and finally got a table. Our server seemed over-worked and about to fall down and faint. She was never around when we needed something. -- However, soon enough, there were very long lines waiting for a table. In summary, I would go here again, on a less busy night, WITH A RESERVATION, and order the stuffed spinach with "Less Cheese"! Recommended for vegetarians? Yeah!

    (3)
  • Cut Y.

    For my 1-time experience, I'll remember this place. In from out of town and could not have scored better: Got the stuffed spinach with mushrooms delivered. Everything I wanted out of a pie. I think I paid $35 for the one but it probably fed a family of 5 and I ate half of it and cursed the family. I would be a f***ing fata$$ if I lived near this place. I had read that Lou Malnattis could be overrated (it's probably a personal preference for what makes a good pizza anyway), so I gambled on this place and now I realize my intuition is awesome.

    (5)
  • Amanda C.

    The place was packed when we went and like some other people have pointed out the service can be less than attentive. Once we got his attention and placed our order things came out in a timely manner. The goat cheese salad was really good. The thin crust pizza wasn't very good. More like a cracker crust not like thin crust pizzas that I like. The deep dish pizza is the reason for the 4 star rating. It is not greasy at all, the tomato is more of a paste but it has a really nice flavor. What sausage we did get was spicy and good. The cheese was really good. One of the better pizzas I have had in downtown Chicago.

    (4)
  • Blythe D.

    Absolutely WONDERFUL! We sat out on the patio last night for dinner and the experience was perfect. Great conversation in a beautiful location! We started with the warm goat cheese salad, which was heavenly before sharing a pesto pizza. The caramalized onions were heavenly! Our server was friendly and attentive, but not overbearing. I'll definitely be back!

    (5)
  • Wayne L.

    We came here for lunch on recommendation of a co-worker for Chicago Deep dish. We had some appetizers and two types of Deep dish. The Meatlovers and the vegetarian. Both were excellent and if this is authentic Chicago style I really like it!!! The restaurant has a first level and a downstairs. It's in the lobby of a hotel but has a separate street entrance as well. The service was fast and the wait staff was polite.

    (4)
  • Nick L.

    Stuffed pizza was great here. The ingredients were fresh and the tomato sauce and cheese both weren't too heavy. Good crust. Also, the server was friendly and attentive without going over the top. In the end the meal turned out to be a bit more expensive than I'd expected, but then again, this place is just a minute off of Michigan Avenue.

    (4)
  • Dean S.

    The BEST stuffed Pizza I ever had in the USA'

    (5)
  • Isobel O.

    Some of the best deep dish I've ever had. Try the spinach mushroom and ask for extra sauce. We were 2 people and ordered a 10" and still had 2 pieces left over.

    (5)
  • Lola T.

    The deep dish pizza is still by far the best in the city. I find their spinach supreme with fresh mushrooms to be the best, but try them all! I've taking quite a few people here to show them how delicious their pizza is and everyone is blown away.

    (5)
  • D C.

    Had a deep dish spinach pizza with mushrooms and olives. My first Chicago deep dish. It was decent. One slice and I was nearly full. Two slices and I was stuffed. Two full grown men and we ate just over half of a small pizza (2 slices each) and had to take the rest home. It's basically like a cheese pie.

    (3)
  • Cindy C.

    Was attending a convention at McCormick and spending the nights at a nearby hotel. Late at night decided to get a bite to eat and didn't want to venture far from the hotel. A colleague had mentioned that he had eaten there the night before and liked it, so decided to give it a try. It was 9PM and was able to walk in and was seated right away. It was a weeknight and was fairly empty. My waitress was good - attentive. However, there were other waiters, who either were no longer working or just heading out, who were talking loudly to each other in the middle of the restaurant, handing off tables to each other, meeting up with friends and walking through the place, talking and joking - pretty disruptive and unprofessional. I ordered 2 appetizers. First the sausage and cheese platter. Pretty good. 4 different types of cheese served with dried apricots and berries and carmelized walnuts. One of the cheeses was smokey (not my cup of tea), one was a chunk of parmesan (which is not possible to put on bread) and the other two were so similar that I thought they might actually be the same cheese variety. Sausages - about the same. 4 different varieties, 2 very similar- if not the same. Other 2 quite good. I guess the main complaint was that they had run out of their special bread that they were known for. I thought I was getting french bread instead, which would have been just fine - but was surprised when I got pieces of plain old toast. Kind of disappointing. Next I ordered the gorgonzola and pear salad. It was very tasty. The various salad varieties and dressing were a bit bitter, but the sweetness of the pears was a nice balance. I won't be running back here again for dinner, too many other good choices available. The outside seating looked interesting though and I could imagine that lunch on a nice day could be fun and worth a try.

    (3)
  • Anne W.

    Great place that is affordable. They accomodated us really well when we had a party of 20 people. So.. great service and great for big parties! We ordered four deep dish pizzas (spinach and their special)... and various other things on their menus and it came out to $10/person with tip. The food was good too. I am a sucker for their spinach deep dish... much less bread and better cheese than other places. I didn't try the stuff on their main menu.. but I would imagine it would be decent.

    (4)
  • T S.

    My friends and I went here after the Gorilla Challenge (Chicago-based Amazing Race of sorts). We were soo hungry, but the pizza just hit the spot---great sauce and not too cheesy! The vegetarian one was delicious and the spinach one, did not OD on spinach. The best part was that she gave us freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies with the bill---what more can one ask for!

    (5)
  • Char Y.

    Truthfully, I am ambivalent about the place. We used our groupon to get a large thin crust pizza to go. We ordered the special with extra tomatoes, and the pizza was good. The toppings were notably fresh, with really good cheese. However, the crust itself is not up to par, being neither thin nor tasty. For $7.36 (including tax) it is a great deal through groupon, but I will order the deep dish spinach next time to see what else they have in stock. On another note, the view from the restaurant is truly breath taking, being next to the Chicago River under the tall skyscrapers. When it is beautiful out, it is a magnificent sight with the lit buildings against the clear blue sky. Amazing.

    (3)
  • Kevin L.

    My deep dish meter might be somewhat out of calibration, considering I no longer live in Chicagoland, and there's absolutely no edible deep dish pie anywhere in the DMV that I've yet uncovered. So on one of my rare trips back home to visit family, it's usually high on my list of priorities to find me some -real- pizza and beer to satisfy my needs. Enter Bacino's. I think the last time I had Chicago style pizza was at another location of Bacino's in Lincoln Park. It just so happened to be almost exactly one year ago when I was in town for training for my former employer. I fell in love with it then (which isn't unusual when I'm offered great conversation and free samples of beer by a business owner) so it seemed appropriate to bring the boy (who had never had -real- pizza before) to a Bacino's to try it out. Reservations were easy to make, although they ended up being unnecessary on New Year's Day. Even rolling in just before 1900, we were one of three or four tables seated upstairs. The joint filled up during the time we were there, but emptied back out again. Plus, there's a decent sized space downstairs (also, where the restrooms are located)... I presume they're used for private parties or when it's extremely packed. I especially appreciated the amazingly cool back wall made of various winery crates - I only recognized a handful that I'd seen in Napa, but it was definitely an extra special touch. The menu options include a variety of Italian dishes in addition to both thin and stuffed pizza, but I'm not sure why one would bother with any of them given the availability of deep dish. Or maybe that's just me being a glutton. Regardless, we went with a stuffed spinach special, and another stuffed with Italian sausage, mushrooms, and pesto. Note that pesto is not actually an ingredient offered on the menu for stuffed pizzas, but our server was nice enough to ask about it, and the cooks were nice enough to make an attempt at putting it in the filling at our request. In the interim, while we waited the thirty or so minutes for our pies of deliciousness to cook up, we caught up, had a couple of Rogue Dead Guy Ales (another discovery and love-at-first-guzzle I made during my last Bacino's visit). Boy is the wait worth it! Two medium stuffed pizzas among five boys and we -still- ended up with a whole three-quarters of a pie left over. While the stuffed spinach was amazingly delicious and spinach-y, the clear winner was the Italian sausage with mushrooms and pesto. I'm not sure why pesto isn't listed as a regular ingredient, but it is absolutely -amazing- cooked into a deep dish pizza. I kind of almost wished they used more. Yum! Again, being a relatively slow evening, we weren't rushed out after finishing (well, more like surrendering to...) our meal. Getting a twenty broken for change was readily accommodated by our genial server, and we got to hang out, tell stories, and laugh the New Year's Day evening away. Good times with good people, good drinks, and damn good grub (who can argue against -real- pizza?). This is what Chicagoland means to me.

    (5)
  • Ting A.

    it's a bold statement to make, but bella bacino's has the BEST thin crust pesto pizza i've ever had. ...EVER. (i know, i know, i'm a bad chicagoan for not liking deep dish.) it was seasoned perfectly, and the pesto tasted like it was freshly made. paired it w/a dark cherry ale, as suggested by crystal, the bartender. (crystal and gabriel are sweethearts; awesome attitude and genuinely friendly!) it was a chilly walk from the clark/lake station, but the food and company were well worth it!

    (4)
  • Teri P.

    I'm not sure why people persist in going to pizza places and having pasta, but they do. Do not make that mistake here. Bacino's is a pizza place with other things on the menu, but don't bother with the other things. Have pizza. In fact, have stuffed pizza, not thin crust pizza. You will not be disappointed. This is, hands down, the BEST chicago-style stuffed pizza anywhere. Don't bother with Gino's, Uno/Due, Giordano's, Malnati's...they're tasteless masses of gooey blah compared with Bacino's, particularly compared with the Stuffed Spinach Supreme. mmmmmm..... I did have a nice poached pear salad while waiting for my pizza one time. I would recommend that. The rest of the menu--no. Just get pizza, please. The ambience at this location is nice, the decor is vaguely Italianate. When it's crowded, though, it's CROWDED. In summer you can sit outside, which is lovely. The restaurant is pretty small, so be prepared to wait if it's busy--and know that it takes at least 30 minutes to bake a stuffed pizza (no matter where you go--if a restaurant tells you differently, it means they've got one already made in the back and who knows how long it's been under that warming light). Whenever people come to visit me, we always have a meal at Bacino's. Chicago style pizza does not come better than this.

    (5)
  • Food Mercenary F.

    Went there on a Thursday late afternoon. Service was decent. Pricing was decent considering everything else did cost an arm and a leg in downtown Chicago. Appetizer - Crispy Polenta and Mushrooms was excellent. Probably one of the best appetizers I have ever had. Creamy mushroom ragu sauce with parmigiana and Gorgonzola polenta (tasted like delicious cornbread). It was amazing. I am giving this place 4 stars based on that appetizer alone. I would definitely go back to Bella Bacino's for their Polenta when I am back in town. Entree - Spinach Supreme with chicken and Jalapenos added, Stuffed Deep Dish. Very good pizza. Rich sauce and fresh ingredients made this pizza delicious. Amount of cheese was just about right. Not overflowing to where you could not taste the rest of the ingredients. We got the medium which is huge for 2 people. Had enough left over for breakfast and lunch the next day. By the way, I am a fan of cold pizza as well and it tasted even better the next day. Conclusion - The best pizza I have ever had is still in Little Rock, AR, Dam Goode Pies. Buttttt, I would definitely go back to Bacino's and try more items plus the Polenta.

    (4)
  • Emily N.

    Great service! I ordered room service a few nights when staying in the hotel upstairs for work. the food is pretty good- had pizza, salad, minestrone soup, and various desserts during my stay. They surprised me one night with cookies, completely unexpected. Pizza was tasty, and the soup is always pleasing. I give them 4 stars as my pizza was a bit cold- but still really good. I haven't eaten IN the restaurant, so I cannot vouch for that. Seems very busy and hard to get a table so I just went home to my room. =)

    (4)
  • Kent W.

    Good deep dish. Certainly better than Giordano's. Good and friendly service. We all had pizza, so can't comment on other dishes. We did have to wait a long time for the deep dish (45 min+), but they gave us fair warning of that ahead of time.

    (4)
  • Libby P.

    I chose Bella Bacino's because my mom was in town for a conference and I wanted to find an affordable but nice place to eat near Wacker and Michigan, and she would be meeting my boyfriend. BB was fine on both counts, but the food is pretty unremarkable. The other reviews had suggested that the pizza is the way to go. Mom and I split a Margherita pizza while Mike had pasta with sausage, which the waiter warned was a little spicy. Mom and I also split a gorgonzola and pear salad. The pears were tasty and poached in red wine, though there was only a sliver between each of us. The Gorgonzola chunks were way too big and overpowered every mouthful--they needed to be cut in half. Otherwise the salad was fresh but not that flavorful. Mike's pasta came out piping hot, but our pizza was lukewarm. It is Neapolitan style, with a very thin, crispy crust. Fresh chopped basil was strewn everywhere and liked to jump off the pizza if you weren't looking. Each slice was topped with a mozzarella slice that purported to be from a water buffalo. The cheese was nice and salty, but a tad overcooked so you couldn't really get the authentic flavor. The crust was fine. The thing I like about Neapolitan pizzas is that you really feel like you're eating a *pie* with delicious, mingled flavors, but Mom and I have made better pizzas at home. We also had flourless chocolate cake that was more like a pudding, and I ordered two random glasses of white wine, neither of which were that good. They were too tart and bland. I thought this restaurant was serviceable. The decor was nice and our waiter was friendly as we took forever to order because we were catching up. He certainly bantered a lot with the other tables. If it hadn't been so windy we would have eaten outdoors and had a great view. But there are much better places to get pizza in Chicago, if you're willing to travel a ways. I saw a lot of businessmen eating alone and big groups that seemed like they were from out of town.

    (3)
  • Dan G.

    Came here on a Thursday night before last Labor Day weekend. The weather was beautiful and many people were dining outside, but my girlfriend and I opted to dine in. We were able to get a seat right away which was pretty sweet. We ordered fried calamari to start with because we knew the small stuffed spinach supreme (with mushrooms added) pizza we were going to share was going to take a long time to arrive. The batter was light, crispy and clearly done in-house and the calamari was pretty fresh (considering how far inland Chicago is). It was a huge portion so the price was very reasonable. Yum. :) After some 40 minutes or so our pizza arrived. After giving it a moment to cool down I took a bite and I started LAUGHING. I know that sounds like anything but normal, but I was so overjoyed with the flavor that it I couldn't control myself. Every bite after that I was smiling and probably passed out later that night with a fully belly and a grin on my face. Yes, it was that good, and when I'm asked what the best pizza I've ever tried was (happens more frequently than one might think), this quickly comes to mind when I'm fishing for a response. The service was attentive enough and the restaurant itself seemed well kept. I prefer this any day over Gino's East or Giordano's. Easily. The portions of everything we had were certainly worth what we paid (even though we got a small pizza, we could only eat three-fourths of it). If you're in the mood for a stuffed pizza, I really recommend getting one here, especially if you think the stuffed spinach is your type of pie.

    (5)
  • Lori F.

    We didn't have any problems with service as some others did. The pizza was great! I would give 3.5 if I could... sauce was divine, but the rest of the pizza was just okay... would recommend LM over this due to the divine crust at "the other place" ...but definitely the 2nd best in Chicago!

    (4)
  • Kelsey K.

    I've found that when I get food for free, there's usually a reason but I was totally (and pleasantly) surprised when this place showed up at my office with pizza. The thin crust was great. All the other pizza places downtown have crappy-ass thin crust, but they impressed me. The spinach and mushroom was great and the crust was nice and light, so it doesn't totally fill you up on bread. It's was a bonus that it was free but I would absolutely pay for this pizza! Best thin crust downtown, hands down. The deep dish was great too, but I was totally a fan of the thin, so that's what will keep me coming back.

    (4)
  • Corey B.

    Had breakfast here three of the four days I stayed in the club quarters. The food was good each day, but the service was awful. The waiter was ridiculously slow each morning. The first day he brought me the wrong meal. As I was doing my travel report I found that he gave himself extra tip (even though I gave an appropriate tip)! When we came at night to get some drinks employees complained about management. This place was just not well run.

    (1)
  • Alex M.

    If you can't stomach another meal at the Corner Bakery next door, Bella Bacino's actually serves a great breakfast menu. The belgian waffle is spot-on and the summer fruit bowl was perfectly ripe, filled with blueberries and raspberries. Coffee could be better, but the orange juice was fresh and satisfying. Lots of egg and meat options, too, with much less of a crowd than other Michigan Ave/downtown hotel spots. Family friendly, too, it seemed.

    (4)
  • Singha F.

    I was visiting Chicago for business and staying at Club Quarters (see review). I really wanted to try some deep dish pizza, and Bacino's has some deal worked out with the hotel where they deliver and charge the food to your room plus a service fee. It was pretty late and I was too lazy to venture out, so I ordered delivery from Bacino's. I got the Bacino special with sausage and various veggies. This was my first Chicago deep dish pizza, so I have nothing to compare it to. The sausage inside was really tasty. The pizza was pretty good, but definitely on the dry side, it needed more sauce.

    (3)
  • Caleb N.

    The deep dish and stuffed pizza here are as good as anywhere else in Chicago. The stuffed pizza is a particular specialty and is even more cheesy and filling than deep dish. And the location on Wabash along the river is unlike that of any of its competitors, although you do seem to pay for it. All in all, a classier take on a Chicago deep dish pizza joint. Well done. We got the bruschetta, but I'd recommend skipping the appetizers. You probably won't have room for them, and they aren't particularly good. On a nice night, definitely try to get a table outside on the patio to take full advantage of the location.

    (3)
  • Mary W.

    We ate here because it was in the lobby of the hotel where we were staying (Club Quarters/River Hotel). We came in on a Sunday at 11:00am and they weren't serving lunch--they were still on breakfast. But we were hungry and decided to go ahead and eat there. The food was WAY better than expected--the hashbrowns are buttery and crispy, the chicken sausages were awesome, and hubby's omelette was really tasty and cooked well. The restaurant was a little dusty, but not dirty or anything. The music they were playing was way too loud--it was still a morning breakfast service--I don't like having to shout my entire conversation to my husband. I really think that half the volume would have been better (and normally, I like loud music--this was just too much!) The service left a lot to be desired. The busboy refilled our drinks, took empty plates, and checked on us regularly. He should be made a waiter! Our actual waitress, however, was nowhere to be found. After she brought us our plates, she disappeared like Houdini. We waited for about 20 minutes for our check after we were done eating and we finally ended up having to ask the busboy to go find her before we could even pay our bill. I wish I knew the busboy's name--he's the only reason we left a tip at all. Anyway--if you don't mind the waitstaff acting like you're not there, this is an OK restaurant.

    (2)
  • David R.

    Stopped in at Bella Bacino's by chance. We had just stepped out of our hotel, Hotel 71, and it started raining. Since we did not want to run back up to the hotel to get an umbrella, we decided to eat at Bella Bacino's. The restaurant was packed by the bar area, but we were able to find a table in the back. The wait staff was a little slow, but we were in no hurry. I can see where it could be annoying if you were on a schedule and had to be somewhere at a specific time. The floor did need vaccuming, badly, but I'm not sure how that would go over with the diners. Now for the food, my wife and I had the chicken pizza and it was wonderful. It had a very tasty thin crust. Sauce was good and the chicken was grilled and also tasted great. We overlooked the slow service and mess and decided to come back for breakfast the next day. The service was quicker, but not by much. So I guess if you are wanting a quick meal before you start your evening, this is not the place for you, but if you want a place where you can sit and chat and enjoy a well prepared meal, then I would recommend eating here.

    (4)
  • Paul R.

    Service was a complete failure. We ordered two coffees and two egg dishes. The coffee never arrived and the vegetarian omelet my wife ordered was full of ham. Fifteen minutes after returning the dish to have it remade and yet to have the new one delivered, the server stopped by and asked if we wanted the bill! The food was dripping in oil, the eggs were runny and my bacon wasn't cooked all the way. The sliced toast was ok. Dinner service might be better and their pizza might be good, but stay away for breakfast! There is a Corner Bakery near by and even though their breakfasts are probably pre-mixed the outcome will certainly be better.

    (1)
  • David J.

    Family was staying down at the Swissotel on Saturday and the concierge recommended this place for pizza and pasta. Didn't sound very kid-friendly over the phone, so I walked over and placed an order for takeout. The place is small and so is the bar and seemed a bit chaotic, but so are most restaurants on Saturday night in Chicago. I had a Bell's while I waited. Ordered the chicken alfredo and cappelini pomodoro along with a couple cheese pizzas. Took ~ 30 minutes. They included a small bag of chocolate chip cookies for dessert. My wife and I both really enjoyed our pasta and the cheese pizza was good. I would definitely go back.

    (4)
  • Michael B.

    The service was fine. The warm goat cheese salad was very nice and the dressing complimented the warm cheese nicely. The fruti de mare was flat. No flavor to the scallops or mussels. Overall, ok.

    (2)
  • cherrychip b.

    Omg, I love this place! We started with the polenta and mushroom ragu appetizer and it was simply delicious. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Ahhh yum! Next we got the caprese salad. The balsalmic vinegar is fantastic here. Hubby finished it in like 30 seconds. Next was the deep dish pizza. We built our own with ground beef, mushroom, garlic and anchovies. We got the small but were so stuffed we had to take home 2 slices :-). And then complimentary freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert! What a treat!! I can't wait to come back to Chicago to eat here again! Next time I am getting thin-crust pizza or one of the entrees though. They looked delicious :-).

    (5)
  • Jess M.

    First night in Chicago on our vacation and the concierge recommended this place. I wish he really didn't because we asked for a family friendly spot. If you think waiting over an hour for your food is your idea of family friendly then come on down to a long and grueling wait. We have 2 small children and the service was horrific. We repeatedly had to ask for basic things. The only thing that was served promptly was water but the poor bus boy was berated by our server to handle some other mess that the server was too busy for. We had to ask for bread, our utensils, and the server didn't even get our order of salad. We were this close to leaving and just wanted to head over to Corner Bakery which we should've done. I mean our server was somewhat apologetic but you can tell it wasn't sincere. It was just lip service and I'm not the type to ask for much but throw in a free appetizer or something to make some sort of acknowledgment to us. I mean to even ask for the bread was ridiculous. I know they were busy and they had their hands full. You would think a manager would be circulating more to help out and assess the situation. Fellow patrons were downright upset around us and also astonished about the long wait! Once we received our food, it wasn't outstanding, where it was worth the wait kinda food. It was decent. If you want to wait for an hour for food go here. This place is definitely not kid friendly.

    (1)
  • Mary D.

    Great meal.....wonderful service.....Linda was our waitress and treated us like we were VIP......we had the grilled calamari, meatballs, the beet and burata salad & then split the penne bolognese......we had been to this gem about 4 yrs and went back cause it was close to the hotel. Will definitely be back next time we are in town.......hope the limoncello will be ready.

    (5)
  • Erica H.

    Do not make online reservations, they will not honor them. Got to the restaurant only to be told that they don't look at the online reservations and that we would need to wait 40 minutes for a table. Also, did not get an apology.

    (1)
  • Bill G.

    Pizza might be good but the service is the worst. Don't go there if your hungry . We got seated and were forgotten and no served any thing except the menu. She totally ignored us and concentrated do not a couple next to us . After 20 mins we walked out ,I guess they don't care about customer service,. When I approached her about this , she smirked and appeased me. Don't waste your time in this place there are so many better places.

    (1)
  • Elaf W.

    Walked in expecting the place to be packed, especially on a Friday night...we got a little worried when we found some empty tables...thankfully, the food was AMAZING. Especially the stuffed pizza aka the deep dish pizza (make sure you ask for the "other" menu)...definitely better than Lou Malnati's, more flexible for those of us that can't have pork products! Only downside is that the food took 45 mins-1 hour to come out, which I guess is good since it means the food is probably fresh. Overall, I think I'd come back here again...I'd order it ahead of time and pick it up so I don't waste time waiting.

    (4)
  • Brock R.

    I was refused service both nights while staying at the hotel it is located in (Club Quarters) for the Chicago Marathon. On the night before the marathon, they had a limited menu at higher prices then our room service prices that wasn't in our room service book. Our hotel didn't even know about it. The restaurant claimed they couldn't honor room service at 7, and close at 10. I understand that they were severely understaffed and couldn't honor all requests, but it shouldn't come as a surprise for an Italian restaurant the night before a marathon with 45,000 participants to be as busy as a Mother's Day, if not more. The night after the marathon, at much lower capacity, they refused to serve us at 9:40 when they close at 10 because the kitchen had "closed" at 9:30. This is not indicated anywhere on their signage.

    (1)
  • Shyrra B.

    I enjoyed it. Neither of my dishes was as expected, but still tasty. I think I would be wholly satisfied if they bought down the price of the flat bread pizza. I wasn't a fan of the cheese they use, and there isn't much that goes into the ingredients to justify the price (imo) other than that the staff was all super friendly.

    (4)
  • Blair D.

    Ate here because we were staying in the hotel. My friend and I both had the create your own pasta- whole wheat spaghetti, hers with pesto sauce, mine with light Alfredo. It was pretty bland and lackluster. Not bad but not good either, just kind of blah. We also had the bruschetta, which was good. I can't speak on any of the other dishes. Other than that, it wasn't bad. Decent service, nice atmosphere, etc.

    (2)
  • David K.

    One of my favorite Chicago Pizza places. Excellent Stuffed Pizza, excellent service. It's located right on the corner of Michigan and Wacker, right next to the Wyndham Grand Riverfront Hotel, which is an excellent place to stay btw. :)

    (5)
  • Craig Z.

    Had a pretty good pizza last night. They actually were willing to deliver to us on the edge of millennium Park, which was great because we wanted it for a picnic at the jazz festival! The guy showed up exactly where he was supposed to be, almost exactly at the time had estimated. We got a stuffed pizza, half-and-half with two different ingredients on each side, and I was happy that they made it correctly. It was very good, though I would say there was too much cheese on it. They also sent a bunch of cookies, which was very nice. I don't know if they sent them to us in particular, or if they always something, but it was a nice touch either way.

    (4)
  • Annette F.

    Wonderful food. Great service. Been coming here for 7 years. Favorite food -Fruite de Mer. And deep dish pizza. Yum!

    (5)
  • roxanne m.

    We specifically asked the waiter for an ultra thin crust pizza. We were interested in several on the menu and he stated we could get any toppings on any type of crust. After 45 minutes, our cold food finally came and the crust was thick. The argumentative waiter said we never ordered an ultra thin crust. During the 45 minutes, we had to ask for silverware, water, and my husband had to go to the bar and get his own beer. There were only a few tables that had customers so it wasn't even busy.

    (2)
  • Melinda R.

    I did not have a good experience at this restaurant. I'm not sure if it was just an off night for them, because I only came here once, but I would not recommend visiting. I came as part of a larger group (11 people) for dinner one night in September. I didn't want pizza, so I opted for what I hoped would be a 'healthier' option: salmon and veggies. We were able to get our orders placed fairly quickly, but that's about the only thing that went well. I had to ask for a water and tea refills constantly, as no one would come by to refill either. I spent more than half the meal without a drink, waiting for a refill (and waiting for the waiter to bring the requested beverages). I'm assuming a table of 11 is auto-grated, so perhaps he didn't care if we got any attention (not sure). When the food finally came, never have I ever been more disappointed in the presentation of food. The salmon (listed as wild caught Alaskan on the menu) was clearly farm raised-strike 1 (I only want wild caught salmon because farmed raised is pumped FULL of terrible things). The 'sauce' the fish was cooked/drowned in literally made the dish look like a soup, and was primarily with a heavy cream- strike 2 (who eats salmon with a heavy cream sauce?) The 'fresh veggies' on the side consisted of cold, previously frozen asparagus and halved cherry tomatoes- Strike 3 (FRESH does not mean frozen. period). Regardless, I tried to salvage what I could of the fish, but the sauce was so overwhelming that it made the whole dish inedible. Again, I was waiting or a refill of both water and tea while trying to choke down my meal- strike 4 (gag). I was completely and thoroughly disappointed with my visit here, and would not recommend you visit either if you have any choice.

    (1)
  • Brandon B.

    On a Saturday evening I wasn't expecting to find an Italian place with a seat, but the Yelp app led me here, and we had immediate outdoor seating. Granted it was a cooler night and the tiny heat lamps that attempted to warm the air were like spitting in in the wind. However it was an amazing view of my favorite corner of Chicago while dining on surprisingly good and ample portioned meatballs and pasta. Waiter came somewhat infrequently, the outdoor part was probably understaffed and a large party came to sit out there too. Get a reservation if you want to sit inside. Too full for dessert. Appetizer was a bit overpriced (isn't bruscetta always?) but nicely toasted big bread slices and chunky tomatoes hit the spot.

    (4)
  • Shan D.

    I am not the biggest fan of deep dish, but this place has a great spinach one. This place probably is underrated because it's not as talked about than the well-known famous deep dish spots. Not a bad place to check out if you're in the area and craving deep dish

    (4)
  • Margaret C.

    Magnificent!!! Restaurant Week Menu.5courses plus wine-$44- worth every dime! Let's elaborate- antipasti course of crisp polenta w/ mushroom ragu (vegetarian). Salad, First plate-Duck ravioli w/ mushroom sauce. Second plate- Veal or Shrimp wrapped w/ prosciutto. Finished off w/ Tiramisu with fresh berries

    (5)
  • Giovanni O.

    Great pizza. If you want a stuffed pizza, in my experience, this is WAY better than Giordano's.

    (5)
  • Jen T.

    We had breakfast twice since our hotel was next door. Quiet and cozy but we eat early at 8am and the days were weekdays. We both ordered omelets each time. I got the mushroom, spinach and goat cheese with egg whites both times. Any time I see goat cheese on the menu, I must must must have it. I love goat cheese. It's creamy and goes with everything- well in my opinion. ;-) Service was fine. The server only got behind when he had more than three tables. Affordable and convenient joint. Heard their pizza was good but didn't get a chance to try since there are too many places to eat here in Chi-town and so little time :-(

    (4)
  • Shannon R.

    I just had a really nice dinner here with a group of 7. No reservations and it took them 2 minutes to set up and seat us. Our waitress was sweet and did an excellent job handling our group. The appetizer bread was unique and delicious. I ordered the ravioli and you get to choose your sauce. I went with tomato cream and it was delicious. I found this to be a quaint little Italian restaurant that would have been better suited for a romantic date night than a group of 7, but nonetheless I'll just have to bring my husband back!! The restrooms are downstairs and I noticed a larger dining room down there as well ( might be for party rentals? Not sure).

    (4)
  • Jacob A.

    I've been coming here for a number of years after a friend introduced me to the place. This place has great stuffed pizza! They always manage to put the right amount of ingredients in their stuffed pizzas. I've had other items on the menu which are good but we come here or get delivery for the stuffed pizzas. When it gets warm they have a nice patio in the front which is usually packed full of people. Come here and try it out!

    (5)
  • Jonathan M.

    Food was perfectly decent, but unremarkable. I got a takeaway pizza, just to try the deep dish while in Chicago. I started eating it within 5 minutes, and it had already cooled down a bit, so I take my part of blame for that. What I didn't enjoy was waiting 30+ minutes for a takeout in a not so busy restaurant.

    (3)
  • John G.

    Breakfast review. Based on reviews it looks like this place is good for pizza. I can say very confidently that you should STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE FOR BREAKFAST. After everything around was packed around breakfast time, we decided to head back to the cafe by our hotel (Bacino) for something easy. Our expectations were already very low, but this place still plummeted. Boy do we regret this meal. Worst service and food my girlfriend and I have ever had at breakfast/brunch. Our waiter was rude, spent a total of 15 seconds at our table, and we had to ask for coffee from another waitress since we had no idea where ours was. The only time he said anything nice was "Thank you" when he dropped the check off and was hoping for a tip. The french toast was the blandest crap I have ever tasted and not even a ton of syrup could help. I don't know why this place even opens for breakfast. I'm not going to waste any more time with this review.

    (1)
  • Mike H.

    Loved the thick crust and thin crust. We had a great meal an very good service. Healthiest pizza, real cheese and fresh ingredients. Manager was very nice and accommodating. My new favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago. Can't wait to come back and try the other Italian dishes.

    (5)
  • Meredith P.

    Of course on a visit to Chicago, you have to try some of the pizza. Unfortunately, my husband is the one person in the world that I've met that doesn't like pizza. So I had to plan, cause I only had one shot! I checked and checked and checked all of the usual places people talk about for deep dish pizza. All of those places seemed to have reviews that include the word (words?) overrated. So when I stumbled on this place it looked like a great choice. Good reviews and not as hyped so not as crowded. When we got there (on a sunday at 11ish) the hostess said they were actually still serving breakfast (not pizza :( yet) but that she would go ask the chef. She came back and said the chef's answer was "how can I say no?". They actually didn't have the pizza oven on yet, but heated it up for us, so I was super grateful! I just built my own personal pizza with different toppings (they do have specialties too) and it was delicious! The hubs opted for a regular crust pizza, but he enjoyed it too. I definitely recommend this place, and I hear they have brunch too haha!

    (4)
  • William B.

    The rating is solely based off of the managers rudeness in regards to their bait and switch Groupon. We purchased the dinner for $60 Groupon and we were shocked when they brought out a special menu which was three appetizers (brushetta, salad, and something else) and three dinner options (a chicken, and two pastas). When we told the waitress the Groupon does not have this menu on it she informed us they have had lots of issues with it and said she would get the manager. That's when he walked up did not say hi, did not introduce himself, he just laid a piece of paper on the table and pointed to the heading and said it says it right there and walked off. Well it says Prix Fixe dinner for two. I like how the important part is written in Italian. I am guessing he was agitated because he probably has to do that 100 times a day since the Groupon does not have any info of the "special menu" in the narrative it just nicely conceals it in Italian where you would never pay attention. If it is an issue with everyone maybe you should fix it and not be rude Mr. Manager. Needless to say we left and canceled the Groupon. It is a shame too considering I live two blocks from there and if he was not so rude we would have stayed and maybe been return customers. But he did'nt and we will never go back there again. The place was very hot as well. So tip do not buy the Groupon without finding out what the special menu is and if you want Italian RPM, and Volare are better choices.

    (1)
  • Brad L.

    This rating is for the Chicago style (AKA stuffed pizza) only. I've lived in this area two times in my life and my parents live downtown so we've experimented a lot trying to find the best out there. That would include places like: Lou Malnati's, Giordano's, and Pizzeria Uno. THIS IS THE BEST. Fresh ingredients, talented cooks, professional waiting staff, and football games are always playing above the bar (Don't worry wives, none are in the actual dining area).

    (5)
  • Mike D.

    The deep dish pizza is great! We are not native it Chicago so this is from a tourist perspective. Please note you have to special request the deep fish menu. The pizza on the regular menu are not "Chicago style". The pear and Gorgonzola salad as well as the brochettes were very good. I would definitely recommend this place, but I could see how a local light not like it.

    (4)
  • Patrick C.

    My brother and I were visiting in town and wanted to find a place for brunch. The Wildflower was packed so we ended up here. The service was a bit slow, and the brunch food was pretty ordinary. If you're looking for brunch place, I would suggest trying something different.

    (2)
  • Ray B.

    Tucked away next to a hotel lobby, this is a nice little restaurant to have a fairly authentic Italian meal. Not a lot of variety, but what it does offer makes it worthwhile. Not being a wine drinker, I couldn't speak to the selection, but my dinner companions seemed to be okay with what they got. I will say, that a trip to the restrooms is a bit like the mythical search for the Holy Grail. I know that in city environments, restaurants have to make accommodations for the buildings that they are in. But, down the stairs, through two sets of doors, walking by mysterious elevators (I think they're for the hotel) and then finding the restrooms can be an exercise in control if you wait until the last second to relieve yourself.

    (4)
  • Joanna S.

    From the outside, this looks like a classy place, until you watch as the manager smashes/smears a cockroach on the wall with her bare hand. At least that was our experience. This was after we had to ask for someone to take our drink orders after sitting at the table for ten minutes. While waiting for our drinks, two more roaches decided to come out of the woodwork and morn their friend. This was our cue to leave. This is just one of several experiences with this place that have finally lead to this review. Bad in-house, service, bad delivery service, and apathy from the staff earns them one star. They pride themselves on "heart heathly" pizza, that's why I would recommend ordering it so that you are prepared for the shock.

    (1)
  • Rod S.

    The location was close to where I was staying and I was looking to get some Chicago deep dish, or stuffed, pizza. I grew up here and miss it. Bacino's got pretty good reviews from places I trust. Just 4 reviews on Yelp wasn't going to cut the mustard. I normally don't do cocktails at a place like this. They are usually made by people who hardly know what they are doing, or don't care. However, the description of the Winter Manhattan kicked me over to order one. Bulleit Rye, burnt lemon, Up. At $12 it better be pretty good. They delivered a watery drink on the rocks instead of up. There was no burnt lemon, just a slice dropped in. Very disappointing. The small stuffed pizza was pretty good. The sauce was good. The ingredients were fresh and well cooked. However, as a total pizza experience, the proportions of the ingredients was off and the crust is not up to the standards of the best of the competition. The desert was good, but not great. All in all better than what you'll find in places like the dreadful franchised Pizzeria Unos, but it didn't match the competition the night I was there. My server was perfunctory and competent.

    (3)
  • Brittany S.

    I went here cause I found a groupon I will definitely be back. Service was attentive and efficient. Everything I ate was amazing. I got the calamari and crusted chicken. Not a fan of sweet potatoes but liked these. And the flour less chocolate cake was very moist and sweet although a different texture. The scene is very intimate perfect for date night although the tables near us was very loud. The only part I wasn't expecting was 17% gratuity. But my waitress deserved it =)

    (5)
  • Evan M.

    Easy restaurant to get in and out of with no waiting time. My table ordered the hand made ravioli, pear salad, and lasagne of the day. We shared entrees and everything was surprisingly fresh and tasty--portions were generous, but not overwhelming. The service was a little awkward--the water boy accidentally dripped water on my wife's salad and didn't offer to fix it and we had to ask several times for drink refills. This is nothing that can't be fixed...will be back again.

    (4)
  • Ken R.

    I guess a lot of people have views on where to go for fantastic Chicago deep dish pizza. Well I can't quite call myself a Chicago pizza connoisseur , but the food from this unassuming hotel restaurant is fantastic. Hands down, when I think of deep dish pizza ( and calamari too) I think of Bella Bacino's. The restaurant isn't very large, and generally pretty low key. Can get a little loud and tight in peak times, but it is very enjoyable. You may not get the hype and touristy pizza joint here, but you get a damn fine pie. Of course it is a nice Italian restaurant with a full menu and a decent wine selection, with a few craft beers on tap.

    (4)
  • Joe V.

    Really enjoyed the foccacia crusted chicken.. Ordered it two nights in a row while on a business trip. Excellent polenta, recommended

    (5)
  • Dave W.

    If you have have never been to Chicago and want to know what all of the fuss is about, come here. Hands down, the best deep dish in the city. I first visited the Lincoln Park location in 1991 and have told anyone who would listen that this is the place to beat. Just learned today that they have a full menu...who knew?

    (5)
  • Amanda H.

    Great pizza! When we come to Chicago with the kids we always order pizza delivery to our hotel room! It takes a long time to cook a deep dish, so if your looking for fast service look else where! The delivery guys always get the pizza to us hot and chocolate chip cookies are included. My husband and I have been to Bella Bacino's for dine in and the service was amazing! Their wine and drink list is very extensive, again we waited around 45min for our pizza but it was well worth it!

    (4)
  • Paul B.

    As part of a weekend in Chicago, we decided on Chicago style pizza. We chose Bacino's, which was next door to our hotel They did not disappoint. We got a deluxe stuffed pizza and it was great. The sauce, which is the star of a good pizza was very good, if even a tad sweet. The fillings were fresh and generous. And the crust was excellent. I assume a good Chicago pizza has an almost pastry type crust, if so, Bacino's nails it. I'm not a big cheese fan, and this cheese definitely did not get in the way of the experience. We were seated quickly at 4:00 on a Friday Service was quick and attentive, and the sidewalk cafe setting in the shadow of the Trump tower was interesting. Bacino's has a good selection of craft beers and the waiter was eager to let me taste the selections before choosing. While my only comparisons are Chicago style I've had in Detroit and my hometown of Jackson, MI, I believe you will not be disappointed if you choose Bacino's.

    (4)
  • Oksana S.

    I always have breakfast at this place . The food is delicious and you don't have to wait for long . Their French toast is my favorite . This place is also great for dinner . You just can relax outside with glass of wine and enjoy a great view . Loved their Cavattapi con Pollo and for desert I would recommend the tiramisu .

    (5)
  • Bill S.

    Was here last Saturday before a Play , with the family , didn't here any complaints , the waiter made a great suggestion on a good beer , I had a boleinegse rigatoni which was very good , My daughter and son each had a flatbread pizza which looked great , i forgot what my other son had wife had , too many beers at that time The waiter was great , food came out quickly I would go back ,

    (4)
  • Morgan O.

    Took 10 minutes just to get a freakin menu and 3 waters (there was four of us) the server completely ignored us entire time! So hungry want food

    (1)
  • Tim L.

    Great Panini and pizza. Also good breakfast. Convenient and outside eating area perfect this summer.

    (5)
  • Jennifer S.

    My family and I came here as Chi-town tourists looking for some good Chicago pizza. Maybe since I'm not from Chicago I don't know good pizza when it hits me in the face, but I have to say I wasn't overly impressed with this place. We started with the garlic mussels which were not very good. They were gritty and each mussel seemed to be different...some were overcooked, some undercooked, a little bit odd. Then, for pizza, we ordered a veggie deep dish. The pizza is inside out with cheese and veggies on the inside. I can't really put my finger on what I didn't like about it, but it really didn't hit my pizza spot, if you know what I mean...

    (3)
  • Katie F.

    Can't go wrong with the spinach supreme!

    (5)
  • T T.

    Stayed upstairs and checked this place out for dinner. Despite the weak reviews on yelp, we decided to give it a try, and maybe we got lucky, the food was great as advertised and the service was almost better than the food. Sitting in the patio section watching he sunset was pretty nice, and we were able to watch the city turn from late afternoon to night while sipping decent wine. In short, we were delighted by the food and the service was much better than the few reviews on yelp.

    (4)
  • Maricela A.

    My favorite part of dining here was the exquisitely delicious chocolate cake. It was out of this world. If it wasn't for Yelp, I wouldn't have known about it. First, we had a taste for some unique pizza not just any pizza. I checked Yelp and that's how we ended up here. The service wasn't that great. As soon as we walked in, we asked to sit outside. Most of the time when I go to most restaurants, I get walked by the hostess to where ever I will be sitting at. This time the guy just point out to the area, so I could just walk by my self. I don't care about this things, especially if the place is busy. This was not the case and was not that easy. I felt rushed and almost if they didn't even want us there. We order a thin margarita pizza with half of it with pepperoni. Very delicious and a bit thinner than what I'm used to but very good. While I checking in on Yelp I noticed a picture of a chocolate cake. So, I asked for one. By the waiter's attitude I don't think he would have sugested anything else. Well, the chocolate cake was Amazing! It made my day. The price was not bad for what we got. I'll definitely be coming here again to have that chocolate cake.

    (4)
  • Paul L.

    Ate there for the first time yesterday and was very happy with the deep dish pizza. We got the sausage special and it was great. Flaky crust and good amount of everything. The owner was there and was very friendly. We had a good time there.

    (4)
  • Danika C.

    My waiter at David Burke's Primehouse recommended Bella Bacino and I'm so glad he did! The food was very bit as delicious as he promised. Friends and I split the classic deep dish and dessert sampler. Both are hearty, absolutely tasty and to die for. One slice of pizza was a meal in of itself, an inch deep and stuffed with melted goodness. The dessert sampler consisted of a just right creme brûlée, lava cake and a generous serving of tiramisu. Though full, my table demolished this quickly. Additionally we ordered our own plates, including ravioli, the arugula salad, a chicken sandwich, etc. Everything was on point, especially my prosciutto salad. You can say it, we're fatties.

    (5)
  • Kristen H.

    Worst service I've encountered. We came in late (9:40pm) after flying to chicago - craving deep dish pizza (yelp has the wrong times, maybe?!), so when we walked in the server warned us that last call for dinner was in a few minutes. We agreed and quickly started perusing the pizza menu. A few minutes later, a waiter walked over to tell us that deep dish was not available. :( We then wait another 10 minutes for one of the 5 waiters to come by and check on us - they were all drinking at the bar jamming to Mariah Carrey and Alanis Morrisette on full volume (god). We finally put in our order and after a while, my pizza comes out, but not my friend's chicken. Odd. I start munching but a waiter NEVER checks on us, even though we are about 4 feet around a corner from their party. We actually see the chefs leave the kitchen to go home. We finally flag down the EXCELLENT bus boy (the only courteous person in the entire experience - he should get promoted), and he grabs a waiter. I can see one of the possibly tipsy waiters looking shocked at the busboy's question - but it still takes another couple of minutes before one of them works up enough nerve to come around the corner to tell us he forgot to order the chicken and the kitchen is already closed. My friend and I split my now-cold pizza (poor guy), and we wait ANOTHER 15 minutes longer than we should have for me to catch someones eye to get the check. We walk payment up to the waiter party at the bar and finally get out of there. No apologies for the missing food or lack of service. We were never once checked on by anyone other than the busboy. Absolutely terrible. #NeverAgain

    (1)
  • Levi B.

    Our friends brought us here for brunch and everything was fantastic, especially the bloody marys. We stopped in for lunch today and I asked if they could make a vegan variation of the mixed mushroom rigatoni. Absolutely no issues at all and it was delicious! Everyone at BB's is friendly and knowledgable. This is solidly our go-to place and is definitely where we will be bringing our friends and out of town folks.

    (5)
  • David P.

    The best pizza in Chicago, bar none. Stuffed is the only way to go. So good, that I take two par-baked frozen home every time I visit & my uncle takes one or two back to California too. Spicy, not sweet, sauce on the pizzas. Outdoor dining available. Classy place. Great servers every time. This is a "Do Not Miss" if you are in Chicago.

    (5)
  • Wen H.

    Bella Bacino delivers in the biggest way with the amazing staff. The pasta and sauce are excellent. This cute little restaurant has the most incredible view, overall pleased with food and service. I stayed at the hotel attached to this cute gem, came back for just food or drinks night after night! Thanks Bella Bacino for making my Chitown visit great!!

    (4)
  • Jeffrey T.

    No spoons no Splenda coffee is awful. To pushy service. At least let me read the menu. Tables have no covering and they put silverware on dirty tables. The music is like awful for dining. And it changed five times since I've sat here for five minutes. Can't wait to see the food. The restaurant is in great disrepair. Food is not good at all. They need more practice.

    (2)
  • Rebecca P.

    When you're surrounded by Chicago, it seems odd to go to an in-hotel restaurant such as this. But, hey, my friend was staying in the attached hotel, so we went there. We got the bbq chicken pizza. We were warned that it was "very thin", so it was no surprise when it came out and reminded us of the $5 happy hour pizzas we find frequently in Los Angeles. As for flavor, it was good enough, including some fairly yummy pools of mozzarella. But, in retrospect, I should have just ordered their deep dish. To follow up our pizza, we ordered the tiramisu. It was terrible--I think because it had gone bad. But, we quietly sent it back, and our server took it off the bill and brought us a couple of wonderful chocolate chip cookies on the house instead. Bottom line: When in Chicago, it makes more sense to venture elsewhere, but if you are here, a pizza ain't too bad and the service is swift and friendly.

    (3)
  • Sam S.

    After always seeing the patio packed with people we decided to have lunch here on a Saturday. I ordered the Frutti de Mare which is served with linguine and a marinara sauce. The sauce, although good, was more of a broth. I ended up asking for toast points to dip into the broth/sauce. Plus the scallops were over cooked. The reason for only 2 stars was the service. Our server seemed nervous and unsure and despite good intentions he was really awkward and slow. (Does anyone ever fear their Yelp review will be the cause of someone's termination, ala Seinfeld when George gets a busboy fired?)

    (2)
  • Amanda B.

    Best stuffed pizza in Chicago! The spinach supreme with added garlic was one of the best pizzas I've had. Way better than any other deep dish pizza place around. Our server was very attentive and timely. Would come back in a heart beat!!

    (5)
  • Alexander A.

    Bad service, Nice people but they don't get it right 1 hour wait for a French toast and a dirty glass ! Well I just feel bad for the servers it is just disorganized !

    (1)
  • Shawn C.

    Conveniently located next to my hotel/ timeshare resort; Wyndham owners get 20% discount on good. This Italian restaurant had a simple pasta menu and two types of pizza menus. Then thin crust, brick oven pizza is delicious with a nice crispy crackery crust which only takes about 12 minutes to fix, but if you desire a Chicago style deep dish I was told it would take about 45 minutes to get. Well it was late and I really didn't want to wait do I got the thin crust. Mushroom and sausage to be exact and it was perfectly cooked and quite yummy. The pizza went well with a very nice glass of pinot noir (see photo). The decor is cozy with low romantic lighting. The back wall is berry unique with a wood covering made entirely of repurposed wooden wine boxes (see photo). I plan on one more meal here before I leave Chicago to try there deep dish pizza. It looks totally yum!!!

    (4)
  • Xiaoxi W.

    Seriously, the service is very slow. My Chinese friends visit me and choose this spot to eat. It took them 15 mins to give us water, and another 15 mins to take the order. And then without any bread and snack, there is another 30 mins waiting for the un tasty food. ( BtW, the restaurant was not even busy at all!) Seriously, this place humiliate Chicago food heaven name. I will definitely not encourage anyone go there again.

    (3)
  • Kashif K.

    I had tried the Bacino's stuffed pizza before, and loved it so much that I had to return. I was given a 10% discount for being a "Friend of Bacino's". The restaurant is located inside the River Hotel. Be aware that if you need to go to the restroom while you are dining here, you need to go into the hotel lobby and up a couple of flights of stairs to use the hotel restrooms. The fried calamari was a tasty appetizer, especially with a side of the Calabrian aioli, which I had requested. The stuffed pizza was as delicious as ever, with the stuffings generously piled high on the crisp pie crust. Sam, a transplant in Chicago from Indiana, was a great server; very attentive and cordial. This place will be seeing plenty of me!

    (4)
  • Mike N.

    Great place for years. Best stuffed pie in Chicago. Always our first stop when we are downtown. All sizes of pizzas to fit your hunger level. Had a Caesar salad, italian meat plate with our pie. Didn't have it this trip but the thin crust is good also. If you are ever on Michigan avenue it's worth your time to enjoy a great place to eat. Outdoor seating and great people watching are bonus.

    (4)
  • Anthony B.

    I remember visiting this place back in high-school and really wanted some good pasta, so I stopped by with a friend on Friday night.. we waited at the door for too long for a host, that was nowhere in sight! After waiting, a waitress came and seated us all the way in the back in a very smushed/crowded area. The busser (who was nice and smiley) brought us water.. After being seated for 10mins, I had to get up and ask the waitress for bread, that should've been brought with our drinks. The food was not what I was expecting, very lack luster! I got the meat balls & spaghetti, which was very flavorless- The only good part of the meal was the meatballs, very tender and the sauce was good! My friend got the chicken parmesan, no complaints, he enjoyed it The minus two stars is mainly for the poor, lack of service! The waiter never came to check on our table. Our drinks were never refilled, or even asked. He came to ask us about our meal AFTER we were done eating, but we seen him kept going to the old/white ladies next to us, skipping our table. Not somewhere I will visit again.

    (2)
  • Toni F.

    We came here for a work team outing after taking the Architectural Cruise on the river. Bella Bacino's is a short walk from where the boat launches just under the bridge at Michigan and Wacker. The weather was picture perfect but we sat inside because not everyone was appreciating the sunshine. Definitely less ambiance indoors - we sat in a sparse area near a fireplace that seemed to be a hallway between two dining rooms. What the place lacked in esthetics, they made up for in their food and service. We had a variety of dishes that ranged from the crab ravioli special, to risotto, fruiti de mare and the grilled pork chop. Everything was very good - nice sized portions and served promptly. Our waiter was courteous and took expert care of our table of 11. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Bella Bacino's if you're in the area - there are many dining options in this section of the city, this is a great choice.

    (4)
  • Shelly S.

    Love taking people to this restaurant. Great deep dish. You can eat inside or outside. Nice romantic ambiance. Usually get the deep dish but this time tried the thin crust pizza and loved it!

    (5)
  • Natalia K.

    I purchased both lunch and dinner groupons for this place, neither of which included a deep dish option, or maybe my experience would have been better. This place is definitely not a quick loop lunch kind of establishment. It must cater to tourists who are staying in the area and don't mind waiting an hour for service/food. There was only one guy working the lunch and he was the host, the bartender, the server, and the food runner. We waited forever to send our orders and get served, which really made us go over our allotted lunch time. The food was good though and almost worth the wait- though maybe they starve you into enjoying every bite because you're so hungry by the time the food comes. As for dinner, we had more time to enjoy the food, so I was hoping for a better experience. It was, but since they had more servers and I wasn't starving this time around, nothing I ate wowed me enough that I would want to come back. Reading all the reviews about the pizza, it really is unfortunate that I didn't get to try it, and probably never will.

    (3)
  • Daniel N.

    Really hoped their Chicago style pizza would be good since their location is ideal for me but sadly, their pizza was just ok. The crust was very bready, the sauce was kinda bland and the Italian sausage was almost non existent, especially compared to the sausage patty of their competitors. Their cheese blend however was really good.

    (3)
  • Amanda D.

    It's a lovely place, but it took very long for them to bring us our deep dish pizzas. Pizzas were fairly priced, but the wine was too expensive. The individual deep dish pizza was really good! I had the cheese stuffed pizza with meatballs and I totally recommend :)

    (4)
  • Kristin M.

    A-OK rating: food was good but not great, but the service was friendly and helpful. We went on a Thursday before a play at the Goodman (if you bring your tickets you get 20% off your meal). We started with a couple glasses of wine which were reasonably priced and very generous pours. Foodwise, we split the warm goat cheese salad, the mushroom ragout rigatoni and the chicken parmesan special. All were tasty, but I wouldn't write home about anything. Desserts were delicious: the warm flourless chocolate cake and tiramisu were equally delicious, I recommend ordering both. Our server was accommodating and friendly. We inquired about vodka sauce, which wasn't on the menu and he graciously asked the chef if he could do it (he could, but we didn't end up ordering it).

    (3)
  • Lisa M.

    Our last evening in Chicago had us walking the Mag Mile, going thru the park and then looking around for a bite to eat. There are lots of places and this was an especially warm evening so we wanted to have a place where we could eat outside. Bella Bacino's was the perfect spot! Nice al fresco dining with wonderful views of the River and the Wrigley Building! Our waiter was AWESOME! They had on tap some local brews and he even brought us out some samplers so we could try them as he is as well a beer connoisseur! We shared the caprese salad which was awesome and we both had a different pasta dish which were also quite tasty. For all the service, drinks, etc. the cost was pretty awesome too! We would definitely try this place again if /when in Chicago!

    (4)
  • Chris X M.

    We had a fantastic server here for a large group and they accommodated us well. The little outdoor patio was nice too. The building is a bit dated and the hotel itself is showing its age. But, it's charming and an above average Italian meal. Our concierge strongly recommended this place for groups and I am not sure why they like it so much... I'd say the food was 3 and service was a solid 4. Prices are pretty reasonable for Downtown Chicago too.

    (4)
  • Meredith K.

    This is the kind of place where its nice to know its there - in case you forget to make a reservation at Petterinos before going to see a show at the Goodman. The food was ok, the service is very friendly and helpful, the atmosphere is clean but like you're in a hotel lobby. They were generous with their wine pours and coffee. We started with the goat cheese salad. It was enjoyable and served with grilled bread that we liked better than the bread they put on the table. Then we shared a mushroom rigatoni and chicken parm. We loved the chicken parm special! The rigatoni was just ok. Not great but not bad either. Then we tried the homemade tiramisu and flourless chocolate cake. Both were excellent. Also if you are seeing a show at the Goodman show your tickets for 20% off!

    (3)
  • Katie F.

    So we had dinner here and it was great. Most of us had the create your own pasta. The pasta was really good and had good flavor. The restaurant also treats you with a complementary bread yummy! This place was wonderful.

    (5)
  • Jen W.

    Stopped in today for my first taste of deep dish Chicago pizza. I'm giving this review 3 stars for the pizza only. It was the spinach deep dish and it was truly amazing!! The service however was almost non existent. We sat ourselves at an outside table and had our order taken 20 minutes later. After 40 minutes of not even being checked in on by wait staff I finally went inside and asked to pay for the cocktail we had and just forget the pizza. The waitress told us the pizza was almost ready and she would be happy to box it up to go. I wasn't going to give up on my first Chicago pizza, so of course I took it to go. That service is horrible though.

    (3)
  • Hans B.

    Review for breakfast here. The granola parfait is very nice, but avoid the cinnamon 'belgian' waffle. Way too rich for me, and the nuts are out of balance: too salty. It reminded me of a "welsh" I had elsewhere: one lump of calories. Other than that: staff has that strange mix of grumpy and helpful. For the granola parfait alone I would come again, but I know what to avoid.

    (3)
  • Jen T.

    We had breakfast twice since our hotel was next door. Quiet and cozy but we eat early at 8am and the days were weekdays. We both ordered omelets each time. I got the mushroom, spinach and goat cheese with egg whites both times. Any time I see goat cheese on the menu, I must must must have it. I love goat cheese. It's creamy and goes with everything- well in my opinion. ;-) Service was fine. The server only got behind when he had more than three tables. Affordable and convenient joint. Heard their pizza was good but didn't get a chance to try since there are too many places to eat here in Chi-town and so little time :-(

    (4)
  • Jess M.

    First night in Chicago on our vacation and the concierge recommended this place. I wish he really didn't because we asked for a family friendly spot. If you think waiting over an hour for your food is your idea of family friendly then come on down to a long and grueling wait. We have 2 small children and the service was horrific. We repeatedly had to ask for basic things. The only thing that was served promptly was water but the poor bus boy was berated by our server to handle some other mess that the server was too busy for. We had to ask for bread, our utensils, and the server didn't even get our order of salad. We were this close to leaving and just wanted to head over to Corner Bakery which we should've done. I mean our server was somewhat apologetic but you can tell it wasn't sincere. It was just lip service and I'm not the type to ask for much but throw in a free appetizer or something to make some sort of acknowledgment to us. I mean to even ask for the bread was ridiculous. I know they were busy and they had their hands full. You would think a manager would be circulating more to help out and assess the situation. Fellow patrons were downright upset around us and also astonished about the long wait! Once we received our food, it wasn't outstanding, where it was worth the wait kinda food. It was decent. If you want to wait for an hour for food go here. This place is definitely not kid friendly.

    (1)
  • Mary D.

    Great meal.....wonderful service.....Linda was our waitress and treated us like we were VIP......we had the grilled calamari, meatballs, the beet and burata salad & then split the penne bolognese......we had been to this gem about 4 yrs and went back cause it was close to the hotel. Will definitely be back next time we are in town.......hope the limoncello will be ready.

    (5)
  • Erica H.

    Do not make online reservations, they will not honor them. Got to the restaurant only to be told that they don't look at the online reservations and that we would need to wait 40 minutes for a table. Also, did not get an apology.

    (1)
  • Bill G.

    Pizza might be good but the service is the worst. Don't go there if your hungry . We got seated and were forgotten and no served any thing except the menu. She totally ignored us and concentrated do not a couple next to us . After 20 mins we walked out ,I guess they don't care about customer service,. When I approached her about this , she smirked and appeased me. Don't waste your time in this place there are so many better places.

    (1)
  • Elaf W.

    Walked in expecting the place to be packed, especially on a Friday night...we got a little worried when we found some empty tables...thankfully, the food was AMAZING. Especially the stuffed pizza aka the deep dish pizza (make sure you ask for the "other" menu)...definitely better than Lou Malnati's, more flexible for those of us that can't have pork products! Only downside is that the food took 45 mins-1 hour to come out, which I guess is good since it means the food is probably fresh. Overall, I think I'd come back here again...I'd order it ahead of time and pick it up so I don't waste time waiting.

    (4)
  • Brock R.

    I was refused service both nights while staying at the hotel it is located in (Club Quarters) for the Chicago Marathon. On the night before the marathon, they had a limited menu at higher prices then our room service prices that wasn't in our room service book. Our hotel didn't even know about it. The restaurant claimed they couldn't honor room service at 7, and close at 10. I understand that they were severely understaffed and couldn't honor all requests, but it shouldn't come as a surprise for an Italian restaurant the night before a marathon with 45,000 participants to be as busy as a Mother's Day, if not more. The night after the marathon, at much lower capacity, they refused to serve us at 9:40 when they close at 10 because the kitchen had "closed" at 9:30. This is not indicated anywhere on their signage.

    (1)
  • Shyrra B.

    I enjoyed it. Neither of my dishes was as expected, but still tasty. I think I would be wholly satisfied if they bought down the price of the flat bread pizza. I wasn't a fan of the cheese they use, and there isn't much that goes into the ingredients to justify the price (imo) other than that the staff was all super friendly.

    (4)
  • Blair D.

    Ate here because we were staying in the hotel. My friend and I both had the create your own pasta- whole wheat spaghetti, hers with pesto sauce, mine with light Alfredo. It was pretty bland and lackluster. Not bad but not good either, just kind of blah. We also had the bruschetta, which was good. I can't speak on any of the other dishes. Other than that, it wasn't bad. Decent service, nice atmosphere, etc.

    (2)
  • David K.

    One of my favorite Chicago Pizza places. Excellent Stuffed Pizza, excellent service. It's located right on the corner of Michigan and Wacker, right next to the Wyndham Grand Riverfront Hotel, which is an excellent place to stay btw. :)

    (5)
  • Craig Z.

    Had a pretty good pizza last night. They actually were willing to deliver to us on the edge of millennium Park, which was great because we wanted it for a picnic at the jazz festival! The guy showed up exactly where he was supposed to be, almost exactly at the time had estimated. We got a stuffed pizza, half-and-half with two different ingredients on each side, and I was happy that they made it correctly. It was very good, though I would say there was too much cheese on it. They also sent a bunch of cookies, which was very nice. I don't know if they sent them to us in particular, or if they always something, but it was a nice touch either way.

    (4)
  • Annette F.

    Wonderful food. Great service. Been coming here for 7 years. Favorite food -Fruite de Mer. And deep dish pizza. Yum!

    (5)
  • roxanne m.

    We specifically asked the waiter for an ultra thin crust pizza. We were interested in several on the menu and he stated we could get any toppings on any type of crust. After 45 minutes, our cold food finally came and the crust was thick. The argumentative waiter said we never ordered an ultra thin crust. During the 45 minutes, we had to ask for silverware, water, and my husband had to go to the bar and get his own beer. There were only a few tables that had customers so it wasn't even busy.

    (2)
  • Melinda R.

    I did not have a good experience at this restaurant. I'm not sure if it was just an off night for them, because I only came here once, but I would not recommend visiting. I came as part of a larger group (11 people) for dinner one night in September. I didn't want pizza, so I opted for what I hoped would be a 'healthier' option: salmon and veggies. We were able to get our orders placed fairly quickly, but that's about the only thing that went well. I had to ask for a water and tea refills constantly, as no one would come by to refill either. I spent more than half the meal without a drink, waiting for a refill (and waiting for the waiter to bring the requested beverages). I'm assuming a table of 11 is auto-grated, so perhaps he didn't care if we got any attention (not sure). When the food finally came, never have I ever been more disappointed in the presentation of food. The salmon (listed as wild caught Alaskan on the menu) was clearly farm raised-strike 1 (I only want wild caught salmon because farmed raised is pumped FULL of terrible things). The 'sauce' the fish was cooked/drowned in literally made the dish look like a soup, and was primarily with a heavy cream- strike 2 (who eats salmon with a heavy cream sauce?) The 'fresh veggies' on the side consisted of cold, previously frozen asparagus and halved cherry tomatoes- Strike 3 (FRESH does not mean frozen. period). Regardless, I tried to salvage what I could of the fish, but the sauce was so overwhelming that it made the whole dish inedible. Again, I was waiting or a refill of both water and tea while trying to choke down my meal- strike 4 (gag). I was completely and thoroughly disappointed with my visit here, and would not recommend you visit either if you have any choice.

    (1)
  • Brandon B.

    On a Saturday evening I wasn't expecting to find an Italian place with a seat, but the Yelp app led me here, and we had immediate outdoor seating. Granted it was a cooler night and the tiny heat lamps that attempted to warm the air were like spitting in in the wind. However it was an amazing view of my favorite corner of Chicago while dining on surprisingly good and ample portioned meatballs and pasta. Waiter came somewhat infrequently, the outdoor part was probably understaffed and a large party came to sit out there too. Get a reservation if you want to sit inside. Too full for dessert. Appetizer was a bit overpriced (isn't bruscetta always?) but nicely toasted big bread slices and chunky tomatoes hit the spot.

    (4)
  • Shan D.

    I am not the biggest fan of deep dish, but this place has a great spinach one. This place probably is underrated because it's not as talked about than the well-known famous deep dish spots. Not a bad place to check out if you're in the area and craving deep dish

    (4)
  • Margaret C.

    Magnificent!!! Restaurant Week Menu.5courses plus wine-$44- worth every dime! Let's elaborate- antipasti course of crisp polenta w/ mushroom ragu (vegetarian). Salad, First plate-Duck ravioli w/ mushroom sauce. Second plate- Veal or Shrimp wrapped w/ prosciutto. Finished off w/ Tiramisu with fresh berries

    (5)
  • Giovanni O.

    Great pizza. If you want a stuffed pizza, in my experience, this is WAY better than Giordano's.

    (5)
  • Shannon R.

    I just had a really nice dinner here with a group of 7. No reservations and it took them 2 minutes to set up and seat us. Our waitress was sweet and did an excellent job handling our group. The appetizer bread was unique and delicious. I ordered the ravioli and you get to choose your sauce. I went with tomato cream and it was delicious. I found this to be a quaint little Italian restaurant that would have been better suited for a romantic date night than a group of 7, but nonetheless I'll just have to bring my husband back!! The restrooms are downstairs and I noticed a larger dining room down there as well ( might be for party rentals? Not sure).

    (4)
  • Jacob A.

    I've been coming here for a number of years after a friend introduced me to the place. This place has great stuffed pizza! They always manage to put the right amount of ingredients in their stuffed pizzas. I've had other items on the menu which are good but we come here or get delivery for the stuffed pizzas. When it gets warm they have a nice patio in the front which is usually packed full of people. Come here and try it out!

    (5)
  • Jonathan M.

    Food was perfectly decent, but unremarkable. I got a takeaway pizza, just to try the deep dish while in Chicago. I started eating it within 5 minutes, and it had already cooled down a bit, so I take my part of blame for that. What I didn't enjoy was waiting 30+ minutes for a takeout in a not so busy restaurant.

    (3)
  • John G.

    Breakfast review. Based on reviews it looks like this place is good for pizza. I can say very confidently that you should STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE FOR BREAKFAST. After everything around was packed around breakfast time, we decided to head back to the cafe by our hotel (Bacino) for something easy. Our expectations were already very low, but this place still plummeted. Boy do we regret this meal. Worst service and food my girlfriend and I have ever had at breakfast/brunch. Our waiter was rude, spent a total of 15 seconds at our table, and we had to ask for coffee from another waitress since we had no idea where ours was. The only time he said anything nice was "Thank you" when he dropped the check off and was hoping for a tip. The french toast was the blandest crap I have ever tasted and not even a ton of syrup could help. I don't know why this place even opens for breakfast. I'm not going to waste any more time with this review.

    (1)
  • Mike H.

    Loved the thick crust and thin crust. We had a great meal an very good service. Healthiest pizza, real cheese and fresh ingredients. Manager was very nice and accommodating. My new favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago. Can't wait to come back and try the other Italian dishes.

    (5)
  • Meredith P.

    Of course on a visit to Chicago, you have to try some of the pizza. Unfortunately, my husband is the one person in the world that I've met that doesn't like pizza. So I had to plan, cause I only had one shot! I checked and checked and checked all of the usual places people talk about for deep dish pizza. All of those places seemed to have reviews that include the word (words?) overrated. So when I stumbled on this place it looked like a great choice. Good reviews and not as hyped so not as crowded. When we got there (on a sunday at 11ish) the hostess said they were actually still serving breakfast (not pizza :( yet) but that she would go ask the chef. She came back and said the chef's answer was "how can I say no?". They actually didn't have the pizza oven on yet, but heated it up for us, so I was super grateful! I just built my own personal pizza with different toppings (they do have specialties too) and it was delicious! The hubs opted for a regular crust pizza, but he enjoyed it too. I definitely recommend this place, and I hear they have brunch too haha!

    (4)
  • William B.

    The rating is solely based off of the managers rudeness in regards to their bait and switch Groupon. We purchased the dinner for $60 Groupon and we were shocked when they brought out a special menu which was three appetizers (brushetta, salad, and something else) and three dinner options (a chicken, and two pastas). When we told the waitress the Groupon does not have this menu on it she informed us they have had lots of issues with it and said she would get the manager. That's when he walked up did not say hi, did not introduce himself, he just laid a piece of paper on the table and pointed to the heading and said it says it right there and walked off. Well it says Prix Fixe dinner for two. I like how the important part is written in Italian. I am guessing he was agitated because he probably has to do that 100 times a day since the Groupon does not have any info of the "special menu" in the narrative it just nicely conceals it in Italian where you would never pay attention. If it is an issue with everyone maybe you should fix it and not be rude Mr. Manager. Needless to say we left and canceled the Groupon. It is a shame too considering I live two blocks from there and if he was not so rude we would have stayed and maybe been return customers. But he did'nt and we will never go back there again. The place was very hot as well. So tip do not buy the Groupon without finding out what the special menu is and if you want Italian RPM, and Volare are better choices.

    (1)
  • Brad L.

    This rating is for the Chicago style (AKA stuffed pizza) only. I've lived in this area two times in my life and my parents live downtown so we've experimented a lot trying to find the best out there. That would include places like: Lou Malnati's, Giordano's, and Pizzeria Uno. THIS IS THE BEST. Fresh ingredients, talented cooks, professional waiting staff, and football games are always playing above the bar (Don't worry wives, none are in the actual dining area).

    (5)
  • Mike D.

    The deep dish pizza is great! We are not native it Chicago so this is from a tourist perspective. Please note you have to special request the deep fish menu. The pizza on the regular menu are not "Chicago style". The pear and Gorgonzola salad as well as the brochettes were very good. I would definitely recommend this place, but I could see how a local light not like it.

    (4)
  • Patrick C.

    My brother and I were visiting in town and wanted to find a place for brunch. The Wildflower was packed so we ended up here. The service was a bit slow, and the brunch food was pretty ordinary. If you're looking for brunch place, I would suggest trying something different.

    (2)
  • Ray B.

    Tucked away next to a hotel lobby, this is a nice little restaurant to have a fairly authentic Italian meal. Not a lot of variety, but what it does offer makes it worthwhile. Not being a wine drinker, I couldn't speak to the selection, but my dinner companions seemed to be okay with what they got. I will say, that a trip to the restrooms is a bit like the mythical search for the Holy Grail. I know that in city environments, restaurants have to make accommodations for the buildings that they are in. But, down the stairs, through two sets of doors, walking by mysterious elevators (I think they're for the hotel) and then finding the restrooms can be an exercise in control if you wait until the last second to relieve yourself.

    (4)
  • Joanna S.

    From the outside, this looks like a classy place, until you watch as the manager smashes/smears a cockroach on the wall with her bare hand. At least that was our experience. This was after we had to ask for someone to take our drink orders after sitting at the table for ten minutes. While waiting for our drinks, two more roaches decided to come out of the woodwork and morn their friend. This was our cue to leave. This is just one of several experiences with this place that have finally lead to this review. Bad in-house, service, bad delivery service, and apathy from the staff earns them one star. They pride themselves on "heart heathly" pizza, that's why I would recommend ordering it so that you are prepared for the shock.

    (1)
  • Rod S.

    The location was close to where I was staying and I was looking to get some Chicago deep dish, or stuffed, pizza. I grew up here and miss it. Bacino's got pretty good reviews from places I trust. Just 4 reviews on Yelp wasn't going to cut the mustard. I normally don't do cocktails at a place like this. They are usually made by people who hardly know what they are doing, or don't care. However, the description of the Winter Manhattan kicked me over to order one. Bulleit Rye, burnt lemon, Up. At $12 it better be pretty good. They delivered a watery drink on the rocks instead of up. There was no burnt lemon, just a slice dropped in. Very disappointing. The small stuffed pizza was pretty good. The sauce was good. The ingredients were fresh and well cooked. However, as a total pizza experience, the proportions of the ingredients was off and the crust is not up to the standards of the best of the competition. The desert was good, but not great. All in all better than what you'll find in places like the dreadful franchised Pizzeria Unos, but it didn't match the competition the night I was there. My server was perfunctory and competent.

    (3)
  • Brittany S.

    I went here cause I found a groupon I will definitely be back. Service was attentive and efficient. Everything I ate was amazing. I got the calamari and crusted chicken. Not a fan of sweet potatoes but liked these. And the flour less chocolate cake was very moist and sweet although a different texture. The scene is very intimate perfect for date night although the tables near us was very loud. The only part I wasn't expecting was 17% gratuity. But my waitress deserved it =)

    (5)
  • Evan M.

    Easy restaurant to get in and out of with no waiting time. My table ordered the hand made ravioli, pear salad, and lasagne of the day. We shared entrees and everything was surprisingly fresh and tasty--portions were generous, but not overwhelming. The service was a little awkward--the water boy accidentally dripped water on my wife's salad and didn't offer to fix it and we had to ask several times for drink refills. This is nothing that can't be fixed...will be back again.

    (4)
  • Ken R.

    I guess a lot of people have views on where to go for fantastic Chicago deep dish pizza. Well I can't quite call myself a Chicago pizza connoisseur , but the food from this unassuming hotel restaurant is fantastic. Hands down, when I think of deep dish pizza ( and calamari too) I think of Bella Bacino's. The restaurant isn't very large, and generally pretty low key. Can get a little loud and tight in peak times, but it is very enjoyable. You may not get the hype and touristy pizza joint here, but you get a damn fine pie. Of course it is a nice Italian restaurant with a full menu and a decent wine selection, with a few craft beers on tap.

    (4)
  • Joe V.

    Really enjoyed the foccacia crusted chicken.. Ordered it two nights in a row while on a business trip. Excellent polenta, recommended

    (5)
  • Dave W.

    If you have have never been to Chicago and want to know what all of the fuss is about, come here. Hands down, the best deep dish in the city. I first visited the Lincoln Park location in 1991 and have told anyone who would listen that this is the place to beat. Just learned today that they have a full menu...who knew?

    (5)
  • Amanda H.

    Great pizza! When we come to Chicago with the kids we always order pizza delivery to our hotel room! It takes a long time to cook a deep dish, so if your looking for fast service look else where! The delivery guys always get the pizza to us hot and chocolate chip cookies are included. My husband and I have been to Bella Bacino's for dine in and the service was amazing! Their wine and drink list is very extensive, again we waited around 45min for our pizza but it was well worth it!

    (4)
  • Paul B.

    As part of a weekend in Chicago, we decided on Chicago style pizza. We chose Bacino's, which was next door to our hotel They did not disappoint. We got a deluxe stuffed pizza and it was great. The sauce, which is the star of a good pizza was very good, if even a tad sweet. The fillings were fresh and generous. And the crust was excellent. I assume a good Chicago pizza has an almost pastry type crust, if so, Bacino's nails it. I'm not a big cheese fan, and this cheese definitely did not get in the way of the experience. We were seated quickly at 4:00 on a Friday Service was quick and attentive, and the sidewalk cafe setting in the shadow of the Trump tower was interesting. Bacino's has a good selection of craft beers and the waiter was eager to let me taste the selections before choosing. While my only comparisons are Chicago style I've had in Detroit and my hometown of Jackson, MI, I believe you will not be disappointed if you choose Bacino's.

    (4)
  • Oksana S.

    I always have breakfast at this place . The food is delicious and you don't have to wait for long . Their French toast is my favorite . This place is also great for dinner . You just can relax outside with glass of wine and enjoy a great view . Loved their Cavattapi con Pollo and for desert I would recommend the tiramisu .

    (5)
  • Bill S.

    Was here last Saturday before a Play , with the family , didn't here any complaints , the waiter made a great suggestion on a good beer , I had a boleinegse rigatoni which was very good , My daughter and son each had a flatbread pizza which looked great , i forgot what my other son had wife had , too many beers at that time The waiter was great , food came out quickly I would go back ,

    (4)
  • Morgan O.

    Took 10 minutes just to get a freakin menu and 3 waters (there was four of us) the server completely ignored us entire time! So hungry want food

    (1)
  • Tim L.

    Great Panini and pizza. Also good breakfast. Convenient and outside eating area perfect this summer.

    (5)
  • Jennifer S.

    My family and I came here as Chi-town tourists looking for some good Chicago pizza. Maybe since I'm not from Chicago I don't know good pizza when it hits me in the face, but I have to say I wasn't overly impressed with this place. We started with the garlic mussels which were not very good. They were gritty and each mussel seemed to be different...some were overcooked, some undercooked, a little bit odd. Then, for pizza, we ordered a veggie deep dish. The pizza is inside out with cheese and veggies on the inside. I can't really put my finger on what I didn't like about it, but it really didn't hit my pizza spot, if you know what I mean...

    (3)
  • Ryan T.

    I'd like to think of myself as a little experienced with deep dish pizza. Why, cause I've now eaten at every one of them in Chicago. I had to, because if you ask 8 different Chicago locals/regulars their favorite deep dish place, they all say something different, NONE of them gave me any kind of consensus on where to go to get Chicago's best. So I was left on my own... No one told me about Bella Bacinos, so it was near my last stop, but I was floored. I'm a sauce guy. Most deep dish pizzas have a small semblance of tomato sauce on the pizza but then it's all cheese. As much as I like cheese I crave a great tasting sauce. Bella's delivers in the biggest way, with nice outdoor seating when it's good weather. The ironic thing about this restaurant is I think they promote their thin crust pizzas instead. Don't miss out y'all!

    (5)
  • Masha T.

    Small portions but definitely delicious. I came here on New Year's eve for a quick dinner. The cheese/sausage sampler was delicious and the flourless chocolate cake was so good, we had to order a second one to split. I can't remember what kind of pizza we got but our minds were blown with every part of the meal so I would say I recommend this place. It's pretty casual and in an easy to find location.

    (3)
  • Sandra A.

    I had dinner here a couple of times on my stay in Chicago, mostly because of its location. I stayed at Club Quarters and it was right downstairs. The food was very good. My review would have been 'Excellent' if not for their bizarre and very strict rule of not allowing two people to sit at a four-top even though the restaurant was empty except for one other table. They needed to "keep them open" for some unknown reason. So, a tip to the staff...if the place is empty - let people sit where they'll be comfortable. Also, to the waiters - offer bread and appetizers or suggest things to your customers. The staff was helpful, but their personalities were lacking. There is a busboy, however, that was the sweetest most helpful person there. He should train the rest of the staff - host and hostess included - on how to treat your customers. I'm sorry I didn't get his name, but he had an accent and a perpetual smile. Tip him if you see him!

    (3)
  • Leondra G.

    This was a great small and quaint restaurant. I was staying nearby in a hotel and this place was in walking distance. The stuffed pizza (Special in a bambino size) was very good. I also the house salad which was mediocre. Although I wasn't overly excited about the salad I would definitely visit again for the pizza.

    (4)
  • Kelsey S.

    The food was out of this world. I should be paying WAY more than I did for such gorgeous food, especially with such generous portion sizes! The poached pear and walnut salad has opened my eyes to the versatility of salad and I swear I could eat it every day for the rest of my life and still drool at just the thought of it. Shout out to David, the manager, and Chris, our out of this world server- who went above and beyond in every way they could to make this such a gorgeous dining experience. New fave, I'll be here as often as possible. Especially if I have someone to impress ;]

    (5)
  • Philip O.

    Waited for ten minutes while everyone around me got service. I smiled, I stared, eventually I started to wave. No luck, no service. Too many good breakfast joints in this town to suffer this kind of service. One star for not even being able to get it started.

    (1)
  • Phoebe J.

    I don't know what the other reviewer is talking about.. I came here for a quick lunch and a glass of wine al fresco and had a very good experience! Really friendly, sweet staff .. Nice outdoor seating.. The bruschetta (~$6) was AWESOME and made for a very light, inexpensive lunch.

    (4)
  • Kelly H.

    Great food and great service. Music is pretty good too. I highly recommend this place.

    (5)
  • Scarlett M.

    We had an amazing experience at Bella Bacino's! The food was phenomenal. I recommend the ravioli! We had breakfast, dinner and pizza there while staying in Chicago. Our server Dax went above and beyond to make our experience perfect. We loved every single thing he recommended, mostly the creme brulee! He gave us great suggestions about what to see in the city. He was polite and efficient. I will tell any one of my friends visiting Chicago to visit Bella Bacino's!

    (5)
  • Roger B.

    A great evening turned lousy. We found this place the night of Wallenda's tightrope walk and decided to eat there and watch. The hostess was great in getting us a table and even had heavy coats for those who sat outside.. From there on the evening was a mess. We ordered an appetizer and meal and a bottle of wine. The appetizer came out and then they brought the mean immediately after. We had not even had two bite of the appetizer. Then they said they were out of the bottle we ordered, then they were out of the second bottle. This took so long, we were done eating which was a mediocre meal at best. MY wifes ravioli was average and my pasta and sauce was way over cooked and dry. They waiter apologized for the wine issue and offered to buy us coffee "on him". Wow, A lousy meal, never got any wine and he offers to buy us a cup of coffee. What a guy. We were so upset we left and did not even stay for the walk. Maybe its a good place some days but we won't be taking that chance again.

    (2)
  • Anthony S.

    Excellent from all respects. Veal Saltibocca and Fish in Crazy Water had deep flavors, prepared and presented perfectly. All the pastas looked too damn tempting for somebody on a low carb diet. Italian wine selection was awesome at all price points. Several very good Barolos and Barbaresco's for under a hundred bucks. Not too expensive given the location. Can be very busy. Did not try the pizza.

    (4)
  • Mickey A.

    What's this at the bottom of the greasy delivery bag? Complimentary chocolate chip cookies with my order? Nice. I can't say the same about the BBQ chicken thin crust pizza though. The mozzarella cheese and itty-bitty chicken pieces weren't cutting it for me. It's a one-size order (no options) which can feed at least two people. It lost its 'zzzahhh once it got cold...so eat it pippin' hot (or microwaved). I think next time I'll stick to my grilled veggies, mozzarella with toast salad.

    (3)
  • Katie F.

    Can't go wrong with the spinach supreme!

    (5)
  • ND DC D.

    If you are a Chicago transplant craving true double crust, stuffed pizza look no further and order their pizza to be shipped to you overnight anywhere in the country right now! The half baked, finish at home product (30 min) is as good as anything you will get back in Chi city. Absolutely delicious. Having suffered through the fall of Giordano's quality and quantity and the closure of HomeMade Pizza Co here in DC this is a most welcome find. Explaining the stuffed vs deep dish experience is hard...finding it outside Chicago impossible until now.

    (5)
  • Paul B.

    I actually joined yelp to write this review. This food was decent but the heater in the restaurant was turned up WAY too high. We were literally sweating. The waiter was ok but there was a manager hovering over him like a creepy soccer mom and didn't see her speak to a single customer. I would've hated to work there, even managers at lower brow chain restaurants know better. Finally, we had a gotten a groupon that was not honored. We had ordered a 4 course meal and they charged us for 3. On top of that, they charged a 23rds gratuity for 2 people. Again, decent food but horrible business practices!

    (1)
  • Suresh S.

    April Fool's day, and at a loose end for dinner, so the wife and I decided to stay close to our hotel, and the concierge recommended Bella Baciono's as a family establishment with good food. So off we went, and found the place fairly empty, but I place great stock in the words of concierges, and so we went in. We were seated, and the feeling of loneliness dissipated as the waitress arrived, with a beaming smile and a "can do" demeanour. I ordered an Aperol, and we ordered just the mains, a Pizza for me and the pasta for the wife, which involved some complicated changes that she suggested to the lady, and usually, in other establishments, we get the 'chef will not change anything that is on the menu', but here it was 'I know exactly what you want and I too like linguini exactly like how you have outlined!' The Pizza was perfect, it was the thin crust variety, not terribly popular in Chicago, but done superbly well. The wife's Pasta looked superb, and she pronounced fitting judgement by cleaning up the plate. We had some banter with the lady about the quality of the food, and she understood enthusiasts like none other. She bantered right back and it was a great culinary experience. My father has always maintained that the perfect number for a good meal is two: you and a damned good head-waiter, and now I know why. With this lady, the meal became a simple instruction of trust. And, by the way, the place was heaving when we left. So more Italian in dinnertime than American, which is also a good sign. We will certainly go there once again before we leave these shores....

    (4)
  • Alex K.

    Everything from house salad, bruschetta to the stuffed pizza was exceptional. Service was very attentive and the outdoor seating was comfortable. I give it a big thumbs up if you're around the corner of Wabash and Wacker.

    (4)
  • Marci J.

    I had chicken and ricotta cheese ravioli. It was the raviolu special. VERY GOOD!! This was my first time here. I plan to come back. Waitress was wonderful and very attentive. Definitely recommend.

    (5)
  • Amy V.

    Forget everything your parents told you about talking to strangers. "Thank you" to the gentleman outside of the InterContinental Hotel for recommending this place. Honestly, we were headed to Gino's East Pizza, just like most every other tourist in Chicago. We still visited the trademark, but just to compare it to the glory of Bella Bacino's. Here's what we ate: Classic Bruschetta: fresh tomato, fresh basil, grilled garlic rubbed Tuscan bread and extra virgin olive oil. ***This is not your average/classic bruschetta. IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND*** Every ingredient is perfect, but most of all the tomotoes. We couldn't help but ask the waiter, who informed us that they are shipped in from Italy. Please forgive me as I try to find the words to describe them - seculent, rich, sweet, tangy, juicy. I have never had before or since such a delicious tomato. It gets better... Sausage & Mushrooms Pizza (Chicago style): Again, those amazing tomatoes, sliced and smashed into a delicious sauce. The crust is nothing short of perfection, flakey but thick. The only down side to this pizza is that one slice is a complete meal. Prepare for leftovers. Of course, the location is the shiz. Who doesn't love The Windy City.

    (5)
  • Mickey D.

    We tried both the thin crust and their stuffed deep dish pizzas. It was definitely nothing to write home about, yet I'm still writing about it on Yelp. :b The outside seating was nice and service was ok.

    (2)
  • David O.

    I had dinner here last week while staying at Club Quarters. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the hotel, on East Wacker close to the intersection with Michigan Avenue. Service was good, as was the food. I started with a sausage & cheese plate as an appetizer. For my main course, I got the Rigatoni with Italian Sausage, which was very tasty. They have a full bar, which is nice, and they have a decent selection of wines by the glass as well. I would suggest eating in the restaurant itself, though, as the decor of the rooms at Club Quarters is somewhat dreary and would probably cloud an otherwise tasty Italian meal.

    (4)
  • Valentin T.

    The only reason this place gets as high as two stars from me is its central location with incredible downtown views and its friendly attentive staff. If it was rated solely on the quality of food, I would've given it just 1.5 stars. I came in very hungry, yet the omelette and hashbrowns were absolutely unbeatable! I don't know whether it was the cook or the ingredients, or both, but there was just no taste to it. And the coffee was just a brown water. I need to go get some pastry with Starbucks coffee or something...

    (2)
  • Alper S.

    Just fine! They came through in a pinch when a group of 12 were trying to find dinner downtown on a Saturday night (yeah, that's hard). Their estimation of 25 minutes turned into 45 quickly, but it's hard to blame anyone for that. We all got their deep dish pizza. Their special was good, but it came out cold (rather, barely warm). The crust was cripsy dough, and I loved it. A buddy's birthday was the same day, and the waiter/manager were nice enough to comp two slices of tiramisu for the table. Great place in a pinch, but I learned we should've probably planned ahead for something more memorable. The decor was kitschy, and there were only two servers working the restaurant, poor things! Tipped 'em well though, they did quite the balancing act :)

    (3)
  • Alexandra P.

    Balls. This place sucks. Took forreevver to get seated by a prick of a host. Then, our waiter could give a shit less about doing his job . Took about 30 minutes to get a glass of wine . Pizza tasted like Pizza Hut at a hockey stadium.

    (1)
  • Eva G.

    The food was spectacular, location is great for people who are downtown, tons of outdoor seating, and great overall service!

    (5)
  • Howard H.

    I'm an infrequent Chicago visiter from Austin, Texas. I think I know food. I sat down at Bella Bacino's patio tonight to enjoy the breezy Chicago temperatures and the view next to the Illinois River. Tonight I ate with the Wrigley Building, the Trump Tower (eff him), and the Marina Towers. How Chicago can one get?? First off, the services was just great. I'm confused by the negative reviews here. Every place is bound to have bad nights. The food and drink were just excellent, a total surprise to me. The waiter tells me that the restaurant has been there for 30 years or so. I can't corroborate but a nice detail. I had the small cheese and sausage plate and the poached pear & gorganzola salad. The "small" plate featured 4 cheeses that change weekly: smoked provolone, farm cheese, asiago (though a strange one, I swear), and a fourth (oops). The sausages were varied and wonderfully tasty. They were accompanied by fresh and dried fruits. I could have ordered a second plate. The salad was quite good, the gorganzola itself was eye-rolling. I finished up with a flourless chocolate cake, which was like a unleavened egg white cake. The best example of a "flourless chocolate cake" I've ever had, perfect chocolate taste and nice mouthfeel. I had two local beers that added to the dining experience. After one visit, I'm a fan.

    (5)
  • m g.

    We were told to have deep dish pizza here by ur taxi cab driver the previous night. We arrived and were seated on the outside patio, it was GORGEOUS! We ordered the crispy polenta with mushroom ragu, it was the best appetizer I have ever had. Next up we ordered the small Bacinos special deep dish pizza, we are from California and usually like thin crust but we are in Chicago so deep dish it is. It came out and it was good but I have nothing to really compare it to. Finally we asked for chocolate chip cookies because we saw other Yelpers talk about how good they were. The waitress explained they are usually only made for banquets but she would see if they had any....she came out minutes later with a bag of cookies. The cookies were delicious and should be added to their menu. Our service was great and the view was amazing, such a great spot!

    (4)
  • Kim B.

    First experience my boyfriend and I had on our visit to Chicago, and it was suggested by a Chicago native. Not a great start to what I thought was home of the deep dish pizza! We ordered the Spinach Supreme and Bacino's Special. Both were underwhelming. PROS: 1. LOCATION. Beautiful spot on Wacker where you can eat and enjoy Chicago's gorgeous architecture 2. Our waitress was friendly and attentive 3. The Bacino's Special was somewhat flavorful because of the sausage. But that is the only pro about the food that I can think of CONS: 1. Waited about 30 min. for our food 2. Everything was under seasoned 3. The dough was bland, and some parts didn't cook all the way 4. The pizza was too small for the price we paid. A small is around $15, and it's definitely small! Only eat here if you absolutely have to. Otherwise, continue looking for other pizza spots to satisfy your cravings.

    (3)
  • Jon D.

    It's a little discreet hiding out in it's building on Wacker, Bella Bacino's is your fairly average Italian joint with what I suppose would be exactly what you expect. Pizzas, pastas, a selection of antipasti. If being an Italian joint was a job, hey, it got the job done. It has the prerequisite dim lighting and candles. And in the downstairs room, you get a bit of quiet privacy while listening to late 90s, early 00s hits... nothing more romantically Italian! But let's get to the food. Aside from the menu, there's also a pizza menu which details a "build your own" sort of deal. "Specialty" pizza (more like traditional thin Italian), thin pan pizzas, and deep dishes. The bread comes out a bit of a bland tasteless thing to chew on with a bit of a shaker of olive oil. Okay, not the best (the second bread basket was... eh, burnt). I ordered the Caesar salad. It was certainly a decent salad, but didn't quite have the bite of a Caesar that I'd like. A bit more of a bite of Romano or anchovy would have spruced it up. I followed it up with a pesto pizza, with goat cheese and onion and pepper. The crust was crisp, and the flavor of the pizza was quite good. Service was prompt and helpful. Water was always flowing, and I came in a rather large group, and they did a good job of handling it.

    (3)
  • T M.

    I came here the first time on the recommendation of my boyfriend's family members who are Chicago natives. They highly recommended the thin crust style pizza at this place. Of course we didn't listen and ended up ordering deep dish which I can't really remember so I won't review that experience here. I visited again this time around with some co-workers and again did not have the thin crust pizza, but had an absolutely delightful goat cheese salad. I followed that with the mushroom rigatoni that had a tomato based sauce, which I also thought was excellent. Overall, this place had a good selection of food to satisfy our diverse group and it was reasonably priced especially considering the location. Also, we had great service, our waiter was helpful (but not overbearing) and even accommodated member of our party who wanted to order off the menu. There is also outside seating but we decided to heed to heat advisory and eat inside.

    (4)
  • Zila O.

    Polenta was not crispy as it is described, it tasted as it was just heated with a good sauce on top. Ravioli was good. Risotto of the day was dry and tasteless, mixed with a grilled chicken that was good. Service was very poor, felt like they were inexperienced and not in charge. We had to get silverware because table was set for one person and there were two of us. We got no plates either.

    (2)
  • Nikki S.

    I would give this place five stars. I enjoyed the complimentary bread very delicious and the deep dish was great. This is one of few spots in all of Chicago that take reservations for deep dish, it allows you to avoid the big chain madness that is for sure!

    (5)
  • Lisa S.

    Nice little pizza & pasta restaurant. Good downtown location and clean and nicely decorated with a full bar up front. We ordered the nut crusted goat cheese salad, which was fresh and delicious. Lingonberry dressing was light and not too overpowering. Large salad was enough for two as an appitizer. Then, one deep dish and one thin crust pizza. Staff was willing to make a special request pizza without batting an eye and the deep dish was truly incredible. The crust was flaky and true to the Chicago style deep dish you'd expect. Thin crust pizza was almost cracker like and good, but I feel the deep dish was far superior. Staff was pleasant and attentive. I would definitely recommend tBella Bacinos if your looking for a pizza fix.

    (4)
  • Kaitlin M.

    I went to Bella Bacino's last night! I would have given in 3 stars-they had 2 local beer options and everything you'd imagine at an Italian joint. Nothing especially memorable, but solid. But unfortunately they got my order wrong! I wanted the broccoli deep dish and I got spinach. I hate cooked spinach. I let the waiter know, he realized it was the kitchen's fault, but also realized it would take awhile to get me the right pizza. I said it was fine and just picked around the spinach (aka had the crust). We got the bill, and... The spinach pizza was on the bill! Poor form. Not impressed. Too bad, because the crust was good! I bet I would have loved the pizza I actually ordered. Not the best introduction to Chicago deep dish :(

    (2)
  • Joyee L.

    This is only a review of management and ownership, not of food. I have been trying to get ahold of somebody to talk to for the last THREE months. No matter how many times I leave a message, nobody returns my call. I usually get a response along the lines of, "Oh! Linda [the owner] is usually good about returning calls." If this is any indication of how, they run the rest of their business, I would be very wary.

    (1)
  • Sienne Y.

    Bacino's Pizza is the best stuffed pizza in Chicago. I've been worshipping it since the early 90's. It's better than Gino's, Edwardo's, Giordano's, Lou Malnati's, Unos, Dues, and all of the other popular pizza places in Chicago. I've yet to taste a pizza better than Bacino's. One reason I like this pizza best is because the crust is NOT made of cornmeal like Gino's is. (Cornmeal crust is pretty tasteless to me.) It's a bread dough like Italian bread. They tend to undercook their deep dish pizza at 35 minutes so I ALWAYS ask them to add an extra 5 minutes cooking time. The crust is best firm like in Italian and French bread. If its undercooked, ask them to pop it in the oven for an extra 5 minutes or so. 35 minutes isn't long enough to get the crust firm. Enjoy a salad or appetizers because a properly cooked pizza is well worth the wait. This location is a great spot to chill, enjoy a glass of champagne or wine and take in the view of the river front architecture. Service is always great!

    (5)
  • Shauna L.

    Food is ok. But it took almost an hour to get a regular pizza. Service was terrible. Waitress ignored us when trying to ask for something. Won't be back.

    (2)
  • Lindsey F.

    I am very underwhelmed with the catering services from this Bella Bacinos location. Last week I placed a large order for delivery at a work related function. I spoke with two different employees to get the order placed and confirm the 10% delivery fee would go to the driver. Anyway, when it was already passed the time the food was to be delivered the driver called a different person in my office to say they could not locate the address. They were misdirected by this person to head to our office. I had the chance to quickly correct this by calling the driver to clear up the issue. The short of it is, I ordered early the morning of to get food delivered between 4:30-4:45 and it arrived at 6pm! They did not use the correct contact phone number and did not get the address down correctly. The worst part of this is the delivery location was max 3 blocks away AND I didn't even get a response from management when I emailed them to explain the service I was given.

    (1)
  • Anuj S.

    Last weekend we went to the Taste of Chicago and Bacino's pizza had a stall there. We had the slice of cheese and it was awesome. So today we ordered from Bacino's for delivery. I have to say, compared to what they were serving at the taste, it wasn't as good. The pizza is also quite pricey and they don't offer any coupons or specials. More specifically, I would say the crust was good, although when we had it at the taste it was much crispier. The cheese was good. The actual disappointment was the sauce. It seemed kind of flavorless or maybe there wasn't enough of it. By the way, I wanted to mention that it was a nice gesture of them to send us some complimentary cookies.

    (3)
  • Ashley C.

    Back in the day, we got the Groupon. This turned out to be a hassle. Between their different locations, they couldn't keep track of them and argued each time (and seemed annoyed we had a groupon). Delivery was just okay. Somehow once the guy was "lost" and our pizza was missing for about an hour after it was due. We felt bad for the guy, but weren't comped anything. This was just the accumulation of all the problems we had. Their pizza is substandard for what you pay and the frustration we had. We first tried their Broccoli Bacino. They threw on broccoli and some "herbs" and that was it - it just lacked flavor. Next, we tried their chicken and onion. The first time we had it was tasty, but was very inconsistent when we ordered it again. Frustrated, we tried the Canadian bacon and pepperoni combo which was just okay. Oh yes and had we not had a deal, two pizzas were going to be over $50 with delivery. Really?! All said and done: bye bye bacinos. [Note: there is a west loop location that has a pretty nice lunch deal and much better service from what I've experience here.]

    (1)
  • Juanita C.

    Service & ambiance was great! Food was not good at all. I had their beef tenderloin, the sauce was not good, the spinach had a weird taste (I love spinach by the way), & the steak was too salty. One of my friends had another pasta dish and stated her dish was salty as well... I also had a drink, one that had ginger (I love ginger as well), but this drink had way too much ginger it left a horrible after taste. I think this place has a lot of potential but they should re evaluate some of their cooking and drinks...

    (2)
  • Lorena M.

    Came to Chicago for the first time this weekend and loved it! While we were there I wanted some italian food after walking around and site seeing all day so we checked out some places in the area and found this place only a couple blocks from the hotel. It sits inside the Intercontinental Hotel and there is outdoor seating for warm weather. For a Saturday night we were promptly seated by the hostess in a small booth for 2. The place was busy but not horribly packed. Our server took our drink orders right away and we both ordered the house wine, Pinot Noir, which was good as far as a house wine goes, each glass is $10. After looking over the menu's (you are provided the dinner menu and deep-dish pizza menu) We decided on the calamari to start off with and we were brought fresh tomato basil bread with EVOO to dip it in. The calamari had a light breading with a cocktail sauce for dipping, It was pretty good and not rubby or chewy. For our entrees I ordered the rigatoni with italian sausage and my boyfriend ordered the penne bolognese. The servings were pretty large with plenty of sauce and my order included slightly spicy, thinnly sliced italian sausage over pasta and red sauce with melted cheese and plenty of sauce. His bolognese sauce was thick and tasted like it had cream mixed in with the red sauce which gave it a nice, creamy sauce. This place is family owned and you can tell, it has a nice homey feel to it in the middle of the Magnificent Mile so if you wonder by, go in and grab a bite.

    (4)
  • Blake M.

    My wife, daughter, and I had a great time at Bella Bacino's. I called ahead to ask if they had room for a stroller, and they were very accommodating. When we got there, the hostess said "You must be the stroller people," and took us to a table prepped for us. The food was great. I had Chicago-style pizza, and my wife had some fancy chicken with truffle sauce. The meal took a while to get there, because the pizza had such a long cook time, but the service was great. Our waiter even made our drinks free since we had to wait a bit longer than he anticipated. Sometimes it's hard to eat out with a baby, but the folks at Bella Bacino's were very friendly and helpful. We look forward going there again next time we visit the windy city.

    (5)
  • Jay L.

    They delivered to our hotel which was awesome. There was a little trouble with the delivery but it was lolla weekend and I ordered last minute so I was able to over look that after we started to eat. Pizza was good. We ordered stuffed spinach. Also they brought paper plates and plastic ware which was thoughtful. The menu on yelp was wrong I'd go to the website.

    (4)
  • Naomi E.

    This is some of the best pizza anywhere ever. But I have to admit that I was really turned off by the 'look' of this place. I just don't get image they are going for and when I saw it from outside I almost didn't go in - but Yelp reviews persuaded me! Service was pleasant but just a little slow.

    (3)
  • Lindsey S.

    My husband ran the Chicago Marathon last October and we stayed at the hotel right next to this restaurant. We felt like walking to dinner so we tried this place. It was busy and we had to sit outside which was pretty cold, but it was worth it. It was awesome! We both got the same thing, which was a pasta dish with chicken and spinach and we both loved it. Got tiramisu afterwards and that was good as well. Got a small deep dish pizza the next night and liked that too.

    (5)
  • Luke D.

    When Bacino's is on, their stuffed spinach pizza is among the best in the city. The problem is you just don't know what you're going to get. Your pizza might be great or terrible. It might be delivered hot or cold. The estimate for delivery may or may not be accurate. The quality of food and service here is wildly inconsistent. There are just too many steadily solid pizza places in Chicago to roll the dice with Bacino's.

    (2)
  • H S.

    The food and service is HORRIBLE. I was visiting Chicago from New York City for business and I happen to be stopping by since my hotel was nearby. First of all, the service by the waiter is HORRIBLE. It took a while for them to take my order and glass of water, and utencils were not even ready when I seated. They brought utencils a few minutes AFTER they brought me a dish. And for some reason they did not offer me a bread prior having the main dish when other tables were served. Second, the dish that I ordered, Frutti di Mare (Linguini pasta with Mussels, Calamari, Scallops) was HALF COLD. As I was completing the dish, mussels at the botton of the place was HALF COLD. H-A-L-F C-O-L-D. Other ingredients were well cooked and the sause was fairly good, but the MUSSELS were HALF COOKED.I complained to the waiter about this and the message that I got from the chef was just simple apology through the waiter, not from the chef himself. Also, the waiter asked me if I wanted the check WHILE I was still eating, not even asking me for dessert menu. Apparently the restaurant taught waiters/waitress to make sure to collect guests' money ASAP instead of providing excellent services. Oh, FYI-, the Frutti di Mare is misspelled on the menu. I suggest updating the menu and double checking on the spellings. To be honest, If this happens in NYC, this restaurant will seriously go out of business in less than 6 months (if they're lucky). I will never visit this place again.

    (1)
  • Kar M.

    More great experiences here. We ordered a half-pepperoni spinach pie and ended up getting meat on the whole thing. It's the first time they've messed up the half-meat thing, and it picked off with no problem. But that + some spotty service have me knocking this place down to a still-darn-good 4 stars. Still the best pizza around, but not 100% stellar service. At $8, their Ginger & Maryanne is a tasty but small rum cocktail in a rocks glass, and the Shooter McGavin was a refreshing long island ice tea with more ounceage for the same price. Good selection of beers at about $5 a glass.

    (4)
  • Daniel C.

    Great food. That's all Ineed to say.

    (5)
  • Gina S.

    I've been to Gino's and Lou Malnatti's, and so far this is my FAVORITE Chicago deep dish pizza place! We sat outside on the sidewalk patio which is an ideal location on a summer evening. Our server was a little awkward and a little funny, and together the combination was hard not to like. We started off with a couple of beers. I had a tangerine wheat beer by recommendation of our server, and I enjoyed it. Clean, light and little fruity. We split a Bacino's house salad; the balsamic vinaigrette dressing was really good. And ordered a large Bacinos Special deep dish; Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers and onions. Our server stuttered a bit, just making sure he heard little ol' me correctly. He warned us a large deep dish is very, well LARGE. Perhaps a medium would be enough. I assured him, we really did want a large and leftovers are what it's all about. When the pizza came out, I have to say I was the one stammering. That is one large MF! Our server then asked if I wanted to take a picture as he plated our first slices. Here I am like heck yea! I whip out my camera and captured probably the best pizza porn picture (quote from Dan G.) I have ever captured in my life. Aside from a great looking photo, the pizza was orgasmic. Loaded with cheese (I would have been just as happy with a little less cheese), the crust was crisp on the bottom and the seasoning was really good. Both the hubby and I put a way one too many slices but we still had enough leftovers for 2 days. If the pizza wasn't enough, we got fresh mini chocolate chip cookies with our bill!

    (5)
  • Lynda F.

    I was really disappointed with my experience at Bella Bacino's. The good news is that the location is great and located by the Chicago Waterfront. They have an outside patio which was nice for enjoying the day and people watching. This is why I gave it two stars. I had dinner there on July 4th weekend and it was fairly busy. The staff was frazzled and as we walked in, a customer was complaining to the manager about poor service. We waited anyway and were seated in about 30 minutes. We ordered the polenta with mushroom ragu appetizer which was hard on the outside and very uncooked on the inside. We were also given plastic forks and knives because the kitchen staff was backed up. It amazes me that for a restaurant that charges $17 - $25 an entrée, they could not wash two sets of silverware. I also ordered the "fish in crazy water" entrée. The fish and shrimp in the tomato sauce was tasty but the mussels were not fresh. Easting an entire order of the mussels would have surely made someone sick. To top it off, the manager was sitting at a table nearby entertaining friends while her staff was struggling to keep up. AMAZING! This place is overpriced and overrated.

    (2)
  • Armen S.

    We sat at an outside table on a warm summer evening. At first they were too busy to take the umbrella down for us, but our waiter explained that they had just seated a bunch of tables and the food was coming out. Accordingly, it took a while for our order to be taken, but we didn't mind the wait. Watching the characters walk along the sidewalk is interesting. We ordered the nut and goat cheese salad and a deep dish spinach and mushroom pizza. The salad was great - and they split it nicely for us. The pizza filling was delicious, but I have to say that the crust was a little crunchy and tough, though it tasted good. The crust was better over at Pizzeria Uno - maybe we're spoiled. The Chianti was good. Overall, I'd definitely go back again when we're staying in the area, especially in the summer when we can sit outside.

    (4)
  • Mark W.

    Dinner tonight + breakfast for the week. :P A really delicious pizza that isn't a major hike from hotels in the loop.

    (4)
  • Jodi M.

    My boyfriend and I landed in Chicago last week and were starving but didn't have too much time before we had to get changed and meet friends out. We wanted some deep dish, but the closest place was a good twenty minute walk and we didn't have time. So, we found this little Bella Bacino's at the bottom of our hotel-how convenient! We sat down on the patio overlooking the city, but didn't really get noticed for a good 20 minutes. Once I finally said something, our waiter could not have been better. We got our wine and Bacino's House Salad (nothing exciting) and ate that while we waited for our Stuffed Cheese Pizza with Pepperoni. It was delicious! I am sure some natives are thinking to themselves thats not the place to go for a Chi-Town Original Deep Dish, but we don't know any better and really enjoyed it. We got a small and couldn't even finish it-we were stuffed, but very happily stuffed:)

    (4)
  • Stan L.

    i came here for lunch a couple times due to proximity to my conference... first time i had a panini (apple, brie, turkey) which was pretty damn good.. although when you have that combination.. it's really hard to screw up.. the second time i had their capellini.. the pasta was overcooked.. the sauce was really heavy.. and they drowned it in cheese.. i would avoid this dish at all costs..

    (3)
  • Steve S.

    I had dinner here with my brother and his friends. The food was good but not the best deep dish I've gotten in Chicago. I loved the location and the fact that it had wonderful outdoors seating with an amazing view.

    (4)
  • Philip S.

    Dinner here on 21 June. A serious disappointment. Cramped seating, salad out of a bag. Dry and uninteresting deep dish pizza. One of those places that survives as a result of tourism but does not deserve to. Our server was great and the beer selection good but the food was poor.

    (2)
  • Cindy C.

    I wanted to try Chicago's famous deep dish pizza and a local suggested I check this place out. They have a bambino size that's perfect for 1 if you are hungry, but be prepared to feel full all afternoon if you eat it for lunch. It was suggested that I call in my order before getting there, since each deep dish pizza takes 30-40 minutes to bake, so I did. I ordered mine with canadian bacon, mushrooms and pineapple. It was perfectly stuffed with just the right amount of cheese and topped with the right amount of sauce although I would have liked to find more mushrooms, but that's me being picky. I ate the whole thing because I had been walking around Millennium Park and was hungry. Afterwards I had to walk all along Michigan Ave to walk it off, but so worth it! Hope there will be another opportunity for me to head to Chicago again and experience the food coma that is deep dish Bella Bacino's!

    (4)
  • Gary W.

    I hate one-star Yelp reviews, and I usually don't think much of the people who post them. I generally think they're either hack jobs from the restaurant's competition, or the reviewer treated the restaurant staff so poorly that they got exactly the kind of service they deserved. I can assure you, neither one is the case here. I have never written a one-star review, on here or TA, in my life - but I came THISCLOSE to leaving one for Bella Bacino's. Ultimately, I gave it back one star for the food, which is better than average - if you ever get to eat it. However, the service I encountered on three consecutive occasions (I was staying in the attached hotel) was so inattentive as to border on the offensive, so much so that I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone for any purpose. Dinner service on a Tuesday night: One would expect a salad order, placed 35 minutes before the pizza was expected, to arrive before the pizza, yes? Uh ... no. The pizza arrived - lukewarm - at the same time as the pizza, and the bartender explained that the pizza was actually ready before the salad was. Still, the pizza was tasty enough and I enjoyed half of it, then tried to close out my tab and take the rest back to my room. I was sitting at the bar, three feet from the bartender, yet it was IMPOSSIBLE to get the bartender's attention, even up to the point that he left the restaurant to deliver a couple of room service orders. (The bartender? Really? The one guy slinging drinks for the entire place, with three customers sitting at his bar, and HE'S the one who has to deliver the room service orders?) That was Tuesday. Wednesday morning, I decided to give them another chance for breakfast. Service was inattentive but not too slow (even though the restaurant was busy), and the food was okay, so I returned on Thursday morning; BIG mistake. A half-hour after I had sat down in the nearly-empty restaurant and ordered, my scrambled eggs were still not on my table and I had run out of time to eat breakfast. The waiter mumbled an apology, saying the "the cooks were downstairs and the elevator was broken" - a lame excuse given that people seated after me had received their meals. The kicker, though, was that the waiter did not offer a comp or discount for the coffee and juice I had ordered, or even ask me to come back to give them another chance. He simply dropped the bill for my beverages on the table. The manager would not even make eye contact with me as I left. I regret having to leave such a negative review, but I would regret giving the poor service a pass even more. While tasty, the food's three-star quality cannot justify the service at this restaurant. Avoid.

    (2)
  • Seema A.

    I order take out from here and take guests here. Its a great little italian place. Good for family, dates, friends. Amazing risotto and tiramisu. The chicken with mushrooms is perfect.

    (5)
  • Dru M.

    Being right next to our hotel...we found ourselves here a good amount while we were visiting Chicago. They have great coffee, very nice pours for their irish coffee and a good beer selection. We also ordered a few appetizers and they were tasty. Few downsides...it was a bit stuffy in there. Would have been nice if the air conditioning was on higher since it was in the low 90s outside. Also...table service in the bar wasn't as quick as service right at the bar...even though they were only a few feet away from each other. We didn't have to ever wait too long though... Wish we would have had a meal here...maybe next time.

    (3)
  • Denise R.

    I used to love this place but my recent experience here was not so great. First the service was awful (besides the water guy, he was on his game). It took 25 minutes to get our drinks! The guy blamed the ticket machine being clogged at the bar but you would think he would've checked on it after 5 minutes. Anyway, the bread was good, but he forgot to bring us the olive oil (another wait). I ordered the 5 meat pasta which I love and is my regular dish. It was good as usual but the service was a major put off. Also, we sat inside and there is a huge hole in the ceiling covered in plastic and tape. Pretty tacky. And my last gripe was how dirty the booth was that I was sitting in, food crumbs all over and they didn't even clean it up. Still love their food, but they need to make some changes/updates.

    (3)
  • Dan M.

    Tucked into the first floor of a 1920's "skyscraper" on Wacker just off Michigan Ave, this is a surprisingly good Italian restaurant. It has few of the Italian menu standards, but features a number of nice pastas and offers credible deep dish pizza. Three things I like about Bella Bacino's: 1) Mushroom Ragu with Rigatoni / Penne Bolognese: These are actually two different dishes which I usually can't choose between. The Mushroom Ragu is filled with wild mushrooms in a red sauce that's not too heavy. The Bolognese is unique, a finely ground meat sauce that's mixed with cream and truffle oil. (My strategy is to have them add mushrooms to the Bolognese sauce). 2) Salads: The house salad of field greens is quite nice and good size. Spit it with your date if you only want a bite. Try the Warm Nut Crusted Goad Cheese salad too. 3) Outdoor View: The inside seating is unexceptional, but in the summer there are tables right out on Wacker, looking down the canyon of buildings and bridges that line the river. If you find yourself wandering along the northern edge of the Loop or heading north on Michigan Avenue from a walk in Millennium Park this would be my choice for a relaxed Italian meal.

    (4)
  • Dan G.

    Bacino's has become our go to pizza place for deep dish. I understand that deep dish is going to take some time to cook and still these guys get our pizza to us in under an hour. It is always still hot and we don't have problems with our order. We can easily get two or three meals out of a stuffed deep dish. What I really love about Bacino's is that their pizzas are consistent. That is a big thing to me when after extra toppings I'm looking at a $40 pizza. That has been a huge problem elsewhere (Gino's anyone?) but thankfully not here. We typically get the spinach supreme with mushrooms, garlic, ham and sliced tomatoes. The pear and gorgonzola salad is also really yummy.

    (4)
  • Cyndee T.

    Visited this restaurant for dinner with friends and had a great experience. The food is very reasonable for this location. I loved the portabello stuffed mushroom that we shared for our appetizer and the warm pecan crusted goat cheese salad was awesome as well. The bread was very good too. I'm already planning my next chance to stop here for lunch or dinner.

    (5)
  • Ali R.

    We ate here the night before the Chicago marathon and except for our waiter, the service was AWFUL. First, we had reservations (made far in advance) and they tried to seat us upstairs in the elevator shaft that had make-shift tables and was very bright. We said no and finally they seated us in the main restaurant that had plenty of seating. The manager was RUDE and actually had forgotten about us when we checked. She seemed very put out. She acted like it was brand-new information that the marathon was taking place. Seriously? Food was ok. No deep dish pizza on the menu so that was disappointing. Pizza was ok. Bread before dinner was burned. Salads were big and ample. Always had enough water. Felt rushed. Won't eat there again.

    (2)
  • Ali W.

    Was here for lunch with co-workers. There weren't that many people in the restaurant and the service was a little slow. We ended up having to take most of our food to go. I had the mushroom pizza and it was just ok- nothing spectacular, but the bruschetta and calamari were very good and fresh.

    (3)
  • Vivi W.

    Worst dining experience ever! Not only did we wait and wait for an hour for our pasta dishes, they missed our breads, dishes were bad. Waiters were rude when we asked when our food was coming. On top of that, our appetizer (mussels) came after the entree. They were not cooked right, or simply not fresh, because they tasted sour. My stomach didn't feel right after. The restaurant was not full on a sunday night, and i have no idea why they take so long. Someone at another table sent back their pizza. DON"T GO!

    (1)
  • James H.

    Our two salads were decent enough and not overly priced, But it took 30 minutes for the caprese salad and the Romano chicken salad (obviously the reason for the wait). Only redeeming grace was that our server was friendly and kept out glasses full.

    (3)
  • Patricia T.

    This cozy little restaurant is really wonderful. I am on a conference here, do not want anything big or too expensive . Hyatt concierge recommend this place. I must said this is really great . My waiter Francisco is really nice, friendly and wonderful . I just want something simple: like penne with broccoli with garlic and oil and add mozzarella cheese. It is NOT on the menu, but he made it happen. The food is sooooo group! Penne al Dante ... Just perfectly right! Can you imagine , francisco takes his time to make the order , willing to talk to the chef! Of course, the chef is great, willing to make the dish! Thank you guys!

    (5)
  • John G.

    The only place I ever rated 4-stars and only tipped 10%. Obviously, the food was great and the service on the patio was horrible.

    (4)
  • Scott T.

    Good, casual location for deep dish pizza, in the style of Giordano's. Their pasta dishes tend to be hit and miss, so I tend to stick to salads and pizza. BIG ALSO: they do take home half-baked pizzas that when prepared correctly, end up being pretty incredible. Follow their directions to bake the pizza the rest of the way but rather than applying red sauce to the top during baking, just brush the top with olive oil, adding parmesan and herbs of your choice. Then, after serving up a hot slice, ladle some sauce on top. The crust won't have that soggy layer of dough that you get from Giordano's; rather you get this flaky, buttery awesomeness that seriously needs to be experienced.

    (3)
  • Silvio R.

    Great pizza. Had the spinach supreme. Great taste and great service. Best of all the view sitting outside on the street. Spectacular

    (4)
  • Matty B.

    Bella Bacino's...this place is absolutely brutal. I ended up here by accident with some coworkers on a recent trip to the windy city. In a town like Chicago the bar for great food is going to be set exceedingly high. The woman who booked the reservations was sent there by the Hyatt's concierge, which is always a bad sign and I'm fairly certain this is the only way this place gets customers...subterfuge. When we first arrived I tried to remain open minded even as I passed table after table of disappointed diners. We were seated and a warm loaf of tomato basil flavored bread was quickly delivered to our table. It was the best part of the meal and had it not been there I would have run out of the place for my own safety. Appetizers: Fried calamari served with cocktail sauce- soggy and gross. Sausage and cheese plate- tolerable, but mediocre at best. Prosciutto Flat Bread- dry and difficult to eat as the crust would disintegrate and leave you with hanging dried pork coming out of your mouth. Minestrone- I don't think abomination is strong enough of a word. Dinner: I'll spare this section as no one at our table enjoyed their entree. Dessert: Skipped it. For the food you have access to in Chicago this place just shouldn't exist. I beg you to explore other options and remember if you're thinking this place there are a handful of other joints that are in the same general area and a million times better. Overall experience: D- The waitstaff was attentive and quick to address issues, but that's not why I go out to eat.

    (1)
  • Nick L.

    I had lunch at Bella Bacino's this week. The panini was OK. It was your basic ham and cheese panini. The stuffed pizza the table shared was nothing special. The waitress refilled our glasses of water more than any waitress or waiter in the history of my life. At first we thought it was funny but then it became annoying and disruptive. If I go back I will bring my own bottle of water and hide my glass.

    (2)
  • Erin J.

    I met a friend here for dinner recently. She arrived first and told the hostess she was expecting me. When I arrived shortly thereafter and asked the host if there was anyone there waiting for me, she said no and seated me outside. I ordered a glass of wine while I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally we connected over text and figured out the whole mess. She had been seated in a dark, warm corner in the back of the restaurant. So despite starting our dinner 20 minutes late, everything from then on was pretty okay. I got the rigatoni and Italian sausage; my friend got the capellini al pomodoro and we were both satisfied. I liked the fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies they bring for dessert; nice touch. Overall, it was affordable, the food was fine and the service was good. I don't have any real desire to go back, but you could do worse.

    (3)
  • David M.

    We were looking for good pizza in the heart of Chicago and Bella Bacino was recommended to us. It was a Friday night and the place was hoppin'. Service was still relatively good despite the capacity crowd in that they took our order promptly and delivered the food quickly. We started with the black mussels, which were absolutely delicious. The sauce, for which they provided a crusty bread, was really tasty. I would highly recommend the dish. Four of us shared it, as we knew a big, deep-dish pizza was on the way. We had the pizza half and half: spinach vs. sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, and black olives. It was a very good pizza and the crust was particularly tasty. I would have given an overall higher rating, but the wait staff was pretty much 'slap it down and run'. But as I said, they were busy if you consider that an excuse. The food was extremely good.

    (3)
  • Jackie H.

    Had a pleasant lunch here yesterday while they were filming Transformers 3 just outside. Surprised it was open! But, alas, the patio was closed to only movie crew...More on that later. Not terribly crowded for a weekday lunch hour...Were seated promptly and waited on soon after. I ordered the Turkey and Brie panini (with apple and cranberry) and had the side salad. Quite delicious! Loved the creamy, melty brie with the slightly smoky turkey. And apples are always a favorite of mine! The house dressing on the side salad was satisfying as well. The service was okay...Our server was around and quick, yet seemed kind of indifferent and bored. He forgot to bring out sweeteners with the iced tea. Maybe it was just an off-day, or maybe the movie filming outside was a distraction. Upon leaving, spotted on the "crew only" patio was none other than Shia LeBeouf. A good lunch and a celebrity sighting made for a pretty decent afternoon!

    (4)
  • Mark G.

    Fair warning on this review...I've only had pizza and no other menu items. This is the best pizza option I have found in the Michigan/Wacker area (I'm not a huge fan of Giordano's). I had a small thin crust sausage and pepporoni that I ordered for carry out. It was ready in 20 minutes, which is good considering I placed the order at 11:55am on a weekday. The crust was a little bit hard and cracker-y but the rest of the ingredients were spot on. I would recommend this place for pizza in this area over any other nearby spot.

    (4)
  • Gonzalo B.

    We went here twice while in town for a couple 3 days, mostly 'cause it's in the hotel we stayed at. First stop we made after checking in, needed a quick lunch bite. Had a couple of the pressed panini's which were done very well, salmon and grilled veggies. The veggie mix was not what you would get in some places like say 50% onions, some carrot slices...here it was a nice, crunchy mix of zuchinni, squash, eggplant, peppers, some melty cheeeese, nice, crusty bread. The salmon one was a-ok too, maybe a bit more of the pinkie fishy woulda coulda. But both hit the spot on the dot, and the side salads was good greens moist and groovy good too. We didn't try the pizzas but based on what I saw wouldn't mind a buncha big or tight bites. Pasta dishes seemed to have other diners smiling the smile as well. We were leaving and had a few moments before our ride to the airport. I was starvin' and decided on the aforementioned panini yet again...and, threw in the Polenta with Mushroom Ragu. Get this, and smile. Get this, and feel warm and fuzzy, with some tongue tingles to mingle. Ask for some bread and spread this on it and grin down to your chin. It's a toothsome treat, the combo of sauce, 'shrooms and polenta done right. The panini was even better this time, too! Yeah, the place is a bit beat-down. So's the hotel it's in...but it's an historic building in a fantastic location. It's not all glossed out, but hey, there are plenty of places that have the look and no substance. Also, both our servers were very good, service was prompt, I was actually surprised how quick things went when I said I hadn't eaten all day and was about to catch a ride out of town...well done, all around.

    (4)
  • Jen B.

    Don't EVER order delivery from here! I ordered a sandwich through grubhub and it took 2 hours to get here. It was the grossest, soggiest mess ever. What a waste of money. I've never actually eaten at the restaurant. I'm sure the food is decent. It sounds pretty good. But delivery is a terrible idea.

    (1)
  • Hemant M.

    Italian menu is great. The bruschetta was really good. The calamari came with a cocktail sauce, hmm really. So ordered the red sauce. Anyways, the food was great overall. Do not expect a first class service but expect great service. Hey, it is really casual dining.

    (4)
  • April P.

    Cheers to the person who struck up this place. The food is phenomenal, esp the pasta. Had lunch here with my cousin a few weeks ago. She had the wheat pasta with fresh broc. Tasted very fresh!!! I had some special ordered Lobster ravioli with the vodka sauce. Can i just say???? HEAVENLY....OH. MY. GOD! The ravioli did taste, as menu says, made fresh daily. And the vodka sauce was rich and creamy, borderline alfredo-ish with some cream mixed in. The bread here is soft and great accompimant to their pastas. Have to go back to try their appetizers Also, service was promt for all the Loop Lunchers hurrying back to their desks. Meal was served very quickly Best part was that all their pastas for lunch are offered in half order sizes. Sa-weet! That way, i can go back to the office feeling satified, but not ready to fall asleep from food induced coma. Half order plus iced tea was less than $9 after tax, before tip. Can't get any better....

    (5)
  • Amy B.

    I am surprised by some of the really poor reviews for Bella Bacino's. I enjoyed the food here much more than Rosebud's. This was a recommendation from the front desk at Hotel Monaco around the block. It was late (after 9pm) and it was a Sunday and we were starving for something Italian and nearby. I'd give this 3.5 stars. I think I would have enjoyed sitting inside, but my husband insisted on sitting outside. The outside area is nothing special, but it works. The waitress was fine, not spectacular, not overly friendly, but not bad. We ordered the calamari. I can see why some people may not like this. It is only the rings, not the big globs of squid, but I thought it was fine. It was not soggy or rubbery and the portion was quite large. Definitely not the best, but better than many, as many places don't do calamari well. I had a house salad, which was large and tasty. I love salads and get them most of the time when I go out. The portion was large and the dressing was good. It was fresh and I did not see anything wilted. We had to request bread, although the menu said it was included with our pasta entrees. I was a little annoyed at this, but I've run across this frequently as of late. If the menu says "includes bread" please bring me my bread! That being said, it was nothing really special. It was fine, but not garlic bread or something I would think you'd get at an Italian restaurant. It was not dry or anything, it was actually kind of doughy and comforting, but maybe more of a tomato basil taste? We both got the capellini pomodoro. We both thought it was very good. We were in the mood for something like "spaghetti." Comfort food. It was almost 10pm and we were so hungry. The serving was so large we could have easily shared. We both had at least 1/2 left when we were done. Overall I'd say we probably won't return as there are so many other restaurants in the area, but it got the job done. It was an average experience, but the salad and entrees were really quite good (this pasta better than the "square noodles" people rave about at Rosebud's. Sorry!). I was satisfied and felt like the prices were fine, especially for the size of the portions. The waitstaff could have been a little friendlier, even if it was the end of the night/shift. The pizza looked good....we didn't have any, but most of the tables around us had pizza and if I could eat pizza, I would have. Everything smelled amazing, too!

    (3)
  • Charles J.

    I'll admit, it's been a while since I enjoyed pizza at Bacino's. For the life of me, I don't know why either. When I think back, my mind immediately congers up visions of of sinfully wonderful stuffed spinach pizza. I've never had stuffed spinach pizza any better, anywhere! When I do get downtown for pizza, I seem to gravitate to my old lifetime favorite Pizzeria Due but I've just made myself - and Bacino's - a promise. On my next voyage downtown for pizza, it's Bacino's for their oh-so-good stuffed spinach masterpiece!

    (3)
  • Shanti N.

    This update is for Bella Bacino's delivery service. I have ordered delivery from here on two occasions- on both, the order arrived hot and even a few minutes earlier than the time quoted, if not right on time. Bonus stars for the chocolate chip cookies provided gratis with the order. I understand Bella Bacino's delivery includes wine and beer. I live close enough to Bockwinkels so that I can indulge without having to rely on Bella Bacino's services in this area, but it is great that libations are offered as part of the delivery lineup.

    (4)
  • #NAME?

    I've walked by here so many times, I live really close but just always forgot to try it out-So I made reservations this Sat. at 7, after we watched the fireworks we could go have dinner here- We got there early yet were seated right away-It was rather cozy, I like the atomosphere-Yet even here we were are the lucky couple to ALWAYS get the broken table the bounces around when you try and eat- Menu looked good, I had the ravioli with a wild mushroom sauce, it was good, it had a different taste, something I've never had before-My husband had the rigatoni and sausage pasta-One bad thing, you can half the pastas for lunch but not dinner, they are huge- Only negative is we waited forever for our bill, I think the waiter thought we wanted to sit there and chat but I just wanted to get home-I'll have to come back to try the pizzas-I saw a couple of the thin crust ones come out, looked ok, but not as golden brown as I'd like-

    (4)
  • Jamie S.

    Looooove this place! Went there today for lunch with a coworker. Our server was very nice and attentive without "overdoing" it. I got a caesar salad (which was ...meh...ok). I added salt to it. The crunchy wafer crouton was really good. I got their homemade ravioli which was out of this world. It was ravioli filled with ricotta cheese...? And then it a creamy alfredo-type sauce. Cheesy type flavor with roasted red bell peppers in it. Every part of the concoction was perfect. We then asked for our check and .... oh.. wait a surprise! You get warm, freshly baked mini chocolate chip cookies with your bill. FOR FREE! Delicious... I will definitely be back

    (5)
  • Gayatri D.

    I live very close to this place and I love it. They have a beautiful variety of wine and it complements the food very well. The staff is attentive, polite and very friendly. I had the 4 cheeses ravioli in a tomato and basil sauce. My husband had the pesto pizza. We both loved it. It's a small cozy place so we ended up talking to the people next to us and they loved their food as well. We'll definitely go back

    (5)
  • Boones K.

    I came here for dinner to check it out as an option for a group dinner planned for later in July. The dinner menu was not that exciting, pretty standard options for pasta and entree's. It seemed like most people were ordering pizza. Perhaps we should have taken their lead. We started with the Baked Portobello. The mushroom on its own was good, but the bread crumb and prosciutto topping was dry and the sweet pea risotto didn't add much either. I opted for the hand made ravioli, which was crab that day. The crab filling was good, but I was expecting fresh pasta and disappointed to see that they used wonton wrappers. The tomato sauce was also a bit to oily for my taste. My niece had the Cavattapi con pollo, which was dry and probably something anyone at home could have put together with a jar of Alfredo sauce. It seems like the thing to order here is the pizza, but there are so many places to get good pizza that I don't know it's enough for a return visit.

    (2)
  • Susan G.

    First visit to the city and I wanted to try a Chicago style pizza. Holy cow! Bacino's serves a fantastic pizza. The restaurant is gorgeous - very cozy and inviting. Our server was fabulous. Attentive and efficient. Not realizing how filling it is, we took a lot of pizza with us. Good thing. We went to visit my boyfriend's family after visiting Chicago and I wish we had more to share. They loved it! Thanks, Bacino's, for a wonderful dining experience.

    (5)
  • Kathy L.

    So disappointed! I am a big pizza fan but the pizza here really wasn't anything special. The service was great but our spinach pizza and bella's special pizza was sausage was okay. A total waste of a good meal in Chicago Given all the hype of Bacino's by friends, we were expecting something amazing but next time, we'll just have to do our own research.

    (2)
  • Shradha A.

    First, here are some facts to give you the full picture: -- Tried them at Taste of Chicago. And loved it. -- I don't traditionally like Deep Dish cheezy Chicago Pizza (i know i know) -- My best friend used to be a fan of the original in Naperville growing up -- So both of us decided to give the one in the Loop a try after work last week. Here's our experience: -- We had no reservation. The wait-staff was rude, wouldn't tell us how long the wait would be, and we could see lots of open tables! -- We still decided to wait and finally got a table. Our server seemed over-worked and about to fall down and faint. She was never around when we needed something. -- However, soon enough, there were very long lines waiting for a table. In summary, I would go here again, on a less busy night, WITH A RESERVATION, and order the stuffed spinach with "Less Cheese"! Recommended for vegetarians? Yeah!

    (3)
  • Cut Y.

    For my 1-time experience, I'll remember this place. In from out of town and could not have scored better: Got the stuffed spinach with mushrooms delivered. Everything I wanted out of a pie. I think I paid $35 for the one but it probably fed a family of 5 and I ate half of it and cursed the family. I would be a f***ing fata$$ if I lived near this place. I had read that Lou Malnattis could be overrated (it's probably a personal preference for what makes a good pizza anyway), so I gambled on this place and now I realize my intuition is awesome.

    (5)
  • Amanda C.

    The place was packed when we went and like some other people have pointed out the service can be less than attentive. Once we got his attention and placed our order things came out in a timely manner. The goat cheese salad was really good. The thin crust pizza wasn't very good. More like a cracker crust not like thin crust pizzas that I like. The deep dish pizza is the reason for the 4 star rating. It is not greasy at all, the tomato is more of a paste but it has a really nice flavor. What sausage we did get was spicy and good. The cheese was really good. One of the better pizzas I have had in downtown Chicago.

    (4)
  • Blythe D.

    Absolutely WONDERFUL! We sat out on the patio last night for dinner and the experience was perfect. Great conversation in a beautiful location! We started with the warm goat cheese salad, which was heavenly before sharing a pesto pizza. The caramalized onions were heavenly! Our server was friendly and attentive, but not overbearing. I'll definitely be back!

    (5)
  • Wayne L.

    We came here for lunch on recommendation of a co-worker for Chicago Deep dish. We had some appetizers and two types of Deep dish. The Meatlovers and the vegetarian. Both were excellent and if this is authentic Chicago style I really like it!!! The restaurant has a first level and a downstairs. It's in the lobby of a hotel but has a separate street entrance as well. The service was fast and the wait staff was polite.

    (4)
  • Nick L.

    Stuffed pizza was great here. The ingredients were fresh and the tomato sauce and cheese both weren't too heavy. Good crust. Also, the server was friendly and attentive without going over the top. In the end the meal turned out to be a bit more expensive than I'd expected, but then again, this place is just a minute off of Michigan Avenue.

    (4)
  • Dean S.

    The BEST stuffed Pizza I ever had in the USA'

    (5)
  • Cindy C.

    Was attending a convention at McCormick and spending the nights at a nearby hotel. Late at night decided to get a bite to eat and didn't want to venture far from the hotel. A colleague had mentioned that he had eaten there the night before and liked it, so decided to give it a try. It was 9PM and was able to walk in and was seated right away. It was a weeknight and was fairly empty. My waitress was good - attentive. However, there were other waiters, who either were no longer working or just heading out, who were talking loudly to each other in the middle of the restaurant, handing off tables to each other, meeting up with friends and walking through the place, talking and joking - pretty disruptive and unprofessional. I ordered 2 appetizers. First the sausage and cheese platter. Pretty good. 4 different types of cheese served with dried apricots and berries and carmelized walnuts. One of the cheeses was smokey (not my cup of tea), one was a chunk of parmesan (which is not possible to put on bread) and the other two were so similar that I thought they might actually be the same cheese variety. Sausages - about the same. 4 different varieties, 2 very similar- if not the same. Other 2 quite good. I guess the main complaint was that they had run out of their special bread that they were known for. I thought I was getting french bread instead, which would have been just fine - but was surprised when I got pieces of plain old toast. Kind of disappointing. Next I ordered the gorgonzola and pear salad. It was very tasty. The various salad varieties and dressing were a bit bitter, but the sweetness of the pears was a nice balance. I won't be running back here again for dinner, too many other good choices available. The outside seating looked interesting though and I could imagine that lunch on a nice day could be fun and worth a try.

    (3)
  • Anne W.

    Great place that is affordable. They accomodated us really well when we had a party of 20 people. So.. great service and great for big parties! We ordered four deep dish pizzas (spinach and their special)... and various other things on their menus and it came out to $10/person with tip. The food was good too. I am a sucker for their spinach deep dish... much less bread and better cheese than other places. I didn't try the stuff on their main menu.. but I would imagine it would be decent.

    (4)
  • T S.

    My friends and I went here after the Gorilla Challenge (Chicago-based Amazing Race of sorts). We were soo hungry, but the pizza just hit the spot---great sauce and not too cheesy! The vegetarian one was delicious and the spinach one, did not OD on spinach. The best part was that she gave us freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies with the bill---what more can one ask for!

    (5)
  • Char Y.

    Truthfully, I am ambivalent about the place. We used our groupon to get a large thin crust pizza to go. We ordered the special with extra tomatoes, and the pizza was good. The toppings were notably fresh, with really good cheese. However, the crust itself is not up to par, being neither thin nor tasty. For $7.36 (including tax) it is a great deal through groupon, but I will order the deep dish spinach next time to see what else they have in stock. On another note, the view from the restaurant is truly breath taking, being next to the Chicago River under the tall skyscrapers. When it is beautiful out, it is a magnificent sight with the lit buildings against the clear blue sky. Amazing.

    (3)
  • Isobel O.

    Some of the best deep dish I've ever had. Try the spinach mushroom and ask for extra sauce. We were 2 people and ordered a 10" and still had 2 pieces left over.

    (5)
  • Lola T.

    The deep dish pizza is still by far the best in the city. I find their spinach supreme with fresh mushrooms to be the best, but try them all! I've taking quite a few people here to show them how delicious their pizza is and everyone is blown away.

    (5)
  • D C.

    Had a deep dish spinach pizza with mushrooms and olives. My first Chicago deep dish. It was decent. One slice and I was nearly full. Two slices and I was stuffed. Two full grown men and we ate just over half of a small pizza (2 slices each) and had to take the rest home. It's basically like a cheese pie.

    (3)
  • Teri P.

    I'm not sure why people persist in going to pizza places and having pasta, but they do. Do not make that mistake here. Bacino's is a pizza place with other things on the menu, but don't bother with the other things. Have pizza. In fact, have stuffed pizza, not thin crust pizza. You will not be disappointed. This is, hands down, the BEST chicago-style stuffed pizza anywhere. Don't bother with Gino's, Uno/Due, Giordano's, Malnati's...they're tasteless masses of gooey blah compared with Bacino's, particularly compared with the Stuffed Spinach Supreme. mmmmmm..... I did have a nice poached pear salad while waiting for my pizza one time. I would recommend that. The rest of the menu--no. Just get pizza, please. The ambience at this location is nice, the decor is vaguely Italianate. When it's crowded, though, it's CROWDED. In summer you can sit outside, which is lovely. The restaurant is pretty small, so be prepared to wait if it's busy--and know that it takes at least 30 minutes to bake a stuffed pizza (no matter where you go--if a restaurant tells you differently, it means they've got one already made in the back and who knows how long it's been under that warming light). Whenever people come to visit me, we always have a meal at Bacino's. Chicago style pizza does not come better than this.

    (5)
  • Kevin L.

    My deep dish meter might be somewhat out of calibration, considering I no longer live in Chicagoland, and there's absolutely no edible deep dish pie anywhere in the DMV that I've yet uncovered. So on one of my rare trips back home to visit family, it's usually high on my list of priorities to find me some -real- pizza and beer to satisfy my needs. Enter Bacino's. I think the last time I had Chicago style pizza was at another location of Bacino's in Lincoln Park. It just so happened to be almost exactly one year ago when I was in town for training for my former employer. I fell in love with it then (which isn't unusual when I'm offered great conversation and free samples of beer by a business owner) so it seemed appropriate to bring the boy (who had never had -real- pizza before) to a Bacino's to try it out. Reservations were easy to make, although they ended up being unnecessary on New Year's Day. Even rolling in just before 1900, we were one of three or four tables seated upstairs. The joint filled up during the time we were there, but emptied back out again. Plus, there's a decent sized space downstairs (also, where the restrooms are located)... I presume they're used for private parties or when it's extremely packed. I especially appreciated the amazingly cool back wall made of various winery crates - I only recognized a handful that I'd seen in Napa, but it was definitely an extra special touch. The menu options include a variety of Italian dishes in addition to both thin and stuffed pizza, but I'm not sure why one would bother with any of them given the availability of deep dish. Or maybe that's just me being a glutton. Regardless, we went with a stuffed spinach special, and another stuffed with Italian sausage, mushrooms, and pesto. Note that pesto is not actually an ingredient offered on the menu for stuffed pizzas, but our server was nice enough to ask about it, and the cooks were nice enough to make an attempt at putting it in the filling at our request. In the interim, while we waited the thirty or so minutes for our pies of deliciousness to cook up, we caught up, had a couple of Rogue Dead Guy Ales (another discovery and love-at-first-guzzle I made during my last Bacino's visit). Boy is the wait worth it! Two medium stuffed pizzas among five boys and we -still- ended up with a whole three-quarters of a pie left over. While the stuffed spinach was amazingly delicious and spinach-y, the clear winner was the Italian sausage with mushrooms and pesto. I'm not sure why pesto isn't listed as a regular ingredient, but it is absolutely -amazing- cooked into a deep dish pizza. I kind of almost wished they used more. Yum! Again, being a relatively slow evening, we weren't rushed out after finishing (well, more like surrendering to...) our meal. Getting a twenty broken for change was readily accommodated by our genial server, and we got to hang out, tell stories, and laugh the New Year's Day evening away. Good times with good people, good drinks, and damn good grub (who can argue against -real- pizza?). This is what Chicagoland means to me.

    (5)
  • Ting A.

    it's a bold statement to make, but bella bacino's has the BEST thin crust pesto pizza i've ever had. ...EVER. (i know, i know, i'm a bad chicagoan for not liking deep dish.) it was seasoned perfectly, and the pesto tasted like it was freshly made. paired it w/a dark cherry ale, as suggested by crystal, the bartender. (crystal and gabriel are sweethearts; awesome attitude and genuinely friendly!) it was a chilly walk from the clark/lake station, but the food and company were well worth it!

    (4)
  • Food Mercenary F.

    Went there on a Thursday late afternoon. Service was decent. Pricing was decent considering everything else did cost an arm and a leg in downtown Chicago. Appetizer - Crispy Polenta and Mushrooms was excellent. Probably one of the best appetizers I have ever had. Creamy mushroom ragu sauce with parmigiana and Gorgonzola polenta (tasted like delicious cornbread). It was amazing. I am giving this place 4 stars based on that appetizer alone. I would definitely go back to Bella Bacino's for their Polenta when I am back in town. Entree - Spinach Supreme with chicken and Jalapenos added, Stuffed Deep Dish. Very good pizza. Rich sauce and fresh ingredients made this pizza delicious. Amount of cheese was just about right. Not overflowing to where you could not taste the rest of the ingredients. We got the medium which is huge for 2 people. Had enough left over for breakfast and lunch the next day. By the way, I am a fan of cold pizza as well and it tasted even better the next day. Conclusion - The best pizza I have ever had is still in Little Rock, AR, Dam Goode Pies. Buttttt, I would definitely go back to Bacino's and try more items plus the Polenta.

    (4)
  • Libby P.

    I chose Bella Bacino's because my mom was in town for a conference and I wanted to find an affordable but nice place to eat near Wacker and Michigan, and she would be meeting my boyfriend. BB was fine on both counts, but the food is pretty unremarkable. The other reviews had suggested that the pizza is the way to go. Mom and I split a Margherita pizza while Mike had pasta with sausage, which the waiter warned was a little spicy. Mom and I also split a gorgonzola and pear salad. The pears were tasty and poached in red wine, though there was only a sliver between each of us. The Gorgonzola chunks were way too big and overpowered every mouthful--they needed to be cut in half. Otherwise the salad was fresh but not that flavorful. Mike's pasta came out piping hot, but our pizza was lukewarm. It is Neapolitan style, with a very thin, crispy crust. Fresh chopped basil was strewn everywhere and liked to jump off the pizza if you weren't looking. Each slice was topped with a mozzarella slice that purported to be from a water buffalo. The cheese was nice and salty, but a tad overcooked so you couldn't really get the authentic flavor. The crust was fine. The thing I like about Neapolitan pizzas is that you really feel like you're eating a *pie* with delicious, mingled flavors, but Mom and I have made better pizzas at home. We also had flourless chocolate cake that was more like a pudding, and I ordered two random glasses of white wine, neither of which were that good. They were too tart and bland. I thought this restaurant was serviceable. The decor was nice and our waiter was friendly as we took forever to order because we were catching up. He certainly bantered a lot with the other tables. If it hadn't been so windy we would have eaten outdoors and had a great view. But there are much better places to get pizza in Chicago, if you're willing to travel a ways. I saw a lot of businessmen eating alone and big groups that seemed like they were from out of town.

    (3)
  • Dan G.

    Came here on a Thursday night before last Labor Day weekend. The weather was beautiful and many people were dining outside, but my girlfriend and I opted to dine in. We were able to get a seat right away which was pretty sweet. We ordered fried calamari to start with because we knew the small stuffed spinach supreme (with mushrooms added) pizza we were going to share was going to take a long time to arrive. The batter was light, crispy and clearly done in-house and the calamari was pretty fresh (considering how far inland Chicago is). It was a huge portion so the price was very reasonable. Yum. :) After some 40 minutes or so our pizza arrived. After giving it a moment to cool down I took a bite and I started LAUGHING. I know that sounds like anything but normal, but I was so overjoyed with the flavor that it I couldn't control myself. Every bite after that I was smiling and probably passed out later that night with a fully belly and a grin on my face. Yes, it was that good, and when I'm asked what the best pizza I've ever tried was (happens more frequently than one might think), this quickly comes to mind when I'm fishing for a response. The service was attentive enough and the restaurant itself seemed well kept. I prefer this any day over Gino's East or Giordano's. Easily. The portions of everything we had were certainly worth what we paid (even though we got a small pizza, we could only eat three-fourths of it). If you're in the mood for a stuffed pizza, I really recommend getting one here, especially if you think the stuffed spinach is your type of pie.

    (5)
  • Emily N.

    Great service! I ordered room service a few nights when staying in the hotel upstairs for work. the food is pretty good- had pizza, salad, minestrone soup, and various desserts during my stay. They surprised me one night with cookies, completely unexpected. Pizza was tasty, and the soup is always pleasing. I give them 4 stars as my pizza was a bit cold- but still really good. I haven't eaten IN the restaurant, so I cannot vouch for that. Seems very busy and hard to get a table so I just went home to my room. =)

    (4)
  • Kent W.

    Good deep dish. Certainly better than Giordano's. Good and friendly service. We all had pizza, so can't comment on other dishes. We did have to wait a long time for the deep dish (45 min+), but they gave us fair warning of that ahead of time.

    (4)
  • Lori F.

    We didn't have any problems with service as some others did. The pizza was great! I would give 3.5 if I could... sauce was divine, but the rest of the pizza was just okay... would recommend LM over this due to the divine crust at "the other place" ...but definitely the 2nd best in Chicago!

    (4)
  • Kelsey K.

    I've found that when I get food for free, there's usually a reason but I was totally (and pleasantly) surprised when this place showed up at my office with pizza. The thin crust was great. All the other pizza places downtown have crappy-ass thin crust, but they impressed me. The spinach and mushroom was great and the crust was nice and light, so it doesn't totally fill you up on bread. It's was a bonus that it was free but I would absolutely pay for this pizza! Best thin crust downtown, hands down. The deep dish was great too, but I was totally a fan of the thin, so that's what will keep me coming back.

    (4)
  • Corey B.

    Had breakfast here three of the four days I stayed in the club quarters. The food was good each day, but the service was awful. The waiter was ridiculously slow each morning. The first day he brought me the wrong meal. As I was doing my travel report I found that he gave himself extra tip (even though I gave an appropriate tip)! When we came at night to get some drinks employees complained about management. This place was just not well run.

    (1)
  • Alex M.

    If you can't stomach another meal at the Corner Bakery next door, Bella Bacino's actually serves a great breakfast menu. The belgian waffle is spot-on and the summer fruit bowl was perfectly ripe, filled with blueberries and raspberries. Coffee could be better, but the orange juice was fresh and satisfying. Lots of egg and meat options, too, with much less of a crowd than other Michigan Ave/downtown hotel spots. Family friendly, too, it seemed.

    (4)
  • Singha F.

    I was visiting Chicago for business and staying at Club Quarters (see review). I really wanted to try some deep dish pizza, and Bacino's has some deal worked out with the hotel where they deliver and charge the food to your room plus a service fee. It was pretty late and I was too lazy to venture out, so I ordered delivery from Bacino's. I got the Bacino special with sausage and various veggies. This was my first Chicago deep dish pizza, so I have nothing to compare it to. The sausage inside was really tasty. The pizza was pretty good, but definitely on the dry side, it needed more sauce.

    (3)
  • Caleb N.

    The deep dish and stuffed pizza here are as good as anywhere else in Chicago. The stuffed pizza is a particular specialty and is even more cheesy and filling than deep dish. And the location on Wabash along the river is unlike that of any of its competitors, although you do seem to pay for it. All in all, a classier take on a Chicago deep dish pizza joint. Well done. We got the bruschetta, but I'd recommend skipping the appetizers. You probably won't have room for them, and they aren't particularly good. On a nice night, definitely try to get a table outside on the patio to take full advantage of the location.

    (3)
  • David J.

    Family was staying down at the Swissotel on Saturday and the concierge recommended this place for pizza and pasta. Didn't sound very kid-friendly over the phone, so I walked over and placed an order for takeout. The place is small and so is the bar and seemed a bit chaotic, but so are most restaurants on Saturday night in Chicago. I had a Bell's while I waited. Ordered the chicken alfredo and cappelini pomodoro along with a couple cheese pizzas. Took ~ 30 minutes. They included a small bag of chocolate chip cookies for dessert. My wife and I both really enjoyed our pasta and the cheese pizza was good. I would definitely go back.

    (4)
  • Michael B.

    The service was fine. The warm goat cheese salad was very nice and the dressing complimented the warm cheese nicely. The fruti de mare was flat. No flavor to the scallops or mussels. Overall, ok.

    (2)
  • Mary W.

    We ate here because it was in the lobby of the hotel where we were staying (Club Quarters/River Hotel). We came in on a Sunday at 11:00am and they weren't serving lunch--they were still on breakfast. But we were hungry and decided to go ahead and eat there. The food was WAY better than expected--the hashbrowns are buttery and crispy, the chicken sausages were awesome, and hubby's omelette was really tasty and cooked well. The restaurant was a little dusty, but not dirty or anything. The music they were playing was way too loud--it was still a morning breakfast service--I don't like having to shout my entire conversation to my husband. I really think that half the volume would have been better (and normally, I like loud music--this was just too much!) The service left a lot to be desired. The busboy refilled our drinks, took empty plates, and checked on us regularly. He should be made a waiter! Our actual waitress, however, was nowhere to be found. After she brought us our plates, she disappeared like Houdini. We waited for about 20 minutes for our check after we were done eating and we finally ended up having to ask the busboy to go find her before we could even pay our bill. I wish I knew the busboy's name--he's the only reason we left a tip at all. Anyway--if you don't mind the waitstaff acting like you're not there, this is an OK restaurant.

    (2)
  • David R.

    Stopped in at Bella Bacino's by chance. We had just stepped out of our hotel, Hotel 71, and it started raining. Since we did not want to run back up to the hotel to get an umbrella, we decided to eat at Bella Bacino's. The restaurant was packed by the bar area, but we were able to find a table in the back. The wait staff was a little slow, but we were in no hurry. I can see where it could be annoying if you were on a schedule and had to be somewhere at a specific time. The floor did need vaccuming, badly, but I'm not sure how that would go over with the diners. Now for the food, my wife and I had the chicken pizza and it was wonderful. It had a very tasty thin crust. Sauce was good and the chicken was grilled and also tasted great. We overlooked the slow service and mess and decided to come back for breakfast the next day. The service was quicker, but not by much. So I guess if you are wanting a quick meal before you start your evening, this is not the place for you, but if you want a place where you can sit and chat and enjoy a well prepared meal, then I would recommend eating here.

    (4)
  • Paul R.

    Service was a complete failure. We ordered two coffees and two egg dishes. The coffee never arrived and the vegetarian omelet my wife ordered was full of ham. Fifteen minutes after returning the dish to have it remade and yet to have the new one delivered, the server stopped by and asked if we wanted the bill! The food was dripping in oil, the eggs were runny and my bacon wasn't cooked all the way. The sliced toast was ok. Dinner service might be better and their pizza might be good, but stay away for breakfast! There is a Corner Bakery near by and even though their breakfasts are probably pre-mixed the outcome will certainly be better.

    (1)
  • cherrychip b.

    Omg, I love this place! We started with the polenta and mushroom ragu appetizer and it was simply delicious. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Ahhh yum! Next we got the caprese salad. The balsalmic vinegar is fantastic here. Hubby finished it in like 30 seconds. Next was the deep dish pizza. We built our own with ground beef, mushroom, garlic and anchovies. We got the small but were so stuffed we had to take home 2 slices :-). And then complimentary freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert! What a treat!! I can't wait to come back to Chicago to eat here again! Next time I am getting thin-crust pizza or one of the entrees though. They looked delicious :-).

    (5)
  • Rachel M.

    Ordered online at 6:30, delivery service reported fastest delivery time would arrive at 8:10. Accepted because we heard good things about the pizza -- huge mistake! At 8:15, we got a call from the restaurant -- there had been a "mix up" in the kitchen and the pizza would take another half an hour to arrive. When we told them that we'd already been waiting nearly two hours, they apologized and offered to comp our entire meal. When the delivery driver showed up, he gave us $6 in cash (the meal was nearly $40 -- $15 each for two 10-12" pizzas) and five cookies (which we did not order)... along with cold, thoroughly mediocre pizza. That, apparently, was our "comp." Pizza is totally subpar, nothing special at all and certainly nothing to write home about. Agree with the other poster who warned against ordering online from Bella Bacino's. I strongly recommend Pizzeria Ora or Lou Malnati's over Bella Bacino's and will never order from them again.

    (1)
  • Sarah L.

    My office orders pizza from here all the time. Bacino's has amazing thin crust and deep dish! I love a saucy pizza and Bacino's is pretty generous with the sauce. We almost never have any leftovers when we have Bacino's. I have never dined in but it looks very cute and they have a nice patio set up in the summer months. Check it out if you are downtown and need a place to go for lunch. You will love the zzah!

    (4)
  • Liza P.

    I cannot tell you how the food is because we were never seated. I think it was because we had our children with us.

    (1)
  • Chico R.

    My wife and I started with the house Bacino's salad and as other reviewers mentioned, it was bland. Our stuffed spinach supreme with mushrooms came out about forty minutes later which I know can be normal for stuffed, especially on a weekend. The pizza itself was very good, I liked how they dice the spinach, it blends well with the cheese as the pictures of it indicates. The only drawback for us was the crust. It lacked flavor, kind of dry compared to others we have had that have a little buttery taste. So one star gets knocked down for the salad and one star for the crust. Since we live in Chicago, we would try others before we go back.

    (3)
  • Liza H.

    We were staying at the Chicago River Hotel (which doesn't have room service), and we wanted breakfast in. Bella Bacino was the only breakfast menu they provided in their "Hotel Dining" guide. DO NOT EVER ORDER BREAKFAST DELIVERY/TAKEOUT FROM HERE, especially if the employee taking your order starts making mistakes as he's taking down your phone #!! Also, be careful if you have NUT ALLERGIES as they mistakenly put walnuts on my breakfast! We corrected our order for him multiple times on the phone, AND he finally repeated it correctly back to us. What we ordered: Oatmeal PLUS blueberries, bananas, and brown sugar. What we got: Oatmeal PLUS blueberries and brown sugar. What we ordered: Belgian waffle PLUS strawberries, bananas, blueberries, and syrup on the side. What we got: Belgian waffle with strawberries, bananas, walnuts, and NO SYRUP. We also received a huge amount of toast, randomly?? ALL THE FOOD IS EH, AND THE BREAD ITEMS, AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID, ARRIVE SOGGY. When my boyfriend went to pick up the order, the guy was chatting on his cell and wandering around the restaurant. It seems to be a trend amongst the reviews: if you MUST go to this restaurant (i.e. you have no other choice), be sure to dine in, so you can send back the meal!!

    (1)
  • Joe T.

    Seriously the most amazing meal I have ever had. This is more of an experience than a meal. I was never a huge fan of deep dish, but this is a true exception. Tried the signature stuffed spinach deep dish and I just melted. The bruschetta was perfection. Everything was homemade from scratch too. They even had one if the best microbrew selections that I've ever seen in terms of quality and geographical range. The service was fantastic and they are full of tips and recommendations. Want to try an authentic Chicago deep dish? Well you found it. A small pizza is more than enough to feed 2 and the staff will tell you this too.

    (5)
  • Nora B.

    We only got delivery, so I can't comment on some aspects of this place, but the pizza was great! I can't believe i'm saying this, but the stuffed was as god as my favorite, Giordano's!!!! We also had the calamari app. and it was crispy and yummy, not at all gross and chewy like I told him it would be after the drive over here. There was lemon wedges and 2 dipping sauces! We will order again for sure and I will bolster my review!!! ps...even good reheated the second day!!!

    (4)
  • Dawn D.

    Excellent! Loved the deep dish spinach pizza.

    (5)
  • Nancy C.

    APPETIZER: Steamed mussels were exactly how I wanted them -- steamed with a bit of garlic and lemon, topped with some grape tomatoes and basil, and accompanied by two toasted bread slices to wipe up the rest of the soup. DEEP DISH PIZZA: We got the Bacino's Special which has Italian sausage, mushroom, green pepper, and onion. It takes 45 minutes to make (so buyer be prepared), but the wait is worth it. Crust is crispy and not overly doughy, the stuffing is well flavored even with the mozarella that could turn it bland, and there's a nice layer of sauce on top. I think their pizza tastes a little bit lighter than Giordano's deep dish, which makes for a more pleasant eating experience. Definitely would go back for the steamed mussels and deep dish...

    (5)
  • Kira M.

    Bella Bacino's is a convenient destination for a visitor staying at the River Hotel (i.e., me), the lobby of which the restaurant occupies. On our way back from dinner one time, my father expressed interest in a nightcap, so we stopped in at the spot before we threw in the towel for the day. BB's lovely, outdoor seating area offers pretty views of the river and is an ideal lounge on a warm evening. (Save, of course, when one of the city's homeless schizophrenics wanders by, loudly proselytizing. Awkward.) I wish I could wax as positive about the cocktails: I ordered The Rita, which, though initially sweet and tangy, had a bitter, chemical finish. Worse still, very little alcohol was present (if it was included at all). This Russian was not pleased...

    (2)
  • Eliza C.

    I came here for work-day lunch. The hostess was a bit brusque but our waitress was great. I was thrilled to see that they had a thin-crust margherita with buffalo mozzarella. I knew it couldn't possibly live up to Da Michele in Naples but I was immediately turned off that it came out barely lukewarm. I have serious doubts that they used buffalo mozzarella but the worst part was that the cheese was almost tough. It probably would've been a great day-after pizza but I won't be ordering this pizza again here. I might try one of the sandwiches. On a positive note, the bread was yummy and they provided balsamic vinegar along with parmesan cheese and olive oil for dipping. There is outdoor seating, too.

    (2)
  • Michelle M.

    Service was awesome even in a busy environment. Food was soooooo good. Hot, fresh, and flavored just right. Chicago pizza rocks!

    (5)
  • Jessica M.

    We ordered pizza for delivery twice from here and I think it was very good. The stuffed spinach pizza is really cheesey and delicious, although I can't actually believe that Charlie Triotter thinks it's "the best spinach pizza in Chicago" as the menu claims. I'm just not sure about that one. The thin crust is not really that thin, but still pretty good. But after having the stuffed pizza and the thin crust, I'd always order the stuffed from now on. Their special pizza is really good, too. The sausage is great; nice big chunks with great flavor that pairs nicely with the sweetness and crunch of the onions. It can be a bit slow for delivery. The first time it took about an hour and the second time it took almost two hours (and that was for the thin crust pizza which doesn't have to bake as long). But they did include two oatmeal cookies with our pizza as a consolation.

    (4)
  • kat c.

    Food was great, but least to say the service was not. Lindsey, our server, mixed up our bill and her timing was awful. She would come up to the table at odd time when we weren't ready to order or in middle of eating? I found that irritating!!

    (2)
  • Yashar Y.

    Phhhhhheeeeew! So I love Groupon, and 12 Pizza for 60, sure I can do that. But If i could go back in time and do it, I would never. Worst Customer Service EVER! Honestly, me and gf consider ourselves pretty chill.. we read others reviews, saying place X was bac service, and we go there, and are like "well that wasnt THAT bad" but this place is ridiculous! yeah I can go on and on. to make long story short, i live serioulsy 7 minutes WALKING from them, however, somehow my pizza on saturday morning at 1 was delivered to me 2 hours and 25 minutes late, and to top it all off, they forgot to charge my credit card, so here I am hung over, and the guy is asking for cash I dont have! yeah, good stuff! pizza is HEAVY on cheese, but besdies that, its a decent pizza. their deep dish is good, and in all honesty, the service inside the restaurant is good too, its just when it comes to delivery that they are a lil handicapped!

    (2)
  • Laura W.

    My boyfriend and I stopped by for dinner on a weekday night. The outside patio was full so we sat in the dining room. Like the other yelpers who stated they should have went with the pizza, I agree. We both got pasta; whole wheat for him and shrimp linguine for me. I have read great reviews of Bella Bacinos where their fresh healthy ingredients are raved about but both pastas we just average. The portions were a decent size and the bread with the vinegar and oil brought out before the entrees was tasty. Our service was also very cold and I think the hostess was doubling as our server so she didn't have much time to talk and chat with us, which let me feeling like they weren't concerned how the meal was going. Overall I wouldn't make it a point to return unless I was dying to try the deep dish pizza.

    (2)
  • Bill M.

    This is a good spot for some Chicago-style pizza as well as pasta dishes. It is located just west of Michigan Avenue near the bend of the Chicago River. The new updated Bella Bacino's has a sidewalk cafe here in the summertime, and the sidewalk is unusually wide in this area.

    (4)
  • Henry A.

    Came here with a group of friends a few days back for some pizza. We had some out of town visitors coming in and wanted to get deep dish pizza. We ended up choosing Bella Bacino's because it seems to be one of the only places downtown that takes reservations. The atmosphere in here is nothing special - pretty typical Italian restaurant decor and I was surprised that the place was actually kind of empty. The service was not all that impressive either: They forgot more than once to bring drinks that had been ordered and they didn't check by the table when some of our friends joined us late. Overall though, I thought it was acceptable, just should have been a little better. Now to the important part, the food. We just ordered pizza, which was actually very good. Especially the stuffed spinach pizza is awesome and I highly recommend it. We also ordered the "Special" stuffed pizza, which was also really good, but the stuffed spinach was by far the best. Pros: takes reservations, good deep dish pizza (especially the stuffed spinach), not too expensive, no crowds, reasonable prices, many good options for vegetarians Cons: sub-par service, bland atmosphere, no crowds, meat pizzas are not as not as good as the veggie ones

    (4)
  • Patrick P.

    By rateng Bella Bacinos 5 stars I do not imply that it is a Grand place with 100 items on the menu. It is outstanding for what it is, It is located in the Club quarters Hotel at 75 E Wacker drive.(see my review). It has a good North Italian type menu that covers all the bases. The dishes are always well cooked and interesting; the ingredients always fresh. Excellent espresso and a varied and interesting wine list. Full, well stocked bar. Pleasant and informed servers. They seem to feature their pizza, but there is so much more to the menue than that, great appetizers, entrees and desserts!. When I stay at Club Quarters I rarely find a reason to eat elsewhere. There are meeting rooms upstairs, and it is easy to ger a private dining room.

    (5)
  • Jessy P.

    Pizza tastes as good as it looks! Friends and I were having a drinking night, and were so happy that this place was still open!!

    (4)
  • Cheryl Y.

    Perhaps I should have gone for lunch? This place was connected to my hotel and I was hungry for breakfast, so I came here. The waitstaff was slow and didn't seem to even have a good idea of what was going on around them. I ordered the blueberry waffles -- now call me crazy, but I imagined waffles with blueberries in them, like blueberry muffins. I got some waffles that didn't taste very good, with some blueberries thrown on top. Maybe I'm picky, but blueberries by themselves taste much different then when cooked into a pancake or muffin. I ended up just scarfing down most of the waffle and some of the berries, then waited awhile for the check. One of the interesting things though, was that the clientle was ruder than the waiters -- many people made a stink about wanting to sit outside, and not wanting to wait.

    (2)
  • RN G.

    Let me preface this review by saying that I love the thin crust pizza here SO MUCH that the poor service we've endured time after time hasn't kept me away from this place. It pains me to write a bad review about this place, but I hope that they will listen to the reviews and address the poor service for the carry-out business. We get carry-out from this place about 2-3x per month and order the exact same thing each time. The order is not complicated, but over 50% of the time something gets screwed up. As an example, the last time we ordered we were told the pizza would be ready in 40 minutes. We arrived 45 minutes later and the hostess said she'd go check on the pizza. She came back up and told us that it was "almost ready." After 15 minutes of waiting we had to go back and ask her where the pizza was and she went and checked again. She came back and said "We gave your pizza to the wrong customer. We have to re-make the pizza." So we had to wait another 40 minutes for our pizza. This wouldn't be the end of the world, except for the fact this happens REPEATEDLY and they have never even attempted to make the situation right. During one of the screw ups they promised us that a manager would call us... six months later we're still waiting for that phone call. I think we'll try another location rather than continue to deal with these guys...

    (1)
  • Richa A.

    Legit deep-dish. It was never recommended to me by anyone in Chicago, which is a bit of a surprise, but it's the closest to me of all the other big names so I order it for take-out when I don't feel like cooking. I've never dined in here. One odd thing is that the pizza has been slightly different each time I've ordered it (actually better each time, so no complaints!)... The first time I ordered it, it was a little off.

    (4)
  • A Real Person Y.

    For a restaurant that primarily promotes they're Chicago Deep Dish pizza.... it doesn't have much of a selection. Their menus had more NY Style thin crust pizza... I felt decieved. None the less.... I got the Spinach and Mushroom deep dish with added olives and ground beef... pretty F'in good man. The atmosphere was a little too ritzy-high class for me when all I was going for was some pizza. Service was awesome, very personable and attentative.

    (4)
  • Kelly R.

    Have eaten here many times and the food was ok, but will never go back again, I got the worst case of food poisoning from eating lunch here.

    (1)
  • Chris H.

    DO NOT GO AT LUNCH!! We were staying in the hotel above and kept seeing tons of people eating here so decided to give it a try. We went around 12:30 on a Monday. It took an hour to get food, and about 15 minutes before the waiter even came by. They can definitely not handle a full restaurant. The waiters are assigned tables in every part of the place, including the outside, so they were running back and forth to all parts of the restaurant. With all this running around, I rarely saw them carrying food, but always saw them with dirty dished and glasses. It seems that they do not have bus boys of any type assisting with this stuff, so the waiters were responsible for everything. It was terrible. We finally ordered, took another 20-25 minutes to get the pizza (deep dish spinach), and it was not very hot, so the cheese already started getting solid. It was nothing special at all. As we were leaving the place had emptied out and the waiters were running around less, so if you decide to go...go later in the day.

    (1)
  • Andrew B.

    Good pizza, but kind of pricey! I've eaten in the restaurant twice and ordered take out pizza about ten times, and each time I haven't been disappointed.

    (4)
  • Aaron E.

    Had salads, deep dish pizza, and beer in the evening. Service was friendly and efficient, Perfectly acceptable (thought not the best I've had). Will have to return to try other things on the menu.

    (3)
  • Elmo G.

    Awesome value menu with a fun atmosphere. The breakfast omlettes are really well done, and come with toast and hashbrowns for about $8.95. You can sit outside and look at iconic Chicago architecture while you are eating. Dinner is similar quality, generous (but not excessive) portions. There's an old fireplace and sort of a row-house atmosphere inside. I ate there three times last week and the staff were uniformly polite. It does take a while to get your food, but it's worth it. Kid-friendly as well.

    (5)
  • Jess C.

    First restaurant we dined at our first night in the windy city. It was suggested to us by the hotel concierge. The restaurant was a good choice considering it was only two blocks from where we were staying and the cold didn't allow us to walk any further. We ordered the filet crostini to start. I had the pork chop with balsamic glaze for my entree. Two of my friends ordered two different pasta dishes, respectively, though I don't remember which one. The filet crostini was a great choice. It was like a protein brushetta - the meat was prepared just right....very rare. I enjoyed my porkchop. It was tender and they served just the right amount so I didn't leave feeling like I needed to be rolled out the door. My friends liked their pasta dishes but I didn't actually try it so I wouldn't be able to share my opinions. The service was very attentive and kind. Our waiter came back several times to check on us and refilled our beverages often. Prices were completely reasonable. We spent about $25 a person. There are so many restaurants we didn't get to try while in Chicago that I probably wouldn't come back to this place but it was nice to dine at least once.

    (4)
  • Eleanor H.

    I arranged a dinner for a group, with speakers afterwards. We used their basement room, ideal for this size (38), comfortable without being crowded. The décor is very attractive and the stained glass window, lighted from behind, keeps the room from being claustrophobic. The basement can be reached by elevator or stairs. We had an excellent dinner, choice of three entrees and a sandwich, plus bread and the delicious house salad, for a very reasonable price. (If we were to do it again, a buffet would simplify things because we wouldn't have to keep track of entrée choices when people RSVP'd. Bella Bacino's can also do a buffet.) The staff was great. The Events Manager helped choose the entrees to be offered and was very cooperative about all the arrangements. The service was excellent, very efficient yet unobtrusive. Bella Bacino's is a great place for this type of small meeting and if our group does this again, we will definitely go back.

    (5)
  • Leah P.

    Very good pizza and fast delivery! They always seem to forget something though, a topping or our soda. The thin crust pizza is not that thin, but still delicious. Great place for West Loopers!

    (4)
  • Suzanne E.

    The tiny, undistinguished bar is pleasant enough and right across the street from the originating southbound #6 bus (where you get on to avoid crowding). The house cocktails ((ugh, sweet tea vodka) seemed a bit pricey for what they were ($8-12), so I ordered a Manhattan, without specifying the bourbon or anything, and ended up with a $14 bar bill for one of them. WTF? This is not the Phoenix Lounge, where you expect that and there is some artistry and architecture involved that makes it work as a treat. I think this whole stretch of Wacker where the big hotels are has turned into a lobster pot of a tourist trap. I would encourage anyone, from wherever, but especially tourists, to give it a miss and walk south and into downtown more generally, or north into River North. Or, of this keeps up, to buy a bottle of wine at Binny's at Grand west of Wells and drink in their hotel room before venturing out for a long inebriated walk. Faugh.

    (1)
  • Cristina K.

    I had the grilled chicken panini. I just wasn't in the mood for pizza. Our service was just horrendous. We couldn't get a refill to save our lives. Others in my party ordered the pear and gorgonzola salad, which was, by their accounts, nothing spectacular. We needed to find somewhere close and quick with wine. They were close. They weren't quick. Perhaps I should have had the pizza the other Yelpers are raving about. I'm raving about very little.

    (3)
  • Kelly S.

    Although the food was good the service was bad. We got shoved in the basement either because we were not dressed up enough or because we had a child with our group. The waiter hardly ever came around. We ordered pepperoni on our pizza and when it came it was just cheese. However, we were still charged or the pepperoni. We were going to ask them to remove the charge from our bill, but we were waiting so long for the waiter to come back that we just left cash and left.

    (2)
  • Andrenaline R.

    I was staying at the Fairmont and the concierge suggested this place for deep dish pizza. The restaurant was nearly empty at 3pm. It was me and this old dude. You would think with just 2 people ordering, it wouldn't take that long. Wrong! It took 40 mins for me to get my pizza. When the old dude's pizza finally came, they got his order wrong. I came to Chitown for conference and hoping for an authentic deep dish experience. I was disappointed, because I've had much better pizza back home in California. Yup, I said California.

    (2)
  • Michael F.

    The stuffed spinach pizza is great, BUT DO NOT ORDER ONLINE FROM THESE PEOPLE. They take almost 2 hours to deliver when you order online.

    (3)
  • Den J.

    The location is great...truly on the Magnificent Mile...but nothing else about this place is great...chairs need refinishing...walls need repainting...food is bland and "lazy"...even the wine glasses are cheap "buy in bulk" type that look like the ones supplied when one holds a large outdoor function in a tent! Only positive...is that the large, greasy portions won't leave you hungry.

    (2)
  • Patti M.

    The half empty dining room at 8 pm on a Saturday night, along with the great restaurant review from 2003 in the window should have been a warning that this place was way past its prime. The 2 thin crust pizzas we ordered were inedibile. Although the spinach supreme was better than the cheese pie, that's not saying much. Plus when the waitress heard we were dissatisfied, she did not speak to the manager or offer to make amends. The bottom line is in a city with some great pizzerias this one ranks among the worst.

    (1)
  • Eric B.

    Decent food at a reasonable price. I got the Spaghetti Bolognese which was recommended by the more than pleasant waitress. I see others have had bad experiences, but mine was quite good. I stay at the Club Quarters often where the restaurant is located but never ventured in until today. There are a lot of great places in the city, but when time is short I won't hesitate to visit here again.

    (4)
  • Suburban R.

    classy. deep dish pizza joint. next door to my hotel- hotel 71.

    (4)
  • Erin C.

    Such good pizza! We order from here when we're at work - delish. I have only tried the thin crust, but after looking over the menu I really want to try the spinach deep dish.

    (4)
  • Karen M.

    What a great place to enjoy pizza and a glass of wine ! The outside tables along Wacker drive make you feel like you you are at a small cafe in Italy. The thin crust pizza is wonderful and the menu itself has a variety of Italian entrees and appetizers. The prices are extremely reasonable, and the staff are attentive and helpful in menu recommendations. Can't wait to eat there again!

    (4)
  • Mary W.

    I actually signed up for Yelp just so I could give this place a bad review! I work in the loop and me and a friend were craving pizza so we decided to check this place out. First off, we walked in and there is 1 guy taking phone orders, helping with carry out, clearing table and trying to be the host. Needless to say, he was failing miserably at all of these tasks. After standing for 10 minutes without the host/takeout guy/busboy even acknowledging us because he was so busy doing a million other things, we finally get seated at a table outside. The chairs were wayyyy too high for the table so it was really awkward and uncomfortable but at this point we are starving so we decide we will get over it. Well we sat there... and sat there... and sat there without waters even being put on our table. 10 minutes go by and a waiter rushes past our table and says that he will be with us in a minute. Well another 10 minutes go by and we still have no waters, no drink orders, let alone food orders have been taken and we had about enough so we got up and left. Any restaurant in the loop typically understands that people are coming there on a break from work so they try to keep your dining time to under an hour, well not this place, I honestly can't imagine how long they would have left us sitting there. So after wasting 30 minutes of my hour long lunch break, we went one block over and enjoyed some nice flatbread pizza at Emerald Loop (where we were in and out in 40 minutes).

    (1)
  • Kathy P.

    the spinach bacino deep dish pizza is awesome. I learned that deep dish can fit a ton of cheese. i think i may have relived that little caesar's stringy cheese ad scene at bella bacinos. it takes at least 40 minutes to cook a deep dish pizza, so if you want your food fast, call in your order. the bruschetta is also quite tasty and they'll give you extra bread, if you need it.

    (4)
  • Kayem M.

    BRING CRAYONS for the kids to write on the paper table cloth. The deep dish pizza takes 40 min. to bake. But when it comes, well worth it.

    (4)
  • Kathy F.

    I was using the groupon that my office purchased to order lunch for our 2nd shift crew and when I provided my groupon number, they stated that we are only allowed 2 pizzas per day. I referred to the groupon and it states "Limit 2 pizzas PER ORDER." I relayed this information to the woman on the phone and she referred me to her manager. Her manager then got on the phone and immediately had an attitude. He said that he knows what the groupon says, but it was supposed to say "Limit 2 pizzas per order per day." To be honest, I would have probably been okay with that (because the pizza/food here is not great anyways) had it not been for his terrible attitude. So I stated that it doesn't really matter what it was supposed to say, what matters is what it actually says, and that when we purchased the groupon, technically a binding contract was formed. He said, "Well it was supposed to say PER DAY and that's it." Nice- Classy AND intelligent.

    (1)
  • Jim N.

    Service was terrible, but the food was decent. I ordered their thin crust pizza (I know, in Chicago of all places!) but it was really good.

    (3)
  • Rachel C.

    Last month, I visited Chicago for the very first time. I stayed at the Club Quarters on Wacker and Bella Bacino(beautiful kiss) was located in our hotel lobby. How lucky we were!!! I visited other pizza places while vacationing but Bella took top prize. Their deep dish pizza was the best pizza I have ever had in my life! (This coming from an italian whose father makes homemade pizza all of the time!) We tried their spinach deep dish as well and it was delicious. I also ate breakfast there a few mornings and their ingredients are just so unbelievably fresh. I had scrambled eggs with asparagus and it was delicious! The staff was incredibly nice and if I'm ever back in Chicago, Bella Bacino will be my first stop!!

    (5)
  • Kylie C.

    If giving zero stars was an option, I would have chosen that. This was the worst service I have ever experienced at any restaurant in my life. After sitting for fifteen minutes, we were finally brought water and the waitress took our drink order. My boyfriend was then brought the wrong beer and didn't realize it until he opened it (it was the same beer but the pale instead of dark). We were still charged for it even after he told the waitress. She replied, "Sorry, I'll bring you the right one the next time." Wow. Next, the fire alarm suddenly went off and an announcement came on that said 'this is just a test'. I dont see how this was necessary to do during open hours? After this the waitress took our order where we ordered a thin crust pizza. It took a half hour to come out and it was stuffed crust. I dont like stuffed crust pizza so I was very upset. We didnt have time to wait for the correct one to be made so we kept it. Management did take it off our bill however we still had to pay for the wrong beer and no one ever apologized. This place is crap. Save your money and time. With all of the Chicago pizza available, find a place that has a waitstaff who actually know how to take an order.

    (1)
  • Heidi K.

    We had our wedding rehearsal dinner at Bella Bacinos and it was such a nice evening. We love their stuffed spinach pizza and my parents really liked the available private room, so it was a great choice for our dinner. We had about 25 guests and the downstairs room to ourselves, which was very cozy and subtly decorated. The food and service were excellent - we opted for a pizza buffet, which also included a large salad and bread (really good bread!!!). The pizza was cut in "sample" sizes so guests could try different flavors and two wines were to be served - the servers were very sweet to find a different white wine for those that preferred a fruitier taste. We brought in Cheesecake Factory cheesecake for dessert and the servers cut and served the cake with no issue at all. All of our guests raved about the pizza, half being from Malaysia and never having stuffed pizza ;) The servers really made the experience that much better, even offering to box up the leftovers for later - yum! Five stars for such a memorable night.

    (5)
  • Christopher B.

    We've stopped here a couple of times now while in town and enjoyed the experience each time. Food was excellent as was the staff. We sat outside and enjoyed a bottle of wine, salads and pastas. Espresso coffee with dessert was also very good. We would not order the creme brulee again.

    (4)
  • Oscar the Death Cat B.

    I think Bella Bacino's is supposed to be an "upscale" variation on it's other outposts further north in the city. You can get their signature pizzas here, and the menu is supplemented with classier/pricier italian dishes. The dining areas are nice, but up front in the bar area can get kinda crowded with obnoxious office worker/tourist types, especially on a Friday night. If you want to try their pizza (it's quite good) and can travel outside the downtown area, I'd recommend visiting their Lincoln Av location for a more casual & pleasant dining experience.

    (3)

Q&A on Taco Bell

Who owns Taco Bell?

Taco Bell is a restaurant chain subsidiary owned by Yum! Brands, Inc. which controls the restaurant division of PepsiCo.

When does Taco Bell stop serving breakfast?

Taco Bell starts serving breakfast from 6 a.m. which is one hour later than other competitors. However, the restaurant chain continues serving breakfast till 11 a.m. which is half an hour later than other competitors.

When is Taco Bell happy hour?

Happy hour at Taco Bell starts from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Are Taco Bell beans healthy?

Beans are rich in protein, fiber, and minerals like iron and phosphorous. Hence, Taco Bell beans are healthy in nature. However, there are claims that Taco Bell uses a rehydrated slew of mystery ingredients instead of beans. So, simply inquire about the beans before ordering items serving Taco Bell beans.

Which Taco Bell is closest to me?

Use our Restaurant Listings directory to find Taco Bell nearby.

Which Taco Bell sauce is hottest?

Diablo is the hottest Taco Bell sauce.

Which Taco Bell sauce is best?

In terms of popularity, the Mild sauce is undoubtedly the best Taco Bell sauce favored by Americans.

Which Taco Bell sauces are vegan?

Hot and Mild sauces are certified vegan.

Which Taco Bell has nacho fries?

Taco Bell has a habit of discontinuing and relaunching Nacho Fries. You can find the Taco Bell locations nearby to see if the Taco Bell store has Nacho Fries.

Which Taco Bell is open right now?

Taco Bell opens at 6 a.m. in the morning and stays open until 3 a.m. the next day at major locations. In New York city, the Taco Bell stores stay open till 11 p.m. or 12 midnight.

Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.

About Taco Bell

Taco Bell is a haven for Mexican delicacies such as tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and other specialty items. Owned by Yum! Brands, Inc. Taco Bell is one of the fastest growing American chains of fast food restaurants. The restaurant operates from 7,072 different locations which are mostly run by independent franchisees and licensees.

The background story of Taco Bell is interesting and inspiring for budding entrepreneurs. The fast-food brand is the brainchild of Glen Bell, who started his first food venture as a hot dog seller in San Bernardino, California. The year was 1948. After witnessing long queues outside a Mexican restaurant called Mitla Café across the street, Bell saw the opportunity and demand for hard-shelled Tacos. He reverse-engineered the recipe and later started selling Tacos and called the venture Taco-Tia.

Later, the name changed from Taco-Tia to El Taco. Eventually, Glen Bell sold the company to his partner and opened the first Taco Bell in Downey in 1962. By 1964, the restaurant also got its first franchise in Torrance. The 100th Taco Bell restaurant was opened by 1965. PepsiCo acquired Taco Bell from Glen Bell in 1978 and the restaurant brand is currently a subsidiary of Yum! Brands which looks after the restaurant business of PepsiCo.

Healthy Food Options at Taco Bell

You may believe that a healthy lifestyle doesn't go well at a fast food restaurant. Well, that's not the case with Taco Bell. Surprisingly Taco Bell offers a variety of healthy options, thanks to the in-house registered dietician who monitors the whole menu. The dietician ensures that each item on the menu is free from additives and preservatives, colors, and artificial flavors. The dietician also ensures that the food served at Taco Bell doesn't contain high-fructose corn syrup, low sodium levels, and reduced use of partially hydrogenated oil.

More than 75% of food items served at Taco Bell falls under 500 calories. Taco Bell also features the Fresco Style option which helps the customers to maintain healthy diet plan without missing out on taste. In Fresco style option, Taco Bell switches pico de gallo with cheese, sour cream, guac, and mayo-based sauce. Taco Bell takes care of almost every health preference of its customers.

Tips for Dining at Taco Bell

Diabetics can also try other Fresco styled Taco items such as Fresco Crunchy Taco, Fresco Grilled Steak, and Fresco Soft Taco Beef. These are other healthy alternatives of Tacos for diabetics which contains an adequate amount of starch and minimum or no fat content. Switch the regular sauce or cheese with pico de gallo and you can easily reduce the sodium intake and fat content for your body. It will help maintain blood pressure levels and control high cholesterol.

Q&A on Taco Bell

Who owns Taco Bell?

Taco Bell is a restaurant chain subsidiary owned by Yum! Brands, Inc. which controls the restaurant division of PepsiCo.

When does Taco Bell stop serving breakfast?

Taco Bell starts serving breakfast from 6 a.m. which is one hour later than other competitors. However, the restaurant chain continues serving breakfast till 11 a.m. which is half an hour later than other competitors.

When is Taco Bell happy hour?

Happy hour at Taco Bell starts from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Are Taco Bell beans healthy?

Beans are rich in protein, fiber, and minerals like iron and phosphorous. Hence, Taco Bell beans are healthy in nature. However, there are claims that Taco Bell uses a rehydrated slew of mystery ingredients instead of beans. So, simply inquire about the beans before ordering items serving Taco Bell beans.

Which Taco Bell is closest to me?

Use our Restaurant Listings directory to find Taco Bell nearby.

Which Taco Bell sauce is hottest?

Diablo is the hottest Taco Bell sauce.

Which Taco Bell sauce is best?

In terms of popularity, the Mild sauce is undoubtedly the best Taco Bell sauce favored by Americans.

Which Taco Bell sauces are vegan?

Hot and Mild sauces are certified vegan.

Which Taco Bell has nacho fries?

Taco Bell has a habit of discontinuing and relaunching Nacho Fries. You can find the Taco Bell locations nearby to see if the Taco Bell store has Nacho Fries.

Which Taco Bell is open right now?

Taco Bell opens at 6 a.m. in the morning and stays open until 3 a.m. the next day at major locations. In New York city, the Taco Bell stores stay open till 11 p.m. or 12 midnight.



Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :6:30 am - 11:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : Yes
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Categories

Pizza

Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.

Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.

Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.

Italian Cuisine

The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.

Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.

If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.

Bella Bacino’s

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