Giuseppe’s La Cantina Restaurant
1062 Lee St, Des Plaines, IL, 60016
Giuseppe’s La Cantina Restaurant Menu
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Address :
1062 Lee St
Des Plaines, IL, 60016 - Phone (847) 824-4230
- Website https://giuseppeslacantina.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :Closed
- Mon : Closed
Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
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.
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.
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Mike O.
While I haven't been here for a banquet or reception for a few years, I have to give Giuseppe's some points for their thin crust pizza. For NY Eve, we had my niece and nephew over and decided to get pizza for dinner. Since we got Lou Malnati thin crust last time, we found it was actually rather poor compared to Lou's deep-dish. So to satisfy the thin crust preference of the kids, I placed an order to pick up a thin-crust cheese, with half-sausage, while the grown-ups got Lou's deep dish. For comparison, a Lou Malnati 14" large pepperoni deep dish was $20 while the large 18" thin crust cheese/half sausage from Giuseppe's was $21. Definitely not the better deal for the money if you look at it from this comparison. What Giuseppe's brings that Lou's lacks in the thin crust pizza is more sauce, a better cheese coverage overall (less crusty ends), and a slightly thicker, more bread-like crust that appeals more to the kids. While it's about 3 miles from us, and Lou's is less than a mile away, it was worth ordering the thin crust at Giuseppe's because it went over better with everyone and the leftovers didn't dry out and turn hard and chewy like the Lou's thin crust did, making the leftovers more palatable too. The pizza was ready to pick up by the back door on the corner and actually about 4 minutes ahead of the pickup time I was slated for. Good value for the quality.
(4)Kalyn H.
My review must have been deleted or filtered. Too bad. I went here with a Groupon and bought it because the food looked pricey and great. There was a wedding going on during our dinner and music kept pouring into the dining room, it was not quite the romantic date we had hoped for. Our wine bottle was twist off, took 25 minutes to come and they didn't even pour it for us! Lastly, the food was INEDIBLE. My fettuccine Alfredo was swimming in sauce and his shrimp florentine was burnt and the pasta was overcooked. I will not come here again.
(1)Mona T.
It's really hard to believe what an awful experience this was. We got a groupon for a 'quick' lunch - seemed fool proof since this place is so close to work and we've had no problem with their (mediocre) pizza delivery. We waited at least 30 minutes for panini sand pizza slices. While waiting in the dining room, the manager was running around unhinged and swearing loud enough for us to hear across the room. Orders were wrong, food wasn't even good. Late back to work since we were stuck here for a whole hour - for an 'express' lunch. The manager was absolutely ridiculous and at the end came to give us coupons and complain about how busy they were - we were the ONLY people in the dining hall!! Thank goodness groupon gave us a refund - we will NEVER be going back here.
(1)Kevin J.
I was not very impressed. Their wings were gross. I asked for well done and got slimy and burnt wings. It looked as if they cooked them in the fryer for the shortest time possible and then threw them on a frying pan and burnt them. This is not what I would call well-done.
(1)Adam M.
This is probably the worst experience I have ever had to endure when going to a restaurant. When we first arrived at the restaurant it was a tad confusing. The exterior resembles that of a warehouse which seems a little misleading at first glance. When we walked inside we stood with the host staring us down before being seated. For appetizers we ordered the stuffed breadsticks and fried sampler. Upon ordering the stuffed breadsticks the waiter (also the host) snatched the menu from my girlfriend's hands exclaiming he had never had anyone order those before which was already not a good sign. We only saw our waiter twice in the first half hour we were dining even though the restaurant was particularly slow and he was not the only waiter. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that a poorly laid out restroom is a big pet peeve of mine. When I went to visit the Men's room there were no handicap accessible stalls, only one sink, and some of the urinals almost seemed to face each other which seemed to render them entire useless. However, the cleanliness of the restrooms was absolutely immaculate. The atmosphere of the restaurant was a tad bid confusing. The interior gave a middle class look, but the menu was paper and there was paper over the leather tablecloths. Guaranteed this was a lunch service, but this seemed a little off. As far as the music goes it appeared that the songs were half in Spanish and half in Italian which seemed very strange. When the appetizers arrived the stuffed breadsticks were just normal Bosco brand breadsticks that were way over seasoned and burnt. The fried appetizer with the fried vegetables was actually rather good. For our actual lunch, we both ordered the fettuccine alfredo. The sauce of the pasta was absolutely amazing (which they claimed was homemade). My pasta was a tad bit overcooked and the sauce was scolding hot, but still a very good meal. The decor seemed to clash with oddly placed lamps and light fixtures, fake ferns, and a very odd digital clock hanging in the dining room. When we left and asked for takeout boxes we were greeted with styrofoam containers and a tacky plastic "have a nice day" bag. Although the food was not entirely inedible, the unknowledgeable and rude staff plus the horrible service made this experience extremely unpleasant. I firmly do not recommend this restaurant and unfortunately don't think I can give this location a second shot.
(1)Lawrence Y.
I've had take out from here twice so far. The restaurant is located in a strange triangular street/island on Mannheim/Lee. The outside is very plain and each time I've passed by I would have never guessed it was an Italian restaurant. Anyway, the ladies up front have been pretty nice when picking up my order. So far I have tried: + Eggplant Parmigiana - delicious if you like eggplant + Side of meatballs - I don't know what makes theirs so different, but it's pretty darn good + Spaghetti w/ meat sauce - typically haven't found a spaghetti as good as my mom's ;) but I had this just yesterday and it was good. Seemingly a smaller portion than I would expect.
(4)Jake M.
I was looking forward to some "award winning pizza" and that's not exactly what I got. Giuseppe's is a nice little Italian restaurant and banquet that has been in operation for years. Although everything there is homemade, the pizza that they so highly praise is hardly much. I'd like to see exactly what awards it has won. The crust, despite its freshly baked flavor, is much too doughy. The quality in the ingredients just isn't there. I'd like return to try a pasta dish or an Italian dinner.
(2)Aca P.
Garlic rolls hard no flavor Mozzarella sticks Luke warm sauce tasted burned Lasagna was alright Chicken on salad was big but tasted burned Driver was excellent he brought the food all the way to the table inside due to it being hot on the bottom
(3)Lary G.
Let me preface this review by saying we have ordered hundreds of dollars worth of pizza, albeit thin crust, from this place. We have had many family parties where we have order MANY large pizzas from time to time. Needless to say, we will not be ordered from them again. I really wanted to like this place because it is close to home, and there really isn't another pizza joint in the area that I know of. But low and behold, we may not have a place to deliver quality pizza in our area. My family decided we would try the deep dish pizza. Our expectations were quickly negative when the pizza was cold as I took my first bite. Not lukewarm, but cold as if it was sitting out in the 50 degree weather. Considering I live about 5 blocks from this joint, my pizza should NEVER be cold when being delivered from here. My real problem comes from the person who talked to me when I called to see what they were going to do about my cold pizza. First, the pizza was $28.00. Guess how much they offered to credit us? Ten bucks. Yep, not even the total cost of the pizza. And what makes it worse, they wouldn't credit the credit card we used, we would essentially be getting "store" credit to use on the next order. No "I'm sorry" or "we will be more than happy to make things right." Yeah, uh huh. Like I'll be ordering from you again. Stay away.
(1)Giuseppe D.
I've come here a little over half a dozen times and it's been great every time. There's one or two larger rooms for private dining. We had one of these rooms to ourselves before and the service was great, and the privacy was even better. The food is all very good authentic Italian cuisine. Freshly made bruschetta everytime I come is a must. Thinly slice prosciutto and mortadella are a great compliment for appetizers. I really enjoy the shrimp here; it's always been fresh and come as huge pieces. The linguini con calamari is also my favorite pasta dish from here; sweet sauce, crispy calamari, yum yum yum. It has an awkward location, right next to railroad tracks, with a parking lot that's across the street from the actual restaurant (with no crossway to follow where cars would stop for you). The service is friendly and adequate, decent prices. Not somewhere I absolutely HAVE to have, but it has been sufficient for every visit I'd had with my family.
(3)Rick F.
The memories! Been going here for 18 years for family events being Italian we celebrate everything! So tonight was no exception for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. It was like a wedding 7 course meal, DJ, photographer, speeches, sideshow of 50 years together! A real tear jerker! dancing, a huge dessert table all homemade by the aunts! Everything was amazing! I'm so lucky to have such a great and caring family!
(4)john c.
great pizza.been coming here since the beginning.hard work ing family very attentive good food,nice menu and good reasonalbe prices john conenna elk grove village.best chicago style pizza from day one
(5)Erin B.
I have been going here since before I could talk for one thing, a Giuseppe's (Nick's) Double Dough Special pizza. Excellent, one of the better pizza's I've had in the Chicago area, if you like sausage, peppers, mushrooms, and onions. The minestrone is decent as well as the bread served.
(4)Jennifer M.
The plusses: decent parking, easy to find, good food, quick, attentive service. The minuses: The plastic-y tablecloth under the paper top was disgusting. The silverware when we were seated was not clean! While we were given replacement cutlery immediately, the filth factor of the tablecloth made me wonder what else in the restaurant was not up to par. Perhaps it was just severely stained, hence the paper topper, but still a yuck factor. If I had rated just on the food, it would have been a 4 star review, but the dirty silverware and tablecloth disgusted me and I downgraded.
(3)Heather W.
Giuseppe's Express- is the new quick pick up food run out of the restaurant. We ran over from work to grab carry out for lunch and were pleasantly surprised by the well sized portions and fresh food. We ordered a panini caprese $4.50, sausage panzerotti $2.50, ham and cheese sandwich and pasta with marinara- the 1st 2 items were my favorites although all the items were good. Prices are very reasonable as are the portion sizes. I'll definitely be back to try more- next on my list the Giuseppe Panini- Italian meats and mozzarella sounds yummy :)
(4)Sarah B.
Good if you like eating in a building that looks like a warehouse, the tin-sided kind, not the trendy brick kind. Food is okay but nothing to write home about. Service is okay too. But I would not take my parents here, a date here or anyone I actually liked. I only went because of a work function. And the brownie desert? Well, let's just say I've had better out of a box.
(2)Fern M.
So 2 friends and I went to this establishment over the weekend. I have been going to this restaurant for a few years now. I am usually impressed with the customer service and that day was no different. I am always greeted with a smile and this place is family owned and authentic italian. The owners are italian. When you get there and get seated they give you water with ice. The table layout is professional with folded napkins and utensils properly placed on the table. They have an alcohol menu with different types of wines, hard liquors, martinis and beers to choose from. You also are given a basket of warm butter bread and tomato bread as well as small plates to eat them on. They take your drink orders and bring them without haste. Then they take your food orders. We ordered their famous pan pizza. mmm mmm mmm. Is it so good. Though it takes 45 minutes to make and cook it is very worth the wait. The waiters keep checking every few minutes to see if any refills or anything else is needed. The owners always come over to your table and check to see if the food is good or not. It always is. I usually never have to ask for a refill because they're usually on top of it. Finally when we got the bill we payed and left as always very satisfied. The inside is nice with wine bottles, grapes and beautiful paintings and murals on the walls and display. They have 2 floors and a party banquet room which serves a lot of people. And again, the owners are super nice and courteous. I am always going to go to this place as long as it remains in business. :)
(5)Amaliya L.
It's has literally been over 25 years since I've eaten here. 25 years ago it was called Nick's La Cantina. My Italian boyfriend at the time raved about it. This was where his family would eat for special occasions. I had completely forgotten what their food was like; now I remember why I have not been back for 25 years. It was as awful as that old boyfriend. It was very apparent that we were not welcome there. The hostess had us wait and we were told that they needed to find a table for us. You would assume that the wait was due to clearing a table, but there was 5 empty tables in the main dining room. The hostess led us away from the main dining room and sat us in an empty room far away from prying eyes near the kitchen. I am not sure what offended her more. Was it our appearance? Did our tattoos offend her? Or was it the fact that gasp....we had a child with us? Whatever their reasoning, I was totally disgusted and offended. At that point we should have left immediately, but the little one was hungry. We ordered baked clams and my absolute favorite, eggplant rollatini for appetizers. Our waiter also brought out a basket of fresh baked bread. The foccacia bread was delicious. Their garlic bread however was hard and resembled oiled hotdog buns. Absolutely awful. The eggplant rollatini was absolutely delicious. The clams? Undercooked, over breaded, dry, fishy, and cold. We had no choice but to ask to have them reheated. I had a total craving for a good Bolognese gravy with meatballs. My dinner also came with a choice of soup or salad. One of the choices was French Onion Soup. I can never pass that up. Tonight was one of the nights that I should have. French Onion soup is an onion and beef broth or a beef stock based soup traditionally served with crusty baked bread slices and cheese as toppings. What I received was a bland broth with overcooked onions, bread and no cheese. My spaghetti? Terrible. The sauce was too overpowering and too abundant for a thin pasta such as capellini. I had ordered spaghetti! The meat was undetectable and completely dissolved except for some grainy bits. The meatballs; however was the worst part of the entire dinner. It is the kind of meatball that I despise. The texture was gross and reminded me of minced meat formed into a ball. It was a giant meat goblin that tasted like liver. I immediately regretted that I did not just order eggplant for my entree. My son ordered a kid's meal. It came with a choice of an entree, ice cream and a small beverage. He had ordered lemonade earlier, but the drink and ice cream were never offered. I didn't even realize it until writing this review. He had one bite of pizza and did not like it. I tasted it and did not care for it either. My husband ordered the baked mostaccioli and was not impressed. This was one of those dinners that left us upset knowing that we could have cooked a better one had we stayed at home. I use neck bones, veal chops, sausage, and meatballs to make my Sunday Gravy and I have been told for years that my meatballs blow everyone else' out of the water. This was just sad for $78. They charge $17-$30 for their entrees. The food quality, plating and overall experience do not justify those prices. Spaghetti with meat sauce and a side of meatballs cost $19! Their only saving grace is that they had a very nice waiter, Angelo, who understood that coffee drinkers do not like their coffee to creamer/ sugar ratio disturbed and brought a fresh cup instead of refilling it. He was also great at making my son laugh. Had it not been for his service, I would not have bothered to leave a tip, the experience and food were that bad. This is a personal message to the hostess on duty 8/27/11. Shame on you. Every paying customer who decides to give your establishment business deserves to be welcomed and treated with respect. The person that is put in charge of the front of the restaurant creates the first impression and also the last. You certainly did not welcome us nor did you have the courtesy to thank us for visiting or ask us to return. You did not acknowledge us at all. You are single-handedly destroying the business. Yes. I could have bothered to take my complaints to your manager instead of vocalizing my thoughts on line. You set the tone for our bad experience. And yes. You are getting exactly what you asked for. We will not be returning. We are gifting you with an important lesson. Word of mouth marketing. It can either raise you up or destroy you. Next time, please be a little bit more considerate of your guests regardless of what you think of them. You never know who you might actually be offending. It may be a food critic, a food blogger or even a Yelper such as myself.
(1)Namon K.
They did a great job with service and price for our banquet. Would highly recommend using them.
(5)Will P.
The pizza was really good, and we kept getting our bread refilled which was nice. The only problem is that the pizza was really expensive, and you can get similar pizza for much cheaper elsewhere. I would try their other items though. Also, our waitress was Giuseppe's granddaughter, which was very exciting.
(3)Roberto F.
This place is good enough to come here every couple of months. The buffet for lunch is sometimes hit or miss. They usually have sometthing good to eat and the salad and the soup are fresh. I guess the best thing about the buffet is that you always have the option of the pizza. Wait service is pretty good and the price is pretty reasonably good. Not so bad for a lunch in Des Plaines
(3)Max M.
I always get the Giuseppe's special, which is their equivalent to a supreme. You can really taste the difference in quality of the ingredients, particularly the sauce and the cheese. I've yet to try anything else off the menu or visit their banquet hall, but I'll tell you as one Chicagoan to another; probably the best thin crust is the city!
(5)Tara M.
I went here a lot when I was in High School, with family, and the food was good (it was Nick's then). My husband and I have been talking for months about stopping in and never made it until Friday. The restaurant is very small, from a walk of the street and eat standpoint... not a lot of tables, but very warm and comfortable environment (there's also two banquet/party rooms). I ordered Linguine with marinara sauce and Italian sausage... typically I find marinara sauces to be very watery but this one was nice and thick and had a great tomato flavor, not all sugary or too much oregano or basil - the sausage I believe was grilled and then added to a tomato sauce, it was quite tasty. My husband had Veal in a cream sauce with spinach and prochuto... he said it was really good, but a little salty. My kids each had a cheese pizza (small) and enjoyed them. We enjoyed our experience at Giuseppe's and will go again.
(4)Rebecca M.
My favorite lunch spot. Today I had a delicious house salad and pasta fagiol soup. Very good food- home cooking!. The owners and staff are nice and friendly. Also, like the thin crust pizza, italian beef with sweet peppers, caprese salad. Great, great food!
(5)Jennie S.
My hubby and I so enjoyed going back to Giuseppe's La Cantina after a long hiatus. The Restaurant has considerably changed over the last thirty years. While menu items have skyrocketed from cheapo to pricey, our dining experience was worth it. Although I personify "frugal" in my daily buying habits -- we did have a $10.00 off coupon -- the classy, yet comfortable ambiance of the newly remodeled restaurant combined with the mouth-watering tastes of the pasta sauces made the night thoroughly enjoyable. All we needed was a strolling opera singer. Oh yeah, that's Mexican guitar player. Wrong ethnic venue! Check out Giuseppe's La Cantina for a birthday, anniversary, or just a special night out on the town!
(5)Jeff N.
I loved their lunch buffet (choice of pizza or everything in the warming tables) when I worked in that area. Their dinner items are definitely average, but the pizza is solid.
(4)Gail C.
Pizza lover's unite! Yes unite. This restuarant is the best thing in Des Plaines. And you get your fix quickly! Very important on Fri nights! As for the rest of the food here, or if you eat at the rest. meh.
(4)Jeanne L.
Came here for lunch with 2 coworkers for the buffet; it's small, but everything is pretty good, from the pizza, to soup and the salad bar. Their roast chicken was really really good. I think it was around $7 each with tip, but I forgot the exact amount. Our server was a little un-attentive and never asked us what drinks we wanted until halfway through our meal when I stopped him. Other than that it was pretty good.
(4)