Having driven by this place umpteen times we were at a loss on where to have dinner in this general vicinity one night and thought, "why have we never been here?" so we stopped, and boy am I glad we did. I ordered the Veal Parmesan and my cohort this evening ordered the spinach lasagna and both Items were prepared flawlessly. Everything was as it should be. Just make sure you read their STRICT salad policy. Gave me a good chuckle. Will be back for sure!
(4)
Lindsey B.
Graziano's is pretty ok. Definitely not the hot spot or the best place ever but it's ok. I used to work down the street in Niles and we'd order lunch in every once in a while or take a long lunch and actually go in. It's a little pricey for what it is, but hey it was an Italian fix before there was Noodles and Co. over there. I would always order the bowtie pasta in vodka sauce. It was pretty darn good. Their bottles of wine are on the affordable side and generally speaking the waiters are quite nice. Drinks are heavily poured which adds to my liking of this place :) The bar has some nice seats! Darn comfy.
(3)
Nancy V.
This place is awesome! Amazing pasta dishes, the salad is to die for (and in unlimited quantities), garlic bread phenomenal. Every time we go, we say next time we have to just have salad and dessert cause we never have had room for dessert and the desserts look fantastic. We do tend to eat lots of salad and bread, then part of the entree and have plenty of entree as left-over to do at least one, if not two, more meals. Service has always been excellent. Highly recommend and we'll keep coming back.
(5)
Duncan S.
I really like the pizza. It's not perfect, but it's thin, crust is nice and cooked/crispy, and you can taste the nice oven (sounds weird, but I like that). Don't have any service issues. Once there was a little wait for seating, but it was real busy and we had no reservations. Haven't had anything else, but my friends think the pastas aren't anything special, so your own risk there. Walking around, roasted chicken looked good (maybe a specialty? A lot of people were ordering them. Along with salads), but yes, I love the pizza
(4)
Alison M.
Tasty food and giant portions-- this place is better than a lot of its strip mall neighbors. I highly recommend splitting their linguine with seafood. It's probably the best thing on the menu. I've had other things here, and they've all been pretty good, but ever since trying the linguine with seafood, I don't bother with anything else. I'm knocking it down a star for its bread, though. I mean, honestly, you're an Italian restaurant, you shouldn't be serving dinner rolls to dip in the olive oil.
(3)
Randy G.
Average food. Service is lacking
(3)
Joe B.
First of all the place is surprisingly huge and gorgeous inside. Huge portions for the price. Neapolitan style wood fired thin crust done right. Grilled calamari served with lettuce & polenta was a winner. Great find amonst the stripmalls in the Nikes/Skokie/Lincolnwood area.
(4)
Pam D.
We stopped in for lunch after going to the movies. I did not read my review from 3 years ago, and oddly enough I ordered spaghetti and meatballs, totally unaware that I didn't like it last time around. Well, this time it was much better, as was Christopher's ziti. Another improvement from last time was that they let us take our leftover salad home. Bravo! I hate seeing food go to waste. We will be back. I just wish it wasn't so noisy in there. The place was nearly full and carrying on a conversation was not easy or pleasant. Next time, I will try something other than spaghetti .... if I remember. LOL
(3)
Lawrence D.
What a pleasant surprise. Each dish was really very good. Their salad was one of the best I've ever had. Their grilled calaimari was super (served on polenta sticks), and the baked chicken ziti, again was exceptional ( I had a half order and couldn't finish it all). This was my first visit, but certainly NOT my last. Try them, you won't be disappointed!
(4)
Bob M.
I took my college bound daughter here for our last meal before she heads off to school. Her recomendation, but I have been here a few times before. She loves it, everytime it's the chicken salad. I, on the other hand like to change it up. As many times as I been here, nothing works. Sorry.
(2)
Kevin T.
It pains me to write this review. I've been ordering and going to Graziano's for seven years. I've rented out the group section of the restaurant on three separate occasions with 30-50 people each time. The food is very, very good which is what makes this hard to write. Tonight we ordered dinner for delivery at 4:15 PM. We were told that the food would, "arrive within the hour." Two hours later it showed up cold. An hour and fifteen minutes after ordering I called the restaurant. The woman how took my order answered. When I asked about my order she wanted nothing to do with me. She explained that it would be "coming soon." I asked if that meant ten or fifteen minutes? "Fifteen minutes", she replied. At nearly the two hour make I called again and was told that the food was gone so the driver must be on the way. When the driver arrived he told me that my street was a challenge to go down. I live on a quiet street and have driven to Graziano's from home many times. I have never had an issue getting there. It doesn't take much to lose a customer but I think Graziano's might have lost me tonight. For what we paid for dinner and the treatment of the woman at the restaurant & driver it wasn't worth it. I'm greatly disappointed.
(2)
Pauline D.
Thanksgiving dinner here rocks. The turkey was delish so was the green beans and mashed potatoes. Staff is very friendly even on a busy holiday. Pizzas are awesome too!
(5)
Vanessa J.
Food was ok the service was a little missing, the waitress was coming only to pick up the dishes and rarely care to ask us if we need anything else overall it was ok experience not the greatest
(3)
I L.
Great service, great pizza, nice beer selection, great bruschetta, great tiramisu, great night :-)
(5)
Dixie S.
I love their pork loin chops. You must try their house salad as a sauce for the chops. It's fantastic!
(5)
Stefanie K.
I really enjoyed this place. I've been here twice and both times the service was excellent and the food was delicious. I've ordered pasta as well as an oven brick pizza and I honestly can't complain We came in for a group party and they gave us complimentary appetizers. Totally would recommend this location!
(4)
Joanne K.
We have been here many times over the past year. Every single time the service is awful. No matter what time of day it is, we end up with the worst service. Tonight was no exception, after being told I will be with you in a second at least 5 different times, we finally had our drink order and food order taken. Drinks came after food and after we reminded the waitress that we didn't have them. I also had to snag our napkins and silverware from a neighboring table, because they were not brought to us. Our prior visit two weeks ago ended with our waiter putting me down for a full order of chicken vesuvio when the only size on the menu is a half order. Of course the waiter offered no discount on his mistake and packaged me TWO to go boxes. Sadly, I think this will be our last visit.
(1)
Melisah B.
My boyfriend and I came here on a Thursday night, me with a hangover and ready to eat some fattening Italian food. We came to spend the gift card the manager Steve (who is very nice) gave us to compensate the very soggy-crusted pizza we had received months earlier. They offer complimentary bread at the table but there was no butter in sight - I had to ask for it. The waitress brought some out straight from the fridge, so of course it was rock hard and not spreadable for a while. I realize that Graziano's isn't a Wildfire, but some soft, whipped butter would be nice and without having to ask for it. Even Houlihan's has that. For an appetizer, we got the sausage and peppers. Meat was soggy and reminded me of the kind of crumbles of meat you would find in Italian wedding soup. Sort of bland, but the carmelized onions and peppers that came in the dish were good. I actually enjoyed those onions much more than the sausage itself. I chose a salad for my entree side and it was a standard, plain, pathetic salad of iceberg, a few limp onions, big cuts of tomatoes, and some croutons. I wasn't asked what kind of dressing I would prefer. It came out already mixed with what seemed to be some kind of house dressing. Veggies were not crisp whatsoever. My boyfriend ordered the Graziano's burger. He asked for it to be cooked medium and it was nothing close--more like well done. By the taste, it was very obvious that this was not a fresh ground burger that had been grilled, but rather some kind of frozen burger from a box with "grill flavoring." I don't believe the menu description claimed this was fresh so... oh well. I ordered the four cheese fettucini. It tasted no different than alfredo sauce; noodles were way overcooked and squishy, very far from al dente. It was still fairly flavorful, enough for me to keep eating it, but that was mostly due to my hangover. I needed that fat! It was pretty dead in there and yet the service was still pretty slow to the point where my boyfriend had me order a beer so he would have two at the table and not have to wait so long once he finished his own. We tipped generously because we're that kind of people - other than the service being a little slow, the waitress was pleasant and it's not her fault the food quality was so sub par. I'm so glad the food we ate was on the company dime. We will definitely not be returning.
(2)
Derek G.
I will be honest I am surprised by the mixed reviews for Graziano's. I have eaten here on several occasions and have never had anything less than a terrific experience. Most recently, my family ate here during the holiday season. Even though the dining area was full, our server was attentive polite, and cordial. I finally tried the brick oven pizza and as an unofficial pizza Connoisseur, I have to say, I thought it tasted fabulous. Graziano's prices are fair; I do not recall ever having to wait for a table, and they have a parking lot. Perhaps I am just too easy to please. Nonetheless, I think Graziano's is great.
(5)
Margaret A.
Terrible service today. Can't understand why because it wasn't too busy. Waited a good 15 minutes to be waited on after asking numerous times for service. Asked for more Bread and that was almost impossible. Sorry we had such an unpleasant visit today. This is very unusual. Saw waiter once to take order. After that had to call busboy and he wasn't too happy about it. Martin was our waiter and he left much to be desired.
(1)
Stephanie P.
I've been to Graziano's several times and have loved everything I've ordered! The Margherita pizza is definitely my favorite. The salad is great too! I have to take one star off for the service as there are a few waitresses there that aren't so great but overall, Graziano's is a great restaurant.
(4)
Mike L.
Just okay. I have been here before but today was very disappointing.
(2)
David M.
My wife and I came at a busy family time 6pm on a Sunday. I expected it to be busy but we were seated right away. However, it was one of the worst spots in the joint. Right by the serving station. I had to sit with my back to it because I didn't want to stare at a bunch of dirty plates. I would have asked to be moved but my wife needed the bathroom as soon as we got to the table and I didn't have the energy to make a fuss. So here we are, in the "steerage" part of the restaurant. There were plenty of nice empty tables toward the front. Maybe because we're not regulars we don't get that option. OK, enough of that. My wife went with a black bean soup which was watery and my salad, with house dressing was wilted, like it's been sitting in the dressing for a long time. I ordered the grilled chicken panini which was very bland. The server was nice enough. I've been here several times but I don't know if I'll go back. It seems well suited for large families that just want to share basic Italian fare. Nothing knocks me out here. It was loud and we had to deal with servers flying right behind us. Also, there was a little of a chucky cheese atmosphere with unattended children darting around the tables. It was the least enjoyable experience I've had out with my wife in a while. At the end, she asked for me to remind her to never come back.
(2)
Jorge P.
Seems that my follow-up visit was much better than the last. My wife And I went for lunch. And it was much better than the last time. Not only was the soup hot but very tasty. I also had an pizza and the dough was very good. I will come back again after this visit. Thanks for inviting me back.
(4)
Brooke M.
Recently I was out with the family in the suburbs and we randomly stopped at Graziano's for lunch. I am vegan and I typically get plain pasta with tomato sauce or pizza with vegetables no cheese (with lots of questions about the tomato sauce and the crust) but my family is not. I was so plesantly surprised to see several options on the Graziano's menu labeled as vegan (they use daiya cheese) and the waitress knew exactly what I didn't eat without my having to ask lots of questions. The pizza I ended up getting was delicious as was what my family ordered. It is also very kid friendly with the usual crayons and the not so usual dough for my kids to play with. Because of the wood burning oven (not sure if it really burns wood but there is a fire you can see) lunch came out quickly which is also a real plus when eating with kids. We will be back to Graziano's for sure.
(5)
Gladys G.
my boyfriend and I love this place! we only started going there after we bought a fundraising card from a niles west student that gives us 20% off. I know! cheap-o's! but seriously, I don't think we would come back as often without it. now that we've fallen for it, we probably will but let's get to the food. OMG everything tastes so fresh! their salad that comes a many of the entrees is to die for. so tasty and delicious. the dressing rounds it up. the pizza is everything you look for in a pizza. definitely has a distinct, brick oven flavor to it. our favorite entree is the ravioli with meat sauce. so fresh, finitely made in house and delightful. thank you grazianos for putting such efforts into making everything fresh and delicious!
(4)
Kevin F.
Nice place. I'd call it upscale family friendly. Can be loud at time, which diluted the atmosphere. Very good pizza, but not the best. Overall, A repeated for casual night out and if you're in the general vacinity.
(3)
Doug R.
Very, very good Italian place. Ive been here many times over the years and have never been disappointed.
(4)
Rebecca E.
Not the best place for Italian food. To be honest I'm not quite sure what it is about this place but it just doesn't click with me. Nothing about it is comforting unless you like being surrounded by brick walls with a whole bunch of crayon markings on it. Felt like I was in a Chuck E Cheeses because of it. The portions are small and staff is not very good at making sure you are being serviced well. We were seated at a far end of the restaurant away from basically everyone, by the bar and there was barely anyone there. The food doesn't feel comforting and although the taste is there it's not worth the money. Would never return, and would not recommend.
(2)
Nancy K.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the salad! However, as in any restaurant, don't expect good service when you go with a group of women. The staff tend to think we don't tip, so they don't bother. I was the first to arrive, they seated me in the bar which I was happy about - not as many kids and noise! Then I realized that my party was going to be larger than expected. Not a problem but they tried to move me into the other room where all the kids were. I wouldn't have said anything but there were at least 15 empty tables. Finally, they sat us at a booth. I had already ordered a drink and they had brought bread and I started to eat. When I moved, the manager said not to worry about taking my drink, they would give me a fresh one. It would have been nice if he would have passed that onto my waitress. She brought me another drink but it was also on the bill. I never even had a sip out of the other one. When I originally sat down I was told that because I made the reservation online, we get a free order of bruschetta. WHAT? That was good, however, I had to ask for it three different times once they moved our table. Food is great here, it's the service that can be better.
(3)
S M.
I called the restaurant on a Sunday at 1:00 pm asking if the restaurant could possibly accommodate a reservation for 16 people at 6:00 pm that same evening. The manager was gracious and was able to fit us all in, and more importantly, he saved the day, as my party of 16 was gathering for a post-wedding day meal before the families departed back to their hometowns. I was so SO grateful! As for the food - delicious. I had the melanzana pizza and toasted mozzarella appetizer. Both hit the right spot. The service was fantastic and attentive. Finally, as for the ambiance, it was perfectly balanced - not too loud, not too quiet. And the exposed brick interior gave the place a nice, classy touch. I live in Washington, D.C., but my brother lives 5 minutes from this restaurant, so I'll definitely be back. Thanks again to management for accommodating me on such short (5-hour) notice!!
(5)
O.M. R.
Its a 2 star because of the bread and tomato cream soup. I ordered the chicken marsala which had a terrible taste. I've send it back and had another bowl of soup. This place is next to my house, but i don't think I'm coming back...
(2)
Brad E.
This would be higher if solely based on the food, but based on management. My wife, who is not a big eater, typically will order one or two side orders as her entree. We have been to dozens of restaurants where this has never been a problem. After ordering a side of pasta and a side of vegetables, the server returned to let us know that the side if veg was ok, but she would need to change the pasta to a half order, "that is why the half order is on the menu." When questioned about why she could still order the side of veg, we were told there were no entree sizes of veg. Seriously? Is the extra couple of dollars that important? Because our dollars are too valuable to be ever spent here again.
(1)
Lysette H.
Dined here this evening for NYE with my sisters and was excited to see the Grilled White Salmon as the special for $16.99 versus the regular price of $22. My sister ordered and specifically asked the waitress what the difference was for the special versus the regular menu version, for which the waitress said just the lower price since featured as the special, but the same item. My sister orders and at the end of the meal, she receives her portion with the regular pricing. We call the waitress back and ask that the price be changed to the special, she comes back with the Manager and says he hasn't had a salmon on the specials in 6 years. We must all be on the same episode of the Twilight Zone or this is a classic Bait & Switch. Wow!!!!! Such a nice experience with plans to come back until learning that not only Dept stores deceive the public with this scam, but restaurants do as well!!!! Shameful!!!!!
(1)
Evelyn Z.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place! I've been here numerous times! I've dined in before a movie, I've use them for catering and have been here for luncheons. The service is always great and the food is AWESOME! From appetizers to dessert. It's great for families and date nights. Basically just go, you like it! Oh FYI i love their buffalo calamari and the toasted mozzarella.
(5)
Pk P.
This is our favorite pizza place. Bar none! Their brick oven pizza is to die for. We typically order the pizzolo and the way they carmelize their onions is extremely unique and adds a huge explosion of yummy in every bite. We've dined in many times and the service is excellent also. Our meals are always prepared quickly and served nice and warm. The location is very clean with ample parking. I just wish there were more of them so we don't have to drive all the way to Skokie.
(5)
Naduu B.
The pizza is delicious! We had the margarita. The crust was just the perfect balance of soft and crunchy.
(4)
Maria S.
Graziano's is very impressive! The moment you walk in, u feel like u are in another world....Rome, Italy. You come across the colossal cream-colored sculpture and your eyes start roaming, glancing at the ambiance & decor. It's a meeting place for many business people in the area, but if u ask d hostess for a quiet area, you'll get what u want. The service is superb; the waitresses are very well trained. If u order pasta, one of the servers comes over to offer freshly shredded cheese! Mmmm the pizza is ovrn baked, and though they are a bit skimpy on ingredients, its still delicious. The portions are huge and the prices are very reasonable. Order a whole portion of an entree, and you end up taking a half home. The place is super clean; the waitresses and hostesses are neatly and cleanly dressed, and the rest rooms are the cleanest Ive seen. I highly recommend this restaurant for any occassion, especially a family party, business meeting, or for casual dining.
(5)
John K.
It's been a long time since I have been , nothing has changed ... Only the best. Food is incredible with service to match. Thanks to our incredible server Maria we had an awesome evening.
(5)
Dave G.
This is a good spot for late night dining with kids since most places in the neighborhood are not really family friendly. The bread basket was great with sun dried tomato focaccia and other fresh rolls. The unlimited salad bowl was nothing special but was fresh and worth $3 a person. I loved my florentine pizza except I couldn't taste the goat cheese. My friend ordered a pizza with caramelized onions but it was just a solid layer of onion! Our table also ordered linguine alfredo and spinach ravioli which were just okay. Fortunately the server was very nice and there was an awesome statue nose on the wall!
(3)
Sasha S.
Orderd a few simple takeout items by phone, had to repeat it several times as the hostess was talking to me and joking/laughing with a coworker too. Was told 20 minutes. Arrived about 25 minutes later, my pizza and pasta were ready but they forgot my soup and bread, waited another 15 minutes for my soup, watching my other food get cold and the place was completely empty! She shoved it in my bag, turned around and started talking to her coworkers again. Never said thank you, at all, not even a smile or kind tone Food was mediocre at best and overpriced for quality Too bad because when I'm in town it was my go to, not anymore
(1)
Shrikant S.
I wanted to give -3 stars but Yelp does not allow me to. Saturday night my family went to dinner at Graziano's. Everything was ok, until my wife noticed a "WORM" in our pizza! We wouldn't have have noticed it but the "WORM" was alive ! #NeverGoingBackAGain !
(1)
Frank R.
Our server (Samantha, I think) was terrific. I'm not aware of Graziano's being a part of any chain, but the place and the food have kind of a chain restaurant feel. That's not to say it isn't good, just not very unique. The flavor of the pizza and pasta we shared reminded me of dinners you buy frozen in the grocery store that are advertised as gourmet, so kind of a processed taste. It's a good place to go if you're very hungry. The people with whom I dined have been there a few times, and really like it. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but they could persuade me to go back. One thing I've noticed lately is more casual restaurants having big screen TV's. This seemed like the kind of place that would, but thankfully it has not!
(3)
Bob B.
Nice little atmosphere with an open view to the brick oven. Started with a fresh salad and the house dressing. The dressing is awesome. Kind of a cross between Italian and Thousand Island. Next came the Chicken Vesuvio!! Very tender and juicy chicken. The quartered potatoes soaked up the flavor nicely. I'll be back.
(4)
Jeffery S.
Came to this often reviewed restaurant with a group so I won't try to write another edition of War and Peace here. I'll just give you our own experience. Came here on a Saturday afternoon and the place was pretty empty. There were two dining areas, the main dining area and a smaller one off to the right of the entrance. We choose to go right as it appeared to be a little cozier. Place is larger than I xpected so I imagine the noise level is right up there when the place is full. Decor is that ersatz italian decor you see everywhere, brick wall, italian advertising posters, wood floor and exposed industrial type ceilings. Menu was full of traditional and new-wave type italian foods, wood fired pizza seems to be the hottest thing going right now and they have that here. We ordered Grilled Portobella Oreganata and Toasted Ravioli for appetizer. The Grilled Portabella was doused with olive oil, stuffed with a crumb type material and grilled. It was very good and disappeared quickly. The Toasted Ravioli was breaded and apparently deep fried (at least thats my guess) and then placed on a pool of red sauce and had a mess of cheese melted on top. Very gooey, if you like cheese, you'll love this. I thought it was just a bit over the top. Salads came next and we had two varieties; ceasar salad and house salad. Ceasar was OK but take it from me, the house salad is better, very light and slightly sweet viniagrette accompanies the greens. For the main course, we had Wood Roasted Pork Loin, Chicken Parmesan, Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers and Baked Ziti Chicken Ragu. Most of what I ate was the Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers, excellent red sauce with nice fennely sausage. I'd come back just for this. The Baked Ziti Chicken Ragu was fine, but I was still reaching for the rigatoni. Never touched the pork loin or chicken parmesan but my companions pronounced them "excellent". The finishing touches were Tiramisu and Sambuca Cake. I only had a taste of the Sambuca and it really was to sweet and rich for my taste, almost like fudge with a different aftertaste. Tiramisu fans declared the tiramasu "as good as you can get". Tab for 3 and tip, about $100. Service was mixed, slow at times but attentive. Overall I would consider this place as a stop for dinner if I am in the area again.
(4)
Teddy M.
I found this place fairly disappointing. First off, the decor looks like a mix of the Olive Garden and your neighborhood art project by the el. Roman statues and paintings of meatballs with faces...come on! The food was even more so disappointing. To be fair, I think others in my company enjoyed their meals. One of the people I was with had the Wood Roasted Chicken which she raved about. However, I had one of their brick oven pizzas and it was on par with what you would get from Dominos, may be with a slightly thinner crust. The crust was not crisp. In fact, it was so soggy that I had to support the front end with my hands to keep the topping from falling apart...and this was meant to be a small personal pizza. The sausage used really had no flavor except salty. The worst were the mushroom toppings. They were bland, chewy, and over cooked with the most unappetizing gray color. The service was quite nice. Our waitress was fairly attentive and prompt. She was probably the only redeeming thing about Graziano's.
(2)
Natalie K.
I'd give Graziano's 3.5 stars. I feel like a 3 isn't fair, but a 4 is a little high for my experience. My husband and I came in for dinner at 7 PM on a Thursday. No wait, and we were seated in a booth right away. First off, the server was fantastic. She was very cheerful, always had a smile on her face and was really on top of things. She was on top of refills, etc. You first get a bread basket with an array of different breads - focaccia, an onion roll, etc. The focaccia was sadly stale, but the other bread was OK. I got a bowl of soup with my meal (Free refills on soup and salad?! Cool.) It was Cream of Chicken and it was pretty good. We were torn between Steak Quesadillas or the Calamari for an appetizer, but since it's an Italian joint, we figured we couldn't go wrong with the calamari. We ordered the big portion, which was a mistake for two people because it could feed a whole family. The breading had a good flavor and they gave two sauces that were excellent, but the calamari itself was very rubbery. A big disappointment. We left the majority of it. Already I'm getting nervous to see what's in store for my entree. I ordered Chicken Vasuvio and my husband ordered Chicken Parmesan. The Chicken Vasuvio is a good portion, but the peas tasted like frozen peas and the potatoes were overcooked and dry. Thankfully, the entree is sitting in a pool of tasty sauce that I could dip everything in. The chicken was pretty good. The Chicken Parmesan is a hefty portion as well, where two can definitely share, as you get two large butterflied breasts of chicken and lots of pasta. It was good. Very good flavor, but the chicken itself was also rubbery. I wonder if it's from sitting on the heat for too long? They were out of everything for dessert except a couple of selections. The prices were reasonable. Food was OK. Service was awesome. I'm not really anticipating returning because none of the food was exceptional. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things? I don't know.
(3)
Ruth C.
Fast delivery of hot and fresh food. I ordered the crispy calamari and brick oven pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms. The calamari was flash fried perfection, and came with a nice marinara sauce. The pizza was great-- tasty sauce and crust, well done as requested. Would have liked a little more pepperoni but otherwise delish. They lost one star because of that and also because it was delivered without ANY utensils, plates OR napkins. Kind of an obvious need for an order delivered to a hotel room! But, a solid 4 stars.
(4)
Kalama B.
I had the salmon risotto special. The first few bites were great but it got to be a little monotonous with the same taste for the whole gargantuan plate. You need a glass of wine to balance out this flavor. There were not a lot of good paleo options, but that's typical Italian. I don't think I saw prosciutto on the menu though. So sad. The garlic mushroom soup was basically vegetable barley soup. Avoid!
(3)
Carla H.
Great food! Had warm bread and good portion size for pasta. Extensive menu and lots of choices. Went for lunch around 2:00 and it was quite dead due to the time of day but kitchen was slow with the order. Besides that recommend!
(4)
Mike L.
This place is nothing more than a Chuckie Cheese in disguise. They may claim to have a brick oven, but the product that we ordered (a "Margherita" Pizza) consisted of spongy thick doh that is too thick to even resemble a brick oven pizza. The cheese was ok, but the crust was way too thick and not crispy at all, not even in one spot! The morons working the brick oven need to cook it longer aside from using a different doh. The sauce was not flavorful either. The service sucked too - it took 10 minutes to be acknowledge by the waitress, however, the busboy did bring us water and THE WORST FOCCACIA I have ever had anywhere. No way, never again. Even though Lou Malnatti's does not produce brick oven Pizzas, they BLOW THIS HOLE OUT OF THE WATER, and I suggested Lou's before we came here. After we left, everyone agreed that my original suggestion was right! If I want a perfect Margherita Pizza, I will drive to Elio's Pizza on Fire on West Lake Street in Addison any day of the week. Not sure who about all these people praising this place, maybe they ordered something other than the pizza, but then again, Denny's and Olive Garden have lots of happy fans too...........................
(2)
Majid M.
loved the plain cheese pizza.. simply good!! chicken wascawesome as well. loved the chicken parmasan
(5)
Patty M.
The owner messaged me a letter of apology and offered a gift card (which I declined), and then posted this dishonest comment on yelp, denying we were even turned away! We were definitely turned away and the owner is a definite liar.
(1)
vince v.
WOW! Big change new menu great choices and good .Lunch was very good great server.This is spot on.Keep up this way and you will be packed.
(4)
Michelle M.
We have been dining here for years, and due to excellent food and service, have always liked it. However, lately we have noticed a huge change at this restaurant, and not for the better. I thought that possibly they were under new management but was told this was not the case. I came in for dinner a few weeks ago on a Saturday night and the host refused to let me sit in one of two open booths near a television. Instead, in spite of my telling her I could not walk far due to bad knees, I was told, "it's not that far, you can sit here". I did get a waitress to move us to the booth and we had a great time. The salad and bow tie pasta with vodka sauce were excellent, as usual. My husband ordered a pizza and had a salad as well, which he enjoyed very much. The food and service were both great and we left very happy. This last time we came for lunch, and were greeted by the same host, as well as a waitress (said "nikki" on her nametag) hanging on the host's stand . This time we had a waiter that was very hard to understand. He was not friendly and did not refill our drinks or bread after we asked. When we left, the same waitress was still at the front desk, busy talking with the host. Between these two meals, it was like eating at two different restaurants! Amazingly, our neighbors had a similar experience to this just a few weeks prior. Overall, this place is now very hit or miss depending on the waiter. I hope they improve and are able to return to the way they were in the past since we love the food and location and used to love the service as well!
(3)
Mark H.
I ordered the special, which was Atlantic Salmon. Which came with a side of chopped avocado and tomato. The food was amazing and the staff was nice enough. The whole place seemed very updated and clean. The only reason this place is not a 5 star in my book is that its a bit on the pricey side. Other than that I would defiantly recommend you going here.
(4)
Dino P.
Food consistently excellent. The bread they serve is out of this world. Also, the house salad dressing is the best Italian Dressing I have eaten. I highly recommend this restaurant. Good food, fast service! Try it out.
(5)
Scott W.
Huge restaurant with a lot of seating. Service is great. Pizza crust was a little thicker and doughier than I expected, but still good. The gonzo was interesting, as the Gorgonzola didn't completely overwhelm the other flavors like it normally does. The best part of the meal was the Cobb salad.
(4)
Valerie O.
Come for the salad and pizza and forget everything else! This is not your typical Chicago pizza joint. They have various kinds of cheeses and different toppings. I love the caramelized onions with fontina cheese. The crust is fresh made and delicious! They're not going to cut these brick oven pizzas into squares! Make a reservation to avoid long waits!
(5)
Michael N.
No, just no. Chicago and the immediately surrounding suburbs have a surplus of very good to excellent Italian restaurants. Trust me, my waistline is proof. However, sadly, Graziano's is not one of them. We have been there easily a half-dozen times in the last several years and each time I am disappointed more than the last. I think the quality was quite a bit better years ago, but now not so much. Furthermore, the restaurant is not clean, the service is uneven, and the food is bland. I do not like to be negative, but I have to advise against going here. I am not saying it is terrible, just saying that there are so many better Italian restaurants to go to around the area.
(2)
Realtor Karl B.
It's okay. Not the best, but good enough. Liked the cheesy bread (dipped in oil), the salads, margherita pizza, stella cidre, and their pastas. Don't know if the prices were high or low since it was paid for by somebody else. I wish their had more deep dish pizzas available.
(3)
Pastor Andy G.
Pros: -nice inside, friendly service, manager greeted us. -bathrooms are clean and updated (also, paper towels & 2 tall wastebaskets were near the door) -enough parking (lot) -clean -no bug issues (as mentioned by others) Cons/issues we had: -we arrived at 3:45, ordered about 4:00, food didn't arrive until 5:00. After waiting for some time, and finally seeing our server, I called him over to ask if there are any updates about our food. I said to my wife, "if he brings the food immediately after I just asked that, then we know the delay is his fault. If he doesn't bring it right away, we know it's the kitchen's fault. Sure enough, no more than a minute after asking him, here comes our food. -My wife's sandwich was hot, but her fries were lukewarm, as if they'd been sitting there awhile. -My pork chops were moist & tender, very nicely heated, but tasteless. -honestly, as mentioned by some of the other reviewers, I have to agree that it looks nice on the inside, but the food is nothing more than overpriced mediocre food. It looks fancy, but tastes bland. When we asked for boxes, he asked if we would like him to do it in the back or if we'd just like the boxes to do it ourselves. We chose the boxes, figuring that since he rarely walked by our area, we'd probably be waiting forever to get our food back. We also paid up front for the same reason. I'm sorry, but I doubt we'll return here.
(2)
Caroline A.
I need to update my earlier review from 2009. Where did the time go--and, more importantly, what happened to this restaurant? We've certainly been to Graziano's since 2009, but only once or twice in the last 18 months. Ownership must have changed hands to see such a dramatic decrease in quality. The menu, which admittedly had gotten rather large, has contracted dramatically. Some of our favorites (such as the Seafood Pescatore) are still there. But the change is striking. We were recently at Graziano's on a Saturday evening, and the place was nearly empty. This has never, ever happened. We were expecting a 25-min. wait. I had a steak salad, and my husband had one of the ravioli entrees, which was soupy and mushy. The house salad was smaller but still had the same dressing. Our friends had a chicken dish and a pasta dish. None of it lived up to earlier visits. I'm very sad to see this restaurant decline and hope they are focusing on bringing quality back.
(2)
Erica B.
We drive by this place ALL the time, and its wackadoo font on the sign, has always turned me off. not sure what compelled me to go online and read the menu one day, but I did and was super excited to find they have a vegan menu! So we signed up for their email list, got a 20 percent off coupon and visited! The food was pretty darn tasty! I just had spaghetti with marinara, but honestly, its one of my favorite things to eat, and a vegan version usually isnt too easy to come by. My husband ate my leftovers and said they were even better the next day! The proportions were huge. My husband got spinach ravilolli and he was also very pleased with his meal. The meals come with salad (coated in a mayo-covered dressing but when i told her i was vegan, she brought me a new one); and a bread basket. honestly, the bread basket was nothing to be desired in my opinion, but everything else was really good. The service was good and friendly. I really want to try the brick oven pizzas next time. they looked AMAZING. Happy to have a local, family style, italian place to add to our regular places to visit.
(4)
Kristina H.
We were quickly escorted to our table. The service was pretty good even though they were pretty busy. The restaurant even sent a free order of brushetta to our table, although there was some confusion as we didn't know about it. The food was very good. I got the fish special with asparagus. I would recommend it for a nice place to grab dinner in the suburbs. Definitely one of the better places in the area near the movie theater.
(4)
M A.
One of our favorite family restaurants. Good people, good food, good atmosphere, and good prices. Parking is never a problem. They have both high chairs and boosters, and will accommodate almost any needs the customer has. If you haven't been there yet and have a taste for the feeling of comfort -- go there.
(5)
Andi C.
I really liked this place. It seems it's getting some bad reviews. We went there on a weekday- a Wednesday so perhaps this helped. The food was good the atmosphere was clean and nice and the server was patient and not pushy. There menu is great- they offer a lot of vegan and vegetarian options and the server knew if there was chicken stock in the minestrone or not. Always a plus! They also have a nice selection of wines. From about $6- $15 dollars a glass. Pretty average. I did not try their pizza but I hear it's very good. We both had pasta. Good- not overcooked. Our water glasses were filled promptly and the prices were average. I recommend!
(4)
Neil B.
Watch your check! It was $8.95 on the menu, but the bill said $9.95 for the veg panini. They claim it was a computer glitch -- this would mean they are doing this to everyone who orders this. Also fries comes with almost everything, but you can change it to vegs if you ask -- much healthier. Lots of choice and unlimited salad is nice, although mostly iceberg lettuce. Service was attentive. Would try it again sometime.just for variety.
(3)
Amy L.
Awesome service! Food was yum, especially the fried calamari! Soup and salad were both refillable; and the pasta came with very large portion, so go there if you are very hungry!
(4)
Lana Y.
Fake Italian food! Do not waste your money! Food was salty and it wasn't even that good. The waiter was rude and was not accommodating. I'll just stick to passing it up on my way home.
(1)
Christina G.
I'm just not a fan of this place. The place seems extremely disorganized. When we arrived, three people were at the hostess desk, all looking over the floor plan and trying to re-arrange things on their board. No one even bothered to look up to greet us. Since we knew part of our party had already arrived, we went and found them ourselves. Once we got to our seats, two different servers came up to our table at different times. We told the second server we thought we already had a server, and she rushed off to find out what was happening with the seating areas without another word. The salad is good, which is one of the only reasons for the three star rating. The bread is good too. But the food itself is not. I had the special - butternut squash ravioli. For almost $14, I got five ravioli. They were overcooked, kind of sweet, and the sauce was very oily and separating on my plate. My grandma had the meat sauce on her pasta, and it was sweet. Much sweeter than sauce should be. My husband ordered another special - the risotto. The texture was all off. It was not as thick as risotto should be. Further, there was basically no sauce of any type on the risotto and there were only a few bits of chicken and tomato, not much else. I will say that their chicken parmesan (which my dad had) comes in a huuuuge portion size. Two huge pieces of chicken and a ton of spaghetti on the side. Our server was pleasant, attentive, and checked on us often, which was appreciated. However, good service doesn't trump mediocre food. I won't be back.
(3)
Faye B.
It's been a while since I have been to Graziano's in a long time. This was a central location for me and my fiancee to have our engagement party. We had preordered the dinner ahead of time and the staff was helpful in setting it up. We had most of our party ready to go and the food came out in a pretty timely manner. Of all the things we chose I would have to say that the fettuccine alfredo was the best. It was cheesy and oh so yummy. The desserts were also pretty good. The apple crostada was apple pie a ala mode heaven. This place always seems to be hopping and there is no shortage of people as it seems that they have their regulars. But the staff did a good job catering to our needs.
(4)
Em P.
Just too average of an Italian restaurant to return again for seconds. Food was decent... but not over the top. Service was very good though. We had a large group (30'ish) and they were more then accommodating. They did package up all the leftovers for whoever wanted to take them home.
(2)
Jim B.
I usually order for delivery from here a couple times a month, mostly because I like their salad dressing. So today I ordered my usual Angel Hair Pasta, with salad, and bruschetta at 5:47pm order was placed. My order arrived at 7:17pm, with no salad. Instead I got 2 cold soups that where sitting in top of the bruschetta which was now hot and slimy. The angel hair pasta had hardly any sauce or vegetables on it (also cold), and the Italian Sausage tasted like it was from 2 days ago. For $35, I'll order from Zias from now on. The food always takes FOREVER, this place has gone downhill big time.
(1)
Paul K.
One of my favorites. Been coming to this place for about 5 years and I have never been disappointed. Great selection on the menu. The brick oven pizza is superb the staff is friendly and polite the resturant is clean and inviting. Plenty of parking and I never waited more then a few minuets on a busy day to be seated.
(5)
Omar K.
we were there recently and had the pleasure to be served by Maria. super sweet lady!!!! the buffalo calamari is fantastic, and of course the brick oven pizza is to die for!
(5)
Brandon B.
The spinach ravioli was good. The appetizers (calimari and fried cheese) were just ok. For the price I guess I expected a bit of a nicer atmosphere and better food.
(2)
Ralph F.
Updating with one concern; the server Sarah. Why does it take you so long to come back and check on your tables when there is no one in the restaurant? We've had you the last two times we've been to the restaurant and you consistently fail to meet even basic standards for customer service waitstaff. You take too long to do any/every thing required during a meal. We will still go to Graziano's because by and large it's a good place. The food is good, not too expensive and they are very kid friendly. I'll ask to be seated in any other server's section from now on though.
(3)
Carolyn I.
I went here with a large group to celebrate a special occasion. Our server was really friendly. She gave pizza dough to all the children in our group to play with. It got a bit messy, but the kids enjoyed it. Appetizers Stuffed Arancini with peas, prosciutto, provolone, balsamic glaze Traditional Fried Calamari Both appetizers were good. The arancini was a bit heavy, but I only ate half of 1 piece so it didn't weigh me down. Pizza I ordered the Gaetano - sausage, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil The wood fired brick oven really makes a difference. The thin crust was crunchy and light and the toppings were fresh and delicious. I also tried the Graziano and Barbecue Chicken pizza. Both were good as well. I ordered a side salad and the portion was huge! It could easily be shared with another person. Our group ordered a mix of things: pizza, chicken and pasta. Everyone enjoyed their meal. This restaurant was a good choice for our large group and very kid-friendly.
(4)
Christina C.
I ordered the chop salad and asked for easy lettuce but it definitely did not have easy lettuce. The lettuce didn't seem that fresh. Overall it was OK !
(3)
Jennifer M.
I had ordered a pizza for carry out, and when I got home (and into pjs) realized that the order wasn't correct. I called and spoke with a manager with excellent customer service skills who took care of the problem quickly, and now I am happily relaxing and having a delicious pizza! Thanks so much for making it right. You guys are wonderful and make great food too.
(5)
Karolina T.
Love this place for lunch. Been here multiple times and I always get the same thing because it is delicious. Their unlimited soup & salad deal is awesome. They have the best roasted red pepper soup. Also, their house dressing is probably the best salad dressing I have ever had and their foccaccia is delish. I definitely want to try more things on their menu next time I am in the area.
(5)
Trina J.
This is a decent place to have dinner if in the area, and having tried it, I will continue my search for a better option. We dined here because my BF's parents chose it as it is near their home. In sum, it was a reasonably priced average meal and service was good as can be for a party of eight. We had to ask to have appetizer plates taken away, we had to ask for crushed red pepper with pizza orders. But, refills and second rounds of drinks were free flowing. The most surprising aspect of our service was at the end. My to go box included a piece of eaten crust. .... Guess folks who usually dine here literally want everything on their plate to be taken with them. I was wowed by that one. With each entree, you have the option of ordering a half or full order. For $4, you can add a soup or salad. The portions are large so it makes sense to share. I think you could even share the half order of the Chicken dishes. They were big. We had bruschetta and complimentary bread to start so no one was able to finish their meals. The Graziano pizza was slightly disappointing, but it was definitely edible. Despite its name, it was not the best item on the menu and if I were to return, I would not order the pizza. I tasted a few of the pasta dishes and they were okay. On the other hand, the Cheesecake with Raspberry was delicious! One of the sweetest, creamiest cheesecakes I ever had. I would definitely order it again and again. If the server put a piece of the cheesecake's broken crust in with any leftovers, I would probably eat it. As a matter of fact, I would. For those with celiac or gluten allergies, this may not be a not a bad dining option for you. The complimentary bread is all gluten free and they also offer gluten free pasta and gluten free pizza. One can only hope the GF meals have more flavor than the others.
(2)
Gin G.
Been here several times but always for a baby shower or birthday parties that we've been invited to. So the food is always preordered. Typically a pizzas, salad, calamari, chicken n pasta dish. Food was always just ok. Maybe it's because it was always a big party but all the food was served cold. Not how I like my meals. Hotter the better (except for salads of course). I like the cheese from my pizza to be stringy as I take a bite n pull it away! I like my pastas al dente n pipping hot!! I didn't get that here. Service here was less than acceptable. The host for the baby shower had to buss tables and refill water glasses cuz the 2 servers assign to the party were no where to be found. We basically had to wave them down to ask for things like coffee we ordered but never got and we felt that we were bothering them as they were folding napkins at the bar. I probably wouldn't go back by choice. Only if were invited again for another event. If the food was good I could put up with below average service. Or If server were above par I could settle for ok food. But if the place provides neither, why would one go back??? Just my thought.
(2)
Bethany M.
So disgusted/disappointed with this restaurant. Ordered the Salmon Cobb salad and found a strand of hair in it...... My Mother ordered the spinach ravioli to go, once at home and after inspection there was yet another strand of hair in her food too. This is never acceptable!
(1)
Sanford R.
This place doesn't have a clue when it comes to customer service, and lost our business completely after only two experiences. My wife has a severe gluten allergy and both times we went we explained this to the server. On both trips they brought us plates that we didn't order that contained foods with gluten. The first time my wife opted to wait for what she originally ordered, but that took an extra twenty minutes that she had to sit hungry while I was eating my food. The service was very poor. No manager came over to apologize and the server didn't really do anything to make it better either. When we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and visit a second time they again brought us an appetizer with the gluten items that we told them to leave off. We just decided to leave at that point and never come back. Two times in a row is no fluke. If you are dining with somebody who has food allergies this is not the place for you. I tried writing to the restaurant, but never got a call back or anything. They did attempt to send me a $20 gift certificate, but that wasn't enough to make up for two bad experiences. My wife will never return to this place. I will say that their food isn't bad from what I tried the first time. I never got to try their pizza, but their pasta was decent. Too bad this isn't a place you can trust to get your order right or perhaps we might have visited more.
(2)
Patrick M.
Everything we had was pretty good. Enjoyed the Grilled Calamari, Sausage and Peppers, House Salad, and Spinach Ravioli. The guy waiting on us did a nice job as well.
(4)
Jack P.
I had not been to Graziano's in about 6 years, and I came back to check out the wood-fired pizza. We were three adults and one child, and we ordered an appetizer of Bruschetta, at the urging or arrangement of our server, and then their brick oven Pizzaiola of Spinach, carmelized onions, tomato, basil, mozzarella and Romano cheeses. We added some sweet Italian sausage for the two boy carnivores in the booth. And a separate small cheese for the small boy, which turned out to be pretty big. So there was lots of food to share and it was all very tasty. I'm accustomed to thin crust brick oven pizza having scant toppings, which is fine. But the toppings here were a little more substantial. Nothing wrong with that either. There were even some leftovers for the anticipatory cold pizza breakfast. The funniest thing was our server. He was this interesting combination of pleaser and stubborn bully. Anything we asked for was met with a loud "I can make that happen," yet when we had discrepancies in what was ordered or later when we had to return for forgotten left-overs, we were made to feel like liars. And don't get me wrong. His service was prompt and his attitude helpful, but there was this overwhelming feeling of being "coerced" into a large tip, which, by the way worked. He actually made a point after we rendered the bill but prior to leaving to thank us "for taking care of our server." I think it was the first time I've gotten that kind of feedback. And it felt kind of inappropriately icky . Our pizza meal was a great value for four people. But I think the other Italian entrees were a little pricey. I just find it difficult to pay $14 for example, for a plate of angel hair pasta with veggies. Or spaghetti with meatballs for $13. Portions are generous, though, I must admit. The atmosphere was fun, casual and festive on a Saturday night, And the place was crowded. It's also a huge space. It makes a good spot for family celebrations or birthdays, and doing a big pizza party here sharing all the different specialty pizzas would be both a good meal and a good value. Ingredients are fresh. The service is fast. Don't let your server rush you though. He could make that happen.
(3)
Paul V.
One of my usual spots to go to for comfort food and a relaxing atmosphere. If you're in the area, I recommend you give them a try. Well worth it.
(5)
Rodger W.
I really enjoyed the Kosher for Passover matzoh crust pizza and lasagna. Lunchtime service was excellent. I understand the gluten free items are delicious as well. Is this a chain or franchise?
(4)
Daniel F.
Pasta was good but Marina our server was terrible., when I asked for more bread the second time. She said I only have two hands. She didn't deliver water to two guests at the table and was slow to deliver food and check. Terrible experience!
(2)
Kathleen F.
Pays to know people who work there :) Love the food and the atmosphere, the bread is to die for.
(5)
Jennifer M.
Very delicious pizza. Nice atmosphere and quick service.
(4)
Eumi C.
(This review is 2 years late....but still necessary) ARG!!! I don't even know where to start with this place!! I planned my boyfriend's 30th birthday party here, and it was a disaster. The staff doesn't communicate, the food was cold, and the manager/owner was RUDE. I originally called and RSVP'd for 22 people. It was a Saturday night so they told me it had to be a family dinner style and preordered. Fine. I did. By Friday night, I only had 16 people who could make it. I STOPPED by, brought in his cake, spoke to the hostess and was reassured that it would be okay. The next night, we all arrived, but some of his friends did not show up (we had 14). The server came up to me and told me the manager wanted to speak to me. I was then told that I had ordered 22 peoples worth of food. I explained to him how I had come in the night before and spoken to the hostess about how I had only 16. He then said fine, then we should have 16 and I would HAVE to pay for 16 peoples worth of food as all the food was pre-made. Whatever, I agreed. I mean, this dude called me over to be RUDE. Didn't really matter I guess, since the not-that-busy restaurant was taking forever to feed us. The food came out, and it was mediocre, buffet quality, LUKEWARM crap. One of my biggest pet peeves is lukewarm food. HORRIBLE! We did cake and got out of there. That next week, I wrote the other manager/owner an email telling him what happened. He told me it was IMPOSSIBLE that the food was lukewarm as it is all cooked to order. 1st of all, if it is cooked to order, why are you charging me for more people than necessary?!?!? 2nd why are you DOUBTING me that the food was lukewarm?? Enraging!!! Every time I pass by this stupid restaurant, I STILL get mad that this happened. Don't plan a party here unless you want to overpay for lukewarm buffet style food.
(1)
Jimmy J.
We had tried Graziano's over a decade ago and while it wasn't bad, they gave us no compelling reason to return. We gave it another try yesterday and I'd have to say I was pleased. The dining room is clean, bright, and modern. The bread basket made with homemade goods was solid. His price points for that type of fair in today's market was very reasonable. The fact that all entrees and pastas come with unlimited soup and salad is really wonderful given at the salad was superb. My pork loin on entree was a huge portion with unlimited soup and salad for $17 it was very tender and spiced well. . I had a couple salads perhaps a third of my entree and took the rest home. The kids menu was pretty good and reasonably priced. I will say that I am NOT a fan of brick oven pizza and tried some of my kids pie and it wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. My wifes Cobb salad was very good and presentation was upscale. The comped dessert for my birthday boy was a nice touch by Noble who provided warm service. We ll return.
(4)
Ryan L.
Part 2 of Mediocre Duck Tales: I came here for a family birthday party, as there really is no other reason to make an effort to come here. Generic city up in here! I've had a rash of unimpressive duck meals lately, and my friend said to me, "Maybe you just don't like duck". Then I thought to myself, "Maybe I don't friend, maybe I don't". No, I'm gonna chalk this up to the restaurant. I like duck! How can you not when they eat free at Subway? (RIP Mitch) So after that flighty diatribe, I in fact did not like the duck. No flavor and just bleh. Not even the tasty accompanying orange sauce could mask the blandness. This time, I could NOT get through the entire plate, exhibiting my dissatisfaction. I did mildly enjoy the soup, but when that's the end of the highlight reel, you need to step up your game. This place was bumping on a Saturday night- families with loud babies and/or children, teenagers pre-gaming before prom, and lazy young adults too tired to journey further for something better. It's doing something right to have so many patrons, and for that I tip my hat to them. However, I see no reason to return, unless I have to. Someone give me a place with good duck! I've been miseducated for way too long.
(2)
Christine B.
We had attended a St. Baldrick's event for our neighbor's daughter who passed away recently due to a Brain Tumor. There was a large group of people at the event and we had a parent go to Graziano's to make a reservation for us, we had about 30 people at the event from our group and expected about 15 - 20 to go to Graziano's. What we met there was to say the least, a less than welcoming experience. Not everyone came out for dinner, we ended up having 11adults and 2 children, the check was around $350.00. The Mother and Brother of the child who passed away were in the group as well as the two aunts who also shaved their heard for Cancer research. We were met with "Why did you not make a reservation?" (This was a spur of the moment decision made at 5 pm on a Thursday evening) The establishment was by NO means full, there were at least 10 empty tables in our section in the back. The waitstaff acted as if they were doing us a favor and the rest rooms were in horrible condition. The food was really good, it was a shame that were made to feel less than welcome. A smile can go along way, especially considering most were wearing their St. Baldrick's t shirts. I for one, never had my water refilled. In this economy I believe we should have been welcomed with open arms on a non busy evening......what do you think? Moral of the story, this is not a walk in place, please make sure you make a reservation or you will pay for it with bad service. This was sad as the little girl and her family were frequent diners here. I will think twice before going again. Good food will never replace BAD SERVICE. Thank you for listening. Chris
(2)
D G.
They have a pizza with vegan cheese! And besides that being amazing the crust and sauce and roasted veggies are delish. Didn't give 5 stars because the bread they give the table when seated is lacking, it just doesn't taste fresh. But, for all of you out there like me that can't have dairy, there is finally a place that understands we want pizza too! Very exciting. Marina our server was also awesome.
(4)
Lucy F.
The service and attention you receive here is amazing. The warm bread they bring when you seat down is great.. I tried their home made chicken noodle soup and it was great. I also had their pizza and it was delicious, I love the pepperoni.
(4)
Josh V.
Based on my one experience here last night, this place was just very OK. The best thing was that after getting quoted 45 minutes at Olive Garden (suburbanites love them some chain restaurants, don't they?) we got seated here right away. The service was adequate. No major complaints. It took awhile for the fried cheese appetizer to come out, but the waitress noticed and went to check on them. She was quite friendly. I did have to ask for more water, and for some reason she brought another full glass instead of refilling the one I had. The food was generally mediocre. The soup was OK but salty. The salad was completely drowned in dressing and the lettuce was soggy. The baked ziti chicken ragu was OK, but a bit over-baked I think. At least they have the option for whole wheat or gluten free pasta. The baked chicken was good. The best part of the meal was the dessert, which was two soft brownies with ice cream, caramel and whipped cream. The portions are all huge. I took more than half my pasta home. Maybe we just caught them an off night, but I wasn't impressed. I guess I'd give them another try if I happened to be hungry and in the area.
(3)
P J.
I went here recently with family and the pizza was freaking awesome! It wasn't like most pizza in Chicago but it was fantastic. The ingredients were obviously high quality. We only had the pizza so I can't speak to other menu items but Given the quality of the pizza I'm genuinely surprised the average rating is only 3.5 stars.
(5)
Melissa M.
Let me start by saying that I've frequented this place many times and had stopped going because the service had become absolutely atrocious including the managers. Despite serious doubts we decided to give it a try again. I was pleasantly surprised. We had a great server who was very professional and attentive to our table. I think the only complaint I have is that the food came too fast. We only had about five minutes to eat our soup/salad, but it was all still good.
(4)
Corey D.
It seems like growing up if we weren't at L Woods, we were at Graziano's. I can't even count the number of high school cast parties/banquets we also had. Can't say much about the place at lunch, but come dinner time they have it going on. Service is extremely friendly, everyone I've ever had there has been super knowledgeable, and I appreciate that even though I've been time and time again, they treat like it's my first, and walk me through the entire deal. I appreciate that over the years portions size has remained the same and pricing for the most part has too. There are now healthier options that weren't available back in the day, but it's Italian, right? It's not supposed to be good for you! It's supposed to make you feel good. The bruschetta is excellent as is the chicken parmigiana. Does it taste like a quaint place in Italy? Not so much. But it's better than the Olive Garden and I actually like it more than Maggianos. Know Before You Go: End with the tiramisu. Seriously. Some of the best I've ever tasted.
(4)
Michelle P.
I hadn't been here in years, but Graziano's is just as I remembered it. Great family place with solid Italian-American food, big portions, reasonable prices and kid friendly. When you sit down, they give you a large basket filled with fresh baked bread & foccacia, and everything I've ever ordered here is huge - plenty to eat, and plenty to take home. The "bottomless salad" is delicious - it's really nothing more than lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and onions, but it has a killer dressing, and there's something cool about the idea of it being an unlimited amount. One thing to watch for though is the pricing - they know you think it's cool that it's unlimited, so there's a somewhat complicated price structure depending on what you order it with. We ordered two "pizzettes" (10 inch pizzas) for 3 people, plus 2 of the bottomless salads (the salads are 2.50 each with a pizzette, but you can only order one salad at that price per pizzette, and no sharing - see what I mean about complicated?) There was plenty of food - we easily ate just half the pizzas and took the other half home. They were good standard thin crust pizzas - a little bit thicker than the neopolitan style you get at gourmet places, but a little bit thinner than typical New York style. We got one florentine pizza and one pizzaioli pizza, both were great, and the leftovers held up reheated the next day too. My son got a kid's pizza which was almost as large as our pizzas, and came with a beverage (the only milk they had was whole milk, so he had juice instead). The only thing to be prepared for is the noise level - this place is loud! For years this was one of my family's regular places for dinner since the noise level would drown out anything any of our kids could produce, but I could see it being a little bit too loud for anyone expecting a quiet intimate meal. But if you have kids, this is the perfect place - they even give younger kids a blob of pizza dough to play with at the table while they wait for their food, or you can sit at a counter and watch the chefs prepare the pizzas and put them in the oven. Can't wait to come back!
(4)
John G.
The wife and I had wanted to visit Grazianos for a while. It was the first time that she was going to enjoy the goodness that comes from a brick oven pizza. We went in for an early dinner and it was not crowded, but by the time we left the place was starting to get packed. The place is very family friendly and the wait staff was attentive and helpful. The meal starts with the standard bread basket which was excellent. The server was not kidding when he said that the portions were plentiful. Salad can definitely be shared. We got a personal pizza and seafood pasta and there was plenty to take home for another full meal. The pizza was delicious and cooked to perfection. It is the perfect place to go for dinner and then a movie, but try to get there before there is a wait.
(3)
Laura D.
We have gone to Graziano's for the past 10 years and the last few times have been terrible. We went tonight and we ordered fried mozzarella cheese and they came out cold and not cooked. We sent them back and the next order came out cold again. Then we asked our waitress if we could order Italian nacho's and she said they wern't on the menu so we asked nicely if they could make them because last time we were there they did it for us. Her response was I have worked here four years and we don't do that. Anyways they did make the nachos for us. Then when our salad came they didnt bring the salad dressing. Just seemed that they were in a hurry to get us in and out when the place was empty. Our family was ver y disappointed. We wont ne going back anytime soon. So sad because we use to love the place.
(1)
Peter R.
I came here with a group of my co-workers for lunch. We got there shortly after they opened, so we could avoid the inevitable lunch crowd. I am a Pizza aficionado, and I had to try one of the "brick oven" creations. I decided on the Toscano, which is topped with sweet Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Plum Tomatoes, and Tomato Sauce. I ordered the "Pizzette" size, which is the individual portion. Our orders didn't take too long as they slowly trickled unto our table. Some of the items my co-workers ordered were the Margherita pizza, Angel Hair Pasta w/ Shrimp, Chicken Marsala, and Grilled Pork Chops. Judging by the content look on their faces, I would have to say they liked the food. My pizza was the last order on the table, but no worries since I was munching on the Bruschetta app that we ordered. My pizza was molten hot, as the cheese was still bubbling...so I let that bad boy cool off. I took my first bite and I have to say that the pizza was OK, but nothing special. I want a pizza that will slap my taste buds with flavor, and make me update my facebook and twitter status on the spot. This just wasn't the case with this pizza. I was neither disappointed or impressed...just ehhhh. I will have to try the pasta dishes on the menu next time I come around. Overall, I did enjoy my dining experience here at Graziano's. And like Governator Schwarzenegger, "I'll be back!!!"
(3)
Andy M.
Out of all the pizza chains in Chicago, this one might be my favorite. They offer a much more extensive menu than most pizza joints in Chicago. The pasta is always fresh and delicious, and the service is very good. I had an kick ass Italian beef here last night. The peppers were fresh and grilled and the gravy they served knocked my socks off. I have had pasta here in the past that was wonderful as well. If you are looking for a nice, comfortable place for some pizza or Italian food, I give this place two thumbs up.
(4)
Susan B.
I don't know why but we've stopped going here but -tonight we did again, and I had the steak salad--w/ candied pecans, feta, polenta strips, red bell pepper strips, oh yum, (w/ a small thimble of the OMG house dressing), hubby had a cheese covered beef sandwich--he loved it, and our friend had a great bowl of cream of mushroom soup, and spaghetti marinara. He loved his too. Good bread (a must) is served also! The apple tostada was a absolute favorite long ago-- but it is SO darn TINY now compared to the last time we went here! cupcake size! for $7.00 it's a JOKE, that's not funny. The waiter never returned after we were served, and I was flagging down bus boys for water. If they sit me in his section --I'm moving to another one. This review is neither "funny, cool or useful" --FIND some new words Yelp!! We need an YUK button to hit! Everyone want this. just sayin.... Update on their ''Apple tostada dessert'' : --they have returned to the original decent size and it's a very sized good portion, -and an excellent choice for a dessert. :) Thank you Graziano's.
(4)
Natalie S.
This place is just a block from where my Mom lives and where I grew up so maybe... just maybe... it got an extra star for sentimental reasons. It's a good alternative to "mall food" when you're shopping around at Village Crossing. They're open for lunch unlike, say, Outback... and whenever I can skip a chain restaurant, I'm down. The food isn't mind blowing (but then again, I rarely think that Italian restaurants are mind blowing... just a dime a dozen) but it is always consistently good. I have sampled all over the menu and never had a bad meal. I really like their calamari, margherita pizza and the spinach ravioli. However, the real standout here is the salad dressing. I don't know what they do to it... but it's the best salad dressing I've ever had. It is often my responsibility to stop at Graziano's on my way to my mother's for a family party to pick up salad dressing because nothing can compare to it. I'm letting out a secret: my pasta salad that all my friends rave about? The secret ingredient is the dressing from Graziano's. Shhhhhh.
(4)
Neel S.
Good place, great food and good enivornment. !! Maria is the best server and here services is excellent.
(5)
Bari L.
The restaurant has an appearance of a family friendly place to enjoy a good cooked meal with your family. On the day we went their sign even said voted #1 kid friendly restaurant (by whom I don't know), which was good since my 8 year old niece was with us. I was hesitant to go here for two reasons. 1. The last time I went I don't recall being very happy with my meal. 2. Yelp and favorite yelpers did not give such rave reviews. So you'll have refer to the picky sugar high child that was in our company we just need a place to go and quick we were hungry. I typically do not order chicken when I go out to eat (I can cook it at home with ease). I see on the menu they have Tuscan brick chicken and I like brick chicken it is typically very moist and delicious. Blach!! When did Tuscan mean the chicken swims in balsamic vinaigrette? That's all you could taste and I was shocked they put extra sauce on the side my mashed potatoes even absorbed a huge puddle of the "sauce" and there was still more to spare. Now to the moist part it was chewy and dry I ate a couple of bites and waited for our waitress who never came and when I turned around to see where she was she was right behind us watching tv. She never came to see how we were doing. My niece ordered a cheese pizza off the kids menu and ate two pieces it was huge and looked good. Since I knew I wouldn't be eating my dinner I grabbed a slice of hers it was inedible it was so over salted it was absolutely disgusting. I'm surprised she ate hers but then again the child started eating packets of sugar after she was done. I'm also confused as to how they got their first place kid friendly rating. There was nothing they did that was special not even a pencil and a piece of paper for her to scribble on. Needless to say this will be my last time walking through their doors. Oh they did take my chicken off the bill but charged me $6 for a house salad.
(2)
Tricia D.
I've been wanting to try this place for a while now, having driven by it multiple times, and finally got the chance to stop in. Ordered a steak fajita pizza and was a bit stunned that it literally came out in 5 minutes, more or less. It was delicious! I'd definitely recommend this place for brick oven pizza.
(4)
Colleen C.
5 stars for having a low carb menu AND being Italian :) Makes my life a bit easier, and I can be less annoying :) Food is really good though, large portions, big place. Dinner salad had killer dressing, waiter was superb. All in all, a great business lunch spot, and a lot of seating for bigger parties, if needed. I really enjoyed it. Easy to get to of 94, big parking lot (I know that's not a big deal in the burbs, but whatever!) I'd go back...if I ever find myself in Niles again.
(5)
Edward W.
I like the pizza and nothing else. Seriously. I don't know what it is but the pizza is great but every time I try something else here I just don't like it. My wife feels the same way. Some of my friends think the place is great. The decor is very nice. They have a parking lot with lot's of space. I just think that the food is nothing special. Now we only phone order pizzas for pick up.
(3)
Katie R.
Terrible. Well, not all of it but all of dinner. Bread was good, and there was a decent olivw oil on the table, but you couldn't pick it up because it was too slippery. The whole bottle was covered in oil and left my hands covered in oil too. Gross. My dining companion had salad, which was good. The house dressing was the redeeming feature ofthe meal. The croutons were good, and the salad was pretty decent, if too heavy on the onions. I had New England Clam Chowder, which was fine. Nothing to write to Maine about, but not bad by Chicago standards, and a glass of Beaujolais, which was nice. Then dinner. Ugh. First off, it took far too long for dinner to arrive, and we were never offered refills during the time we were waiting. I ordered one of tonight's specials, Risotto Vesuvio style. It was billed as a cross between chicken vesuvio and risotto. Indeed, the risotto had peas, potatoes and chicken in it. But the sauce was flat and characterless, a goopy salty garlic mush over mediocre risotto and chicken strips that looked like Perdue convenience packages. The potatoes were, oddly, the one redeeming feature of this dish as they were the only thing that did not overwhelm with salt. I finished less than half and didn't take the rest home, as there was no point in subjecting my fridge, empty as it is, to such mediocrity. My companion ordered chicken marsala, a family favorite. It came out as a huge slab of thin chicken with a mushy coating and a bland sauce. It tasted vaguely of garlic salt and flour and not much else. There was no marsala taste, no wine flavor at all! And nothing to go with it. We never ever send things back, but this was clear: it had to go back. Our waitress gracelessly stumbled around the issue, clearly not wanting to acknowledge that there was a problem. She did take it back, but and eventually offered to replace it with something else. It was too late at that point, and her surly attitude did not help. Then, the icing on the cake for me. We got our bill, and they had indeed taken the offending "marsala" off the bill. But she did choose to charge us for the salad that came with dinner, and it ended up being a very expensive meal which we hardly ate. As we left, we contemplating asking for a manager, but never did because not a single person of the four that we encountered on our way out asked us how our meal was. And that was probably good, because if they had, we might have had to be honest with them. My recommendation: skip the food (or maybe try the pizza, I haven't had it) but get the salad dressing to go and serve it at home with real food.
(1)
Kristina K.
Service was pretty bad given the fact that we had to get up ourselves to put pizza on our plate. TDefinitely would not go back!
(2)
Nick L.
We came here before catching a movie and because my brother is an Italian food junkie and as a visitor, he can pick what sort of food we eat. As Italian restaurants go, the decor and ambiance here is sociable and friendly so you'll get no gripes from me. Our order was taken and the food arrived promptly. The food was ok, not amazing. It's high on the carb content (no surprise with mainly pastas) which leaves you feeling bloated after the meal. The portion size was just too much for that type of food to remain enjoyable long term. The taste becomes too repetitive. Don't eat it all and it would be good.
(3)
Mary F.
This was the worst restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life. We had table number 44 on 6/1/14 at 5:00 p.m. for a party of 7. The waiter must have been new as he constantly interrupted us several times to find out if we were ready to order. I don't eat meat but they had 3 seafood selections. The large menu did not say that all 3 selections were marinated in garlic and I can't stand garlic on seafood. The small menu only mentioned garlic on the white fish. The waiter came back to tell me that all 3 selections were marinated in garlic and that there was no seafood available without garlic. What kind of choice is this? He had the nerve to remind me that I was in an Italian restaurant. I have eaten in several Italian restaurants in many cities and have also been to Italy 4 times and I never encountered a situation where there was no seafood available without garlic. The kitchen finally said that they would thoroughly rinse the salmon so I agreed to try that since it was supposed to be accompanied by tomatoes and avacados both of which I love. When the salmon came, it was not there were no tomatoes or avacados and the waiter said the kitchen must have been confused since I had asked that red onions not be included since they bother my stomach. What does requesting no red onions have to do with eliminating tomatoes and avacados? Then another waiter brought me avacados topped with red onions which I couldn't eat. I just gave up. The salmon wasn't good so I just had a few bites of that and finally ordered a side of roasted potatoes to eat. On top of being totally incapable of serving a piece of decent piece of fish priced at almost $23., we had terrible service and the atmosphere so loud we couldn't hear ourselves think. None of us will ever be returning to this restaurant again.
(1)
Tara M.
The food here is great! The Pizza, well that's okay... funny they have their pizza in the name of the restaurant, but it's mediocre. Then again, all I've had is the kids pizza, maybe the rest is better... although, I should say that the pizza is really good the next day, cold. :) My husband and mother typically both get chicken items, and they are always tasty. I, myself, am very partial to the rotini with peppers and sausage, a little zing and lots of flavor! MMMMMMMM!
(4)
Reema S.
Went here on a Sunday night and it was decently busy. I can't remember our server's name but she was an older lady, very nice! For the amount of people in the restaurant, the amount of time it took for our food to come out was very fast! Almost too fast but I'd much rather it be fast than slow service. Food was okay, not the best but not terrible.
(4)
Angelo C.
I made a suggestion about unneccessary intercom use and they made a policy about it. Way to go!
(5)
Bob R.
This place was above average while trying to be an authentic Italian bistro. It's Huge and while I enjoy the exposed brick and high warehouse ceilings, I felt like I was dining at whole foods. Probably over a hundred tables with busboys making constant chair moving and dish clucking noises. The kitchen is open and You can here the cooks yelling and swearing in Spanish the whole time. While the hostess stands like a museum expo and really doesn't care about anything except her Iphone: Our server was Very attentive and constantly checking on us. Now here's the good part... The food of course. I liked how they serve warm foccacia with the bread. The calamari was very fresh but Too battered, and came with shrimp sauce?? while the Chicken Caesar salad was very fresh and delicious. If this place was twice as small and had a floor captain or owner, or Chef, then it wouldn't feel like a chain. Service 9 Atmosphere 5 Food 8 I guess I would be back.
(3)
Lorna S.
I definitely enjoy the atmosphere at Graziano's. The food is also pretty yummy. The service on the other hand was not great. We were there with a party of about 10, which is not huge. The waitress was pretty rude. When I asked what types of beer they had on tap, she looked at me and said, "I mean, don't you know what you want?" I said, "I'm not sure, so I want to know what you have." She must not have really known what they had. She seemed to be mumbling some things, with an attitude. She spilled drinks when she set them down, and dropped a fork off a plate onto one of our guests. She didn't even apologize. I'm sure not all servers are this rude, but her attitude left a bad taste in my mouth. This place gets 3 stars for the food, and the idea that we just had a bad server.
(3)
Melissa N.
I really like Graziano's. It's one of the local restaurants that my husband and I go back to again and again. Most of the time the food is great, although there have been a few times when I've tried something new off the insanely huge menu and have been disappointed. My favorite dishes include the chicken parmesean sandwich, the baked ziti chicken ragu, and the pepperoni pizza...mmm, now I am hungry just thinking about all that yummy food! The dessert portions are huge, and the drinks are usually good but not super strong. Most of the servers are good, but the restaurant fills up fast, especially on weekends, and service can be a bit slow at times. Still, overall, this is a great place for casual dining.
(4)
Oliver S.
Best food ever
(5)
Joyce C.
I like the pizza and the salad here, and that's about it. Everything else is just ok. Grazianos uses quality ingredients in their pizzas. For this category, they truly deserve 4 stars. We've tried the majority of their pizza offerings, but my fave is the Melanzana- it has roasted veggies like eggplant and zucchini and goat cheese. The crusts on their pizzas are thin and has a good chew and a little char to them. Their chopped chicken salad is pretty robust. It's the sauce and the ripe avocados that make this salad, the sauce is pretty delicious. This salad is a meal in itself. Service here kinda blows. The last time we came here, it took a long time to get seated, as the hostess and the take out girls were hanging out. After we were seated it seemed only one waitress was waiting on the entire section we were in, and it was pretty full that night. During our dinner, I realized that the hostess and the takeout counter girls seemed like they have nothing better to do than to gossip. Graziano's should probably fix that, because I heard other people in the dining area complain about the (lack of) service as well.
(3)
Rhonda G.
The staff is friendly but they don't really care. No small talk, no suggestions, no return to the table to see how the food is. Frowning is the New smiling I guess. The pasta is excellent (we ordered spinach ravioli and spaghetti-huge portions so two meals in one) Orange San pellegrino is my new Favorite. The tables are too close together (sorry to the the little kid who will get into trouble tonight for repeating my curse words) Bread is served cold and if you look over to the service area you can see already poured glasses of water getting breathed on and the bread getting colder by the moment seconds before they grab it to bring to your table...yeah, thanks. I may go back to try the pizza with lower expectations.
(3)
Debi K.
I would like to follow up that we have been contacted by Steven of Graziano's. I was very happy with his response and we look forward to once again trying this restaurant in the near future.... Customer service gets 5 starts!
(3)
Jason J.
Have been to Graziano's many times and it's a decent Italian restaurant, but we tried the pizza this time and that upped it for us. The brickoven pizza makes this place. It was crispy, and had good fresh toppings with plenty of choices especially for kids. The pasta and other Italian specialites are hit or miss, not awful but nothing to get overly exicited about. The house salad is pretty tasty, and the focacia they bring out in the bread basket is very good. But if I want really good Italian food, Graziano's is just not my first choice.
(3)
Bob T.
I ate there and worked down the block so I got dragged in many times at work outings. And also, many times on pick up orders the counter girl was rude and got our orders wrong. She was punching the keys so fast no human could be that correct at that speed and it caused issues on my bill a few times. The food is not really Italian at all but an Italian Mcdonalds. Not recommended.
(1)
Carrie B.
"I love Graziano's- great option for casual, inexpensive family dining. The service has been less than stellar at times and the weekend evenings can get pretty loud and busy with families and kiddies, but the food is pretty yummy. I order the pasta with vodka sauce all the time, and always have enough left over to bring home. I've had the pizza a few times, which is ok but nothing great. The baked ziti and chicken parm are good too- but beware, the portions are HUGE. You can split them with two or even three people. And the bottomless house salad is so good. I love the dressing!"
(4)
Catherine S.
if you like Tiramisu this is the place to go. I crave it. When i go with friends to eat they all order pizza or something and I skip the dinner and straight for the Tiramisu. Its AWESOME!!!!!!
(5)
Mike H.
I like this place. The pizza is good--thin and crispy. Nice space, nice staff. Big enought to show up with a big group. Okay to bring kids. It's basically like a Denny's that serves pizza. Except not gross.
(4)
April Z.
we've been going to this restaurant since it opened many years ago. and we've never had a bad dish. the portions are huge, but i'd rather have good flavor over a huge portion and they win on both. the service is always good. and i'm always happy to take even the pickiest eater here as everyone always finds something they like. its not exactly fine dining but a nice restaurant that can cater to all levels of patrons and pallettes.
(5)
Laura R.
I LOVE their house salad, I could eat it everyday. I've tried a couple of their pastas and they're all pretty good too.
(4)
Julia B.
The pizza is really good and the crust is thin..which is my favorite. The salads are huge and good! I had the chopped salad and thought it was great. The room is huge so you won't have to worry about there ever being much of a wait, especially during lunch.
(4)
Nancy B.
The house salad is great, a few less onions would make it even better. The balsamic dressing they serve with it I could drink out of a bottle! I'm not much of a carb eater, so I like that they make a number of their meat dishes low carb by serving them with veg rather than potatoes or pasta. Honestly, the roast chicken is so good I crave it after. They serve it au jus, which is just the right amount of salty. Delicious. My husband frequently orders pasta or risotto specials, but it seems to me that they're very light on protein. Sometimes he doesn't want to bring home the leftovers, which would equate to about 3 normal servings as the portions are so freaking huge. How about giving us half the pasta and the same amount of protein and sauce so the proportions are right? If you're ordering a kids pizza, get one for every 2-3 kids, they're full size pizzas. Which is nuts. Overall, it's hit or miss. I wish they would change up the menu a bit, they've had the same base food for the 4 years we've been going. It feels like a corporate kitchen designed the menu and then moved on.
(3)
Pamela P.
The go-to family place for any familia extravaganza! This weekend we ordered from here to cater Easter/Birthday party. They were absolutely top notch. From total and complete ease in ordering to charging my card so that someone other than I could be able to pick it up down to the food quality and preparation and even packaging for transport. Really, Graziano's is great! The prices are truly reasonably and the food is very versatile and will suit any array of tastes!! Highly recommended! You won't be disappointed! Oh, and also--their pizzas are AH-MAZing!
(5)
Brent L.
I took the family back for another visit at the request of the owner and had an excellent experience from start to finish. As I mentioned in my previous review, the service on our prior visit had been terrible. This visit was much different! The service was excellent, the food was awesome and the portions were huge. Yes, we will be back and I will recommend Graziano's to my friends.
(4)
Dan L.
Had a really great experience there. We stopped in for a quick lunch. We were seated immediately, had the bread/water brought out immediately. We ordered the bruschetta and a medium pizza (half goat cheese pesto and half zucchini). Both were delicious! The pizza came out quickly as well. All the food tasted great and we will soooo be back!
(5)
Sarah C.
My visit to Grazianos wasn't necessarily the best, but surely not the worst. Service was slow, atmosphere was loud and chaotic. Food was mediocre at best.
(2)
Carla G.
I have had different experiences in the past with Graziano's service- I come back because I like the food. For starters-the house salad and bread is delicious! They offer customers to purchase the house salad dressing. I ordered the four cheese linguini and added chicken. (Definitely suggested for cheese lovers). Heads up: There is an unlimited soup or salad option, but the details for this are towards the end of the menu. We came in early evening for dinner so we were seated without a wait and our server was attentive. I would suggest making a reservation otherwise. The portions are pretty large so I don't believe I have ever had room to try out the dessert- I enjoy the leftovers!
(4)
Roseann M.
Back again, 11 months later, another 14 members of Rick's Hiking and Fun meetup group. No hiking for this group on a Wednesday night, but big appetites for food and fun. Graziano's was jam-packed. This is a huge restaurant, friends. The first clue should have been the very full parking lot. I was able to find a spot at the outer periphery of the lot. When I went in, there were so many people in line, milling about, in large groups at big table settings, I thought maybe I was at Wal-Mart on Black Friday. Yes, it was that jammed. Luckily, half our group was already there, so no problem - reservation was honored, on time. That's a point in Graziano's favor. Even with the huge crowds, we had professional, efficient service from a waiter named Noble. He wasn't super-friendly, just efficient. Mind you, 14 people were eating, and when he came with the food, he didn't stand there and say "now who had the ...?" He had some kind of system, and he handed the plates to the right people, without asking, He got all the drink orders correct, too. When the over-$250 check came, everything was correct. Score for Noble. Now, the food . . . Gentle Reader, if you have seen my other reviews on this site, I try to be fair and nice. Especially, as with Graziano's, it is a locally-owned business, not another national chain outpost. So, I will tell you, the portions are very, very large. People around me hand the individual-sized pizza (8 slices, enough for two of me), lasagna (the size of a concrete block), spaghetti with meatballs (meatballs the size of tennis balls), and chicken breast in a lemon sauce. Everyone liked their food and was happy to take leftovers home . . . except me. I had pasta with vegetables, in a marinara sauce. I tried, Gentle Reader, I really tried . . . but this was one of the nastier pasta entrees I've ever had. The sauce tasted like my worst memories of Ragu. The vegetables were all cooked to varying levels of doneness - some soggy, some crispy. Not good. Despite enough pasta on a huge plate to solve any foreign food crisis, I could barely eat it. Now, I don't know whether I just had the luck to pick the one lousy entree, or whether something weird happened in the kitchen that night. All I can tell you is, it was really bad, to the point that I had something to eat when I got home. So, 3 stars for Grazianos. If I'd liked my entree, it would be four stars. Everybody was happy with their food except me. The service was impeccable. And I did find a parking place. If the group should go again next year, I will probably go, but I'll order a pizza.
(3)
Kristy H.
One star for previous times I've been there that have generally been good. One star for our baked goat cheese appetizer (a special). No other stars because: 1) we ordered the four season pizza (proscuitto, red pepper, artichoke hearts, mushrooms) and it came as eight slices; each set of two slices had one of the four ingredients on it. I get the concept, but that's something that should be mentioned on the menu. 2) I complained to the waitress that we were misled and this was not what we thought we were ordering and she stood there asking me how it tasted until I said it tasted ok. Then she said "good" and walked away. We re-arranged the ingredients on the pizza so that they were all intermingled. Kind of gross to touch your food. Stupid, too. 3) The crust was way too chewy. I came here for brick oven and expected it. I won't be back.
(2)
steph n.
I just love when we sit down in our booth and the server brings out a basket of piping hot sundried tomato topped focaccia bread to our table. That couldn't be more of a perfect timing. It makes the place seem more inviting. Graziano's is one of my favorite Italian Restaurants that are moderately priced and offer big portions, but not as big as Maggiano's. The battered calamari appetizer is well-seasoned and can easily suffice and appetite for 4. Their salad with their house dressing is worth raving about. It doesn't taste anything like those generic dressings you get from the bottle, but theirs is sweet and tangy and creamy at the same time. I order it every time I go there. These are one of the few places that offer brick oven pizza and it does make the dough taste a bit different from your typical pizza chains, however it is not one of my favorites due to the fact that I don't like thin crust pizza. My friend, however, loved it so you should go see for yourself.
(4)
Marlyn L.
Please never go here and have the Grilled Steak Fajita pizza. It was disgusting. When we sat down, the paper table cloth had grease and crayon smudges - as if someone previously sat there for a few minutes and soiled it up before deciding to leave. I should have taken that as a sign. I wasn't feeling confident at this point and don't like to pay $12 for pasta I can make at home for about $3, so I decided to try their pizza. It's gotta be the best thing on their menu right? Bleeeghhh First thing I noticed were the paltry, brownish slices of avocado. They were baked on. I don't know why I expected it to be just freshly sized on top after it was done... but nope. The avocado was warm. Then my eyes were attacked by the unappetizing chunks of steak. They were not looking healthy. Not really wanting to, I tried the first slice and immediately got that smell of bad quality meat. It wasn't seasoned much. I couldn't get past to smell. Seriously. Is this a Bear Grylls pizza? I didn't want to seem rude or anything, so I just took the meat off the second slice. I started eating that but could still detect that pungent sh*tty meat smell. We decided to take the rest home so that the restaurant wouldn't try to recycle it and pass it on to other patrons. I thought maybe I could give it to a homeless person on the street. But then I decided that would be a horrible deed. Please... maybe -- MAYBE -- they have other dishes that are good, but do not eat that pizza! It's sick. I won't ever eat there again. Oh and it was way overpriced, too. You're better off having a $5 pizza from Hot-N-Ready.
(1)
Mark O.
I recently visited with a large group of 30 and we were served family style. From start to finish my visit was very enjoyable. The calamari was cooked properly, the salads were fresh and the brick oven pizza was very good. Then came the mains, we had a pork loin which was cooked to perfection, we also had chicken Vesuvio and the stuffed ravioli along with fresh vegetables which were all good. Then the deserts cheese cake and tiramisu which finished off a very good meal. I would definitely go back
(4)
Amanda H.
Food is pretty good, salad dressing is great, and so is the salad. Love the shake machine. Its a bit loud, service a bit slow with food, and managers very impersonal just would sit at the bar and wouldn't come around.. Overall pretty good.
(4)
Michelle B.
My fiance loves pasta, so when we traveled to Chicago our friends we were visiting swore by this place as the best Italian in town. I've only had above average/not generic Italian food a few times (that's not to say I don't enjoy some mediocre sauce-smothered carbs every now and again) so my expectations are never high. Graziano's wasn't any different than most Italian places, so I usually par down such an experience to a few mainstays. Bread: A couple mishmashed loaves. Nothing to write home about but there was plenty for the 3 of us to help us out of starvation. Pasta/sauce: I ordered my friend's most recommended dish, the linguine pescatori, while the other two ordered spaghetti and meatballs. Fiance's pasta was cooked al dente and not overdone as it often is most places, so that was nice. Tried a bite of one meatball and it seemed decent enough, but the second meatball tasted more bready than meaty. Total turn-off. The sauce didn't strike me as anything terribly different. My pasta was fine. Mostly chewy squid rings mixed in with 3 or 4 shrimp, maybe 2 scallops, undeveloped shriveled mussels. About your run-of-the-mill seafood linguine in a garlicky sauce. Service: Bleh. Our waitress started out as okay, but we quickly realized that we'd not be receiving refills on our drinks due to her absence. We waited for our food for a long time, considering that this was not a superb gourmet meal. I think after our food was served she came back one time to see how things were going and to bring me a larger cup o water so she would not have to refill my smaller cup. It wasn't really busy, and I didn't see her walking around much of our time there. Dessert: I wouldn't know, because I didn't want to wait another 45 minutes for a creme brulee that could potentially be a shoulder shrug.
(2)
Irene H.
I absolutely love this place! I've been coming here for as long as I can remember. If you're around the neighbor hood, you should definitely stop in. It's also a major upgrade from stopping at Chili's or Outback after catching a movie at Village Crossing (although, there's nothing really wrong with those restaurants in my opinion). This place is great. The servers and host are really nice and pay just enough attention to your table without being overbearing. The food is amazing and isn't too pricey for what you get. The portions are just the right size, and their house dressing is delicious. They even get extra points for delivering to my house (which was slightly out of their range). If you're stump about what to order, you can't go wrong with anything. All of their pasta dishes are great. I personally love their antipasto salad as an appetizer and then the BBQ chicken pizza!
(5)
Jason L.
It's not my style to bash usually good reviewers, but are all of you people on yelp ridiculously devoid of taste? This restaurant is a fucking disaster. It was my daughters' 2nd birthday tonight, and we just got out of target on Touhy and decided to go out to dinner, she said she wanted pasta, and I had seen Graziano's on Touhy before so I decided to check yelp for reviews, which for the most part, were on the positive side. Yelpers also said it was very "family friendly" so I figured it would be great for dinner for my two kids. The first sign that things were going to go wrong should have been the fact that the place was 1/2 empty at 6pm on a friday night. The second sign should have been the elderly sleep fest in the parking lot, and the fact that the parking lot is 1/2 full of handicapped spots. So we walked in and were greeted, seated and our waitress brought water and a bread basket. Im not going to go into a lengthy diatribe about the subtleties that were missed along the way. Our entree's flat out sucked. My kids liked the idea of PB&J Pizza and Mac & Cheese Pizza, so they were $4.95/ea and we got one of each. When they were brought out they were WHOLE pizza's, full 12" pizzas. Who's fat ass kids eat 8 slices of pizza in a sitting? Especially Pizza loaded with peanut butter and macaroni and cheese....I'm sorry but I dont need my kid inhaling 1500 calories in a sitting. As for the quality, the PB&J pizza was actually decently presented, it looked good, I tried a slice and it was good. The mac & cheese pizza looked like shit on a plate, literally a box of kraft poured onto a pizza shell. It tasted like crap too. I started with a clam chowder, new england style, and was suprised to find fresh clams, but the soup was flavorless, no salt or spices anywhere, pure disappointment. I ordered a special, The red-wine braised beef and portobello mushroom risotto. The first plate that was brought to me had a nice big long hair running through it, so needless to say I sent it back. The second plate was rushed to me, it was back in front of me within 5 minutes. Risotto takes 20 minutes to cook, minimum, so either they pulled the hair out, rearranged things and reserved it to me, or completely rushed a new dish. Whatever they did, the beef was so undercooked it looked like the sear you would put on a piece of tuna, the middle was completely cold and raw. My friends' pasta with marinara was watery and the sauce was tasteless, like a jar of wal-mart sauce. The manager tried to patch it up by comping our bill and sending us home with 2 desserts. I tried both when I got home hoping to redeem dinner and set my mind to one day give it a second chance. The apple tart with ice cream was warm and served with ice cream which was completely melted when i got home (why would you pack ice cream to go???) The tiramisu was dry to the point that I was grasping for a glass of milk, there was no evidence of any espresso, or even coffee liquor. And the marscapone was cracked on top, looks like this had been sitting for quite some time. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS!
(1)
Mark G.
Was there tonight, it was terrible. There with my girl. I live in the city, she lives in the burbs, so when I get to see here all I want to do hold her and kiss her, apparently our waitress took some offense to us and was rude at best, our meal was terrible. We started the bruschetta. The tomatoes were not diced, they were cut in large different shapes that we could not eat with the bread, the onions were all sliced different, they barley used the right dressing. I had the chix Marsala, it was more like chicken in brown sauce - could not taste any Marsala wine. My girl had the chicken parm. Very average. The house salad- the lettuce was cut so large, very difficult to eat. For dessert, i ask if there was anything that they did not make. i figured if they bought it might be good. Well they didn"t , I had the chocolate cake, it was terrible. I spent $52. What a waste, should of just given it to a beggar, at least I would felt better for what I spent. I will never go back to this place. Just absolutely the worst experience I have had in a long time. These guys need to get back to the basics and start looking at what they are doing. It takes no time to dice a tomato in a uniform fashion and place nicely on a piece of bread. I wonder if the cooks taste things before it leaves the kitchen, if they did they might actually put out good food. Save your money and go down the street. Never again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(2)
Johnny B.
Da Boss took us out for a "Holiday" lunch. Read between the lines- Christmas Lunch. When he said the name I was at a loss. But as I got closer I remember this place as at least 6 different restaurants in the last 20 yrs. Just a short jaunt from Leaning Tower. I admit, I was suspect. We were a group of 7. We ordered drinks (non-alcoholic, company policy) and perused the menu. I was impressed. Da Boss said they have an unlimited salad bowl w/lunch. The waitress brought out the drinks and GREAT BREAD. Well we all fought over it and they brought out some more. The salad was delicious. It was a house dressing, kinda a ranch. I had the chicken and pasta. Ample and well prepared, seasoned. The other highlight at out table was the Spaghet and meata balls. All who partook said it was good. In fact, there were no Doggie bags! Now who really gives their dog leftovers? It's dinner that night or the next breakfast. Our server was very cordial and patient with us whiners. What do you expect from some semi white collar slugs. Well paid slugs! I was intrigued by the big brick oven which they showcase. Worth a trip to try it. Not far from Arl Hts. We did arrive at 11:30 and it looked bleak. I wondered if it was open! But when we left after 1:00PM, the place was humming. Johnny Chitown
(3)
Holly S.
The service can be iffy, but I seriously have loved everything I've had to eat here and am kind of baffled by the slew of complaints and negative reviews. I've eaten plenty of Italian from the very bad to the spectacular, and while this isn't spectacular, it's good, and definitely good for the suburbs! I'm a regular customer because it's near my office and I don't see that changing any time soon. I think some people are just born complainers...
(4)
Aaliyah S.
I went to Grazianos on a Sunday night at around 6:30 with a group of 13 other people..the restaurant was very crowded by the time we arrived,but we had made reservations..the entire party wasn't seated together. Five of the people had to sit at a different table..it was close to the rest of us but it wasn't with us. Our waiter was clearly overwhelmed by the crowdedness of the restaurant and plus the size of the party I was with. After bringing our drinks and taking our orders we noticed that we still hadn't recieved silverware or plates..at this point,we had been seated for easily 25 minutes so plenty of time has passed since we were given our stuff and even then,the waiter put the silverware on the table next to us so when he left, I had to go get them from the next table. At one point,another waiter told our waiter to serve another table while he was taking our orders so he just left,which i felt was a bit odd, As far as the food,II don't have any major complaints..it was ok..I had the grazianos pizza and was satisfied. Maybe they were understaffed that day,or whatever..but..the service could have been much better.
(2)
jill t.
I'd do 2.5 stars, but that's not a option. It's OK, I think the food quality is just OK. Not really fresh. The pizzas are probably better than some of the other options. I've had dinner their a couple times, pizza both times. My mom and I tried lunch and had pasta. The meals come with salad, it was too drenched in dressing and seemed a little soggy. The service has always been good. Lots of families. Not a romantic date spot. But, hey if you're on Target on Touhy buying toilet paper and shampoo and you want a brick oven pizza, you can come here.
(2)
Marc W.
This is not really a pizza restaurant. I guess it is and that is what they call themselves, but most of their customers eat everything but the pizza. That is not to say the pizza is bad, but just not very memorable. Its a thin crust that is fairly "well done" with fresh ingredients. Good, Not Great. With that out of the way, I still come here all of the time. If you can find the time to enjoy a quick house salad for lunch then this is a great place. Their house salad and dressing go unmatched. If you are a fan of the Olive Garden's salad then you will be pleasantly suprised with what Graziano's has to offer. Their pasta dishes are heavy on sauce and flavor. You won't get bland food here. I can't go without mentioning they have the best buffalo calamari that I've ever had. Vitals (typical lunch): Buffalo Calamari Bottomless Salad Bowl No pizza $15 Not sure why some are saying that the service is below average. I've never had a bad experience here and I've ate there well over 20 times.
(3)
kaya s.
The house salad dressing is absolutely phenomenal. I don't know what the 'secret' ingredient is but its addicting, and available to take home for a small price, just ask the host. I might lean closer to three stars but four is not absurd. This is a pretty large restaurant with lots of tables, but there is still a wait at times during busy dinner hours. Large menu, something for everyone, a nicely priced wine list. The brick oven pizza is fantastic and many of the pasta dishes are large and tasty. Service is hit or miss unfortunately which is my biggest knock on the place. I've had great servers and poor servers at my visits. Good for lunch and dinner, large parties, or a nice date.
(4)
Jade T.
Disgusted by the food at Fluky's at Walmart, I yelped on my phone for a non-chain restaurant that offers lunch nearby. Graziano's was within three blocks from there, just after CD One Price Cleaners and before the Leaning Tower of Niles. You can't miss the restaurant or its sign. Graziano's was surprisingly large and rustically ornate. The replica of Venus de Milo had bunny ears and a lei around her neck. Funny. Sort of. I wanted to sit at the counter facing the open kitchen. Alas, it wasn't a "section" (hmm, might want to move the chairs then). Damnit. I love watching my pizza being made. In any case, I sat at a regular boring table and read through the menu. Lots of vegetarian options. Three vegetarian appetizers, five pizzas, several pastas, and so forth. Not bad for an Italian restaurant! I had the medium (14") Pizzaiolo (I can't pronounce this) with vodka sauce. The crust was good; slightly charred, thin, yet chewy. The salty, greasy combination of cheeses overpowered the vodka sauce. Overall, an above-average pizza. At $15.95, the price is just about right. It's gourmet-ish pizza after all. I recommend getting the soup or salad side for $2.50. I had the tomato-basil soup of the day, and the portion was quite large. The free bread was great for dipping. Oh, and their "pink lemonade" is actually Hi-C. Bummer.
(3)
Brian C.
Greek meatballs are fantastic. Classic meatballs are very good too. The BLT sandwich is great. Did not love their Burger.
(5)
Kim S.
Excellent Gluten Free menu options (they actually have a section of the menu dedicated to Gluten Free). My husband is the one with the Gluten Free needs and he loves the Pasta and the Sauce. He's eaten the Chicken Parm here also, but wasn't that impressed. When we visit here, he sticks to the Pasta, which is cheap, especially since it comes with a soup or salad (who does that anymore??). By the way, all of the salad dressings are gluten free as well. The House dressing itself is AMAZING. Definitely ask for it, but ask for it on the side so the salad isn't swimming in it. When I eat here, I also stick with the Pasta, specifically, the Pasta Arriabiata...yummo! A bit spicey, but not too intense, so I'm always pleased. I've also had the personal Pizzas which I think are pretty darn good. I didn't give this a 4 or 5 star because Pasta and Pizza are really the best options here. I wish I could give it at least a 3.5 star though because for the price, I think this is a great restaurant for a night out, with good food, and won't cause you to break the bank.
(3)
Heather D.
We went back to Graziano's a few months ago and had a nice time with good service. Much more kid friendly than our last visit.
(3)
Keshia W.
I used to work right up the street from Grazianos, their Italian beef and pizza is excellent. Great customer service, clean and friendly establishment!
(5)
michele b.
Portions are HUGE!!!! think about splitting an entree with a friend or ordering a "half" portion (which is still plenty big) although this isn't as cost effective. HIGHLY RECOMMEND: The pizza is the closest I've had to New York style around here (Northwest side of Chicago). It's very close to actual Neopolitan style. Because of this I recommend getting the pizza to eat there and not to go or delivery. It just doesn't hold up to cold temperature or time. I've also had their chopped chicken salad and thought it was very good. My husband had the four cheese alfredo and loved it. The only thing I did not love is the decor. It's huge like a college cafeteria...not intimate at all. It is dark though and has dark wood every where.
(4)
Amy T.
Horrendous service! We sat at our table for over 15 minutes before the waiter came over. He never once returned until we were finally able to flag him down well after our drinks had been emptied and our meal finished. He came and gave the check but not before checking his cell phone right in front of us. All the while, a group of employees and managers stood and chatted by the front desk. The food was just okay. We ordered a brick oven pizza. Very greasy. Not worth the money. I will never return to this restaurant.
(1)
Michael D.
Had the Fried Calamari which was fried perfectly, hot and tender. Also, had the Rigatoni with peppers, and the Chicken Marsala. They both were fantastic! Nice big portions to!
(5)
Sarena G.
I made reservations for Graziano's for a couples dinner on Feb. 28th. I am 8 months pregnant and suffer from pregnancy brain. I made the reservations for 7pm, but realized at 5:45 that I was supposed to make the reservations for 6pm. I called in a panic, and spoke to the hostess; she was friendly, and really supportive. She reassured me that it was okay, to stop crying and they will accommodate my party. We arrived at 6:15pm, the hostess smiled and said, we have a table ready for your party. We were seated right away. I have never been treated so kindly before at a restaurant. The food was amazing, huge portions and an awesome staff. I don't live in the area, but I WILL be back for my next date night! Keep up the great work with your awesome customer service Graziano's
(5)
Jeremy M.
Probably the BEST brick oven pizza I've ever tasted!!! I highly recommend it to everyone.
(5)
Lisa M.
Grazianos has some of the best Italian dishes. Both times I've visited were great experiences. The salad with the house dressing is to die for. The service is up to par and amiable. We need a Grazianos in California. I will miss this place but it's definitely a treat when visiting Chicago. Grazianos.....you are loved!
(5)
Maria M.
Amazing food! The recent remodel is awesome. Great for families or parties. The brick oven pizza is delicious. Must try the classic margherita pizza. The pasta dishes are super tasty and good portioned too. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time.
(5)
Natasha R.
I've been here numerous of times for company lunches, big and small. This is our company's first choice whether we are saying goodbye to someone, or welcoming a new member. Joy, who is our server every time, meets our very needy demands and requests, and believe me, we are not a easy group :) We call ahead of time, but lunch hour could be really busy and we never have to wait to be seated. It's always pretty packed, regardless of the hour. Aside from outstanding and accommodating service, the food is delicious as well. I always get their chicken chopped salad, which is one of my favorites. I always compare to the Wildfire chopped salad, so this says a lot. On my last visit, I got the grilled chicken panini and that was amazing too! Maybe I was just really hungry, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Another must is the Buffalo Calamari - spicy and tasty! Many of my coworkers get the Italian beef, so it may be my next lunch choice, or the chopped skirt steak salad, which also looks great. Either way you go, there seems to be a choice for everyone and a good variety to choose from. Oh, and always ask for their soup of the day - usually great choices! Graziano's is currently doing some reconstruction, but they are open and it seems that they are making some more room in the main dining room. It's a decent restaurant for what you pay and I definitely recommend it for a nice lunch or family dinner. With such outstanding service, its always great to bring business to those who deserve it!
(4)
Robert B.
We always go here off and during the month, so the food has to be good. This last Sunday my wife and I were with an ailing friend and seems we got a real rookie for a server. He couldn't take our plates off our table fast enough, -even if we weren't done eating .He kept asking and asking and asking. My wife eats on the slower side, but apparently the avocado salad she was still eating was bothering our server, because he'd asked too many times if she was finished. My wife eats her salad after her entree'. He got so frustrated by my wife telling him nicely, ''no thanks, I'm still eating'' he sent in the ''closer'' (like when you buy a used car). Big ''Joy'' came over and quickly picked up my wife's green peppers (that our friend had ordered on the side FOR my wife) and just walked by w/o asking if she was done or not. My wife opened up and said ''I was still eating'' but off she went. We were offered a replacement for them, but she'd already lost her appetite from her rudeness, and the 'hurry up' attitude. She seemed so angry that we weren't making our minds up fast enough for her. We were going to have desert, shortly, and we had to look for our server high and low! One of us did order a desert -( I kept waiting for someone to stand over them watching them eating it, and hurry them on). Come on, there were many people there for parties etc. but there were open tables too, so we weren't taking up seats for any other parties waiting. We're seniors, and don't eat as quickly as others do and we're no where near 'demanding types' of customers. But when I'm eating anywhere, I hate being given the bums rush. Not for my money,- Let me eat in peace. Servers can make or break a good meal. Screaming babies were all around--but we said nothing. Can't help that. I'll say this experience wasn't Cool, Funny OR Useful. It really ticked us all off. How about Awful'? Pushy? Rude? They All fit.
(2)
Lisa P.
I don't think the place is bad; the experience wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't positive. The food was bland, the server was inattentive, and the menu is misleading ("toasted mozzarella"? C'mon, it's just fried mozzarella patties instead of sticks.) We ordered the aforementioned "toasted mozzarella", a diet coke which never materialized, the 11" pizziaolo (which our server almost converted into a 16" margherita), and the unlimited salad. We ate our meal, and then our server stood off to the side of the restaurant completely ignoring us, even when we tried to wave him down for the check. We had to eventually go up to the hostess' station and tell them that our server was AWOL and we wanted the check. Luckily the diet coke wasn't on our bill.
(2)
Terrel K.
They are hit and miss as far as customer service.but i love their goat cheese and sweet italian sausage pizza.
(4)
Cara L.
Always solid and very good Italian food and wood-burning oven pizza. We would go there a few times a year when I crave Italian and can't come up with a new place to try. Never disappointing. My husband always has pizza (true pizza lover) and he likes it a lot. I tend to try different dishes and enjoy most of them. I tried seafood pasta and veal dish and they were both good. I also love Sambuca chocolate cake, if you have room for dessert.
(4)
Ron S.
Graziano's is a solid 4-stars in my book. I ordered bow tie pasta with roasted garlic tomato sauce. I ordered the half order which was plenty for me especially after having a couple of plates of the bottomless Caesar salad bowl. I appreciate that our server was flexible with me and allowed me to substitute a different sauce with my pasta. I like Graziano's because they have good solid pasta dishes, a really good salad, you can order half or full orders of most pasta, and they have a nice family atmosphere. One of these days, I'll have to try the brick oven baked pizza but I have such a hard time bypassing a pasta dish. Oh well, maybe next time... Why only 4-stars? The wine list needs a little improvement.
(4)
Nicole P.
I actually really like grazianos. I never ever remember it as an option for eating for some reason or another. Their hoyse salad dressing is phenomanal. I love stone oven pizza. The pizzas are always really crispy. Drinks are a little on the pricy side but the food is accurately priced. We need to stop by soon.
(4)
Reda K.
Ok the last time I was here the service was bad and the food wasn't that good. Today was totally the opposite the service was great and our pizza was on point. We knew what we wanted already so as soon as the waitress came to ask what we wanted for our drinks we placed our pizza order. The bread they give you was great put a little oil on the plate along with the cheese then dip the bread in the oil it's really good. I would come back.
(5)
Joyce R.
I had a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. I don't know what I was thinking getting this at a pasta and pizza place. It was just OK. The BBQ sauce was too sweet for my liking. And the pork wasn't so pulled after all. My husband's selections were much better. He had Marsala penne pasta with chicken. The pasta was actually cooked al dente and the tomato sauce was very tasty (not acidic). The mushroom soup was meaty and creamy. I made him switch entrees with me. They have a vegetarian and vegan section on the menu. For some reason they don't show this on their website. Not that it matters to me since I'm totally carnivorous. But it's still good to know since I am meeting more and more people with different diet restrictions these days. We also had black cows and root beer floats. We were like big little kids. I'll definitely be back to try their brick oven pizzas.
(4)
Minay T.
Love the calamari and the food overall. They have big servings so the price is worth it. You can share the dishes without overspending. Good service and kids friendly.
(5)
Kimberly C.
My kids like to draw on the tables and they have a funky kids menu including macaroni n cheese pizza!
(4)
Bella B.
The drinks and appetizers are wonderful, the house dressing is OUT OF THIS WORLD and the pizzas are fantastic. Graziano's is a perfect "dinner and a movie" dinner spot. There's a theater across the street. I've been here for one birthday dinner (14 people in our party - service was wonderful) and many dates. Honestly, what keeps me coming back is the house salad and the pizzaiolo pizza - caramelized onions with tomato and spinach. Delicious. The only reason I'm not giving this place 5 stars is because they seem to be a little off their game for the weekend lunch rush. The last time I went, my entire party ordered personal pizzas and every single one came back burnt. Talk about a time waster to have those remade. And the waitress came over with a pitcher of diet to refill our non-diet pop. Not that great a time. Maybe it was an off day? Generally, it's a good experience.
(4)
Transvision Zack X.
"Memories/All alone in the moonlight..." I'm a Michigan native but from about 1998-2006, I would make a regular summer trip to the Chicago area for a large-scale comic book convention. During road trips like that, certain things become tradition - and a pitstop to Graziano's was one of them for me. I sympathize with the negative reviews. If you only go to Graziano's once and it ends up being a bad experience, I can see why you wouldn't necessarily want to go back. The service does vary; I've had attentive waiters and not-so-attentive ones there. That definitely plays a part. Then again, if you're ordering things like peanut butter and jelly pizza, don't be surprised if it doesn't set your world on fire. I'm from Detroit. It can be hard to come by good pizza here. We're used to the the kind of greasy gutbomb pizza with liquid cheese that sticks to the lining of your stomach. That was why I so anticipated a trip to Graziano's. Each time I went there I was impressed with the quality salads and well-made traditional pizzas. If I lived in the local area I wouldn't make a habit of going there all the time, as it would quickly lose its luster. But if you're in the mood to dine out somewhere that's nice but not too fancy, with cool decor and comfy booths, and not to mention some damn good pizza...Graziano's is it. Okay, perhaps my memories are clouding my judgment. I mean, nostalgia is a powerful thing - and it's been years. Then again, after all this time I'm STILL craving a pizza from Graziano's, so that should tell you something.
(4)
Jacob J.
What Graziano's is; an Italian food option for the suburbanite that won't travel another twenty minutes to find better. It's not horrible nor bad, just average. They've been around for many years so obviously they have a following, I've just never bought into it. Had their pizzas and pastas have never been impressed. At times it was just okay and probably didn't wow me as much; most any time I'd gone it was for a special occasion and when your with a group of people that aren't impressed it just compounds the feeling of not returning for a year or longer. Alike Rhonda G. said, the staff are friendly but they don't care to share their suggestions, nor do they follow up enough to see how the dinner is going and / or if anything else is needed. I drive passed this restaurant daily and maybe 30% of the time I may be on the lookout for food and I never have an inclination to try it again. Looking over their on-line menu I'm realizing they also offer steak, BBQ items and a few uncommon pizza toppings like grape jelly, peanut butter and Velveeta cheese. The atmosphere is friendly and with the family style seating great for groups. If on a date or in a crowd, you may feel at a loss in service.
(2)
Erin K.
They have some relatively unique pizzas, like the PB&J pizza (not that I order it, since I hate peanut butter with a burning passion). That's their strong point. Their other pizzas are solid, not last-meal-on-earth good, but pretty decent. Their pastas are also good, but not excitingly so. Generic Italian food, you know. I was surprised by how delicious their tortilla soup was, though. It's obviously not super authentic, but it's yummy! Service is pretty so-so, and prices are a little high for the quality of food you're eating, but it's a nice place to go for lunch or dinner with the family.
(3)
Patti M.
We (work) always eat here for lunch...the house salad dressing is to die for. We (work) always get extra and even come buy it for our own use at the office and home. My husband and I went for dinner the other night. We had excellent service and so much food we had to bring half home for our dinner the next night. I thought this only happened to us at lunch because we weren't really hungry and just needed to get out of the office. I was wrong, the portions are really large whatever time you go...and delicious. It may not be as "great" as some of the finer expensive italian restaurants around but the food is good and filling for the price..perfect for family and relaxing.
(4)
T S.
This place looked awesome, but the food was alright. We ordered pizza, thinking that's what they are known for and were far from impressed. It didn't even taste like brick oven pizza. The pasta was alright. The best part of the night was their cappicino chip gelato-yum! I would also say the service was great.
(2)
Lauren M.
The food was great! The only reason for lack of higher review was the terrible service we received. I was with a group of 13 and our waitress was extremely rude during our entire meal. One end of the table requested more salad (unlimited w/entree) as she had provided 1 bowl for 5 adults..and her response was fine as she glared at the other end of the table's salad and stormed away. In the past when we have come here with large groups, we have had absolutely no problem. Normally the water is promptly filled upon finishing the glass, however this time the only time our waters were filled were when we requested them to be filled and this was only met with an evil glare from the waitress. I understand if you are having a bad night, but that is no way to treat a table providing you with a tip from a large check including alcohol. Our table asked for minimal amounts of service, yet the waitress acted as if she just wanted to leave the entire time. Don't get me wrong, I love the food, (I had the Spinach Ravioli, normally get the Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka sauce, both are excellent and the house salad is to die for) but the service received significantly decreased my desire to return to the restaurant especially with a larger group.
(3)
Brian W.
I've been here a couple times now and it's always been a decent Italian restaurant. Though, not on the top of my list. I just went with the family last night for dinner so I'll write this based on that experience. The dining areas are extremely large and when we arrived on a Friday night and it was at maybe twenty percent capacity. If there's so much room I wonder why the hostess sat us right between two other tables. When you have a lot of empty tables it's nice to maybe give one table buffer; so I don't have the super loud ladies next to us screaming in my ear. (I realize we can ask for a new table but I like to see where they initially decide to put us.) Our server was nice enough, though a little too soft spoken. We had to ask him to repeat himself a few times. Our drinks came promptly and better yet correctly; my dad's diabetic so it's kind of important that when he orders a diet coke, that's what he gets. We ordered a couple appetizers, the fried calamari and mozzarella. The large portion of calamari was lightly breaded and not too oily, however it seemed to be under-seasoned. The mozzarella was decent as well with a slightly sweet hint to it. Everyone else ordered pasta but I opted for the Pizza Margherita. It's a super basic pizza and one of the first invented; so it's a good marker, outside of deep dish joints, on how well they make pizza. Well... the mozzarella was fresh and for a mini pizza you get a decent twelve inches. They put on a lot of sauce with made the base bread soggy by the time it reached my table. The thing that got me, in order to insure that cheese reached all parts of the pizza (unnecessary in my opinion for that type of pizza) they used a processed mozzarella. The rest of the table seemed to enjoy their pasta well enough. Portion sizes are huge here. Everyone took home a container except my friend, he doesn't count because he formed some sort of pact with a devil to have an endless pit for a stomach. The bill for six people reached roughly a bill without alcohol. I might return here again but it's more out of convenience after watching a movie at Village Crossing.
(3)
Chris S.
My parents live in Niles and I work in Niles near Graziano's, so I end up eating here often. Whether we're ordering out at work, or if the wife and I are meeting up with my mom and dad for dinner, this place rarely disappoints. There have been a couple isolated incidents that you can expect from any restaurant, but nothing horribly offensive. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of their pizza; although it's good for what it is, I tend to like my pizza either thick and deep, or thin and cut into little squares. Personal preference. My dad likes their pizza, as do most of my co-workers. What I like is their salad dressing and their pastas. Oh, and their burgers are decent too! Take warning though, their serving sizes are enormous, so either split something, or be prepared to have lunch and dinner for the next day. Good value, good food, go atmosphere.
(4)
iddells E.
If I wanted mediocre Italian food, I would've just gone to Olive Garden down the street. I came here because the husband wanted Italian (oh the terrible sacrifices a wife has to make). Maybe it's because Italian food isn't one of my favorites. But I knew I made the wrong decision coming in here when I picked up the menu. Nothing at all interested me. I was looking at the menu for such a long time and when that happens, that means that I am not going to have a good time at this restaurant. The soup specials were horrendous. Black bean and something else that sounded nasty. I picked the one that I thought I could tolerate. The black bean wasn't great, it was too salty....husband enjoyed it though. I ate about 3 bites of my pasta meal and was done. I ordered the pasta with mussels in marinara sauce...it was quite bland. Leftovers for husband! I think he liked his food more than I did. Not making the same mistake again.
(2)
Sam S.
Great place to eat, good pricing with great food and service.
(5)
Dan D.
Great food, must have the Margherita pizza, get the all-you-can-eat soup and salad bowls! I've been coming here for a long time, and its simply because it is great food, good prices, and great service (Here is some advice: ask to have Zach Rudd as a waiter - fantastic service and he is a delight to serve you - a very comedic gentleman).
(4)
Jacob K.
I was initially skeptical of this place as i had been here before and had mediocre food. Fortunately I had a delicious experience today. The service was fast and friendly. My salad with house dressing came out immediately after I ordered and was one of the best house salads I have had (it comes with most regular entrees). It was followed by lasagna with meet sauce and spinach which was equally scrumptious. The price was reasonable and the ice tea was alright. My friend had a panini sandwich with fries which he enjoyed. Overall it was a pleasant experience and would return. On a side note I remember they had good fruity alcoholic beverages- one called a mango bango....
(4)
Jeff Z.
I love this place. They have the best Italian food. Great place for a date.
(5)
Mary W.
Great service!!!! Very attentive and the food was great. Huge portions especially after bottomless salad. Would highly suggest. Went there after a movie with 6 other ladies. Can't wait to go again!!!!
(5)
Craig F.
We went here over the weekend and were pretty underwhelmed. All Italian restaurants start with a great sauce, Graziano's doesn't. We had the spaghetti and meatballs, bakes ziti and margarita pizza. The meatballs were the only thing I came close to finishing. We didn't even take our leftovers home.
(2)
Gail Z.
In the past I have had good food, but seating in the back room while another function took precedent compromised the service. Returned last night and was very disappointed. Started with a draft beer that was brought to the table. It was flat and was returned for a bottle. Ordered calamari. It was a large portion, but the grease puddled on the plate and the calamari was rubbery. Had to ask about bread basket as it took a long time to appear. Quality was lacking as well as freshness. Olive oil was flavorless and of poor quality. There salad used to be a highlight of their offerings, but to serve it with huge chunks of lettuce looking like a disaster takes away from the very good dressing. My shrimp dish was soggy with grease and the shrimp were toughened by overcooking. Daughter's dish was penne with artichokes and chicken both lacking in their presence. One water glass filled, but never refilled for the entire meal. Server left much to be desired as to attention of customers. All in all, after all the years of eating here, I am thinking I can do much better elsewhere.
(2)
Ann Y.
I went here with a few friends from work not very long ago and to be honest I was not impressed. Our waitress seemed to have a stick up her but and really just seemed pissed off. The pizza was ok, though the carmalized onions were good! I just think there are so many better options for pizza and I don't think I will be going back any time soon.
(2)
Jose B.
cant get enough, this time i impressed my future family in laws with their awesome pizza!!! cant complain
(5)
Katie T.
I recently had my rehearsal dinner here. We picked it for basic reasons: it was close to the church and the hotel our guests were staying at, and the menu looked like a crowd pleaser. Overall, we were very satisfied! I worked with a manager named Steve, and he was super helpful along the way, making menu suggestions and accomodating our last minute changes in guest count. The food was family style and pretty tasty. There was a TON of it, which they wrapped for us to go. We did not have a private room, but we were tucked in an alcove and had no disruptions. The service was good, too! It was nice enough for a celebration without being too casual, or overly fancy and pretentious. I'd definitely recommend it!
(4)
Jim S.
Graziano's is an upscale casual restaurant, certainly one of the best dining options in the Crossroads Square area of Niles and Skokie. First, the food is excellent. The homemade soups are, by far, the best I have had in the Chicago area. The Roasted Chicken is very good. The salads are also good, especially the dressings. Portions are huge. Roasted potatoes that come with most entrees are also delicious. It is tough to beat this place for overall value. The most popular pizzas here are more Neopolitan rather than American in style. They tend toward thin-or medium-crusted and not greasy. Those seeking deep dish should probably go elsewhere. Stick to the Italian entrees and the chicken or fish and you can't go wrong. The meat entrees are just okay, nothing special. Ambiance is sort of contemporary kitsch. Very noisy.
(4)
Bee B.
I have been mentally eating mushroom ravioli since last Wednesday...That's sorta weird, right? But it was THAT good. I don't usually order pasta at a restaurant partly because I try to be all pseudo south-beach and partially because I am usually disappointed by pasta dishes at restaurants. Not mad, just disappointed. Graziano's was a different story, however. I had trouble deciding what I wanted to get when I went with some girlfriends for lunch...They have design-your own pizzas, salads and some great sounding pastas as well. The mushroom ravioli was on the specials menu and I had to try it. The dish was supposed to be served with a white sauce, but I switched it out for tomato with roasted garlic sauce. The waitress was super chill about this and helped me pick a new sauce when I told her I wanted to switch to red. The dish consisted of 5 or 6 HUGE raviolis and they were creamy and mushroom-y and really delicious. A friend got one of the personal pizzas which looked really tasty as well and they have all sorts of interesting toppings to choose from such as goat cheese, kalamata olives and peanut butter (?) The bread was great too, and they have a nice selection of wines by the glass and cocktails. I would recommend Graziano's to anyone in the Skokie/Niles/MG/ L-Wood area. The ravioli deserves 5 stars, easy. But I'll stick with a modest 4 star review until I go back (soon, I hope!) and try something else.
(4)
Carolynne M.
I will say that this place is not the most adventurous in terms of their menu. You will get the basics a lot of restaurants offer, like antipasto salad, burgers, pasta, chicken parmesan and steak. But the pizza is divine, it has that yummy charred crust that only happens when baked in a 700 degree brick oven and there are some great toppings offered! My favourite is the Four Seasons which has artichokes, red peppers, mushrooms and prosciutto separated in four sections. The dining room is big so don't let a packed parking lot make you think that there will be a wait. We were seated almost immediately during prime time dinner hour on Friday night. Our waitress, Stephanie, was lovely and super-helpful. I ordered the salmon and asparagus risotto, which was a special that night. It comes with a huge salad, so after about 3 bites of the super-rich risotto I had it packed up to go. The risotto was quite good, but of course I always compare it to the kind I make which none ever seem to match. The dining room is decorated really cool, with oversized vintage posters on the brick walls, high ceilings and a breezy, open dining room. One of the nicer restaurants in this area.
(4)
Dan F.
Graziano's is an old stand-by restaurant for my family. The menu has a lot of variety and the food is really pretty good and comes in large portions. It has an identity somewhere a really nice Italian place and a chain restaurant. I have never been disappointed by anything I've ever had there, but never blown away either. The service is occasionally slow, but not too bad. Their house salad is remarkable. I'm a repeat customer for my own sake but also because my sometimes finicky children can find something they like too.
(4)
Rocky B.
I love the combination of coziness and spaciousness this restaurant offers. The staff are friendly tho very rushed. Love the warm bread basket they place on the tables. I've never had their pizza but their pasta is really good and huge portions. You'll definitely be leaving with a doggie bag.
(4)
George K.
I went there last night and was pleased that they sat us at 9:26 PM. I shouldn't have been. - We were seated at the worst possible table in a largely empty dining room. Real nice. We got up and moved to a different table. - The restaurant was absolutely filthy. I realize it was "late", but if Graziano is going to serve at this time they have an obligation to cleanliness. - Adjoining tables had not been cleared. VERY unappetizing. - Waitress (Flora) corrected me for call a pizza a "pie". Sweet. - Noisy, seemingly disgruntled, busboys made a large racket as they went about their business. - A blaring TV, set on a loud-ass channel. - Waitress (Flora again) proceeded to clean the restaurant blinds during our meal. - Risotto was over-salted. Margarita "pie" was pretty good. Quite unpleasant experience. Won't be back.
(2)
Jean C.
I really enjoy this place even though most of my friends remain unimpressed by it. It's big and airy, but unless you're there on one of the rare occasions when it's not crowded, it's really noisy. The menu is pretty basic. Some of the food is good, some not so good. I love their house salad dressing and would probably drink it out of a glass if I could. I also love their dipping oil, and tried to wrangle the recipe out of the manager. Service has been consistently good and many of the servers go out of their way to make sure you get a lot of bang for your buck. I went there with friends after a movie because our ticket stubs were supposed to get us a free bruschetta appetizer. It turned out that they usually only accept one stub per table, but our server brought us three, which was more than enough for all of us. Graziano's is at its best on a weekday afternoon, after the lunch rush. It's quiet then, and the pace is a bit slower. You won't wait forever for a table.
(4)
Jason G.
A great family restaurant that is kid-friendly with solid consistently good food. The house made salad dressing is excellent as is the BBQ chicken pizza. Service is good and attentive. Decor is not corny Italian. Parking is easy and convenient. Our kids love that they can walk up to the cook line and the chefs will give them some pizza dough to play with as they watch them make pizzas.
(4)
Sid B.
Oh yeah.. Lemme throw another grain in the ocean.. The salad and house dressing rocks.. So tough to find places serving large quantities of good fresh salad& dressing these days.. The entree was Chicken Vesuvio which was not that great.. But well my friend had a Chicken parmesan and was ga-ga over it.. A worthy option if you planning to have a leisure lunch in the cosy town of Niles
(4)
Jennifer J.
made a 7:30pm reservation on saturday night for my friend and i. we were promptly seated in a large booth in the back of the restaurant. i started munching on the bread as soon as we sat down and then one of the busboys brought over a plate of bruschetta and said it was on the house. this happened once before and we were told it was b/c we made reservations. i've made reservations other times though and didn't receive the bruschetta so i don't know what the reason is. either way, i'll take it =) the bruschetta is great- lots of tomatoes (like waaaaaay more than necessary). i ordered one of the specials- crab ravioli fra diavalo. i was sure to say "fra diavalo" b/c i noticed there was another "easter special" on the front of the specials menu that was just crab ravioli- not crab ravioli fra diavalo. i, like george costanza, like my food spicy so i was excited about the fra diavalo part. the ravioli came with a salad so i asked for the house dressing on the side. the house dressing is like crack- really really ridiculously addictive. my friend and i chatted away and i waited for my salad. i saw the server a number of times and each time, he didn't have my salad in his hands. i was getting a little annoyed but hey, i used to be a server and sometimes you just forget. finally he came over and said "ladies your entrees will be out shortly", so i said "um am i gonna get my salad before the food?". he said "oh yeah, that's right" and returned with my salad, with the dressing on it, not on the side. ok, fine, whatever. i didn't have much time before the entrees arrived. the crab ravioli was on a huge plate and 6 large ravioli were covered in a red sauce. i took my first bite and it was not spicy in the least bit. i couldn't wait to see the server to ask for crushed red pepper. i saw him come and go between tables and when he checked on us, i asked for the pepper. i also should have asked for fresh parmesan too- usually the server or whoever brings the food offers you fresh parm for your pasta, but not this time. hmmm. i sat and watched the server stand by the pos and close out some checks and then walk over to a table a few feet from us and pick up the check off the table after the guests left. he then went back to the computer. ok, i'm starting to get annoyed. then i saw him standing with about 3 other servers, laughing and goofing around. alright pal, you forgot my salad, didn't take my order right, and now you're not bringing me what i requested. i decided i needed to get up and talk to a manager. as i was walking towards the front door, i saw the server start to walk towards my table and then he saw me and i heard him say "oh yeah, the pepper!". i guess i could have went back and sat down but at this point, i was worried that he would get distracted by a shiny object and forget my crushed red pepper once again. the manager was very understanding and said he'd take care of it. the pepper was waiting at the table when i returned. the situation was now awkward. my friend and i joked that we would be boxing up our food ourselves b/c we didn't want to let it out of our sight. the server came over and apologized. it was nice and seemed slightly sincere but a little forced. when it came time to box the food, we did it ourselves and then he dropped the check with a complimentary dessert which was delicious. there was also a discount on the check which was really nice. the manager cared enough to rectify the situation right there. he probably didn't want me being a disgruntled customer and then heading online to write an angry review... oops, i did it anyway. but i'm not disgruntled. while service has been a bit off my last 2 visits, i will still continue to visit. the food is great and this was my first time having to speak to a manager and he made things right again. oh the server even wrote "sorry" on the receipt. they did their part to make things right again. i go here with friends once or twice a month and i will definitely continue to go back. i work in the industry so i really appreciate the effort made by the manager. hopefully i won't have to address anything with him again in the future, but it's nice to know that if i have to, he'll listen.
(4)
Katherine R.
I just spent about 10 minutes searching my reviews because I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet! I've been to Graziano's a dozen times and it's a consistently good place. They never get too busy, which shocks me because the food is good and they have great prices to boot. My most recent experience was in between Christmas shopping. Had a great time, and our server, Aman-duh (her name tag actually said that) was hilarious and attentive. The spicy shrimp app was great and the house salads aren't bad, just wish places would use greens instead of iceberg! It's a little pricer I know, but customers will appreciate! I had the margherita pizza and don't have a bad thing to say about it. Took some home and it was just as good the next day when I was nursing a hangover. Great place for kids to draw on the tables and eat pizza but great for date or night out with friends. Gluten-Free, Low Carb AND Vegan/Vegetarian options!!!! Really?! Amazing!
(4)
Eric W.
The Great with the bad. I love this place they consitanly have great food great service. This place is casual dining with a bit of sophistication. They have the best new england calm chowder ever & it's bottomless. I had the soup (None Better). Fried calamari (as good as any) & I didn't like the sirloin salad. It didn't
(4)
brian f.
love their food, great, unique pizza's. love their food, but never eat there...always too noisey. they need ceiling sound insulation, always have, always loud. service staff is always great, from front door to servers. we do carry out 100% of the time. it is nice that they have special parking spots for carry out.
(4)
Mandi N.
the house salad is perfect. & the pizza is amazing. chewy & crunchy, but not too heavy. so good!
(4)
Sara L.
The salad dressing is a must with the unlimited bowls of salad( like olive garden but sweeter and better). The Marghartie brick oven pizza is great. The pasta is very similar to what you would find in any Italian joint. The fish, meat and chicken are always fresh. The service is great and they aim to please. This is a family oriented place so if you want to go to a quiet romantic place this may not be for you. I reccommend trying it out, especially if you live in the Skokie/Niles area.
(3)
Leang E.
I came here after I did some minor Christmas shopping. I'm surprised that as packed as the parking lot was, we were still seated right away. Our drinks were quite disappointing. We tried the Mango Bango, the Key Lime martini, and then finally settled on the Sicilian Margarita (which tastes like a melon flavored alcoholic beverage). We started out with the special steak nachos appetizers, and split a salad and the Rigatoni with sausage and peppers. All of it was delicious and we dipped our bread in the salad dressing. Yummy! The pizzas going by looked really good. Our server was really nice and I know she tried as best she could to recommend a drink that we'd like. I wouldn't mind coming to this place again.
(4)
Nan D.
A fan for years, I trek over whenever I desire an excellent meal. I bring all of my visiting friends there. There is something for everyone. The prices are good. It is a nice quiet place where one can actually talk and not be rushed. I love the house salad dressing and the pasta dishes ! This is a great place to eat for dinner or lunch !
(5)
Chris W.
Maybe I'm just a fan of really fat dripping pan pizzas but I wasn't too thrilled with coming here. I honestly don't even remember what pizza we got it was so lame, and we tried to get a pretty cool one because we enjoy trying new foods. If I had the menu in front of me I'd be able to tag it I'm sure. I do enjoy truly eating thin crust pizza but this stuff was at the low end of the spectrum for my taste buds. They had a decent steak there at least. And an alright kalimari appetizer. It's not the best atmosphere either, I wish it was a bit less interconnected with the booth/seat arrangements with other tables. However, it was alright. Service was alright too. If I was with a group that wanted to go back I'd just try something new.
(2)
Keith T.
Good food, child friendly, good childrens menu including a macaroni and cheese pizza! Wide selection of italian dishes in large portions along with a decent pizza.
(3)
Gabriel A.
I think I find myself sometimes coming back to this place simply for their amazing house salad. Their four cheese pizza is delicious. I do find their bruchetta to be a little sweet, but it is better than most. I definitely have recommended this restaurant to friends and will continue to do so.
(4)
Justin L.
Seems that every time I want to take my parents out to eat they choose this neighborhood restaurant near their house. Graziano's is a very large open kitchen style restaurant which gets very busy and seems to be very popular in the area. It is family friendly and the wait staff is quick and attentive. My recommendations are to get a house salad the dressing is so good, people often order cups to take home. If some one can recreate it please send me the recipe. It is like a creamy Caesar with its own unique Graziano spin. Follow that with a baked ziti or chicken fettuccine Alfredo. The brick oven specialty pizzas are also very good only because they not your normal pizza. They have many combinations that work well together and makes the pizza eat more like a meal than regular pizza. If your in the area shopping at the neighborhood shopping centers, I suggest you make a stop for a bit to eat. It is an upgrade over other shopping center restaurants but very reasonably priced and tasty.
(3)
Marcel M.
Eat here and you'll look like the regulars after subsequent visits. We've been going here for 12 years and their soups are amazing... The salad dressing is amazing also and I don't prefer salads. Also, huge pastas. The pizzas are great as well. My only gripe is that their appetizer choices are lame. I also tried a peanut butter and jelly pizza once. Good stuff. Bottom line is that the food has been consistent for all these years.
(5)
Lale S.
If this were years ago when Graziano's first opened they would have had all 5 stars. The food has gone down drastically since then. When they first opened it seemed as though they were really worried about the satisfaction of their customers. Lets just say things have changed. This place is seriously down the block and across the street from my parents house. 1. the woman who takes phone orders and usually rings up your order to go has some serious issues, she has worked there for years yet needs to get a attitude adjustment, very bad... 2. The to-go salads (which i must add the house dressing is the best thing they make) look like they have been sitting there for days, not to mention the fact that they seriously skimp you on the veggies but double up on the brown lettuce. There are a couple of things i do love about this place and always have and that is why i give them three stars, the graz burger is amazing, the toasted or friend mozzarella to die for, the house salad dressing beyond amazing, and the chicken fingers are so good my mouth is now watering. I really think they need to pay more attention, and put the same attention to detail and their portions as they did in the beginning. minimal just doesnt cut it for me, especially considering how much money this place has made off me and my family.
(3)
Edward H.
This place has a good menu and the food quality is consistent. I like eating here since there's minimum wait (large dining area) and fast service. The calamari and bruschetta is top notch. I love love LOVE the baked ziti here. Most of their menu selection comes with either soup or salad. I usually get the soup - unlike most restaurants, they give you a full bowl... enough to fill you to the point where you barely have room for your entree. Graziano's is also close to the local theater making it the perfect place to go before or after catching a flick.
(4)
Anthony M.
Grazianos is a great place because they have a huge menu for an Italian resturant and there really is nothing there I have not liked. There portions are about right (not too big, but big enough to feed a big guy like me!). The pizza here (brick oven) is probably the best thing here and actually tough to find made right in the area (its found more in CA ala Wolfgang Puck). Pasta and sandwiches are great too!
(4)
Crystal S.
I don't know what it is but they have the best "house salad dressing" EVER!!! That is the highlight of this place for me!
(3)
Tess K.
If you're expecting upscale, unusual Italian food, you will be disappointed. If, however, you want consistently solid, somewhat Americanized Italian fare, try it out. The prices are average, serving size above average, and quality is satisfactory. The unlimited soup and salad combo is great - too bad you have to search for it on the menu if you don't already know about it. Service is their weak point, especially when it gets busy. It can be difficult to get your waiter's attention towards the end of the meal and I agree with previous reviewers - the waiters do tend to clump around the registers and talk. Still, for a very family friendly place with predictable quality, I like it.
(3)
Benjamin S.
I would give this place 3 stars for the pizza. It's not the greatest compared to the pizza you'll find elsewhere in Chicago. But they brought us bread to munch on and the service was wicked fast. Almost too fast.
(4)
A C.
I would say that Graziano's is a good place to eat. Their pizza is phenomenal. Only reason why I gave 4 out of 5 stars is because the menu prices are quite steep. Other than that, ya'll should give this place a try!
(4)
Ilene J.
Their spaghetti and meat sauce is delicious. The salad dressing is the best!!! Sure wish I had the recipe. And on Saturday nights their soup is Cream of Mushroom-- it's wonderful with just a hint of wine in it.. I think, I go there all of the time and have never had a bad meal or bad service. The main dining room is noisy so I ask to be seated in the smaller room near the bar. It's a lot more quiet.
(5)
April W.
pizza was good as was salad dressing but my pasta dish was terrible, the pasta was gummy, it was lukewarm and the vodka sauce had no flavor.
(3)
kristen m.
I wanted to like this place because I have friends who go there and rave about it.. Unfortunately to me not so much.... I thought the service was awful we had to keep asking the waiter to refill our drinks, which is kinda a pet peeve of mine. We had three appetizers the fried calamari, bruschetta, and fried mozzarella, they were pretty good. The downfall for sure was the pasta entree I ordered. The sauce tasted like RAGU!! If I decide to give this place another try, I will have to go with the pizza it seems to get better reviews.
(3)
S L.
In the land of the strip malls on this busy street called "Touhy Avenue" in Niles, there is this Italian restaurant called "Graziano's" somewhere between Walmart and Target. I never expected to find half-way decent Italian restaurant in this area, especially when your options consist of your typical American chain restaurants from fast food to super-fattening food. I have to admit, I like hopping on the Edens from the NW side of Chicago to do a little bit of shopping here, and catch a flick every now and then as well. I do recall Graziano's opening way back in the days and I've been back ever since. I wouldn't say this is my favorite Italian restaurant, but it's better than all the other restaurants in the area. The entree portions are huge and I always have leftovers. Their brick oven pizza is really good too, especially the crust. The service is Hit or Miss over the years. I've had really wonderful waiters and really horrible ones as well. I usually come here with a small group and never had to wait for a table. I'm sure for a larger group on the weekends, reservations is probably recommended. Bottom line: If you're in the area and not feeling the typical chain restaurants, head on over to Graziano's! Expect a family-friendly atmosphere, good food and possibly a doggie bag to take home. Don't forget to save your movie ticket stub from the theatre down the street - you get a freebie appetizer with your order.
(4)
J F.
This is a place we know we can go to if we are hungry and don't have a lot of time. There is usually minimal to no wait--that said, the place does get business and is busy. They just handle customers well and the food is good.
(3)
Kathy R.
Try the pizza. You won't be disappointed. Good salads, too. You won't leave hungry - portions are big. My one note of caution would be to check your carry-out order when you pick it up; they screwed up our order once, so my husband had to drive back (we live in Niles, and it's 20 min. away). Other than that, my experiences have been good.
(4)
Alan R.
Graziano's is the perfect balance of Pizza/Italian. We went with another couple and my 17 month old son. Everyone got something different. Salad, Pasta, Sandwich and Pizza. There is something for everyone and they do it all well. They also have a good children's menu. If I lived closer to Graziano's, I'm sure I'd be a regular.
(4)
Terri N.
Although we aren't a big fan of Graziano, we tend to come here once in a blue for our daughter Tamia. She loves this place. I've never been disappointed with the food but I had better italian food elsewhere. They have great pizza, salads and parmesan fries. We came here last week for a quick lunch. I got their Graziano Burger and I wasn't pleased with it. Tony had their steak and thought for the price he paid for it could've been better. Tamia had their chicken fingers and fries. She said the chicken was too chewy but didn't hesitate to scarf down all her fries. Overall, their service is great and they are extremely kid friendly.
(4)
Jenni F.
Three words: Chopped Chicken Salad I am not a salad person (lettuce is just decoration for salad dressing and croutons in my opinion.) I also can't get full on just roughage. This in my opinion is the perfect salad, the right mix of salad and chicken and other good stuff. But what makes this salad the best I ever had is their dressing. I am typically a ranch or blue cheese type girl and will wrinkle my nose at the typical Italian dressing that is at every old time salad bar. However, the House Italian salad dressing at Graziano's is my favorite salad dressing ever, possibly my favorite condiment ever. I have only eaten in Graziano's a couple of times, so I can't speak for the service. Update: 2/19/08 I moved out the area, so when I found myself out there, i decided to pick up a salad to go. Apparently, the to go salad has become a hot item, because now they mass produce them. The salad was okay, but wasn't made fresh. The bread that I was given was so hard it was not eligible. Still, I would pay $10 for the salad dressing alone.
(3)
tessa c.
i had the margherita pizza with shrimp and green peppers. hands down the best margherita i've had (i always try to have it with shrimp/peppers everywhere i go) !! service was great and i have to say it went beyond the dining experience. my dumb ass lost my phone somewhere between the time of leaving loyola and sitting down to dinner there. i didn't find it but the hostess and the manager was very accommodating in attempting to find it. oh man i am getting hungry just thinking of that pizza...
(4)
Chris L.
My wife and I went here before seeing a moving at the nearby movie theater. It was a Saturday night around 6:15PM and pretty busy, but we were seated immediately. The service was far outshined by the food. It took our server about ten minutes to even take our drink orders and it was several minutes after that, that we got our water. Our server was very friendly, but slow. Once we did receive our food however, all was forgiven. We shared giant Calamari appetizer and I had the wood roasted chicken and my wife, the shrimp salad. The food was delicious and perfectly prepared. I will definitely be going back again.
(4)
John F.
I used to like this place, but prefer Macaroni Grill insread. Service here seems a bit lax and menu a tad overpriced. Still they do have very good pizza.
(3)
Mary C.
I found this place because there was a deal with the local theater for a free appetizer. It reeled me in and boy am I glad it did. They have awesome thin-crust pizzas, great salads and a variety of Italian dinners. I love the colorful vintage advertisments that decorate the walls and the open kitchen.
(4)
Kristin A.
Great place to take a group for a work lunch. Pizza is thin and half way healthy (as far as pizza goes). Good salads and house dressing. Not too pricey.
(4)
Liliana S.
This pizza is really good. I mean really really good. Its thin and just right...
(4)
Rebecca E.
Not the best place for Italian food. To be honest I'm not quite sure what it is about this place but it just doesn't click with me. Nothing about it is comforting unless you like being surrounded by brick walls with a whole bunch of crayon markings on it. Felt like I was in a Chuck E Cheeses because of it. The portions are small and staff is not very good at making sure you are being serviced well. We were seated at a far end of the restaurant away from basically everyone, by the bar and there was barely anyone there. The food doesn't feel comforting and although the taste is there it's not worth the money. Would never return, and would not recommend.
(2)
Kevin F.
Nice place. I'd call it upscale family friendly. Can be loud at time, which diluted the atmosphere. Very good pizza, but not the best. Overall, A repeated for casual night out and if you're in the general vacinity.
(3)
Doug R.
Very, very good Italian place. Ive been here many times over the years and have never been disappointed.
(4)
Sasha S.
Orderd a few simple takeout items by phone, had to repeat it several times as the hostess was talking to me and joking/laughing with a coworker too. Was told 20 minutes. Arrived about 25 minutes later, my pizza and pasta were ready but they forgot my soup and bread, waited another 15 minutes for my soup, watching my other food get cold and the place was completely empty! She shoved it in my bag, turned around and started talking to her coworkers again. Never said thank you, at all, not even a smile or kind tone Food was mediocre at best and overpriced for quality Too bad because when I'm in town it was my go to, not anymore
(1)
Jacob K.
I was initially skeptical of this place as i had been here before and had mediocre food. Fortunately I had a delicious experience today. The service was fast and friendly. My salad with house dressing came out immediately after I ordered and was one of the best house salads I have had (it comes with most regular entrees). It was followed by lasagna with meet sauce and spinach which was equally scrumptious. The price was reasonable and the ice tea was alright. My friend had a panini sandwich with fries which he enjoyed. Overall it was a pleasant experience and would return. On a side note I remember they had good fruity alcoholic beverages- one called a mango bango....
(4)
Jeff Z.
I love this place. They have the best Italian food. Great place for a date.
(5)
Mary W.
Great service!!!! Very attentive and the food was great. Huge portions especially after bottomless salad. Would highly suggest. Went there after a movie with 6 other ladies. Can't wait to go again!!!!
(5)
Craig F.
We went here over the weekend and were pretty underwhelmed. All Italian restaurants start with a great sauce, Graziano's doesn't. We had the spaghetti and meatballs, bakes ziti and margarita pizza. The meatballs were the only thing I came close to finishing. We didn't even take our leftovers home.
(2)
Gail Z.
In the past I have had good food, but seating in the back room while another function took precedent compromised the service. Returned last night and was very disappointed. Started with a draft beer that was brought to the table. It was flat and was returned for a bottle. Ordered calamari. It was a large portion, but the grease puddled on the plate and the calamari was rubbery. Had to ask about bread basket as it took a long time to appear. Quality was lacking as well as freshness. Olive oil was flavorless and of poor quality. There salad used to be a highlight of their offerings, but to serve it with huge chunks of lettuce looking like a disaster takes away from the very good dressing. My shrimp dish was soggy with grease and the shrimp were toughened by overcooking. Daughter's dish was penne with artichokes and chicken both lacking in their presence. One water glass filled, but never refilled for the entire meal. Server left much to be desired as to attention of customers. All in all, after all the years of eating here, I am thinking I can do much better elsewhere.
(2)
Ann Y.
I went here with a few friends from work not very long ago and to be honest I was not impressed. Our waitress seemed to have a stick up her but and really just seemed pissed off. The pizza was ok, though the carmalized onions were good! I just think there are so many better options for pizza and I don't think I will be going back any time soon.
(2)
Jose B.
cant get enough, this time i impressed my future family in laws with their awesome pizza!!! cant complain
(5)
Katie T.
I recently had my rehearsal dinner here. We picked it for basic reasons: it was close to the church and the hotel our guests were staying at, and the menu looked like a crowd pleaser. Overall, we were very satisfied! I worked with a manager named Steve, and he was super helpful along the way, making menu suggestions and accomodating our last minute changes in guest count. The food was family style and pretty tasty. There was a TON of it, which they wrapped for us to go. We did not have a private room, but we were tucked in an alcove and had no disruptions. The service was good, too! It was nice enough for a celebration without being too casual, or overly fancy and pretentious. I'd definitely recommend it!
(4)
Jim S.
Graziano's is an upscale casual restaurant, certainly one of the best dining options in the Crossroads Square area of Niles and Skokie. First, the food is excellent. The homemade soups are, by far, the best I have had in the Chicago area. The Roasted Chicken is very good. The salads are also good, especially the dressings. Portions are huge. Roasted potatoes that come with most entrees are also delicious. It is tough to beat this place for overall value. The most popular pizzas here are more Neopolitan rather than American in style. They tend toward thin-or medium-crusted and not greasy. Those seeking deep dish should probably go elsewhere. Stick to the Italian entrees and the chicken or fish and you can't go wrong. The meat entrees are just okay, nothing special. Ambiance is sort of contemporary kitsch. Very noisy.
(4)
Lorna S.
I definitely enjoy the atmosphere at Graziano's. The food is also pretty yummy. The service on the other hand was not great. We were there with a party of about 10, which is not huge. The waitress was pretty rude. When I asked what types of beer they had on tap, she looked at me and said, "I mean, don't you know what you want?" I said, "I'm not sure, so I want to know what you have." She must not have really known what they had. She seemed to be mumbling some things, with an attitude. She spilled drinks when she set them down, and dropped a fork off a plate onto one of our guests. She didn't even apologize. I'm sure not all servers are this rude, but her attitude left a bad taste in my mouth. This place gets 3 stars for the food, and the idea that we just had a bad server.
(3)
Melissa N.
I really like Graziano's. It's one of the local restaurants that my husband and I go back to again and again. Most of the time the food is great, although there have been a few times when I've tried something new off the insanely huge menu and have been disappointed. My favorite dishes include the chicken parmesean sandwich, the baked ziti chicken ragu, and the pepperoni pizza...mmm, now I am hungry just thinking about all that yummy food! The dessert portions are huge, and the drinks are usually good but not super strong. Most of the servers are good, but the restaurant fills up fast, especially on weekends, and service can be a bit slow at times. Still, overall, this is a great place for casual dining.
(4)
Oliver S.
Best food ever
(5)
Joyce C.
I like the pizza and the salad here, and that's about it. Everything else is just ok. Grazianos uses quality ingredients in their pizzas. For this category, they truly deserve 4 stars. We've tried the majority of their pizza offerings, but my fave is the Melanzana- it has roasted veggies like eggplant and zucchini and goat cheese. The crusts on their pizzas are thin and has a good chew and a little char to them. Their chopped chicken salad is pretty robust. It's the sauce and the ripe avocados that make this salad, the sauce is pretty delicious. This salad is a meal in itself. Service here kinda blows. The last time we came here, it took a long time to get seated, as the hostess and the take out girls were hanging out. After we were seated it seemed only one waitress was waiting on the entire section we were in, and it was pretty full that night. During our dinner, I realized that the hostess and the takeout counter girls seemed like they have nothing better to do than to gossip. Graziano's should probably fix that, because I heard other people in the dining area complain about the (lack of) service as well.
(3)
Rhonda G.
The staff is friendly but they don't really care. No small talk, no suggestions, no return to the table to see how the food is. Frowning is the New smiling I guess. The pasta is excellent (we ordered spinach ravioli and spaghetti-huge portions so two meals in one) Orange San pellegrino is my new Favorite. The tables are too close together (sorry to the the little kid who will get into trouble tonight for repeating my curse words) Bread is served cold and if you look over to the service area you can see already poured glasses of water getting breathed on and the bread getting colder by the moment seconds before they grab it to bring to your table...yeah, thanks. I may go back to try the pizza with lower expectations.
(3)
Debi K.
I would like to follow up that we have been contacted by Steven of Graziano's. I was very happy with his response and we look forward to once again trying this restaurant in the near future.... Customer service gets 5 starts!
(3)
Jason J.
Have been to Graziano's many times and it's a decent Italian restaurant, but we tried the pizza this time and that upped it for us. The brickoven pizza makes this place. It was crispy, and had good fresh toppings with plenty of choices especially for kids. The pasta and other Italian specialites are hit or miss, not awful but nothing to get overly exicited about. The house salad is pretty tasty, and the focacia they bring out in the bread basket is very good. But if I want really good Italian food, Graziano's is just not my first choice.
(3)
Bob T.
I ate there and worked down the block so I got dragged in many times at work outings. And also, many times on pick up orders the counter girl was rude and got our orders wrong. She was punching the keys so fast no human could be that correct at that speed and it caused issues on my bill a few times. The food is not really Italian at all but an Italian Mcdonalds. Not recommended.
(1)
Nancy B.
The house salad is great, a few less onions would make it even better. The balsamic dressing they serve with it I could drink out of a bottle! I'm not much of a carb eater, so I like that they make a number of their meat dishes low carb by serving them with veg rather than potatoes or pasta. Honestly, the roast chicken is so good I crave it after. They serve it au jus, which is just the right amount of salty. Delicious. My husband frequently orders pasta or risotto specials, but it seems to me that they're very light on protein. Sometimes he doesn't want to bring home the leftovers, which would equate to about 3 normal servings as the portions are so freaking huge. How about giving us half the pasta and the same amount of protein and sauce so the proportions are right? If you're ordering a kids pizza, get one for every 2-3 kids, they're full size pizzas. Which is nuts. Overall, it's hit or miss. I wish they would change up the menu a bit, they've had the same base food for the 4 years we've been going. It feels like a corporate kitchen designed the menu and then moved on.
(3)
Pamela P.
The go-to family place for any familia extravaganza! This weekend we ordered from here to cater Easter/Birthday party. They were absolutely top notch. From total and complete ease in ordering to charging my card so that someone other than I could be able to pick it up down to the food quality and preparation and even packaging for transport. Really, Graziano's is great! The prices are truly reasonably and the food is very versatile and will suit any array of tastes!! Highly recommended! You won't be disappointed! Oh, and also--their pizzas are AH-MAZing!
(5)
Brent L.
I took the family back for another visit at the request of the owner and had an excellent experience from start to finish. As I mentioned in my previous review, the service on our prior visit had been terrible. This visit was much different! The service was excellent, the food was awesome and the portions were huge. Yes, we will be back and I will recommend Graziano's to my friends.
(4)
Dan L.
Had a really great experience there. We stopped in for a quick lunch. We were seated immediately, had the bread/water brought out immediately. We ordered the bruschetta and a medium pizza (half goat cheese pesto and half zucchini). Both were delicious! The pizza came out quickly as well. All the food tasted great and we will soooo be back!
(5)
Sarah C.
My visit to Grazianos wasn't necessarily the best, but surely not the worst. Service was slow, atmosphere was loud and chaotic. Food was mediocre at best.
(2)
Carla G.
I have had different experiences in the past with Graziano's service- I come back because I like the food. For starters-the house salad and bread is delicious! They offer customers to purchase the house salad dressing. I ordered the four cheese linguini and added chicken. (Definitely suggested for cheese lovers). Heads up: There is an unlimited soup or salad option, but the details for this are towards the end of the menu. We came in early evening for dinner so we were seated without a wait and our server was attentive. I would suggest making a reservation otherwise. The portions are pretty large so I don't believe I have ever had room to try out the dessert- I enjoy the leftovers!
(4)
Roseann M.
Back again, 11 months later, another 14 members of Rick's Hiking and Fun meetup group. No hiking for this group on a Wednesday night, but big appetites for food and fun. Graziano's was jam-packed. This is a huge restaurant, friends. The first clue should have been the very full parking lot. I was able to find a spot at the outer periphery of the lot. When I went in, there were so many people in line, milling about, in large groups at big table settings, I thought maybe I was at Wal-Mart on Black Friday. Yes, it was that jammed. Luckily, half our group was already there, so no problem - reservation was honored, on time. That's a point in Graziano's favor. Even with the huge crowds, we had professional, efficient service from a waiter named Noble. He wasn't super-friendly, just efficient. Mind you, 14 people were eating, and when he came with the food, he didn't stand there and say "now who had the ...?" He had some kind of system, and he handed the plates to the right people, without asking, He got all the drink orders correct, too. When the over-$250 check came, everything was correct. Score for Noble. Now, the food . . . Gentle Reader, if you have seen my other reviews on this site, I try to be fair and nice. Especially, as with Graziano's, it is a locally-owned business, not another national chain outpost. So, I will tell you, the portions are very, very large. People around me hand the individual-sized pizza (8 slices, enough for two of me), lasagna (the size of a concrete block), spaghetti with meatballs (meatballs the size of tennis balls), and chicken breast in a lemon sauce. Everyone liked their food and was happy to take leftovers home . . . except me. I had pasta with vegetables, in a marinara sauce. I tried, Gentle Reader, I really tried . . . but this was one of the nastier pasta entrees I've ever had. The sauce tasted like my worst memories of Ragu. The vegetables were all cooked to varying levels of doneness - some soggy, some crispy. Not good. Despite enough pasta on a huge plate to solve any foreign food crisis, I could barely eat it. Now, I don't know whether I just had the luck to pick the one lousy entree, or whether something weird happened in the kitchen that night. All I can tell you is, it was really bad, to the point that I had something to eat when I got home. So, 3 stars for Grazianos. If I'd liked my entree, it would be four stars. Everybody was happy with their food except me. The service was impeccable. And I did find a parking place. If the group should go again next year, I will probably go, but I'll order a pizza.
(3)
Kristy H.
One star for previous times I've been there that have generally been good. One star for our baked goat cheese appetizer (a special). No other stars because: 1) we ordered the four season pizza (proscuitto, red pepper, artichoke hearts, mushrooms) and it came as eight slices; each set of two slices had one of the four ingredients on it. I get the concept, but that's something that should be mentioned on the menu. 2) I complained to the waitress that we were misled and this was not what we thought we were ordering and she stood there asking me how it tasted until I said it tasted ok. Then she said "good" and walked away. We re-arranged the ingredients on the pizza so that they were all intermingled. Kind of gross to touch your food. Stupid, too. 3) The crust was way too chewy. I came here for brick oven and expected it. I won't be back.
(2)
Edward W.
I like the pizza and nothing else. Seriously. I don't know what it is but the pizza is great but every time I try something else here I just don't like it. My wife feels the same way. Some of my friends think the place is great. The decor is very nice. They have a parking lot with lot's of space. I just think that the food is nothing special. Now we only phone order pizzas for pick up.
(3)
Justin H.
Having driven by this place umpteen times we were at a loss on where to have dinner in this general vicinity one night and thought, "why have we never been here?" so we stopped, and boy am I glad we did. I ordered the Veal Parmesan and my cohort this evening ordered the spinach lasagna and both Items were prepared flawlessly. Everything was as it should be. Just make sure you read their STRICT salad policy. Gave me a good chuckle. Will be back for sure!
(4)
steph n.
I just love when we sit down in our booth and the server brings out a basket of piping hot sundried tomato topped focaccia bread to our table. That couldn't be more of a perfect timing. It makes the place seem more inviting. Graziano's is one of my favorite Italian Restaurants that are moderately priced and offer big portions, but not as big as Maggiano's. The battered calamari appetizer is well-seasoned and can easily suffice and appetite for 4. Their salad with their house dressing is worth raving about. It doesn't taste anything like those generic dressings you get from the bottle, but theirs is sweet and tangy and creamy at the same time. I order it every time I go there. These are one of the few places that offer brick oven pizza and it does make the dough taste a bit different from your typical pizza chains, however it is not one of my favorites due to the fact that I don't like thin crust pizza. My friend, however, loved it so you should go see for yourself.
(4)
Marlyn L.
Please never go here and have the Grilled Steak Fajita pizza. It was disgusting. When we sat down, the paper table cloth had grease and crayon smudges - as if someone previously sat there for a few minutes and soiled it up before deciding to leave. I should have taken that as a sign. I wasn't feeling confident at this point and don't like to pay $12 for pasta I can make at home for about $3, so I decided to try their pizza. It's gotta be the best thing on their menu right? Bleeeghhh First thing I noticed were the paltry, brownish slices of avocado. They were baked on. I don't know why I expected it to be just freshly sized on top after it was done... but nope. The avocado was warm. Then my eyes were attacked by the unappetizing chunks of steak. They were not looking healthy. Not really wanting to, I tried the first slice and immediately got that smell of bad quality meat. It wasn't seasoned much. I couldn't get past to smell. Seriously. Is this a Bear Grylls pizza? I didn't want to seem rude or anything, so I just took the meat off the second slice. I started eating that but could still detect that pungent sh*tty meat smell. We decided to take the rest home so that the restaurant wouldn't try to recycle it and pass it on to other patrons. I thought maybe I could give it to a homeless person on the street. But then I decided that would be a horrible deed. Please... maybe -- MAYBE -- they have other dishes that are good, but do not eat that pizza! It's sick. I won't ever eat there again. Oh and it was way overpriced, too. You're better off having a $5 pizza from Hot-N-Ready.
(1)
Mark O.
I recently visited with a large group of 30 and we were served family style. From start to finish my visit was very enjoyable. The calamari was cooked properly, the salads were fresh and the brick oven pizza was very good. Then came the mains, we had a pork loin which was cooked to perfection, we also had chicken Vesuvio and the stuffed ravioli along with fresh vegetables which were all good. Then the deserts cheese cake and tiramisu which finished off a very good meal. I would definitely go back
(4)
Amanda H.
Food is pretty good, salad dressing is great, and so is the salad. Love the shake machine. Its a bit loud, service a bit slow with food, and managers very impersonal just would sit at the bar and wouldn't come around.. Overall pretty good.
(4)
Michelle B.
My fiance loves pasta, so when we traveled to Chicago our friends we were visiting swore by this place as the best Italian in town. I've only had above average/not generic Italian food a few times (that's not to say I don't enjoy some mediocre sauce-smothered carbs every now and again) so my expectations are never high. Graziano's wasn't any different than most Italian places, so I usually par down such an experience to a few mainstays. Bread: A couple mishmashed loaves. Nothing to write home about but there was plenty for the 3 of us to help us out of starvation. Pasta/sauce: I ordered my friend's most recommended dish, the linguine pescatori, while the other two ordered spaghetti and meatballs. Fiance's pasta was cooked al dente and not overdone as it often is most places, so that was nice. Tried a bite of one meatball and it seemed decent enough, but the second meatball tasted more bready than meaty. Total turn-off. The sauce didn't strike me as anything terribly different. My pasta was fine. Mostly chewy squid rings mixed in with 3 or 4 shrimp, maybe 2 scallops, undeveloped shriveled mussels. About your run-of-the-mill seafood linguine in a garlicky sauce. Service: Bleh. Our waitress started out as okay, but we quickly realized that we'd not be receiving refills on our drinks due to her absence. We waited for our food for a long time, considering that this was not a superb gourmet meal. I think after our food was served she came back one time to see how things were going and to bring me a larger cup o water so she would not have to refill my smaller cup. It wasn't really busy, and I didn't see her walking around much of our time there. Dessert: I wouldn't know, because I didn't want to wait another 45 minutes for a creme brulee that could potentially be a shoulder shrug.
(2)
Irene H.
I absolutely love this place! I've been coming here for as long as I can remember. If you're around the neighbor hood, you should definitely stop in. It's also a major upgrade from stopping at Chili's or Outback after catching a movie at Village Crossing (although, there's nothing really wrong with those restaurants in my opinion). This place is great. The servers and host are really nice and pay just enough attention to your table without being overbearing. The food is amazing and isn't too pricey for what you get. The portions are just the right size, and their house dressing is delicious. They even get extra points for delivering to my house (which was slightly out of their range). If you're stump about what to order, you can't go wrong with anything. All of their pasta dishes are great. I personally love their antipasto salad as an appetizer and then the BBQ chicken pizza!
(5)
Jason L.
It's not my style to bash usually good reviewers, but are all of you people on yelp ridiculously devoid of taste? This restaurant is a fucking disaster. It was my daughters' 2nd birthday tonight, and we just got out of target on Touhy and decided to go out to dinner, she said she wanted pasta, and I had seen Graziano's on Touhy before so I decided to check yelp for reviews, which for the most part, were on the positive side. Yelpers also said it was very "family friendly" so I figured it would be great for dinner for my two kids. The first sign that things were going to go wrong should have been the fact that the place was 1/2 empty at 6pm on a friday night. The second sign should have been the elderly sleep fest in the parking lot, and the fact that the parking lot is 1/2 full of handicapped spots. So we walked in and were greeted, seated and our waitress brought water and a bread basket. Im not going to go into a lengthy diatribe about the subtleties that were missed along the way. Our entree's flat out sucked. My kids liked the idea of PB&J Pizza and Mac & Cheese Pizza, so they were $4.95/ea and we got one of each. When they were brought out they were WHOLE pizza's, full 12" pizzas. Who's fat ass kids eat 8 slices of pizza in a sitting? Especially Pizza loaded with peanut butter and macaroni and cheese....I'm sorry but I dont need my kid inhaling 1500 calories in a sitting. As for the quality, the PB&J pizza was actually decently presented, it looked good, I tried a slice and it was good. The mac & cheese pizza looked like shit on a plate, literally a box of kraft poured onto a pizza shell. It tasted like crap too. I started with a clam chowder, new england style, and was suprised to find fresh clams, but the soup was flavorless, no salt or spices anywhere, pure disappointment. I ordered a special, The red-wine braised beef and portobello mushroom risotto. The first plate that was brought to me had a nice big long hair running through it, so needless to say I sent it back. The second plate was rushed to me, it was back in front of me within 5 minutes. Risotto takes 20 minutes to cook, minimum, so either they pulled the hair out, rearranged things and reserved it to me, or completely rushed a new dish. Whatever they did, the beef was so undercooked it looked like the sear you would put on a piece of tuna, the middle was completely cold and raw. My friends' pasta with marinara was watery and the sauce was tasteless, like a jar of wal-mart sauce. The manager tried to patch it up by comping our bill and sending us home with 2 desserts. I tried both when I got home hoping to redeem dinner and set my mind to one day give it a second chance. The apple tart with ice cream was warm and served with ice cream which was completely melted when i got home (why would you pack ice cream to go???) The tiramisu was dry to the point that I was grasping for a glass of milk, there was no evidence of any espresso, or even coffee liquor. And the marscapone was cracked on top, looks like this had been sitting for quite some time. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS!
(1)
Mark G.
Was there tonight, it was terrible. There with my girl. I live in the city, she lives in the burbs, so when I get to see here all I want to do hold her and kiss her, apparently our waitress took some offense to us and was rude at best, our meal was terrible. We started the bruschetta. The tomatoes were not diced, they were cut in large different shapes that we could not eat with the bread, the onions were all sliced different, they barley used the right dressing. I had the chix Marsala, it was more like chicken in brown sauce - could not taste any Marsala wine. My girl had the chicken parm. Very average. The house salad- the lettuce was cut so large, very difficult to eat. For dessert, i ask if there was anything that they did not make. i figured if they bought it might be good. Well they didn"t , I had the chocolate cake, it was terrible. I spent $52. What a waste, should of just given it to a beggar, at least I would felt better for what I spent. I will never go back to this place. Just absolutely the worst experience I have had in a long time. These guys need to get back to the basics and start looking at what they are doing. It takes no time to dice a tomato in a uniform fashion and place nicely on a piece of bread. I wonder if the cooks taste things before it leaves the kitchen, if they did they might actually put out good food. Save your money and go down the street. Never again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(2)
Johnny B.
Da Boss took us out for a "Holiday" lunch. Read between the lines- Christmas Lunch. When he said the name I was at a loss. But as I got closer I remember this place as at least 6 different restaurants in the last 20 yrs. Just a short jaunt from Leaning Tower. I admit, I was suspect. We were a group of 7. We ordered drinks (non-alcoholic, company policy) and perused the menu. I was impressed. Da Boss said they have an unlimited salad bowl w/lunch. The waitress brought out the drinks and GREAT BREAD. Well we all fought over it and they brought out some more. The salad was delicious. It was a house dressing, kinda a ranch. I had the chicken and pasta. Ample and well prepared, seasoned. The other highlight at out table was the Spaghet and meata balls. All who partook said it was good. In fact, there were no Doggie bags! Now who really gives their dog leftovers? It's dinner that night or the next breakfast. Our server was very cordial and patient with us whiners. What do you expect from some semi white collar slugs. Well paid slugs! I was intrigued by the big brick oven which they showcase. Worth a trip to try it. Not far from Arl Hts. We did arrive at 11:30 and it looked bleak. I wondered if it was open! But when we left after 1:00PM, the place was humming. Johnny Chitown
(3)
Holly S.
The service can be iffy, but I seriously have loved everything I've had to eat here and am kind of baffled by the slew of complaints and negative reviews. I've eaten plenty of Italian from the very bad to the spectacular, and while this isn't spectacular, it's good, and definitely good for the suburbs! I'm a regular customer because it's near my office and I don't see that changing any time soon. I think some people are just born complainers...
(4)
Aaliyah S.
I went to Grazianos on a Sunday night at around 6:30 with a group of 13 other people..the restaurant was very crowded by the time we arrived,but we had made reservations..the entire party wasn't seated together. Five of the people had to sit at a different table..it was close to the rest of us but it wasn't with us. Our waiter was clearly overwhelmed by the crowdedness of the restaurant and plus the size of the party I was with. After bringing our drinks and taking our orders we noticed that we still hadn't recieved silverware or plates..at this point,we had been seated for easily 25 minutes so plenty of time has passed since we were given our stuff and even then,the waiter put the silverware on the table next to us so when he left, I had to go get them from the next table. At one point,another waiter told our waiter to serve another table while he was taking our orders so he just left,which i felt was a bit odd, As far as the food,II don't have any major complaints..it was ok..I had the grazianos pizza and was satisfied. Maybe they were understaffed that day,or whatever..but..the service could have been much better.
(2)
Lawrence D.
What a pleasant surprise. Each dish was really very good. Their salad was one of the best I've ever had. Their grilled calaimari was super (served on polenta sticks), and the baked chicken ziti, again was exceptional ( I had a half order and couldn't finish it all). This was my first visit, but certainly NOT my last. Try them, you won't be disappointed!
(4)
Bob M.
I took my college bound daughter here for our last meal before she heads off to school. Her recomendation, but I have been here a few times before. She loves it, everytime it's the chicken salad. I, on the other hand like to change it up. As many times as I been here, nothing works. Sorry.
(2)
Cara L.
Always solid and very good Italian food and wood-burning oven pizza. We would go there a few times a year when I crave Italian and can't come up with a new place to try. Never disappointing. My husband always has pizza (true pizza lover) and he likes it a lot. I tend to try different dishes and enjoy most of them. I tried seafood pasta and veal dish and they were both good. I also love Sambuca chocolate cake, if you have room for dessert.
(4)
Stephanie P.
I've been to Graziano's several times and have loved everything I've ordered! The Margherita pizza is definitely my favorite. The salad is great too! I have to take one star off for the service as there are a few waitresses there that aren't so great but overall, Graziano's is a great restaurant.
(4)
Karolina T.
Love this place for lunch. Been here multiple times and I always get the same thing because it is delicious. Their unlimited soup & salad deal is awesome. They have the best roasted red pepper soup. Also, their house dressing is probably the best salad dressing I have ever had and their foccaccia is delish. I definitely want to try more things on their menu next time I am in the area.
(5)
Jennifer M.
I had ordered a pizza for carry out, and when I got home (and into pjs) realized that the order wasn't correct. I called and spoke with a manager with excellent customer service skills who took care of the problem quickly, and now I am happily relaxing and having a delicious pizza! Thanks so much for making it right. You guys are wonderful and make great food too.
(5)
Carolyn I.
I went here with a large group to celebrate a special occasion. Our server was really friendly. She gave pizza dough to all the children in our group to play with. It got a bit messy, but the kids enjoyed it. Appetizers Stuffed Arancini with peas, prosciutto, provolone, balsamic glaze Traditional Fried Calamari Both appetizers were good. The arancini was a bit heavy, but I only ate half of 1 piece so it didn't weigh me down. Pizza I ordered the Gaetano - sausage, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil The wood fired brick oven really makes a difference. The thin crust was crunchy and light and the toppings were fresh and delicious. I also tried the Graziano and Barbecue Chicken pizza. Both were good as well. I ordered a side salad and the portion was huge! It could easily be shared with another person. Our group ordered a mix of things: pizza, chicken and pasta. Everyone enjoyed their meal. This restaurant was a good choice for our large group and very kid-friendly.
(4)
Christina C.
I ordered the chop salad and asked for easy lettuce but it definitely did not have easy lettuce. The lettuce didn't seem that fresh. Overall it was OK !
(3)
Dave G.
This is a good spot for late night dining with kids since most places in the neighborhood are not really family friendly. The bread basket was great with sun dried tomato focaccia and other fresh rolls. The unlimited salad bowl was nothing special but was fresh and worth $3 a person. I loved my florentine pizza except I couldn't taste the goat cheese. My friend ordered a pizza with caramelized onions but it was just a solid layer of onion! Our table also ordered linguine alfredo and spinach ravioli which were just okay. Fortunately the server was very nice and there was an awesome statue nose on the wall!
(3)
Trina J.
This is a decent place to have dinner if in the area, and having tried it, I will continue my search for a better option. We dined here because my BF's parents chose it as it is near their home. In sum, it was a reasonably priced average meal and service was good as can be for a party of eight. We had to ask to have appetizer plates taken away, we had to ask for crushed red pepper with pizza orders. But, refills and second rounds of drinks were free flowing. The most surprising aspect of our service was at the end. My to go box included a piece of eaten crust. .... Guess folks who usually dine here literally want everything on their plate to be taken with them. I was wowed by that one. With each entree, you have the option of ordering a half or full order. For $4, you can add a soup or salad. The portions are large so it makes sense to share. I think you could even share the half order of the Chicken dishes. They were big. We had bruschetta and complimentary bread to start so no one was able to finish their meals. The Graziano pizza was slightly disappointing, but it was definitely edible. Despite its name, it was not the best item on the menu and if I were to return, I would not order the pizza. I tasted a few of the pasta dishes and they were okay. On the other hand, the Cheesecake with Raspberry was delicious! One of the sweetest, creamiest cheesecakes I ever had. I would definitely order it again and again. If the server put a piece of the cheesecake's broken crust in with any leftovers, I would probably eat it. As a matter of fact, I would. For those with celiac or gluten allergies, this may not be a not a bad dining option for you. The complimentary bread is all gluten free and they also offer gluten free pasta and gluten free pizza. One can only hope the GF meals have more flavor than the others.
(2)
Gin G.
Been here several times but always for a baby shower or birthday parties that we've been invited to. So the food is always preordered. Typically a pizzas, salad, calamari, chicken n pasta dish. Food was always just ok. Maybe it's because it was always a big party but all the food was served cold. Not how I like my meals. Hotter the better (except for salads of course). I like the cheese from my pizza to be stringy as I take a bite n pull it away! I like my pastas al dente n pipping hot!! I didn't get that here. Service here was less than acceptable. The host for the baby shower had to buss tables and refill water glasses cuz the 2 servers assign to the party were no where to be found. We basically had to wave them down to ask for things like coffee we ordered but never got and we felt that we were bothering them as they were folding napkins at the bar. I probably wouldn't go back by choice. Only if were invited again for another event. If the food was good I could put up with below average service. Or If server were above par I could settle for ok food. But if the place provides neither, why would one go back??? Just my thought.
(2)
Bethany M.
So disgusted/disappointed with this restaurant. Ordered the Salmon Cobb salad and found a strand of hair in it...... My Mother ordered the spinach ravioli to go, once at home and after inspection there was yet another strand of hair in her food too. This is never acceptable!
(1)
Sanford R.
This place doesn't have a clue when it comes to customer service, and lost our business completely after only two experiences. My wife has a severe gluten allergy and both times we went we explained this to the server. On both trips they brought us plates that we didn't order that contained foods with gluten. The first time my wife opted to wait for what she originally ordered, but that took an extra twenty minutes that she had to sit hungry while I was eating my food. The service was very poor. No manager came over to apologize and the server didn't really do anything to make it better either. When we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and visit a second time they again brought us an appetizer with the gluten items that we told them to leave off. We just decided to leave at that point and never come back. Two times in a row is no fluke. If you are dining with somebody who has food allergies this is not the place for you. I tried writing to the restaurant, but never got a call back or anything. They did attempt to send me a $20 gift certificate, but that wasn't enough to make up for two bad experiences. My wife will never return to this place. I will say that their food isn't bad from what I tried the first time. I never got to try their pizza, but their pasta was decent. Too bad this isn't a place you can trust to get your order right or perhaps we might have visited more.
(2)
Patrick M.
Everything we had was pretty good. Enjoyed the Grilled Calamari, Sausage and Peppers, House Salad, and Spinach Ravioli. The guy waiting on us did a nice job as well.
(4)
Keshia W.
I used to work right up the street from Grazianos, their Italian beef and pizza is excellent. Great customer service, clean and friendly establishment!
(5)
michele b.
Portions are HUGE!!!! think about splitting an entree with a friend or ordering a "half" portion (which is still plenty big) although this isn't as cost effective. HIGHLY RECOMMEND: The pizza is the closest I've had to New York style around here (Northwest side of Chicago). It's very close to actual Neopolitan style. Because of this I recommend getting the pizza to eat there and not to go or delivery. It just doesn't hold up to cold temperature or time. I've also had their chopped chicken salad and thought it was very good. My husband had the four cheese alfredo and loved it. The only thing I did not love is the decor. It's huge like a college cafeteria...not intimate at all. It is dark though and has dark wood every where.
(4)
Amy T.
Horrendous service! We sat at our table for over 15 minutes before the waiter came over. He never once returned until we were finally able to flag him down well after our drinks had been emptied and our meal finished. He came and gave the check but not before checking his cell phone right in front of us. All the while, a group of employees and managers stood and chatted by the front desk. The food was just okay. We ordered a brick oven pizza. Very greasy. Not worth the money. I will never return to this restaurant.
(1)
Michael D.
Had the Fried Calamari which was fried perfectly, hot and tender. Also, had the Rigatoni with peppers, and the Chicken Marsala. They both were fantastic! Nice big portions to!
(5)
Sarena G.
I made reservations for Graziano's for a couples dinner on Feb. 28th. I am 8 months pregnant and suffer from pregnancy brain. I made the reservations for 7pm, but realized at 5:45 that I was supposed to make the reservations for 6pm. I called in a panic, and spoke to the hostess; she was friendly, and really supportive. She reassured me that it was okay, to stop crying and they will accommodate my party. We arrived at 6:15pm, the hostess smiled and said, we have a table ready for your party. We were seated right away. I have never been treated so kindly before at a restaurant. The food was amazing, huge portions and an awesome staff. I don't live in the area, but I WILL be back for my next date night! Keep up the great work with your awesome customer service Graziano's
(5)
Jeremy M.
Probably the BEST brick oven pizza I've ever tasted!!! I highly recommend it to everyone.
(5)
Lisa M.
Grazianos has some of the best Italian dishes. Both times I've visited were great experiences. The salad with the house dressing is to die for. The service is up to par and amiable. We need a Grazianos in California. I will miss this place but it's definitely a treat when visiting Chicago. Grazianos.....you are loved!
(5)
Maria M.
Amazing food! The recent remodel is awesome. Great for families or parties. The brick oven pizza is delicious. Must try the classic margherita pizza. The pasta dishes are super tasty and good portioned too. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time.
(5)
iddells E.
If I wanted mediocre Italian food, I would've just gone to Olive Garden down the street. I came here because the husband wanted Italian (oh the terrible sacrifices a wife has to make). Maybe it's because Italian food isn't one of my favorites. But I knew I made the wrong decision coming in here when I picked up the menu. Nothing at all interested me. I was looking at the menu for such a long time and when that happens, that means that I am not going to have a good time at this restaurant. The soup specials were horrendous. Black bean and something else that sounded nasty. I picked the one that I thought I could tolerate. The black bean wasn't great, it was too salty....husband enjoyed it though. I ate about 3 bites of my pasta meal and was done. I ordered the pasta with mussels in marinara sauce...it was quite bland. Leftovers for husband! I think he liked his food more than I did. Not making the same mistake again.
(2)
Sam S.
Great place to eat, good pricing with great food and service.
(5)
Dan D.
Great food, must have the Margherita pizza, get the all-you-can-eat soup and salad bowls! I've been coming here for a long time, and its simply because it is great food, good prices, and great service (Here is some advice: ask to have Zach Rudd as a waiter - fantastic service and he is a delight to serve you - a very comedic gentleman).
(4)
Robert B.
We always go here off and during the month, so the food has to be good. This last Sunday my wife and I were with an ailing friend and seems we got a real rookie for a server. He couldn't take our plates off our table fast enough, -even if we weren't done eating .He kept asking and asking and asking. My wife eats on the slower side, but apparently the avocado salad she was still eating was bothering our server, because he'd asked too many times if she was finished. My wife eats her salad after her entree'. He got so frustrated by my wife telling him nicely, ''no thanks, I'm still eating'' he sent in the ''closer'' (like when you buy a used car). Big ''Joy'' came over and quickly picked up my wife's green peppers (that our friend had ordered on the side FOR my wife) and just walked by w/o asking if she was done or not. My wife opened up and said ''I was still eating'' but off she went. We were offered a replacement for them, but she'd already lost her appetite from her rudeness, and the 'hurry up' attitude. She seemed so angry that we weren't making our minds up fast enough for her. We were going to have desert, shortly, and we had to look for our server high and low! One of us did order a desert -( I kept waiting for someone to stand over them watching them eating it, and hurry them on). Come on, there were many people there for parties etc. but there were open tables too, so we weren't taking up seats for any other parties waiting. We're seniors, and don't eat as quickly as others do and we're no where near 'demanding types' of customers. But when I'm eating anywhere, I hate being given the bums rush. Not for my money,- Let me eat in peace. Servers can make or break a good meal. Screaming babies were all around--but we said nothing. Can't help that. I'll say this experience wasn't Cool, Funny OR Useful. It really ticked us all off. How about Awful'? Pushy? Rude? They All fit.
(2)
Lisa P.
I don't think the place is bad; the experience wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't positive. The food was bland, the server was inattentive, and the menu is misleading ("toasted mozzarella"? C'mon, it's just fried mozzarella patties instead of sticks.) We ordered the aforementioned "toasted mozzarella", a diet coke which never materialized, the 11" pizziaolo (which our server almost converted into a 16" margherita), and the unlimited salad. We ate our meal, and then our server stood off to the side of the restaurant completely ignoring us, even when we tried to wave him down for the check. We had to eventually go up to the hostess' station and tell them that our server was AWOL and we wanted the check. Luckily the diet coke wasn't on our bill.
(2)
Terrel K.
They are hit and miss as far as customer service.but i love their goat cheese and sweet italian sausage pizza.
(4)
Pam D.
We stopped in for lunch after going to the movies. I did not read my review from 3 years ago, and oddly enough I ordered spaghetti and meatballs, totally unaware that I didn't like it last time around. Well, this time it was much better, as was Christopher's ziti. Another improvement from last time was that they let us take our leftover salad home. Bravo! I hate seeing food go to waste. We will be back. I just wish it wasn't so noisy in there. The place was nearly full and carrying on a conversation was not easy or pleasant. Next time, I will try something other than spaghetti .... if I remember. LOL
(3)
Natasha R.
I've been here numerous of times for company lunches, big and small. This is our company's first choice whether we are saying goodbye to someone, or welcoming a new member. Joy, who is our server every time, meets our very needy demands and requests, and believe me, we are not a easy group :) We call ahead of time, but lunch hour could be really busy and we never have to wait to be seated. It's always pretty packed, regardless of the hour. Aside from outstanding and accommodating service, the food is delicious as well. I always get their chicken chopped salad, which is one of my favorites. I always compare to the Wildfire chopped salad, so this says a lot. On my last visit, I got the grilled chicken panini and that was amazing too! Maybe I was just really hungry, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Another must is the Buffalo Calamari - spicy and tasty! Many of my coworkers get the Italian beef, so it may be my next lunch choice, or the chopped skirt steak salad, which also looks great. Either way you go, there seems to be a choice for everyone and a good variety to choose from. Oh, and always ask for their soup of the day - usually great choices! Graziano's is currently doing some reconstruction, but they are open and it seems that they are making some more room in the main dining room. It's a decent restaurant for what you pay and I definitely recommend it for a nice lunch or family dinner. With such outstanding service, its always great to bring business to those who deserve it!
(4)
Ron S.
Graziano's is a solid 4-stars in my book. I ordered bow tie pasta with roasted garlic tomato sauce. I ordered the half order which was plenty for me especially after having a couple of plates of the bottomless Caesar salad bowl. I appreciate that our server was flexible with me and allowed me to substitute a different sauce with my pasta. I like Graziano's because they have good solid pasta dishes, a really good salad, you can order half or full orders of most pasta, and they have a nice family atmosphere. One of these days, I'll have to try the brick oven baked pizza but I have such a hard time bypassing a pasta dish. Oh well, maybe next time... Why only 4-stars? The wine list needs a little improvement.
(4)
Nicole P.
I actually really like grazianos. I never ever remember it as an option for eating for some reason or another. Their hoyse salad dressing is phenomanal. I love stone oven pizza. The pizzas are always really crispy. Drinks are a little on the pricy side but the food is accurately priced. We need to stop by soon.
(4)
Reda K.
Ok the last time I was here the service was bad and the food wasn't that good. Today was totally the opposite the service was great and our pizza was on point. We knew what we wanted already so as soon as the waitress came to ask what we wanted for our drinks we placed our pizza order. The bread they give you was great put a little oil on the plate along with the cheese then dip the bread in the oil it's really good. I would come back.
(5)
Joe B.
First of all the place is surprisingly huge and gorgeous inside. Huge portions for the price. Neapolitan style wood fired thin crust done right. Grilled calamari served with lettuce & polenta was a winner. Great find amonst the stripmalls in the Nikes/Skokie/Lincolnwood area.
(4)
Kevin T.
It pains me to write this review. I've been ordering and going to Graziano's for seven years. I've rented out the group section of the restaurant on three separate occasions with 30-50 people each time. The food is very, very good which is what makes this hard to write. Tonight we ordered dinner for delivery at 4:15 PM. We were told that the food would, "arrive within the hour." Two hours later it showed up cold. An hour and fifteen minutes after ordering I called the restaurant. The woman how took my order answered. When I asked about my order she wanted nothing to do with me. She explained that it would be "coming soon." I asked if that meant ten or fifteen minutes? "Fifteen minutes", she replied. At nearly the two hour make I called again and was told that the food was gone so the driver must be on the way. When the driver arrived he told me that my street was a challenge to go down. I live on a quiet street and have driven to Graziano's from home many times. I have never had an issue getting there. It doesn't take much to lose a customer but I think Graziano's might have lost me tonight. For what we paid for dinner and the treatment of the woman at the restaurant & driver it wasn't worth it. I'm greatly disappointed.
(2)
Pauline D.
Thanksgiving dinner here rocks. The turkey was delish so was the green beans and mashed potatoes. Staff is very friendly even on a busy holiday. Pizzas are awesome too!
(5)
Vanessa J.
Food was ok the service was a little missing, the waitress was coming only to pick up the dishes and rarely care to ask us if we need anything else overall it was ok experience not the greatest
(3)
I L.
Great service, great pizza, nice beer selection, great bruschetta, great tiramisu, great night :-)
(5)
Dixie S.
I love their pork loin chops. You must try their house salad as a sauce for the chops. It's fantastic!
(5)
Stefanie K.
I really enjoyed this place. I've been here twice and both times the service was excellent and the food was delicious. I've ordered pasta as well as an oven brick pizza and I honestly can't complain We came in for a group party and they gave us complimentary appetizers. Totally would recommend this location!
(4)
Joanne K.
We have been here many times over the past year. Every single time the service is awful. No matter what time of day it is, we end up with the worst service. Tonight was no exception, after being told I will be with you in a second at least 5 different times, we finally had our drink order and food order taken. Drinks came after food and after we reminded the waitress that we didn't have them. I also had to snag our napkins and silverware from a neighboring table, because they were not brought to us. Our prior visit two weeks ago ended with our waiter putting me down for a full order of chicken vesuvio when the only size on the menu is a half order. Of course the waiter offered no discount on his mistake and packaged me TWO to go boxes. Sadly, I think this will be our last visit.
(1)
Melisah B.
My boyfriend and I came here on a Thursday night, me with a hangover and ready to eat some fattening Italian food. We came to spend the gift card the manager Steve (who is very nice) gave us to compensate the very soggy-crusted pizza we had received months earlier. They offer complimentary bread at the table but there was no butter in sight - I had to ask for it. The waitress brought some out straight from the fridge, so of course it was rock hard and not spreadable for a while. I realize that Graziano's isn't a Wildfire, but some soft, whipped butter would be nice and without having to ask for it. Even Houlihan's has that. For an appetizer, we got the sausage and peppers. Meat was soggy and reminded me of the kind of crumbles of meat you would find in Italian wedding soup. Sort of bland, but the carmelized onions and peppers that came in the dish were good. I actually enjoyed those onions much more than the sausage itself. I chose a salad for my entree side and it was a standard, plain, pathetic salad of iceberg, a few limp onions, big cuts of tomatoes, and some croutons. I wasn't asked what kind of dressing I would prefer. It came out already mixed with what seemed to be some kind of house dressing. Veggies were not crisp whatsoever. My boyfriend ordered the Graziano's burger. He asked for it to be cooked medium and it was nothing close--more like well done. By the taste, it was very obvious that this was not a fresh ground burger that had been grilled, but rather some kind of frozen burger from a box with "grill flavoring." I don't believe the menu description claimed this was fresh so... oh well. I ordered the four cheese fettucini. It tasted no different than alfredo sauce; noodles were way overcooked and squishy, very far from al dente. It was still fairly flavorful, enough for me to keep eating it, but that was mostly due to my hangover. I needed that fat! It was pretty dead in there and yet the service was still pretty slow to the point where my boyfriend had me order a beer so he would have two at the table and not have to wait so long once he finished his own. We tipped generously because we're that kind of people - other than the service being a little slow, the waitress was pleasant and it's not her fault the food quality was so sub par. I'm so glad the food we ate was on the company dime. We will definitely not be returning.
(2)
Derek G.
I will be honest I am surprised by the mixed reviews for Graziano's. I have eaten here on several occasions and have never had anything less than a terrific experience. Most recently, my family ate here during the holiday season. Even though the dining area was full, our server was attentive polite, and cordial. I finally tried the brick oven pizza and as an unofficial pizza Connoisseur, I have to say, I thought it tasted fabulous. Graziano's prices are fair; I do not recall ever having to wait for a table, and they have a parking lot. Perhaps I am just too easy to please. Nonetheless, I think Graziano's is great.
(5)
Margaret A.
Terrible service today. Can't understand why because it wasn't too busy. Waited a good 15 minutes to be waited on after asking numerous times for service. Asked for more Bread and that was almost impossible. Sorry we had such an unpleasant visit today. This is very unusual. Saw waiter once to take order. After that had to call busboy and he wasn't too happy about it. Martin was our waiter and he left much to be desired.
(1)
Mike L.
Just okay. I have been here before but today was very disappointing.
(2)
David M.
My wife and I came at a busy family time 6pm on a Sunday. I expected it to be busy but we were seated right away. However, it was one of the worst spots in the joint. Right by the serving station. I had to sit with my back to it because I didn't want to stare at a bunch of dirty plates. I would have asked to be moved but my wife needed the bathroom as soon as we got to the table and I didn't have the energy to make a fuss. So here we are, in the "steerage" part of the restaurant. There were plenty of nice empty tables toward the front. Maybe because we're not regulars we don't get that option. OK, enough of that. My wife went with a black bean soup which was watery and my salad, with house dressing was wilted, like it's been sitting in the dressing for a long time. I ordered the grilled chicken panini which was very bland. The server was nice enough. I've been here several times but I don't know if I'll go back. It seems well suited for large families that just want to share basic Italian fare. Nothing knocks me out here. It was loud and we had to deal with servers flying right behind us. Also, there was a little of a chucky cheese atmosphere with unattended children darting around the tables. It was the least enjoyable experience I've had out with my wife in a while. At the end, she asked for me to remind her to never come back.
(2)
Jorge P.
Seems that my follow-up visit was much better than the last. My wife And I went for lunch. And it was much better than the last time. Not only was the soup hot but very tasty. I also had an pizza and the dough was very good. I will come back again after this visit. Thanks for inviting me back.
(4)
Brooke M.
Recently I was out with the family in the suburbs and we randomly stopped at Graziano's for lunch. I am vegan and I typically get plain pasta with tomato sauce or pizza with vegetables no cheese (with lots of questions about the tomato sauce and the crust) but my family is not. I was so plesantly surprised to see several options on the Graziano's menu labeled as vegan (they use daiya cheese) and the waitress knew exactly what I didn't eat without my having to ask lots of questions. The pizza I ended up getting was delicious as was what my family ordered. It is also very kid friendly with the usual crayons and the not so usual dough for my kids to play with. Because of the wood burning oven (not sure if it really burns wood but there is a fire you can see) lunch came out quickly which is also a real plus when eating with kids. We will be back to Graziano's for sure.
(5)
Gladys G.
my boyfriend and I love this place! we only started going there after we bought a fundraising card from a niles west student that gives us 20% off. I know! cheap-o's! but seriously, I don't think we would come back as often without it. now that we've fallen for it, we probably will but let's get to the food. OMG everything tastes so fresh! their salad that comes a many of the entrees is to die for. so tasty and delicious. the dressing rounds it up. the pizza is everything you look for in a pizza. definitely has a distinct, brick oven flavor to it. our favorite entree is the ravioli with meat sauce. so fresh, finitely made in house and delightful. thank you grazianos for putting such efforts into making everything fresh and delicious!
(4)
Nancy K.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the salad! However, as in any restaurant, don't expect good service when you go with a group of women. The staff tend to think we don't tip, so they don't bother. I was the first to arrive, they seated me in the bar which I was happy about - not as many kids and noise! Then I realized that my party was going to be larger than expected. Not a problem but they tried to move me into the other room where all the kids were. I wouldn't have said anything but there were at least 15 empty tables. Finally, they sat us at a booth. I had already ordered a drink and they had brought bread and I started to eat. When I moved, the manager said not to worry about taking my drink, they would give me a fresh one. It would have been nice if he would have passed that onto my waitress. She brought me another drink but it was also on the bill. I never even had a sip out of the other one. When I originally sat down I was told that because I made the reservation online, we get a free order of bruschetta. WHAT? That was good, however, I had to ask for it three different times once they moved our table. Food is great here, it's the service that can be better.
(3)
S M.
I called the restaurant on a Sunday at 1:00 pm asking if the restaurant could possibly accommodate a reservation for 16 people at 6:00 pm that same evening. The manager was gracious and was able to fit us all in, and more importantly, he saved the day, as my party of 16 was gathering for a post-wedding day meal before the families departed back to their hometowns. I was so SO grateful! As for the food - delicious. I had the melanzana pizza and toasted mozzarella appetizer. Both hit the right spot. The service was fantastic and attentive. Finally, as for the ambiance, it was perfectly balanced - not too loud, not too quiet. And the exposed brick interior gave the place a nice, classy touch. I live in Washington, D.C., but my brother lives 5 minutes from this restaurant, so I'll definitely be back. Thanks again to management for accommodating me on such short (5-hour) notice!!
(5)
O.M. R.
Its a 2 star because of the bread and tomato cream soup. I ordered the chicken marsala which had a terrible taste. I've send it back and had another bowl of soup. This place is next to my house, but i don't think I'm coming back...
(2)
Brad E.
This would be higher if solely based on the food, but based on management. My wife, who is not a big eater, typically will order one or two side orders as her entree. We have been to dozens of restaurants where this has never been a problem. After ordering a side of pasta and a side of vegetables, the server returned to let us know that the side if veg was ok, but she would need to change the pasta to a half order, "that is why the half order is on the menu." When questioned about why she could still order the side of veg, we were told there were no entree sizes of veg. Seriously? Is the extra couple of dollars that important? Because our dollars are too valuable to be ever spent here again.
(1)
Lysette H.
Dined here this evening for NYE with my sisters and was excited to see the Grilled White Salmon as the special for $16.99 versus the regular price of $22. My sister ordered and specifically asked the waitress what the difference was for the special versus the regular menu version, for which the waitress said just the lower price since featured as the special, but the same item. My sister orders and at the end of the meal, she receives her portion with the regular pricing. We call the waitress back and ask that the price be changed to the special, she comes back with the Manager and says he hasn't had a salmon on the specials in 6 years. We must all be on the same episode of the Twilight Zone or this is a classic Bait & Switch. Wow!!!!! Such a nice experience with plans to come back until learning that not only Dept stores deceive the public with this scam, but restaurants do as well!!!! Shameful!!!!!
(1)
Evelyn Z.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place! I've been here numerous times! I've dined in before a movie, I've use them for catering and have been here for luncheons. The service is always great and the food is AWESOME! From appetizers to dessert. It's great for families and date nights. Basically just go, you like it! Oh FYI i love their buffalo calamari and the toasted mozzarella.
(5)
Pk P.
This is our favorite pizza place. Bar none! Their brick oven pizza is to die for. We typically order the pizzolo and the way they carmelize their onions is extremely unique and adds a huge explosion of yummy in every bite. We've dined in many times and the service is excellent also. Our meals are always prepared quickly and served nice and warm. The location is very clean with ample parking. I just wish there were more of them so we don't have to drive all the way to Skokie.
(5)
Naduu B.
The pizza is delicious! We had the margarita. The crust was just the perfect balance of soft and crunchy.
(4)
Maria S.
Graziano's is very impressive! The moment you walk in, u feel like u are in another world....Rome, Italy. You come across the colossal cream-colored sculpture and your eyes start roaming, glancing at the ambiance & decor. It's a meeting place for many business people in the area, but if u ask d hostess for a quiet area, you'll get what u want. The service is superb; the waitresses are very well trained. If u order pasta, one of the servers comes over to offer freshly shredded cheese! Mmmm the pizza is ovrn baked, and though they are a bit skimpy on ingredients, its still delicious. The portions are huge and the prices are very reasonable. Order a whole portion of an entree, and you end up taking a half home. The place is super clean; the waitresses and hostesses are neatly and cleanly dressed, and the rest rooms are the cleanest Ive seen. I highly recommend this restaurant for any occassion, especially a family party, business meeting, or for casual dining.
(5)
John K.
It's been a long time since I have been , nothing has changed ... Only the best. Food is incredible with service to match. Thanks to our incredible server Maria we had an awesome evening.
(5)
Shrikant S.
I wanted to give -3 stars but Yelp does not allow me to. Saturday night my family went to dinner at Graziano's. Everything was ok, until my wife noticed a "WORM" in our pizza! We wouldn't have have noticed it but the "WORM" was alive ! #NeverGoingBackAGain !
(1)
Frank R.
Our server (Samantha, I think) was terrific. I'm not aware of Graziano's being a part of any chain, but the place and the food have kind of a chain restaurant feel. That's not to say it isn't good, just not very unique. The flavor of the pizza and pasta we shared reminded me of dinners you buy frozen in the grocery store that are advertised as gourmet, so kind of a processed taste. It's a good place to go if you're very hungry. The people with whom I dined have been there a few times, and really like it. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but they could persuade me to go back. One thing I've noticed lately is more casual restaurants having big screen TV's. This seemed like the kind of place that would, but thankfully it has not!
(3)
Bob B.
Nice little atmosphere with an open view to the brick oven. Started with a fresh salad and the house dressing. The dressing is awesome. Kind of a cross between Italian and Thousand Island. Next came the Chicken Vesuvio!! Very tender and juicy chicken. The quartered potatoes soaked up the flavor nicely. I'll be back.
(4)
Mike L.
This place is nothing more than a Chuckie Cheese in disguise. They may claim to have a brick oven, but the product that we ordered (a "Margherita" Pizza) consisted of spongy thick doh that is too thick to even resemble a brick oven pizza. The cheese was ok, but the crust was way too thick and not crispy at all, not even in one spot! The morons working the brick oven need to cook it longer aside from using a different doh. The sauce was not flavorful either. The service sucked too - it took 10 minutes to be acknowledge by the waitress, however, the busboy did bring us water and THE WORST FOCCACIA I have ever had anywhere. No way, never again. Even though Lou Malnatti's does not produce brick oven Pizzas, they BLOW THIS HOLE OUT OF THE WATER, and I suggested Lou's before we came here. After we left, everyone agreed that my original suggestion was right! If I want a perfect Margherita Pizza, I will drive to Elio's Pizza on Fire on West Lake Street in Addison any day of the week. Not sure who about all these people praising this place, maybe they ordered something other than the pizza, but then again, Denny's and Olive Garden have lots of happy fans too...........................
(2)
Majid M.
loved the plain cheese pizza.. simply good!! chicken wascawesome as well. loved the chicken parmasan
(5)
Patty M.
The owner messaged me a letter of apology and offered a gift card (which I declined), and then posted this dishonest comment on yelp, denying we were even turned away! We were definitely turned away and the owner is a definite liar.
(1)
vince v.
WOW! Big change new menu great choices and good .Lunch was very good great server.This is spot on.Keep up this way and you will be packed.
(4)
Jeffery S.
Came to this often reviewed restaurant with a group so I won't try to write another edition of War and Peace here. I'll just give you our own experience. Came here on a Saturday afternoon and the place was pretty empty. There were two dining areas, the main dining area and a smaller one off to the right of the entrance. We choose to go right as it appeared to be a little cozier. Place is larger than I xpected so I imagine the noise level is right up there when the place is full. Decor is that ersatz italian decor you see everywhere, brick wall, italian advertising posters, wood floor and exposed industrial type ceilings. Menu was full of traditional and new-wave type italian foods, wood fired pizza seems to be the hottest thing going right now and they have that here. We ordered Grilled Portobella Oreganata and Toasted Ravioli for appetizer. The Grilled Portabella was doused with olive oil, stuffed with a crumb type material and grilled. It was very good and disappeared quickly. The Toasted Ravioli was breaded and apparently deep fried (at least thats my guess) and then placed on a pool of red sauce and had a mess of cheese melted on top. Very gooey, if you like cheese, you'll love this. I thought it was just a bit over the top. Salads came next and we had two varieties; ceasar salad and house salad. Ceasar was OK but take it from me, the house salad is better, very light and slightly sweet viniagrette accompanies the greens. For the main course, we had Wood Roasted Pork Loin, Chicken Parmesan, Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers and Baked Ziti Chicken Ragu. Most of what I ate was the Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers, excellent red sauce with nice fennely sausage. I'd come back just for this. The Baked Ziti Chicken Ragu was fine, but I was still reaching for the rigatoni. Never touched the pork loin or chicken parmesan but my companions pronounced them "excellent". The finishing touches were Tiramisu and Sambuca Cake. I only had a taste of the Sambuca and it really was to sweet and rich for my taste, almost like fudge with a different aftertaste. Tiramisu fans declared the tiramasu "as good as you can get". Tab for 3 and tip, about $100. Service was mixed, slow at times but attentive. Overall I would consider this place as a stop for dinner if I am in the area again.
(4)
Teddy M.
I found this place fairly disappointing. First off, the decor looks like a mix of the Olive Garden and your neighborhood art project by the el. Roman statues and paintings of meatballs with faces...come on! The food was even more so disappointing. To be fair, I think others in my company enjoyed their meals. One of the people I was with had the Wood Roasted Chicken which she raved about. However, I had one of their brick oven pizzas and it was on par with what you would get from Dominos, may be with a slightly thinner crust. The crust was not crisp. In fact, it was so soggy that I had to support the front end with my hands to keep the topping from falling apart...and this was meant to be a small personal pizza. The sausage used really had no flavor except salty. The worst were the mushroom toppings. They were bland, chewy, and over cooked with the most unappetizing gray color. The service was quite nice. Our waitress was fairly attentive and prompt. She was probably the only redeeming thing about Graziano's.
(2)
Natalie K.
I'd give Graziano's 3.5 stars. I feel like a 3 isn't fair, but a 4 is a little high for my experience. My husband and I came in for dinner at 7 PM on a Thursday. No wait, and we were seated in a booth right away. First off, the server was fantastic. She was very cheerful, always had a smile on her face and was really on top of things. She was on top of refills, etc. You first get a bread basket with an array of different breads - focaccia, an onion roll, etc. The focaccia was sadly stale, but the other bread was OK. I got a bowl of soup with my meal (Free refills on soup and salad?! Cool.) It was Cream of Chicken and it was pretty good. We were torn between Steak Quesadillas or the Calamari for an appetizer, but since it's an Italian joint, we figured we couldn't go wrong with the calamari. We ordered the big portion, which was a mistake for two people because it could feed a whole family. The breading had a good flavor and they gave two sauces that were excellent, but the calamari itself was very rubbery. A big disappointment. We left the majority of it. Already I'm getting nervous to see what's in store for my entree. I ordered Chicken Vasuvio and my husband ordered Chicken Parmesan. The Chicken Vasuvio is a good portion, but the peas tasted like frozen peas and the potatoes were overcooked and dry. Thankfully, the entree is sitting in a pool of tasty sauce that I could dip everything in. The chicken was pretty good. The Chicken Parmesan is a hefty portion as well, where two can definitely share, as you get two large butterflied breasts of chicken and lots of pasta. It was good. Very good flavor, but the chicken itself was also rubbery. I wonder if it's from sitting on the heat for too long? They were out of everything for dessert except a couple of selections. The prices were reasonable. Food was OK. Service was awesome. I'm not really anticipating returning because none of the food was exceptional. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things? I don't know.
(3)
Ruth C.
Fast delivery of hot and fresh food. I ordered the crispy calamari and brick oven pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms. The calamari was flash fried perfection, and came with a nice marinara sauce. The pizza was great-- tasty sauce and crust, well done as requested. Would have liked a little more pepperoni but otherwise delish. They lost one star because of that and also because it was delivered without ANY utensils, plates OR napkins. Kind of an obvious need for an order delivered to a hotel room! But, a solid 4 stars.
(4)
Kalama B.
I had the salmon risotto special. The first few bites were great but it got to be a little monotonous with the same taste for the whole gargantuan plate. You need a glass of wine to balance out this flavor. There were not a lot of good paleo options, but that's typical Italian. I don't think I saw prosciutto on the menu though. So sad. The garlic mushroom soup was basically vegetable barley soup. Avoid!
(3)
Carla H.
Great food! Had warm bread and good portion size for pasta. Extensive menu and lots of choices. Went for lunch around 2:00 and it was quite dead due to the time of day but kitchen was slow with the order. Besides that recommend!
(4)
Michelle M.
We have been dining here for years, and due to excellent food and service, have always liked it. However, lately we have noticed a huge change at this restaurant, and not for the better. I thought that possibly they were under new management but was told this was not the case. I came in for dinner a few weeks ago on a Saturday night and the host refused to let me sit in one of two open booths near a television. Instead, in spite of my telling her I could not walk far due to bad knees, I was told, "it's not that far, you can sit here". I did get a waitress to move us to the booth and we had a great time. The salad and bow tie pasta with vodka sauce were excellent, as usual. My husband ordered a pizza and had a salad as well, which he enjoyed very much. The food and service were both great and we left very happy. This last time we came for lunch, and were greeted by the same host, as well as a waitress (said "nikki" on her nametag) hanging on the host's stand . This time we had a waiter that was very hard to understand. He was not friendly and did not refill our drinks or bread after we asked. When we left, the same waitress was still at the front desk, busy talking with the host. Between these two meals, it was like eating at two different restaurants! Amazingly, our neighbors had a similar experience to this just a few weeks prior. Overall, this place is now very hit or miss depending on the waiter. I hope they improve and are able to return to the way they were in the past since we love the food and location and used to love the service as well!
(3)
Mark H.
I ordered the special, which was Atlantic Salmon. Which came with a side of chopped avocado and tomato. The food was amazing and the staff was nice enough. The whole place seemed very updated and clean. The only reason this place is not a 5 star in my book is that its a bit on the pricey side. Other than that I would defiantly recommend you going here.
(4)
Marc W.
This is not really a pizza restaurant. I guess it is and that is what they call themselves, but most of their customers eat everything but the pizza. That is not to say the pizza is bad, but just not very memorable. Its a thin crust that is fairly "well done" with fresh ingredients. Good, Not Great. With that out of the way, I still come here all of the time. If you can find the time to enjoy a quick house salad for lunch then this is a great place. Their house salad and dressing go unmatched. If you are a fan of the Olive Garden's salad then you will be pleasantly suprised with what Graziano's has to offer. Their pasta dishes are heavy on sauce and flavor. You won't get bland food here. I can't go without mentioning they have the best buffalo calamari that I've ever had. Vitals (typical lunch): Buffalo Calamari Bottomless Salad Bowl No pizza $15 Not sure why some are saying that the service is below average. I've never had a bad experience here and I've ate there well over 20 times.
(3)
kaya s.
The house salad dressing is absolutely phenomenal. I don't know what the 'secret' ingredient is but its addicting, and available to take home for a small price, just ask the host. I might lean closer to three stars but four is not absurd. This is a pretty large restaurant with lots of tables, but there is still a wait at times during busy dinner hours. Large menu, something for everyone, a nicely priced wine list. The brick oven pizza is fantastic and many of the pasta dishes are large and tasty. Service is hit or miss unfortunately which is my biggest knock on the place. I've had great servers and poor servers at my visits. Good for lunch and dinner, large parties, or a nice date.
(4)
Jade T.
Disgusted by the food at Fluky's at Walmart, I yelped on my phone for a non-chain restaurant that offers lunch nearby. Graziano's was within three blocks from there, just after CD One Price Cleaners and before the Leaning Tower of Niles. You can't miss the restaurant or its sign. Graziano's was surprisingly large and rustically ornate. The replica of Venus de Milo had bunny ears and a lei around her neck. Funny. Sort of. I wanted to sit at the counter facing the open kitchen. Alas, it wasn't a "section" (hmm, might want to move the chairs then). Damnit. I love watching my pizza being made. In any case, I sat at a regular boring table and read through the menu. Lots of vegetarian options. Three vegetarian appetizers, five pizzas, several pastas, and so forth. Not bad for an Italian restaurant! I had the medium (14") Pizzaiolo (I can't pronounce this) with vodka sauce. The crust was good; slightly charred, thin, yet chewy. The salty, greasy combination of cheeses overpowered the vodka sauce. Overall, an above-average pizza. At $15.95, the price is just about right. It's gourmet-ish pizza after all. I recommend getting the soup or salad side for $2.50. I had the tomato-basil soup of the day, and the portion was quite large. The free bread was great for dipping. Oh, and their "pink lemonade" is actually Hi-C. Bummer.
(3)
Brian C.
Greek meatballs are fantastic. Classic meatballs are very good too. The BLT sandwich is great. Did not love their Burger.
(5)
Lindsey B.
Graziano's is pretty ok. Definitely not the hot spot or the best place ever but it's ok. I used to work down the street in Niles and we'd order lunch in every once in a while or take a long lunch and actually go in. It's a little pricey for what it is, but hey it was an Italian fix before there was Noodles and Co. over there. I would always order the bowtie pasta in vodka sauce. It was pretty darn good. Their bottles of wine are on the affordable side and generally speaking the waiters are quite nice. Drinks are heavily poured which adds to my liking of this place :) The bar has some nice seats! Darn comfy.
(3)
Paul K.
One of my favorites. Been coming to this place for about 5 years and I have never been disappointed. Great selection on the menu. The brick oven pizza is superb the staff is friendly and polite the resturant is clean and inviting. Plenty of parking and I never waited more then a few minuets on a busy day to be seated.
(5)
Kim S.
Excellent Gluten Free menu options (they actually have a section of the menu dedicated to Gluten Free). My husband is the one with the Gluten Free needs and he loves the Pasta and the Sauce. He's eaten the Chicken Parm here also, but wasn't that impressed. When we visit here, he sticks to the Pasta, which is cheap, especially since it comes with a soup or salad (who does that anymore??). By the way, all of the salad dressings are gluten free as well. The House dressing itself is AMAZING. Definitely ask for it, but ask for it on the side so the salad isn't swimming in it. When I eat here, I also stick with the Pasta, specifically, the Pasta Arriabiata...yummo! A bit spicey, but not too intense, so I'm always pleased. I've also had the personal Pizzas which I think are pretty darn good. I didn't give this a 4 or 5 star because Pasta and Pizza are really the best options here. I wish I could give it at least a 3.5 star though because for the price, I think this is a great restaurant for a night out, with good food, and won't cause you to break the bank.
(3)
Heather D.
We went back to Graziano's a few months ago and had a nice time with good service. Much more kid friendly than our last visit.
(3)
Joyce R.
I had a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. I don't know what I was thinking getting this at a pasta and pizza place. It was just OK. The BBQ sauce was too sweet for my liking. And the pork wasn't so pulled after all. My husband's selections were much better. He had Marsala penne pasta with chicken. The pasta was actually cooked al dente and the tomato sauce was very tasty (not acidic). The mushroom soup was meaty and creamy. I made him switch entrees with me. They have a vegetarian and vegan section on the menu. For some reason they don't show this on their website. Not that it matters to me since I'm totally carnivorous. But it's still good to know since I am meeting more and more people with different diet restrictions these days. We also had black cows and root beer floats. We were like big little kids. I'll definitely be back to try their brick oven pizzas.
(4)
Transvision Zack X.
"Memories/All alone in the moonlight..." I'm a Michigan native but from about 1998-2006, I would make a regular summer trip to the Chicago area for a large-scale comic book convention. During road trips like that, certain things become tradition - and a pitstop to Graziano's was one of them for me. I sympathize with the negative reviews. If you only go to Graziano's once and it ends up being a bad experience, I can see why you wouldn't necessarily want to go back. The service does vary; I've had attentive waiters and not-so-attentive ones there. That definitely plays a part. Then again, if you're ordering things like peanut butter and jelly pizza, don't be surprised if it doesn't set your world on fire. I'm from Detroit. It can be hard to come by good pizza here. We're used to the the kind of greasy gutbomb pizza with liquid cheese that sticks to the lining of your stomach. That was why I so anticipated a trip to Graziano's. Each time I went there I was impressed with the quality salads and well-made traditional pizzas. If I lived in the local area I wouldn't make a habit of going there all the time, as it would quickly lose its luster. But if you're in the mood to dine out somewhere that's nice but not too fancy, with cool decor and comfy booths, and not to mention some damn good pizza...Graziano's is it. Okay, perhaps my memories are clouding my judgment. I mean, nostalgia is a powerful thing - and it's been years. Then again, after all this time I'm STILL craving a pizza from Graziano's, so that should tell you something.
(4)
Jacob J.
What Graziano's is; an Italian food option for the suburbanite that won't travel another twenty minutes to find better. It's not horrible nor bad, just average. They've been around for many years so obviously they have a following, I've just never bought into it. Had their pizzas and pastas have never been impressed. At times it was just okay and probably didn't wow me as much; most any time I'd gone it was for a special occasion and when your with a group of people that aren't impressed it just compounds the feeling of not returning for a year or longer. Alike Rhonda G. said, the staff are friendly but they don't care to share their suggestions, nor do they follow up enough to see how the dinner is going and / or if anything else is needed. I drive passed this restaurant daily and maybe 30% of the time I may be on the lookout for food and I never have an inclination to try it again. Looking over their on-line menu I'm realizing they also offer steak, BBQ items and a few uncommon pizza toppings like grape jelly, peanut butter and Velveeta cheese. The atmosphere is friendly and with the family style seating great for groups. If on a date or in a crowd, you may feel at a loss in service.
(2)
Erin K.
They have some relatively unique pizzas, like the PB&J pizza (not that I order it, since I hate peanut butter with a burning passion). That's their strong point. Their other pizzas are solid, not last-meal-on-earth good, but pretty decent. Their pastas are also good, but not excitingly so. Generic Italian food, you know. I was surprised by how delicious their tortilla soup was, though. It's obviously not super authentic, but it's yummy! Service is pretty so-so, and prices are a little high for the quality of food you're eating, but it's a nice place to go for lunch or dinner with the family.
(3)
Patti M.
We (work) always eat here for lunch...the house salad dressing is to die for. We (work) always get extra and even come buy it for our own use at the office and home. My husband and I went for dinner the other night. We had excellent service and so much food we had to bring half home for our dinner the next night. I thought this only happened to us at lunch because we weren't really hungry and just needed to get out of the office. I was wrong, the portions are really large whatever time you go...and delicious. It may not be as "great" as some of the finer expensive italian restaurants around but the food is good and filling for the price..perfect for family and relaxing.
(4)
T S.
This place looked awesome, but the food was alright. We ordered pizza, thinking that's what they are known for and were far from impressed. It didn't even taste like brick oven pizza. The pasta was alright. The best part of the night was their cappicino chip gelato-yum! I would also say the service was great.
(2)
Lauren M.
The food was great! The only reason for lack of higher review was the terrible service we received. I was with a group of 13 and our waitress was extremely rude during our entire meal. One end of the table requested more salad (unlimited w/entree) as she had provided 1 bowl for 5 adults..and her response was fine as she glared at the other end of the table's salad and stormed away. In the past when we have come here with large groups, we have had absolutely no problem. Normally the water is promptly filled upon finishing the glass, however this time the only time our waters were filled were when we requested them to be filled and this was only met with an evil glare from the waitress. I understand if you are having a bad night, but that is no way to treat a table providing you with a tip from a large check including alcohol. Our table asked for minimal amounts of service, yet the waitress acted as if she just wanted to leave the entire time. Don't get me wrong, I love the food, (I had the Spinach Ravioli, normally get the Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka sauce, both are excellent and the house salad is to die for) but the service received significantly decreased my desire to return to the restaurant especially with a larger group.
(3)
Tricia D.
I've been wanting to try this place for a while now, having driven by it multiple times, and finally got the chance to stop in. Ordered a steak fajita pizza and was a bit stunned that it literally came out in 5 minutes, more or less. It was delicious! I'd definitely recommend this place for brick oven pizza.
(4)
Colleen C.
5 stars for having a low carb menu AND being Italian :) Makes my life a bit easier, and I can be less annoying :) Food is really good though, large portions, big place. Dinner salad had killer dressing, waiter was superb. All in all, a great business lunch spot, and a lot of seating for bigger parties, if needed. I really enjoyed it. Easy to get to of 94, big parking lot (I know that's not a big deal in the burbs, but whatever!) I'd go back...if I ever find myself in Niles again.
(5)
Brian W.
I've been here a couple times now and it's always been a decent Italian restaurant. Though, not on the top of my list. I just went with the family last night for dinner so I'll write this based on that experience. The dining areas are extremely large and when we arrived on a Friday night and it was at maybe twenty percent capacity. If there's so much room I wonder why the hostess sat us right between two other tables. When you have a lot of empty tables it's nice to maybe give one table buffer; so I don't have the super loud ladies next to us screaming in my ear. (I realize we can ask for a new table but I like to see where they initially decide to put us.) Our server was nice enough, though a little too soft spoken. We had to ask him to repeat himself a few times. Our drinks came promptly and better yet correctly; my dad's diabetic so it's kind of important that when he orders a diet coke, that's what he gets. We ordered a couple appetizers, the fried calamari and mozzarella. The large portion of calamari was lightly breaded and not too oily, however it seemed to be under-seasoned. The mozzarella was decent as well with a slightly sweet hint to it. Everyone else ordered pasta but I opted for the Pizza Margherita. It's a super basic pizza and one of the first invented; so it's a good marker, outside of deep dish joints, on how well they make pizza. Well... the mozzarella was fresh and for a mini pizza you get a decent twelve inches. They put on a lot of sauce with made the base bread soggy by the time it reached my table. The thing that got me, in order to insure that cheese reached all parts of the pizza (unnecessary in my opinion for that type of pizza) they used a processed mozzarella. The rest of the table seemed to enjoy their pasta well enough. Portion sizes are huge here. Everyone took home a container except my friend, he doesn't count because he formed some sort of pact with a devil to have an endless pit for a stomach. The bill for six people reached roughly a bill without alcohol. I might return here again but it's more out of convenience after watching a movie at Village Crossing.
(3)
Chris S.
My parents live in Niles and I work in Niles near Graziano's, so I end up eating here often. Whether we're ordering out at work, or if the wife and I are meeting up with my mom and dad for dinner, this place rarely disappoints. There have been a couple isolated incidents that you can expect from any restaurant, but nothing horribly offensive. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of their pizza; although it's good for what it is, I tend to like my pizza either thick and deep, or thin and cut into little squares. Personal preference. My dad likes their pizza, as do most of my co-workers. What I like is their salad dressing and their pastas. Oh, and their burgers are decent too! Take warning though, their serving sizes are enormous, so either split something, or be prepared to have lunch and dinner for the next day. Good value, good food, go atmosphere.
(4)
Jason G.
A great family restaurant that is kid-friendly with solid consistently good food. The house made salad dressing is excellent as is the BBQ chicken pizza. Service is good and attentive. Decor is not corny Italian. Parking is easy and convenient. Our kids love that they can walk up to the cook line and the chefs will give them some pizza dough to play with as they watch them make pizzas.
(4)
Sid B.
Oh yeah.. Lemme throw another grain in the ocean.. The salad and house dressing rocks.. So tough to find places serving large quantities of good fresh salad& dressing these days.. The entree was Chicken Vesuvio which was not that great.. But well my friend had a Chicken parmesan and was ga-ga over it.. A worthy option if you planning to have a leisure lunch in the cosy town of Niles
(4)
Jennifer J.
made a 7:30pm reservation on saturday night for my friend and i. we were promptly seated in a large booth in the back of the restaurant. i started munching on the bread as soon as we sat down and then one of the busboys brought over a plate of bruschetta and said it was on the house. this happened once before and we were told it was b/c we made reservations. i've made reservations other times though and didn't receive the bruschetta so i don't know what the reason is. either way, i'll take it =) the bruschetta is great- lots of tomatoes (like waaaaaay more than necessary). i ordered one of the specials- crab ravioli fra diavalo. i was sure to say "fra diavalo" b/c i noticed there was another "easter special" on the front of the specials menu that was just crab ravioli- not crab ravioli fra diavalo. i, like george costanza, like my food spicy so i was excited about the fra diavalo part. the ravioli came with a salad so i asked for the house dressing on the side. the house dressing is like crack- really really ridiculously addictive. my friend and i chatted away and i waited for my salad. i saw the server a number of times and each time, he didn't have my salad in his hands. i was getting a little annoyed but hey, i used to be a server and sometimes you just forget. finally he came over and said "ladies your entrees will be out shortly", so i said "um am i gonna get my salad before the food?". he said "oh yeah, that's right" and returned with my salad, with the dressing on it, not on the side. ok, fine, whatever. i didn't have much time before the entrees arrived. the crab ravioli was on a huge plate and 6 large ravioli were covered in a red sauce. i took my first bite and it was not spicy in the least bit. i couldn't wait to see the server to ask for crushed red pepper. i saw him come and go between tables and when he checked on us, i asked for the pepper. i also should have asked for fresh parmesan too- usually the server or whoever brings the food offers you fresh parm for your pasta, but not this time. hmmm. i sat and watched the server stand by the pos and close out some checks and then walk over to a table a few feet from us and pick up the check off the table after the guests left. he then went back to the computer. ok, i'm starting to get annoyed. then i saw him standing with about 3 other servers, laughing and goofing around. alright pal, you forgot my salad, didn't take my order right, and now you're not bringing me what i requested. i decided i needed to get up and talk to a manager. as i was walking towards the front door, i saw the server start to walk towards my table and then he saw me and i heard him say "oh yeah, the pepper!". i guess i could have went back and sat down but at this point, i was worried that he would get distracted by a shiny object and forget my crushed red pepper once again. the manager was very understanding and said he'd take care of it. the pepper was waiting at the table when i returned. the situation was now awkward. my friend and i joked that we would be boxing up our food ourselves b/c we didn't want to let it out of our sight. the server came over and apologized. it was nice and seemed slightly sincere but a little forced. when it came time to box the food, we did it ourselves and then he dropped the check with a complimentary dessert which was delicious. there was also a discount on the check which was really nice. the manager cared enough to rectify the situation right there. he probably didn't want me being a disgruntled customer and then heading online to write an angry review... oops, i did it anyway. but i'm not disgruntled. while service has been a bit off my last 2 visits, i will still continue to visit. the food is great and this was my first time having to speak to a manager and he made things right again. oh the server even wrote "sorry" on the receipt. they did their part to make things right again. i go here with friends once or twice a month and i will definitely continue to go back. i work in the industry so i really appreciate the effort made by the manager. hopefully i won't have to address anything with him again in the future, but it's nice to know that if i have to, he'll listen.
(4)
Nan D.
A fan for years, I trek over whenever I desire an excellent meal. I bring all of my visiting friends there. There is something for everyone. The prices are good. It is a nice quiet place where one can actually talk and not be rushed. I love the house salad dressing and the pasta dishes ! This is a great place to eat for dinner or lunch !
(5)
Rocky B.
I love the combination of coziness and spaciousness this restaurant offers. The staff are friendly tho very rushed. Love the warm bread basket they place on the tables. I've never had their pizza but their pasta is really good and huge portions. You'll definitely be leaving with a doggie bag.
(4)
George K.
I went there last night and was pleased that they sat us at 9:26 PM. I shouldn't have been. - We were seated at the worst possible table in a largely empty dining room. Real nice. We got up and moved to a different table. - The restaurant was absolutely filthy. I realize it was "late", but if Graziano is going to serve at this time they have an obligation to cleanliness. - Adjoining tables had not been cleared. VERY unappetizing. - Waitress (Flora) corrected me for call a pizza a "pie". Sweet. - Noisy, seemingly disgruntled, busboys made a large racket as they went about their business. - A blaring TV, set on a loud-ass channel. - Waitress (Flora again) proceeded to clean the restaurant blinds during our meal. - Risotto was over-salted. Margarita "pie" was pretty good. Quite unpleasant experience. Won't be back.
(2)
Jean C.
I really enjoy this place even though most of my friends remain unimpressed by it. It's big and airy, but unless you're there on one of the rare occasions when it's not crowded, it's really noisy. The menu is pretty basic. Some of the food is good, some not so good. I love their house salad dressing and would probably drink it out of a glass if I could. I also love their dipping oil, and tried to wrangle the recipe out of the manager. Service has been consistently good and many of the servers go out of their way to make sure you get a lot of bang for your buck. I went there with friends after a movie because our ticket stubs were supposed to get us a free bruschetta appetizer. It turned out that they usually only accept one stub per table, but our server brought us three, which was more than enough for all of us. Graziano's is at its best on a weekday afternoon, after the lunch rush. It's quiet then, and the pace is a bit slower. You won't wait forever for a table.
(4)
Katherine R.
I just spent about 10 minutes searching my reviews because I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet! I've been to Graziano's a dozen times and it's a consistently good place. They never get too busy, which shocks me because the food is good and they have great prices to boot. My most recent experience was in between Christmas shopping. Had a great time, and our server, Aman-duh (her name tag actually said that) was hilarious and attentive. The spicy shrimp app was great and the house salads aren't bad, just wish places would use greens instead of iceberg! It's a little pricer I know, but customers will appreciate! I had the margherita pizza and don't have a bad thing to say about it. Took some home and it was just as good the next day when I was nursing a hangover. Great place for kids to draw on the tables and eat pizza but great for date or night out with friends. Gluten-Free, Low Carb AND Vegan/Vegetarian options!!!! Really?! Amazing!
(4)
Eric W.
The Great with the bad. I love this place they consitanly have great food great service. This place is casual dining with a bit of sophistication. They have the best new england calm chowder ever & it's bottomless. I had the soup (None Better). Fried calamari (as good as any) & I didn't like the sirloin salad. It didn't
(4)
brian f.
love their food, great, unique pizza's. love their food, but never eat there...always too noisey. they need ceiling sound insulation, always have, always loud. service staff is always great, from front door to servers. we do carry out 100% of the time. it is nice that they have special parking spots for carry out.
(4)
Mandi N.
the house salad is perfect. & the pizza is amazing. chewy & crunchy, but not too heavy. so good!
(4)
Sara L.
The salad dressing is a must with the unlimited bowls of salad( like olive garden but sweeter and better). The Marghartie brick oven pizza is great. The pasta is very similar to what you would find in any Italian joint. The fish, meat and chicken are always fresh. The service is great and they aim to please. This is a family oriented place so if you want to go to a quiet romantic place this may not be for you. I reccommend trying it out, especially if you live in the Skokie/Niles area.
(3)
Leang E.
I came here after I did some minor Christmas shopping. I'm surprised that as packed as the parking lot was, we were still seated right away. Our drinks were quite disappointing. We tried the Mango Bango, the Key Lime martini, and then finally settled on the Sicilian Margarita (which tastes like a melon flavored alcoholic beverage). We started out with the special steak nachos appetizers, and split a salad and the Rigatoni with sausage and peppers. All of it was delicious and we dipped our bread in the salad dressing. Yummy! The pizzas going by looked really good. Our server was really nice and I know she tried as best she could to recommend a drink that we'd like. I wouldn't mind coming to this place again.
(4)
Chris W.
Maybe I'm just a fan of really fat dripping pan pizzas but I wasn't too thrilled with coming here. I honestly don't even remember what pizza we got it was so lame, and we tried to get a pretty cool one because we enjoy trying new foods. If I had the menu in front of me I'd be able to tag it I'm sure. I do enjoy truly eating thin crust pizza but this stuff was at the low end of the spectrum for my taste buds. They had a decent steak there at least. And an alright kalimari appetizer. It's not the best atmosphere either, I wish it was a bit less interconnected with the booth/seat arrangements with other tables. However, it was alright. Service was alright too. If I was with a group that wanted to go back I'd just try something new.
(2)
Keith T.
Good food, child friendly, good childrens menu including a macaroni and cheese pizza! Wide selection of italian dishes in large portions along with a decent pizza.
(3)
Gabriel A.
I think I find myself sometimes coming back to this place simply for their amazing house salad. Their four cheese pizza is delicious. I do find their bruchetta to be a little sweet, but it is better than most. I definitely have recommended this restaurant to friends and will continue to do so.
(4)
Justin L.
Seems that every time I want to take my parents out to eat they choose this neighborhood restaurant near their house. Graziano's is a very large open kitchen style restaurant which gets very busy and seems to be very popular in the area. It is family friendly and the wait staff is quick and attentive. My recommendations are to get a house salad the dressing is so good, people often order cups to take home. If some one can recreate it please send me the recipe. It is like a creamy Caesar with its own unique Graziano spin. Follow that with a baked ziti or chicken fettuccine Alfredo. The brick oven specialty pizzas are also very good only because they not your normal pizza. They have many combinations that work well together and makes the pizza eat more like a meal than regular pizza. If your in the area shopping at the neighborhood shopping centers, I suggest you make a stop for a bit to eat. It is an upgrade over other shopping center restaurants but very reasonably priced and tasty.
(3)
Marcel M.
Eat here and you'll look like the regulars after subsequent visits. We've been going here for 12 years and their soups are amazing... The salad dressing is amazing also and I don't prefer salads. Also, huge pastas. The pizzas are great as well. My only gripe is that their appetizer choices are lame. I also tried a peanut butter and jelly pizza once. Good stuff. Bottom line is that the food has been consistent for all these years.
(5)
Lale S.
If this were years ago when Graziano's first opened they would have had all 5 stars. The food has gone down drastically since then. When they first opened it seemed as though they were really worried about the satisfaction of their customers. Lets just say things have changed. This place is seriously down the block and across the street from my parents house. 1. the woman who takes phone orders and usually rings up your order to go has some serious issues, she has worked there for years yet needs to get a attitude adjustment, very bad... 2. The to-go salads (which i must add the house dressing is the best thing they make) look like they have been sitting there for days, not to mention the fact that they seriously skimp you on the veggies but double up on the brown lettuce. There are a couple of things i do love about this place and always have and that is why i give them three stars, the graz burger is amazing, the toasted or friend mozzarella to die for, the house salad dressing beyond amazing, and the chicken fingers are so good my mouth is now watering. I really think they need to pay more attention, and put the same attention to detail and their portions as they did in the beginning. minimal just doesnt cut it for me, especially considering how much money this place has made off me and my family.
(3)
Edward H.
This place has a good menu and the food quality is consistent. I like eating here since there's minimum wait (large dining area) and fast service. The calamari and bruschetta is top notch. I love love LOVE the baked ziti here. Most of their menu selection comes with either soup or salad. I usually get the soup - unlike most restaurants, they give you a full bowl... enough to fill you to the point where you barely have room for your entree. Graziano's is also close to the local theater making it the perfect place to go before or after catching a flick.
(4)
Anthony M.
Grazianos is a great place because they have a huge menu for an Italian resturant and there really is nothing there I have not liked. There portions are about right (not too big, but big enough to feed a big guy like me!). The pizza here (brick oven) is probably the best thing here and actually tough to find made right in the area (its found more in CA ala Wolfgang Puck). Pasta and sandwiches are great too!
(4)
Crystal S.
I don't know what it is but they have the best "house salad dressing" EVER!!! That is the highlight of this place for me!
(3)
Tess K.
If you're expecting upscale, unusual Italian food, you will be disappointed. If, however, you want consistently solid, somewhat Americanized Italian fare, try it out. The prices are average, serving size above average, and quality is satisfactory. The unlimited soup and salad combo is great - too bad you have to search for it on the menu if you don't already know about it. Service is their weak point, especially when it gets busy. It can be difficult to get your waiter's attention towards the end of the meal and I agree with previous reviewers - the waiters do tend to clump around the registers and talk. Still, for a very family friendly place with predictable quality, I like it.
(3)
Benjamin S.
I would give this place 3 stars for the pizza. It's not the greatest compared to the pizza you'll find elsewhere in Chicago. But they brought us bread to munch on and the service was wicked fast. Almost too fast.
(4)
A C.
I would say that Graziano's is a good place to eat. Their pizza is phenomenal. Only reason why I gave 4 out of 5 stars is because the menu prices are quite steep. Other than that, ya'll should give this place a try!
(4)
Ilene J.
Their spaghetti and meat sauce is delicious. The salad dressing is the best!!! Sure wish I had the recipe. And on Saturday nights their soup is Cream of Mushroom-- it's wonderful with just a hint of wine in it.. I think, I go there all of the time and have never had a bad meal or bad service. The main dining room is noisy so I ask to be seated in the smaller room near the bar. It's a lot more quiet.
(5)
April W.
pizza was good as was salad dressing but my pasta dish was terrible, the pasta was gummy, it was lukewarm and the vodka sauce had no flavor.
(3)
kristen m.
I wanted to like this place because I have friends who go there and rave about it.. Unfortunately to me not so much.... I thought the service was awful we had to keep asking the waiter to refill our drinks, which is kinda a pet peeve of mine. We had three appetizers the fried calamari, bruschetta, and fried mozzarella, they were pretty good. The downfall for sure was the pasta entree I ordered. The sauce tasted like RAGU!! If I decide to give this place another try, I will have to go with the pizza it seems to get better reviews.
(3)
S L.
In the land of the strip malls on this busy street called "Touhy Avenue" in Niles, there is this Italian restaurant called "Graziano's" somewhere between Walmart and Target. I never expected to find half-way decent Italian restaurant in this area, especially when your options consist of your typical American chain restaurants from fast food to super-fattening food. I have to admit, I like hopping on the Edens from the NW side of Chicago to do a little bit of shopping here, and catch a flick every now and then as well. I do recall Graziano's opening way back in the days and I've been back ever since. I wouldn't say this is my favorite Italian restaurant, but it's better than all the other restaurants in the area. The entree portions are huge and I always have leftovers. Their brick oven pizza is really good too, especially the crust. The service is Hit or Miss over the years. I've had really wonderful waiters and really horrible ones as well. I usually come here with a small group and never had to wait for a table. I'm sure for a larger group on the weekends, reservations is probably recommended. Bottom line: If you're in the area and not feeling the typical chain restaurants, head on over to Graziano's! Expect a family-friendly atmosphere, good food and possibly a doggie bag to take home. Don't forget to save your movie ticket stub from the theatre down the street - you get a freebie appetizer with your order.
(4)
J F.
This is a place we know we can go to if we are hungry and don't have a lot of time. There is usually minimal to no wait--that said, the place does get business and is busy. They just handle customers well and the food is good.
(3)
Kathy R.
Try the pizza. You won't be disappointed. Good salads, too. You won't leave hungry - portions are big. My one note of caution would be to check your carry-out order when you pick it up; they screwed up our order once, so my husband had to drive back (we live in Niles, and it's 20 min. away). Other than that, my experiences have been good.
(4)
Alan R.
Graziano's is the perfect balance of Pizza/Italian. We went with another couple and my 17 month old son. Everyone got something different. Salad, Pasta, Sandwich and Pizza. There is something for everyone and they do it all well. They also have a good children's menu. If I lived closer to Graziano's, I'm sure I'd be a regular.
(4)
Terri N.
Although we aren't a big fan of Graziano, we tend to come here once in a blue for our daughter Tamia. She loves this place. I've never been disappointed with the food but I had better italian food elsewhere. They have great pizza, salads and parmesan fries. We came here last week for a quick lunch. I got their Graziano Burger and I wasn't pleased with it. Tony had their steak and thought for the price he paid for it could've been better. Tamia had their chicken fingers and fries. She said the chicken was too chewy but didn't hesitate to scarf down all her fries. Overall, their service is great and they are extremely kid friendly.
(4)
Jenni F.
Three words: Chopped Chicken Salad I am not a salad person (lettuce is just decoration for salad dressing and croutons in my opinion.) I also can't get full on just roughage. This in my opinion is the perfect salad, the right mix of salad and chicken and other good stuff. But what makes this salad the best I ever had is their dressing. I am typically a ranch or blue cheese type girl and will wrinkle my nose at the typical Italian dressing that is at every old time salad bar. However, the House Italian salad dressing at Graziano's is my favorite salad dressing ever, possibly my favorite condiment ever. I have only eaten in Graziano's a couple of times, so I can't speak for the service. Update: 2/19/08 I moved out the area, so when I found myself out there, i decided to pick up a salad to go. Apparently, the to go salad has become a hot item, because now they mass produce them. The salad was okay, but wasn't made fresh. The bread that I was given was so hard it was not eligible. Still, I would pay $10 for the salad dressing alone.
(3)
tessa c.
i had the margherita pizza with shrimp and green peppers. hands down the best margherita i've had (i always try to have it with shrimp/peppers everywhere i go) !! service was great and i have to say it went beyond the dining experience. my dumb ass lost my phone somewhere between the time of leaving loyola and sitting down to dinner there. i didn't find it but the hostess and the manager was very accommodating in attempting to find it. oh man i am getting hungry just thinking of that pizza...
(4)
Chris L.
My wife and I went here before seeing a moving at the nearby movie theater. It was a Saturday night around 6:15PM and pretty busy, but we were seated immediately. The service was far outshined by the food. It took our server about ten minutes to even take our drink orders and it was several minutes after that, that we got our water. Our server was very friendly, but slow. Once we did receive our food however, all was forgiven. We shared giant Calamari appetizer and I had the wood roasted chicken and my wife, the shrimp salad. The food was delicious and perfectly prepared. I will definitely be going back again.
(4)
John F.
I used to like this place, but prefer Macaroni Grill insread. Service here seems a bit lax and menu a tad overpriced. Still they do have very good pizza.
(3)
Mary C.
I found this place because there was a deal with the local theater for a free appetizer. It reeled me in and boy am I glad it did. They have awesome thin-crust pizzas, great salads and a variety of Italian dinners. I love the colorful vintage advertisments that decorate the walls and the open kitchen.
(4)
Kristin A.
Great place to take a group for a work lunch. Pizza is thin and half way healthy (as far as pizza goes). Good salads and house dressing. Not too pricey.
(4)
Liliana S.
This pizza is really good. I mean really really good. Its thin and just right...
(4)
Minay T.
Love the calamari and the food overall. They have big servings so the price is worth it. You can share the dishes without overspending. Good service and kids friendly.
(5)
Kimberly C.
My kids like to draw on the tables and they have a funky kids menu including macaroni n cheese pizza!
(4)
Bella B.
The drinks and appetizers are wonderful, the house dressing is OUT OF THIS WORLD and the pizzas are fantastic. Graziano's is a perfect "dinner and a movie" dinner spot. There's a theater across the street. I've been here for one birthday dinner (14 people in our party - service was wonderful) and many dates. Honestly, what keeps me coming back is the house salad and the pizzaiolo pizza - caramelized onions with tomato and spinach. Delicious. The only reason I'm not giving this place 5 stars is because they seem to be a little off their game for the weekend lunch rush. The last time I went, my entire party ordered personal pizzas and every single one came back burnt. Talk about a time waster to have those remade. And the waitress came over with a pitcher of diet to refill our non-diet pop. Not that great a time. Maybe it was an off day? Generally, it's a good experience.
(4)
Alison M.
Tasty food and giant portions-- this place is better than a lot of its strip mall neighbors. I highly recommend splitting their linguine with seafood. It's probably the best thing on the menu. I've had other things here, and they've all been pretty good, but ever since trying the linguine with seafood, I don't bother with anything else. I'm knocking it down a star for its bread, though. I mean, honestly, you're an Italian restaurant, you shouldn't be serving dinner rolls to dip in the olive oil.
(3)
Randy G.
Average food. Service is lacking
(3)
jill t.
I'd do 2.5 stars, but that's not a option. It's OK, I think the food quality is just OK. Not really fresh. The pizzas are probably better than some of the other options. I've had dinner their a couple times, pizza both times. My mom and I tried lunch and had pasta. The meals come with salad, it was too drenched in dressing and seemed a little soggy. The service has always been good. Lots of families. Not a romantic date spot. But, hey if you're on Target on Touhy buying toilet paper and shampoo and you want a brick oven pizza, you can come here.
(2)
Bee B.
I have been mentally eating mushroom ravioli since last Wednesday...That's sorta weird, right? But it was THAT good. I don't usually order pasta at a restaurant partly because I try to be all pseudo south-beach and partially because I am usually disappointed by pasta dishes at restaurants. Not mad, just disappointed. Graziano's was a different story, however. I had trouble deciding what I wanted to get when I went with some girlfriends for lunch...They have design-your own pizzas, salads and some great sounding pastas as well. The mushroom ravioli was on the specials menu and I had to try it. The dish was supposed to be served with a white sauce, but I switched it out for tomato with roasted garlic sauce. The waitress was super chill about this and helped me pick a new sauce when I told her I wanted to switch to red. The dish consisted of 5 or 6 HUGE raviolis and they were creamy and mushroom-y and really delicious. A friend got one of the personal pizzas which looked really tasty as well and they have all sorts of interesting toppings to choose from such as goat cheese, kalamata olives and peanut butter (?) The bread was great too, and they have a nice selection of wines by the glass and cocktails. I would recommend Graziano's to anyone in the Skokie/Niles/MG/ L-Wood area. The ravioli deserves 5 stars, easy. But I'll stick with a modest 4 star review until I go back (soon, I hope!) and try something else.
(4)
Carolynne M.
I will say that this place is not the most adventurous in terms of their menu. You will get the basics a lot of restaurants offer, like antipasto salad, burgers, pasta, chicken parmesan and steak. But the pizza is divine, it has that yummy charred crust that only happens when baked in a 700 degree brick oven and there are some great toppings offered! My favourite is the Four Seasons which has artichokes, red peppers, mushrooms and prosciutto separated in four sections. The dining room is big so don't let a packed parking lot make you think that there will be a wait. We were seated almost immediately during prime time dinner hour on Friday night. Our waitress, Stephanie, was lovely and super-helpful. I ordered the salmon and asparagus risotto, which was a special that night. It comes with a huge salad, so after about 3 bites of the super-rich risotto I had it packed up to go. The risotto was quite good, but of course I always compare it to the kind I make which none ever seem to match. The dining room is decorated really cool, with oversized vintage posters on the brick walls, high ceilings and a breezy, open dining room. One of the nicer restaurants in this area.
(4)
Dan F.
Graziano's is an old stand-by restaurant for my family. The menu has a lot of variety and the food is really pretty good and comes in large portions. It has an identity somewhere a really nice Italian place and a chain restaurant. I have never been disappointed by anything I've ever had there, but never blown away either. The service is occasionally slow, but not too bad. Their house salad is remarkable. I'm a repeat customer for my own sake but also because my sometimes finicky children can find something they like too.
(4)
Nancy V.
This place is awesome! Amazing pasta dishes, the salad is to die for (and in unlimited quantities), garlic bread phenomenal. Every time we go, we say next time we have to just have salad and dessert cause we never have had room for dessert and the desserts look fantastic. We do tend to eat lots of salad and bread, then part of the entree and have plenty of entree as left-over to do at least one, if not two, more meals. Service has always been excellent. Highly recommend and we'll keep coming back.
(5)
Duncan S.
I really like the pizza. It's not perfect, but it's thin, crust is nice and cooked/crispy, and you can taste the nice oven (sounds weird, but I like that). Don't have any service issues. Once there was a little wait for seating, but it was real busy and we had no reservations. Haven't had anything else, but my friends think the pastas aren't anything special, so your own risk there. Walking around, roasted chicken looked good (maybe a specialty? A lot of people were ordering them. Along with salads), but yes, I love the pizza
(4)
Valerie O.
Come for the salad and pizza and forget everything else! This is not your typical Chicago pizza joint. They have various kinds of cheeses and different toppings. I love the caramelized onions with fontina cheese. The crust is fresh made and delicious! They're not going to cut these brick oven pizzas into squares! Make a reservation to avoid long waits!
(5)
Dino P.
Food consistently excellent. The bread they serve is out of this world. Also, the house salad dressing is the best Italian Dressing I have eaten. I highly recommend this restaurant. Good food, fast service! Try it out.
(5)
Scott W.
Huge restaurant with a lot of seating. Service is great. Pizza crust was a little thicker and doughier than I expected, but still good. The gonzo was interesting, as the Gorgonzola didn't completely overwhelm the other flavors like it normally does. The best part of the meal was the Cobb salad.
(4)
Michael N.
No, just no. Chicago and the immediately surrounding suburbs have a surplus of very good to excellent Italian restaurants. Trust me, my waistline is proof. However, sadly, Graziano's is not one of them. We have been there easily a half-dozen times in the last several years and each time I am disappointed more than the last. I think the quality was quite a bit better years ago, but now not so much. Furthermore, the restaurant is not clean, the service is uneven, and the food is bland. I do not like to be negative, but I have to advise against going here. I am not saying it is terrible, just saying that there are so many better Italian restaurants to go to around the area.
(2)
Realtor Karl B.
It's okay. Not the best, but good enough. Liked the cheesy bread (dipped in oil), the salads, margherita pizza, stella cidre, and their pastas. Don't know if the prices were high or low since it was paid for by somebody else. I wish their had more deep dish pizzas available.
(3)
Carrie B.
"I love Graziano's- great option for casual, inexpensive family dining. The service has been less than stellar at times and the weekend evenings can get pretty loud and busy with families and kiddies, but the food is pretty yummy. I order the pasta with vodka sauce all the time, and always have enough left over to bring home. I've had the pizza a few times, which is ok but nothing great. The baked ziti and chicken parm are good too- but beware, the portions are HUGE. You can split them with two or even three people. And the bottomless house salad is so good. I love the dressing!"
(4)
Catherine S.
if you like Tiramisu this is the place to go. I crave it. When i go with friends to eat they all order pizza or something and I skip the dinner and straight for the Tiramisu. Its AWESOME!!!!!!
(5)
Mike H.
I like this place. The pizza is good--thin and crispy. Nice space, nice staff. Big enought to show up with a big group. Okay to bring kids. It's basically like a Denny's that serves pizza. Except not gross.
(4)
April Z.
we've been going to this restaurant since it opened many years ago. and we've never had a bad dish. the portions are huge, but i'd rather have good flavor over a huge portion and they win on both. the service is always good. and i'm always happy to take even the pickiest eater here as everyone always finds something they like. its not exactly fine dining but a nice restaurant that can cater to all levels of patrons and pallettes.
(5)
Laura R.
I LOVE their house salad, I could eat it everyday. I've tried a couple of their pastas and they're all pretty good too.
(4)
Julia B.
The pizza is really good and the crust is thin..which is my favorite. The salads are huge and good! I had the chopped salad and thought it was great. The room is huge so you won't have to worry about there ever being much of a wait, especially during lunch.
(4)
Pastor Andy G.
Pros: -nice inside, friendly service, manager greeted us. -bathrooms are clean and updated (also, paper towels & 2 tall wastebaskets were near the door) -enough parking (lot) -clean -no bug issues (as mentioned by others) Cons/issues we had: -we arrived at 3:45, ordered about 4:00, food didn't arrive until 5:00. After waiting for some time, and finally seeing our server, I called him over to ask if there are any updates about our food. I said to my wife, "if he brings the food immediately after I just asked that, then we know the delay is his fault. If he doesn't bring it right away, we know it's the kitchen's fault. Sure enough, no more than a minute after asking him, here comes our food. -My wife's sandwich was hot, but her fries were lukewarm, as if they'd been sitting there awhile. -My pork chops were moist & tender, very nicely heated, but tasteless. -honestly, as mentioned by some of the other reviewers, I have to agree that it looks nice on the inside, but the food is nothing more than overpriced mediocre food. It looks fancy, but tastes bland. When we asked for boxes, he asked if we would like him to do it in the back or if we'd just like the boxes to do it ourselves. We chose the boxes, figuring that since he rarely walked by our area, we'd probably be waiting forever to get our food back. We also paid up front for the same reason. I'm sorry, but I doubt we'll return here.
(2)
Caroline A.
I need to update my earlier review from 2009. Where did the time go--and, more importantly, what happened to this restaurant? We've certainly been to Graziano's since 2009, but only once or twice in the last 18 months. Ownership must have changed hands to see such a dramatic decrease in quality. The menu, which admittedly had gotten rather large, has contracted dramatically. Some of our favorites (such as the Seafood Pescatore) are still there. But the change is striking. We were recently at Graziano's on a Saturday evening, and the place was nearly empty. This has never, ever happened. We were expecting a 25-min. wait. I had a steak salad, and my husband had one of the ravioli entrees, which was soupy and mushy. The house salad was smaller but still had the same dressing. Our friends had a chicken dish and a pasta dish. None of it lived up to earlier visits. I'm very sad to see this restaurant decline and hope they are focusing on bringing quality back.
(2)
Erica B.
We drive by this place ALL the time, and its wackadoo font on the sign, has always turned me off. not sure what compelled me to go online and read the menu one day, but I did and was super excited to find they have a vegan menu! So we signed up for their email list, got a 20 percent off coupon and visited! The food was pretty darn tasty! I just had spaghetti with marinara, but honestly, its one of my favorite things to eat, and a vegan version usually isnt too easy to come by. My husband ate my leftovers and said they were even better the next day! The proportions were huge. My husband got spinach ravilolli and he was also very pleased with his meal. The meals come with salad (coated in a mayo-covered dressing but when i told her i was vegan, she brought me a new one); and a bread basket. honestly, the bread basket was nothing to be desired in my opinion, but everything else was really good. The service was good and friendly. I really want to try the brick oven pizzas next time. they looked AMAZING. Happy to have a local, family style, italian place to add to our regular places to visit.
(4)
Kristina H.
We were quickly escorted to our table. The service was pretty good even though they were pretty busy. The restaurant even sent a free order of brushetta to our table, although there was some confusion as we didn't know about it. The food was very good. I got the fish special with asparagus. I would recommend it for a nice place to grab dinner in the suburbs. Definitely one of the better places in the area near the movie theater.
(4)
M A.
One of our favorite family restaurants. Good people, good food, good atmosphere, and good prices. Parking is never a problem. They have both high chairs and boosters, and will accommodate almost any needs the customer has. If you haven't been there yet and have a taste for the feeling of comfort -- go there.
(5)
Andi C.
I really liked this place. It seems it's getting some bad reviews. We went there on a weekday- a Wednesday so perhaps this helped. The food was good the atmosphere was clean and nice and the server was patient and not pushy. There menu is great- they offer a lot of vegan and vegetarian options and the server knew if there was chicken stock in the minestrone or not. Always a plus! They also have a nice selection of wines. From about $6- $15 dollars a glass. Pretty average. I did not try their pizza but I hear it's very good. We both had pasta. Good- not overcooked. Our water glasses were filled promptly and the prices were average. I recommend!
(4)
Neil B.
Watch your check! It was $8.95 on the menu, but the bill said $9.95 for the veg panini. They claim it was a computer glitch -- this would mean they are doing this to everyone who orders this. Also fries comes with almost everything, but you can change it to vegs if you ask -- much healthier. Lots of choice and unlimited salad is nice, although mostly iceberg lettuce. Service was attentive. Would try it again sometime.just for variety.
(3)
Amy L.
Awesome service! Food was yum, especially the fried calamari! Soup and salad were both refillable; and the pasta came with very large portion, so go there if you are very hungry!
(4)
Lana Y.
Fake Italian food! Do not waste your money! Food was salty and it wasn't even that good. The waiter was rude and was not accommodating. I'll just stick to passing it up on my way home.
(1)
Christina G.
I'm just not a fan of this place. The place seems extremely disorganized. When we arrived, three people were at the hostess desk, all looking over the floor plan and trying to re-arrange things on their board. No one even bothered to look up to greet us. Since we knew part of our party had already arrived, we went and found them ourselves. Once we got to our seats, two different servers came up to our table at different times. We told the second server we thought we already had a server, and she rushed off to find out what was happening with the seating areas without another word. The salad is good, which is one of the only reasons for the three star rating. The bread is good too. But the food itself is not. I had the special - butternut squash ravioli. For almost $14, I got five ravioli. They were overcooked, kind of sweet, and the sauce was very oily and separating on my plate. My grandma had the meat sauce on her pasta, and it was sweet. Much sweeter than sauce should be. My husband ordered another special - the risotto. The texture was all off. It was not as thick as risotto should be. Further, there was basically no sauce of any type on the risotto and there were only a few bits of chicken and tomato, not much else. I will say that their chicken parmesan (which my dad had) comes in a huuuuge portion size. Two huge pieces of chicken and a ton of spaghetti on the side. Our server was pleasant, attentive, and checked on us often, which was appreciated. However, good service doesn't trump mediocre food. I won't be back.
(3)
Faye B.
It's been a while since I have been to Graziano's in a long time. This was a central location for me and my fiancee to have our engagement party. We had preordered the dinner ahead of time and the staff was helpful in setting it up. We had most of our party ready to go and the food came out in a pretty timely manner. Of all the things we chose I would have to say that the fettuccine alfredo was the best. It was cheesy and oh so yummy. The desserts were also pretty good. The apple crostada was apple pie a ala mode heaven. This place always seems to be hopping and there is no shortage of people as it seems that they have their regulars. But the staff did a good job catering to our needs.
(4)
Em P.
Just too average of an Italian restaurant to return again for seconds. Food was decent... but not over the top. Service was very good though. We had a large group (30'ish) and they were more then accommodating. They did package up all the leftovers for whoever wanted to take them home.
(2)
Jack P.
I had not been to Graziano's in about 6 years, and I came back to check out the wood-fired pizza. We were three adults and one child, and we ordered an appetizer of Bruschetta, at the urging or arrangement of our server, and then their brick oven Pizzaiola of Spinach, carmelized onions, tomato, basil, mozzarella and Romano cheeses. We added some sweet Italian sausage for the two boy carnivores in the booth. And a separate small cheese for the small boy, which turned out to be pretty big. So there was lots of food to share and it was all very tasty. I'm accustomed to thin crust brick oven pizza having scant toppings, which is fine. But the toppings here were a little more substantial. Nothing wrong with that either. There were even some leftovers for the anticipatory cold pizza breakfast. The funniest thing was our server. He was this interesting combination of pleaser and stubborn bully. Anything we asked for was met with a loud "I can make that happen," yet when we had discrepancies in what was ordered or later when we had to return for forgotten left-overs, we were made to feel like liars. And don't get me wrong. His service was prompt and his attitude helpful, but there was this overwhelming feeling of being "coerced" into a large tip, which, by the way worked. He actually made a point after we rendered the bill but prior to leaving to thank us "for taking care of our server." I think it was the first time I've gotten that kind of feedback. And it felt kind of inappropriately icky . Our pizza meal was a great value for four people. But I think the other Italian entrees were a little pricey. I just find it difficult to pay $14 for example, for a plate of angel hair pasta with veggies. Or spaghetti with meatballs for $13. Portions are generous, though, I must admit. The atmosphere was fun, casual and festive on a Saturday night, And the place was crowded. It's also a huge space. It makes a good spot for family celebrations or birthdays, and doing a big pizza party here sharing all the different specialty pizzas would be both a good meal and a good value. Ingredients are fresh. The service is fast. Don't let your server rush you though. He could make that happen.
(3)
Daniel F.
Pasta was good but Marina our server was terrible., when I asked for more bread the second time. She said I only have two hands. She didn't deliver water to two guests at the table and was slow to deliver food and check. Terrible experience!
(2)
Kathleen F.
Pays to know people who work there :) Love the food and the atmosphere, the bread is to die for.
(5)
Ralph F.
Updating with one concern; the server Sarah. Why does it take you so long to come back and check on your tables when there is no one in the restaurant? We've had you the last two times we've been to the restaurant and you consistently fail to meet even basic standards for customer service waitstaff. You take too long to do any/every thing required during a meal. We will still go to Graziano's because by and large it's a good place. The food is good, not too expensive and they are very kid friendly. I'll ask to be seated in any other server's section from now on though.
(3)
Omar K.
we were there recently and had the pleasure to be served by Maria. super sweet lady!!!! the buffalo calamari is fantastic, and of course the brick oven pizza is to die for!
(5)
Eumi C.
(This review is 2 years late....but still necessary) ARG!!! I don't even know where to start with this place!! I planned my boyfriend's 30th birthday party here, and it was a disaster. The staff doesn't communicate, the food was cold, and the manager/owner was RUDE. I originally called and RSVP'd for 22 people. It was a Saturday night so they told me it had to be a family dinner style and preordered. Fine. I did. By Friday night, I only had 16 people who could make it. I STOPPED by, brought in his cake, spoke to the hostess and was reassured that it would be okay. The next night, we all arrived, but some of his friends did not show up (we had 14). The server came up to me and told me the manager wanted to speak to me. I was then told that I had ordered 22 peoples worth of food. I explained to him how I had come in the night before and spoken to the hostess about how I had only 16. He then said fine, then we should have 16 and I would HAVE to pay for 16 peoples worth of food as all the food was pre-made. Whatever, I agreed. I mean, this dude called me over to be RUDE. Didn't really matter I guess, since the not-that-busy restaurant was taking forever to feed us. The food came out, and it was mediocre, buffet quality, LUKEWARM crap. One of my biggest pet peeves is lukewarm food. HORRIBLE! We did cake and got out of there. That next week, I wrote the other manager/owner an email telling him what happened. He told me it was IMPOSSIBLE that the food was lukewarm as it is all cooked to order. 1st of all, if it is cooked to order, why are you charging me for more people than necessary?!?!? 2nd why are you DOUBTING me that the food was lukewarm?? Enraging!!! Every time I pass by this stupid restaurant, I STILL get mad that this happened. Don't plan a party here unless you want to overpay for lukewarm buffet style food.
(1)
Jimmy J.
We had tried Graziano's over a decade ago and while it wasn't bad, they gave us no compelling reason to return. We gave it another try yesterday and I'd have to say I was pleased. The dining room is clean, bright, and modern. The bread basket made with homemade goods was solid. His price points for that type of fair in today's market was very reasonable. The fact that all entrees and pastas come with unlimited soup and salad is really wonderful given at the salad was superb. My pork loin on entree was a huge portion with unlimited soup and salad for $17 it was very tender and spiced well. . I had a couple salads perhaps a third of my entree and took the rest home. The kids menu was pretty good and reasonably priced. I will say that I am NOT a fan of brick oven pizza and tried some of my kids pie and it wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. My wifes Cobb salad was very good and presentation was upscale. The comped dessert for my birthday boy was a nice touch by Noble who provided warm service. We ll return.
(4)
Paul V.
One of my usual spots to go to for comfort food and a relaxing atmosphere. If you're in the area, I recommend you give them a try. Well worth it.
(5)
Rodger W.
I really enjoyed the Kosher for Passover matzoh crust pizza and lasagna. Lunchtime service was excellent. I understand the gluten free items are delicious as well. Is this a chain or franchise?
(4)
Ryan L.
Part 2 of Mediocre Duck Tales: I came here for a family birthday party, as there really is no other reason to make an effort to come here. Generic city up in here! I've had a rash of unimpressive duck meals lately, and my friend said to me, "Maybe you just don't like duck". Then I thought to myself, "Maybe I don't friend, maybe I don't". No, I'm gonna chalk this up to the restaurant. I like duck! How can you not when they eat free at Subway? (RIP Mitch) So after that flighty diatribe, I in fact did not like the duck. No flavor and just bleh. Not even the tasty accompanying orange sauce could mask the blandness. This time, I could NOT get through the entire plate, exhibiting my dissatisfaction. I did mildly enjoy the soup, but when that's the end of the highlight reel, you need to step up your game. This place was bumping on a Saturday night- families with loud babies and/or children, teenagers pre-gaming before prom, and lazy young adults too tired to journey further for something better. It's doing something right to have so many patrons, and for that I tip my hat to them. However, I see no reason to return, unless I have to. Someone give me a place with good duck! I've been miseducated for way too long.
(2)
Christine B.
We had attended a St. Baldrick's event for our neighbor's daughter who passed away recently due to a Brain Tumor. There was a large group of people at the event and we had a parent go to Graziano's to make a reservation for us, we had about 30 people at the event from our group and expected about 15 - 20 to go to Graziano's. What we met there was to say the least, a less than welcoming experience. Not everyone came out for dinner, we ended up having 11adults and 2 children, the check was around $350.00. The Mother and Brother of the child who passed away were in the group as well as the two aunts who also shaved their heard for Cancer research. We were met with "Why did you not make a reservation?" (This was a spur of the moment decision made at 5 pm on a Thursday evening) The establishment was by NO means full, there were at least 10 empty tables in our section in the back. The waitstaff acted as if they were doing us a favor and the rest rooms were in horrible condition. The food was really good, it was a shame that were made to feel less than welcome. A smile can go along way, especially considering most were wearing their St. Baldrick's t shirts. I for one, never had my water refilled. In this economy I believe we should have been welcomed with open arms on a non busy evening......what do you think? Moral of the story, this is not a walk in place, please make sure you make a reservation or you will pay for it with bad service. This was sad as the little girl and her family were frequent diners here. I will think twice before going again. Good food will never replace BAD SERVICE. Thank you for listening. Chris
(2)
D G.
They have a pizza with vegan cheese! And besides that being amazing the crust and sauce and roasted veggies are delish. Didn't give 5 stars because the bread they give the table when seated is lacking, it just doesn't taste fresh. But, for all of you out there like me that can't have dairy, there is finally a place that understands we want pizza too! Very exciting. Marina our server was also awesome.
(4)
Lucy F.
The service and attention you receive here is amazing. The warm bread they bring when you seat down is great.. I tried their home made chicken noodle soup and it was great. I also had their pizza and it was delicious, I love the pepperoni.
(4)
Brandon B.
The spinach ravioli was good. The appetizers (calimari and fried cheese) were just ok. For the price I guess I expected a bit of a nicer atmosphere and better food.
(2)
Josh V.
Based on my one experience here last night, this place was just very OK. The best thing was that after getting quoted 45 minutes at Olive Garden (suburbanites love them some chain restaurants, don't they?) we got seated here right away. The service was adequate. No major complaints. It took awhile for the fried cheese appetizer to come out, but the waitress noticed and went to check on them. She was quite friendly. I did have to ask for more water, and for some reason she brought another full glass instead of refilling the one I had. The food was generally mediocre. The soup was OK but salty. The salad was completely drowned in dressing and the lettuce was soggy. The baked ziti chicken ragu was OK, but a bit over-baked I think. At least they have the option for whole wheat or gluten free pasta. The baked chicken was good. The best part of the meal was the dessert, which was two soft brownies with ice cream, caramel and whipped cream. The portions are all huge. I took more than half my pasta home. Maybe we just caught them an off night, but I wasn't impressed. I guess I'd give them another try if I happened to be hungry and in the area.
(3)
P J.
I went here recently with family and the pizza was freaking awesome! It wasn't like most pizza in Chicago but it was fantastic. The ingredients were obviously high quality. We only had the pizza so I can't speak to other menu items but Given the quality of the pizza I'm genuinely surprised the average rating is only 3.5 stars.
(5)
Melissa M.
Let me start by saying that I've frequented this place many times and had stopped going because the service had become absolutely atrocious including the managers. Despite serious doubts we decided to give it a try again. I was pleasantly surprised. We had a great server who was very professional and attentive to our table. I think the only complaint I have is that the food came too fast. We only had about five minutes to eat our soup/salad, but it was all still good.
(4)
Corey D.
It seems like growing up if we weren't at L Woods, we were at Graziano's. I can't even count the number of high school cast parties/banquets we also had. Can't say much about the place at lunch, but come dinner time they have it going on. Service is extremely friendly, everyone I've ever had there has been super knowledgeable, and I appreciate that even though I've been time and time again, they treat like it's my first, and walk me through the entire deal. I appreciate that over the years portions size has remained the same and pricing for the most part has too. There are now healthier options that weren't available back in the day, but it's Italian, right? It's not supposed to be good for you! It's supposed to make you feel good. The bruschetta is excellent as is the chicken parmigiana. Does it taste like a quaint place in Italy? Not so much. But it's better than the Olive Garden and I actually like it more than Maggianos. Know Before You Go: End with the tiramisu. Seriously. Some of the best I've ever tasted.
(4)
Jim B.
I usually order for delivery from here a couple times a month, mostly because I like their salad dressing. So today I ordered my usual Angel Hair Pasta, with salad, and bruschetta at 5:47pm order was placed. My order arrived at 7:17pm, with no salad. Instead I got 2 cold soups that where sitting in top of the bruschetta which was now hot and slimy. The angel hair pasta had hardly any sauce or vegetables on it (also cold), and the Italian Sausage tasted like it was from 2 days ago. For $35, I'll order from Zias from now on. The food always takes FOREVER, this place has gone downhill big time.
(1)
Jennifer M.
Very delicious pizza. Nice atmosphere and quick service.
(4)
Michelle P.
I hadn't been here in years, but Graziano's is just as I remembered it. Great family place with solid Italian-American food, big portions, reasonable prices and kid friendly. When you sit down, they give you a large basket filled with fresh baked bread & foccacia, and everything I've ever ordered here is huge - plenty to eat, and plenty to take home. The "bottomless salad" is delicious - it's really nothing more than lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and onions, but it has a killer dressing, and there's something cool about the idea of it being an unlimited amount. One thing to watch for though is the pricing - they know you think it's cool that it's unlimited, so there's a somewhat complicated price structure depending on what you order it with. We ordered two "pizzettes" (10 inch pizzas) for 3 people, plus 2 of the bottomless salads (the salads are 2.50 each with a pizzette, but you can only order one salad at that price per pizzette, and no sharing - see what I mean about complicated?) There was plenty of food - we easily ate just half the pizzas and took the other half home. They were good standard thin crust pizzas - a little bit thicker than the neopolitan style you get at gourmet places, but a little bit thinner than typical New York style. We got one florentine pizza and one pizzaioli pizza, both were great, and the leftovers held up reheated the next day too. My son got a kid's pizza which was almost as large as our pizzas, and came with a beverage (the only milk they had was whole milk, so he had juice instead). The only thing to be prepared for is the noise level - this place is loud! For years this was one of my family's regular places for dinner since the noise level would drown out anything any of our kids could produce, but I could see it being a little bit too loud for anyone expecting a quiet intimate meal. But if you have kids, this is the perfect place - they even give younger kids a blob of pizza dough to play with at the table while they wait for their food, or you can sit at a counter and watch the chefs prepare the pizzas and put them in the oven. Can't wait to come back!
(4)
John G.
The wife and I had wanted to visit Grazianos for a while. It was the first time that she was going to enjoy the goodness that comes from a brick oven pizza. We went in for an early dinner and it was not crowded, but by the time we left the place was starting to get packed. The place is very family friendly and the wait staff was attentive and helpful. The meal starts with the standard bread basket which was excellent. The server was not kidding when he said that the portions were plentiful. Salad can definitely be shared. We got a personal pizza and seafood pasta and there was plenty to take home for another full meal. The pizza was delicious and cooked to perfection. It is the perfect place to go for dinner and then a movie, but try to get there before there is a wait.
(3)
Laura D.
We have gone to Graziano's for the past 10 years and the last few times have been terrible. We went tonight and we ordered fried mozzarella cheese and they came out cold and not cooked. We sent them back and the next order came out cold again. Then we asked our waitress if we could order Italian nacho's and she said they wern't on the menu so we asked nicely if they could make them because last time we were there they did it for us. Her response was I have worked here four years and we don't do that. Anyways they did make the nachos for us. Then when our salad came they didnt bring the salad dressing. Just seemed that they were in a hurry to get us in and out when the place was empty. Our family was ver y disappointed. We wont ne going back anytime soon. So sad because we use to love the place.
(1)
Peter R.
I came here with a group of my co-workers for lunch. We got there shortly after they opened, so we could avoid the inevitable lunch crowd. I am a Pizza aficionado, and I had to try one of the "brick oven" creations. I decided on the Toscano, which is topped with sweet Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Plum Tomatoes, and Tomato Sauce. I ordered the "Pizzette" size, which is the individual portion. Our orders didn't take too long as they slowly trickled unto our table. Some of the items my co-workers ordered were the Margherita pizza, Angel Hair Pasta w/ Shrimp, Chicken Marsala, and Grilled Pork Chops. Judging by the content look on their faces, I would have to say they liked the food. My pizza was the last order on the table, but no worries since I was munching on the Bruschetta app that we ordered. My pizza was molten hot, as the cheese was still bubbling...so I let that bad boy cool off. I took my first bite and I have to say that the pizza was OK, but nothing special. I want a pizza that will slap my taste buds with flavor, and make me update my facebook and twitter status on the spot. This just wasn't the case with this pizza. I was neither disappointed or impressed...just ehhhh. I will have to try the pasta dishes on the menu next time I come around. Overall, I did enjoy my dining experience here at Graziano's. And like Governator Schwarzenegger, "I'll be back!!!"
(3)
Andy M.
Out of all the pizza chains in Chicago, this one might be my favorite. They offer a much more extensive menu than most pizza joints in Chicago. The pasta is always fresh and delicious, and the service is very good. I had an kick ass Italian beef here last night. The peppers were fresh and grilled and the gravy they served knocked my socks off. I have had pasta here in the past that was wonderful as well. If you are looking for a nice, comfortable place for some pizza or Italian food, I give this place two thumbs up.
(4)
Susan B.
I don't know why but we've stopped going here but -tonight we did again, and I had the steak salad--w/ candied pecans, feta, polenta strips, red bell pepper strips, oh yum, (w/ a small thimble of the OMG house dressing), hubby had a cheese covered beef sandwich--he loved it, and our friend had a great bowl of cream of mushroom soup, and spaghetti marinara. He loved his too. Good bread (a must) is served also! The apple tostada was a absolute favorite long ago-- but it is SO darn TINY now compared to the last time we went here! cupcake size! for $7.00 it's a JOKE, that's not funny. The waiter never returned after we were served, and I was flagging down bus boys for water. If they sit me in his section --I'm moving to another one. This review is neither "funny, cool or useful" --FIND some new words Yelp!! We need an YUK button to hit! Everyone want this. just sayin.... Update on their ''Apple tostada dessert'' : --they have returned to the original decent size and it's a very sized good portion, -and an excellent choice for a dessert. :) Thank you Graziano's.
(4)
Natalie S.
This place is just a block from where my Mom lives and where I grew up so maybe... just maybe... it got an extra star for sentimental reasons. It's a good alternative to "mall food" when you're shopping around at Village Crossing. They're open for lunch unlike, say, Outback... and whenever I can skip a chain restaurant, I'm down. The food isn't mind blowing (but then again, I rarely think that Italian restaurants are mind blowing... just a dime a dozen) but it is always consistently good. I have sampled all over the menu and never had a bad meal. I really like their calamari, margherita pizza and the spinach ravioli. However, the real standout here is the salad dressing. I don't know what they do to it... but it's the best salad dressing I've ever had. It is often my responsibility to stop at Graziano's on my way to my mother's for a family party to pick up salad dressing because nothing can compare to it. I'm letting out a secret: my pasta salad that all my friends rave about? The secret ingredient is the dressing from Graziano's. Shhhhhh.
(4)
Neel S.
Good place, great food and good enivornment. !! Maria is the best server and here services is excellent.
(5)
Bari L.
The restaurant has an appearance of a family friendly place to enjoy a good cooked meal with your family. On the day we went their sign even said voted #1 kid friendly restaurant (by whom I don't know), which was good since my 8 year old niece was with us. I was hesitant to go here for two reasons. 1. The last time I went I don't recall being very happy with my meal. 2. Yelp and favorite yelpers did not give such rave reviews. So you'll have refer to the picky sugar high child that was in our company we just need a place to go and quick we were hungry. I typically do not order chicken when I go out to eat (I can cook it at home with ease). I see on the menu they have Tuscan brick chicken and I like brick chicken it is typically very moist and delicious. Blach!! When did Tuscan mean the chicken swims in balsamic vinaigrette? That's all you could taste and I was shocked they put extra sauce on the side my mashed potatoes even absorbed a huge puddle of the "sauce" and there was still more to spare. Now to the moist part it was chewy and dry I ate a couple of bites and waited for our waitress who never came and when I turned around to see where she was she was right behind us watching tv. She never came to see how we were doing. My niece ordered a cheese pizza off the kids menu and ate two pieces it was huge and looked good. Since I knew I wouldn't be eating my dinner I grabbed a slice of hers it was inedible it was so over salted it was absolutely disgusting. I'm surprised she ate hers but then again the child started eating packets of sugar after she was done. I'm also confused as to how they got their first place kid friendly rating. There was nothing they did that was special not even a pencil and a piece of paper for her to scribble on. Needless to say this will be my last time walking through their doors. Oh they did take my chicken off the bill but charged me $6 for a house salad.
(2)
Katie R.
Terrible. Well, not all of it but all of dinner. Bread was good, and there was a decent olivw oil on the table, but you couldn't pick it up because it was too slippery. The whole bottle was covered in oil and left my hands covered in oil too. Gross. My dining companion had salad, which was good. The house dressing was the redeeming feature ofthe meal. The croutons were good, and the salad was pretty decent, if too heavy on the onions. I had New England Clam Chowder, which was fine. Nothing to write to Maine about, but not bad by Chicago standards, and a glass of Beaujolais, which was nice. Then dinner. Ugh. First off, it took far too long for dinner to arrive, and we were never offered refills during the time we were waiting. I ordered one of tonight's specials, Risotto Vesuvio style. It was billed as a cross between chicken vesuvio and risotto. Indeed, the risotto had peas, potatoes and chicken in it. But the sauce was flat and characterless, a goopy salty garlic mush over mediocre risotto and chicken strips that looked like Perdue convenience packages. The potatoes were, oddly, the one redeeming feature of this dish as they were the only thing that did not overwhelm with salt. I finished less than half and didn't take the rest home, as there was no point in subjecting my fridge, empty as it is, to such mediocrity. My companion ordered chicken marsala, a family favorite. It came out as a huge slab of thin chicken with a mushy coating and a bland sauce. It tasted vaguely of garlic salt and flour and not much else. There was no marsala taste, no wine flavor at all! And nothing to go with it. We never ever send things back, but this was clear: it had to go back. Our waitress gracelessly stumbled around the issue, clearly not wanting to acknowledge that there was a problem. She did take it back, but and eventually offered to replace it with something else. It was too late at that point, and her surly attitude did not help. Then, the icing on the cake for me. We got our bill, and they had indeed taken the offending "marsala" off the bill. But she did choose to charge us for the salad that came with dinner, and it ended up being a very expensive meal which we hardly ate. As we left, we contemplating asking for a manager, but never did because not a single person of the four that we encountered on our way out asked us how our meal was. And that was probably good, because if they had, we might have had to be honest with them. My recommendation: skip the food (or maybe try the pizza, I haven't had it) but get the salad dressing to go and serve it at home with real food.
(1)
Kristina K.
Service was pretty bad given the fact that we had to get up ourselves to put pizza on our plate. TDefinitely would not go back!
(2)
Nick L.
We came here before catching a movie and because my brother is an Italian food junkie and as a visitor, he can pick what sort of food we eat. As Italian restaurants go, the decor and ambiance here is sociable and friendly so you'll get no gripes from me. Our order was taken and the food arrived promptly. The food was ok, not amazing. It's high on the carb content (no surprise with mainly pastas) which leaves you feeling bloated after the meal. The portion size was just too much for that type of food to remain enjoyable long term. The taste becomes too repetitive. Don't eat it all and it would be good.
(3)
Mary F.
This was the worst restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life. We had table number 44 on 6/1/14 at 5:00 p.m. for a party of 7. The waiter must have been new as he constantly interrupted us several times to find out if we were ready to order. I don't eat meat but they had 3 seafood selections. The large menu did not say that all 3 selections were marinated in garlic and I can't stand garlic on seafood. The small menu only mentioned garlic on the white fish. The waiter came back to tell me that all 3 selections were marinated in garlic and that there was no seafood available without garlic. What kind of choice is this? He had the nerve to remind me that I was in an Italian restaurant. I have eaten in several Italian restaurants in many cities and have also been to Italy 4 times and I never encountered a situation where there was no seafood available without garlic. The kitchen finally said that they would thoroughly rinse the salmon so I agreed to try that since it was supposed to be accompanied by tomatoes and avacados both of which I love. When the salmon came, it was not there were no tomatoes or avacados and the waiter said the kitchen must have been confused since I had asked that red onions not be included since they bother my stomach. What does requesting no red onions have to do with eliminating tomatoes and avacados? Then another waiter brought me avacados topped with red onions which I couldn't eat. I just gave up. The salmon wasn't good so I just had a few bites of that and finally ordered a side of roasted potatoes to eat. On top of being totally incapable of serving a piece of decent piece of fish priced at almost $23., we had terrible service and the atmosphere so loud we couldn't hear ourselves think. None of us will ever be returning to this restaurant again.
(1)
Tara M.
The food here is great! The Pizza, well that's okay... funny they have their pizza in the name of the restaurant, but it's mediocre. Then again, all I've had is the kids pizza, maybe the rest is better... although, I should say that the pizza is really good the next day, cold. :) My husband and mother typically both get chicken items, and they are always tasty. I, myself, am very partial to the rotini with peppers and sausage, a little zing and lots of flavor! MMMMMMMM!
(4)
Reema S.
Went here on a Sunday night and it was decently busy. I can't remember our server's name but she was an older lady, very nice! For the amount of people in the restaurant, the amount of time it took for our food to come out was very fast! Almost too fast but I'd much rather it be fast than slow service. Food was okay, not the best but not terrible.
(4)
Angelo C.
I made a suggestion about unneccessary intercom use and they made a policy about it. Way to go!
(5)
Bob R.
This place was above average while trying to be an authentic Italian bistro. It's Huge and while I enjoy the exposed brick and high warehouse ceilings, I felt like I was dining at whole foods. Probably over a hundred tables with busboys making constant chair moving and dish clucking noises. The kitchen is open and You can here the cooks yelling and swearing in Spanish the whole time. While the hostess stands like a museum expo and really doesn't care about anything except her Iphone: Our server was Very attentive and constantly checking on us. Now here's the good part... The food of course. I liked how they serve warm foccacia with the bread. The calamari was very fresh but Too battered, and came with shrimp sauce?? while the Chicken Caesar salad was very fresh and delicious. If this place was twice as small and had a floor captain or owner, or Chef, then it wouldn't feel like a chain. Service 9 Atmosphere 5 Food 8 I guess I would be back.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot 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 : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
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.
Justin H.
Having driven by this place umpteen times we were at a loss on where to have dinner in this general vicinity one night and thought, "why have we never been here?" so we stopped, and boy am I glad we did. I ordered the Veal Parmesan and my cohort this evening ordered the spinach lasagna and both Items were prepared flawlessly. Everything was as it should be. Just make sure you read their STRICT salad policy. Gave me a good chuckle. Will be back for sure!
(4)Lindsey B.
Graziano's is pretty ok. Definitely not the hot spot or the best place ever but it's ok. I used to work down the street in Niles and we'd order lunch in every once in a while or take a long lunch and actually go in. It's a little pricey for what it is, but hey it was an Italian fix before there was Noodles and Co. over there. I would always order the bowtie pasta in vodka sauce. It was pretty darn good. Their bottles of wine are on the affordable side and generally speaking the waiters are quite nice. Drinks are heavily poured which adds to my liking of this place :) The bar has some nice seats! Darn comfy.
(3)Nancy V.
This place is awesome! Amazing pasta dishes, the salad is to die for (and in unlimited quantities), garlic bread phenomenal. Every time we go, we say next time we have to just have salad and dessert cause we never have had room for dessert and the desserts look fantastic. We do tend to eat lots of salad and bread, then part of the entree and have plenty of entree as left-over to do at least one, if not two, more meals. Service has always been excellent. Highly recommend and we'll keep coming back.
(5)Duncan S.
I really like the pizza. It's not perfect, but it's thin, crust is nice and cooked/crispy, and you can taste the nice oven (sounds weird, but I like that). Don't have any service issues. Once there was a little wait for seating, but it was real busy and we had no reservations. Haven't had anything else, but my friends think the pastas aren't anything special, so your own risk there. Walking around, roasted chicken looked good (maybe a specialty? A lot of people were ordering them. Along with salads), but yes, I love the pizza
(4)Alison M.
Tasty food and giant portions-- this place is better than a lot of its strip mall neighbors. I highly recommend splitting their linguine with seafood. It's probably the best thing on the menu. I've had other things here, and they've all been pretty good, but ever since trying the linguine with seafood, I don't bother with anything else. I'm knocking it down a star for its bread, though. I mean, honestly, you're an Italian restaurant, you shouldn't be serving dinner rolls to dip in the olive oil.
(3)Randy G.
Average food. Service is lacking
(3)Joe B.
First of all the place is surprisingly huge and gorgeous inside. Huge portions for the price. Neapolitan style wood fired thin crust done right. Grilled calamari served with lettuce & polenta was a winner. Great find amonst the stripmalls in the Nikes/Skokie/Lincolnwood area.
(4)Pam D.
We stopped in for lunch after going to the movies. I did not read my review from 3 years ago, and oddly enough I ordered spaghetti and meatballs, totally unaware that I didn't like it last time around. Well, this time it was much better, as was Christopher's ziti. Another improvement from last time was that they let us take our leftover salad home. Bravo! I hate seeing food go to waste. We will be back. I just wish it wasn't so noisy in there. The place was nearly full and carrying on a conversation was not easy or pleasant. Next time, I will try something other than spaghetti .... if I remember. LOL
(3)Lawrence D.
What a pleasant surprise. Each dish was really very good. Their salad was one of the best I've ever had. Their grilled calaimari was super (served on polenta sticks), and the baked chicken ziti, again was exceptional ( I had a half order and couldn't finish it all). This was my first visit, but certainly NOT my last. Try them, you won't be disappointed!
(4)Bob M.
I took my college bound daughter here for our last meal before she heads off to school. Her recomendation, but I have been here a few times before. She loves it, everytime it's the chicken salad. I, on the other hand like to change it up. As many times as I been here, nothing works. Sorry.
(2)Kevin T.
It pains me to write this review. I've been ordering and going to Graziano's for seven years. I've rented out the group section of the restaurant on three separate occasions with 30-50 people each time. The food is very, very good which is what makes this hard to write. Tonight we ordered dinner for delivery at 4:15 PM. We were told that the food would, "arrive within the hour." Two hours later it showed up cold. An hour and fifteen minutes after ordering I called the restaurant. The woman how took my order answered. When I asked about my order she wanted nothing to do with me. She explained that it would be "coming soon." I asked if that meant ten or fifteen minutes? "Fifteen minutes", she replied. At nearly the two hour make I called again and was told that the food was gone so the driver must be on the way. When the driver arrived he told me that my street was a challenge to go down. I live on a quiet street and have driven to Graziano's from home many times. I have never had an issue getting there. It doesn't take much to lose a customer but I think Graziano's might have lost me tonight. For what we paid for dinner and the treatment of the woman at the restaurant & driver it wasn't worth it. I'm greatly disappointed.
(2)Pauline D.
Thanksgiving dinner here rocks. The turkey was delish so was the green beans and mashed potatoes. Staff is very friendly even on a busy holiday. Pizzas are awesome too!
(5)Vanessa J.
Food was ok the service was a little missing, the waitress was coming only to pick up the dishes and rarely care to ask us if we need anything else overall it was ok experience not the greatest
(3)I L.
Great service, great pizza, nice beer selection, great bruschetta, great tiramisu, great night :-)
(5)Dixie S.
I love their pork loin chops. You must try their house salad as a sauce for the chops. It's fantastic!
(5)Stefanie K.
I really enjoyed this place. I've been here twice and both times the service was excellent and the food was delicious. I've ordered pasta as well as an oven brick pizza and I honestly can't complain We came in for a group party and they gave us complimentary appetizers. Totally would recommend this location!
(4)Joanne K.
We have been here many times over the past year. Every single time the service is awful. No matter what time of day it is, we end up with the worst service. Tonight was no exception, after being told I will be with you in a second at least 5 different times, we finally had our drink order and food order taken. Drinks came after food and after we reminded the waitress that we didn't have them. I also had to snag our napkins and silverware from a neighboring table, because they were not brought to us. Our prior visit two weeks ago ended with our waiter putting me down for a full order of chicken vesuvio when the only size on the menu is a half order. Of course the waiter offered no discount on his mistake and packaged me TWO to go boxes. Sadly, I think this will be our last visit.
(1)Melisah B.
My boyfriend and I came here on a Thursday night, me with a hangover and ready to eat some fattening Italian food. We came to spend the gift card the manager Steve (who is very nice) gave us to compensate the very soggy-crusted pizza we had received months earlier. They offer complimentary bread at the table but there was no butter in sight - I had to ask for it. The waitress brought some out straight from the fridge, so of course it was rock hard and not spreadable for a while. I realize that Graziano's isn't a Wildfire, but some soft, whipped butter would be nice and without having to ask for it. Even Houlihan's has that. For an appetizer, we got the sausage and peppers. Meat was soggy and reminded me of the kind of crumbles of meat you would find in Italian wedding soup. Sort of bland, but the carmelized onions and peppers that came in the dish were good. I actually enjoyed those onions much more than the sausage itself. I chose a salad for my entree side and it was a standard, plain, pathetic salad of iceberg, a few limp onions, big cuts of tomatoes, and some croutons. I wasn't asked what kind of dressing I would prefer. It came out already mixed with what seemed to be some kind of house dressing. Veggies were not crisp whatsoever. My boyfriend ordered the Graziano's burger. He asked for it to be cooked medium and it was nothing close--more like well done. By the taste, it was very obvious that this was not a fresh ground burger that had been grilled, but rather some kind of frozen burger from a box with "grill flavoring." I don't believe the menu description claimed this was fresh so... oh well. I ordered the four cheese fettucini. It tasted no different than alfredo sauce; noodles were way overcooked and squishy, very far from al dente. It was still fairly flavorful, enough for me to keep eating it, but that was mostly due to my hangover. I needed that fat! It was pretty dead in there and yet the service was still pretty slow to the point where my boyfriend had me order a beer so he would have two at the table and not have to wait so long once he finished his own. We tipped generously because we're that kind of people - other than the service being a little slow, the waitress was pleasant and it's not her fault the food quality was so sub par. I'm so glad the food we ate was on the company dime. We will definitely not be returning.
(2)Derek G.
I will be honest I am surprised by the mixed reviews for Graziano's. I have eaten here on several occasions and have never had anything less than a terrific experience. Most recently, my family ate here during the holiday season. Even though the dining area was full, our server was attentive polite, and cordial. I finally tried the brick oven pizza and as an unofficial pizza Connoisseur, I have to say, I thought it tasted fabulous. Graziano's prices are fair; I do not recall ever having to wait for a table, and they have a parking lot. Perhaps I am just too easy to please. Nonetheless, I think Graziano's is great.
(5)Margaret A.
Terrible service today. Can't understand why because it wasn't too busy. Waited a good 15 minutes to be waited on after asking numerous times for service. Asked for more Bread and that was almost impossible. Sorry we had such an unpleasant visit today. This is very unusual. Saw waiter once to take order. After that had to call busboy and he wasn't too happy about it. Martin was our waiter and he left much to be desired.
(1)Stephanie P.
I've been to Graziano's several times and have loved everything I've ordered! The Margherita pizza is definitely my favorite. The salad is great too! I have to take one star off for the service as there are a few waitresses there that aren't so great but overall, Graziano's is a great restaurant.
(4)Mike L.
Just okay. I have been here before but today was very disappointing.
(2)David M.
My wife and I came at a busy family time 6pm on a Sunday. I expected it to be busy but we were seated right away. However, it was one of the worst spots in the joint. Right by the serving station. I had to sit with my back to it because I didn't want to stare at a bunch of dirty plates. I would have asked to be moved but my wife needed the bathroom as soon as we got to the table and I didn't have the energy to make a fuss. So here we are, in the "steerage" part of the restaurant. There were plenty of nice empty tables toward the front. Maybe because we're not regulars we don't get that option. OK, enough of that. My wife went with a black bean soup which was watery and my salad, with house dressing was wilted, like it's been sitting in the dressing for a long time. I ordered the grilled chicken panini which was very bland. The server was nice enough. I've been here several times but I don't know if I'll go back. It seems well suited for large families that just want to share basic Italian fare. Nothing knocks me out here. It was loud and we had to deal with servers flying right behind us. Also, there was a little of a chucky cheese atmosphere with unattended children darting around the tables. It was the least enjoyable experience I've had out with my wife in a while. At the end, she asked for me to remind her to never come back.
(2)Jorge P.
Seems that my follow-up visit was much better than the last. My wife And I went for lunch. And it was much better than the last time. Not only was the soup hot but very tasty. I also had an pizza and the dough was very good. I will come back again after this visit. Thanks for inviting me back.
(4)Brooke M.
Recently I was out with the family in the suburbs and we randomly stopped at Graziano's for lunch. I am vegan and I typically get plain pasta with tomato sauce or pizza with vegetables no cheese (with lots of questions about the tomato sauce and the crust) but my family is not. I was so plesantly surprised to see several options on the Graziano's menu labeled as vegan (they use daiya cheese) and the waitress knew exactly what I didn't eat without my having to ask lots of questions. The pizza I ended up getting was delicious as was what my family ordered. It is also very kid friendly with the usual crayons and the not so usual dough for my kids to play with. Because of the wood burning oven (not sure if it really burns wood but there is a fire you can see) lunch came out quickly which is also a real plus when eating with kids. We will be back to Graziano's for sure.
(5)Gladys G.
my boyfriend and I love this place! we only started going there after we bought a fundraising card from a niles west student that gives us 20% off. I know! cheap-o's! but seriously, I don't think we would come back as often without it. now that we've fallen for it, we probably will but let's get to the food. OMG everything tastes so fresh! their salad that comes a many of the entrees is to die for. so tasty and delicious. the dressing rounds it up. the pizza is everything you look for in a pizza. definitely has a distinct, brick oven flavor to it. our favorite entree is the ravioli with meat sauce. so fresh, finitely made in house and delightful. thank you grazianos for putting such efforts into making everything fresh and delicious!
(4)Kevin F.
Nice place. I'd call it upscale family friendly. Can be loud at time, which diluted the atmosphere. Very good pizza, but not the best. Overall, A repeated for casual night out and if you're in the general vacinity.
(3)Doug R.
Very, very good Italian place. Ive been here many times over the years and have never been disappointed.
(4)Rebecca E.
Not the best place for Italian food. To be honest I'm not quite sure what it is about this place but it just doesn't click with me. Nothing about it is comforting unless you like being surrounded by brick walls with a whole bunch of crayon markings on it. Felt like I was in a Chuck E Cheeses because of it. The portions are small and staff is not very good at making sure you are being serviced well. We were seated at a far end of the restaurant away from basically everyone, by the bar and there was barely anyone there. The food doesn't feel comforting and although the taste is there it's not worth the money. Would never return, and would not recommend.
(2)Nancy K.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the salad! However, as in any restaurant, don't expect good service when you go with a group of women. The staff tend to think we don't tip, so they don't bother. I was the first to arrive, they seated me in the bar which I was happy about - not as many kids and noise! Then I realized that my party was going to be larger than expected. Not a problem but they tried to move me into the other room where all the kids were. I wouldn't have said anything but there were at least 15 empty tables. Finally, they sat us at a booth. I had already ordered a drink and they had brought bread and I started to eat. When I moved, the manager said not to worry about taking my drink, they would give me a fresh one. It would have been nice if he would have passed that onto my waitress. She brought me another drink but it was also on the bill. I never even had a sip out of the other one. When I originally sat down I was told that because I made the reservation online, we get a free order of bruschetta. WHAT? That was good, however, I had to ask for it three different times once they moved our table. Food is great here, it's the service that can be better.
(3)S M.
I called the restaurant on a Sunday at 1:00 pm asking if the restaurant could possibly accommodate a reservation for 16 people at 6:00 pm that same evening. The manager was gracious and was able to fit us all in, and more importantly, he saved the day, as my party of 16 was gathering for a post-wedding day meal before the families departed back to their hometowns. I was so SO grateful! As for the food - delicious. I had the melanzana pizza and toasted mozzarella appetizer. Both hit the right spot. The service was fantastic and attentive. Finally, as for the ambiance, it was perfectly balanced - not too loud, not too quiet. And the exposed brick interior gave the place a nice, classy touch. I live in Washington, D.C., but my brother lives 5 minutes from this restaurant, so I'll definitely be back. Thanks again to management for accommodating me on such short (5-hour) notice!!
(5)O.M. R.
Its a 2 star because of the bread and tomato cream soup. I ordered the chicken marsala which had a terrible taste. I've send it back and had another bowl of soup. This place is next to my house, but i don't think I'm coming back...
(2)Brad E.
This would be higher if solely based on the food, but based on management. My wife, who is not a big eater, typically will order one or two side orders as her entree. We have been to dozens of restaurants where this has never been a problem. After ordering a side of pasta and a side of vegetables, the server returned to let us know that the side if veg was ok, but she would need to change the pasta to a half order, "that is why the half order is on the menu." When questioned about why she could still order the side of veg, we were told there were no entree sizes of veg. Seriously? Is the extra couple of dollars that important? Because our dollars are too valuable to be ever spent here again.
(1)Lysette H.
Dined here this evening for NYE with my sisters and was excited to see the Grilled White Salmon as the special for $16.99 versus the regular price of $22. My sister ordered and specifically asked the waitress what the difference was for the special versus the regular menu version, for which the waitress said just the lower price since featured as the special, but the same item. My sister orders and at the end of the meal, she receives her portion with the regular pricing. We call the waitress back and ask that the price be changed to the special, she comes back with the Manager and says he hasn't had a salmon on the specials in 6 years. We must all be on the same episode of the Twilight Zone or this is a classic Bait & Switch. Wow!!!!! Such a nice experience with plans to come back until learning that not only Dept stores deceive the public with this scam, but restaurants do as well!!!! Shameful!!!!!
(1)Evelyn Z.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place! I've been here numerous times! I've dined in before a movie, I've use them for catering and have been here for luncheons. The service is always great and the food is AWESOME! From appetizers to dessert. It's great for families and date nights. Basically just go, you like it! Oh FYI i love their buffalo calamari and the toasted mozzarella.
(5)Pk P.
This is our favorite pizza place. Bar none! Their brick oven pizza is to die for. We typically order the pizzolo and the way they carmelize their onions is extremely unique and adds a huge explosion of yummy in every bite. We've dined in many times and the service is excellent also. Our meals are always prepared quickly and served nice and warm. The location is very clean with ample parking. I just wish there were more of them so we don't have to drive all the way to Skokie.
(5)Naduu B.
The pizza is delicious! We had the margarita. The crust was just the perfect balance of soft and crunchy.
(4)Maria S.
Graziano's is very impressive! The moment you walk in, u feel like u are in another world....Rome, Italy. You come across the colossal cream-colored sculpture and your eyes start roaming, glancing at the ambiance & decor. It's a meeting place for many business people in the area, but if u ask d hostess for a quiet area, you'll get what u want. The service is superb; the waitresses are very well trained. If u order pasta, one of the servers comes over to offer freshly shredded cheese! Mmmm the pizza is ovrn baked, and though they are a bit skimpy on ingredients, its still delicious. The portions are huge and the prices are very reasonable. Order a whole portion of an entree, and you end up taking a half home. The place is super clean; the waitresses and hostesses are neatly and cleanly dressed, and the rest rooms are the cleanest Ive seen. I highly recommend this restaurant for any occassion, especially a family party, business meeting, or for casual dining.
(5)John K.
It's been a long time since I have been , nothing has changed ... Only the best. Food is incredible with service to match. Thanks to our incredible server Maria we had an awesome evening.
(5)Dave G.
This is a good spot for late night dining with kids since most places in the neighborhood are not really family friendly. The bread basket was great with sun dried tomato focaccia and other fresh rolls. The unlimited salad bowl was nothing special but was fresh and worth $3 a person. I loved my florentine pizza except I couldn't taste the goat cheese. My friend ordered a pizza with caramelized onions but it was just a solid layer of onion! Our table also ordered linguine alfredo and spinach ravioli which were just okay. Fortunately the server was very nice and there was an awesome statue nose on the wall!
(3)Sasha S.
Orderd a few simple takeout items by phone, had to repeat it several times as the hostess was talking to me and joking/laughing with a coworker too. Was told 20 minutes. Arrived about 25 minutes later, my pizza and pasta were ready but they forgot my soup and bread, waited another 15 minutes for my soup, watching my other food get cold and the place was completely empty! She shoved it in my bag, turned around and started talking to her coworkers again. Never said thank you, at all, not even a smile or kind tone Food was mediocre at best and overpriced for quality Too bad because when I'm in town it was my go to, not anymore
(1)Shrikant S.
I wanted to give -3 stars but Yelp does not allow me to. Saturday night my family went to dinner at Graziano's. Everything was ok, until my wife noticed a "WORM" in our pizza! We wouldn't have have noticed it but the "WORM" was alive ! #NeverGoingBackAGain !
(1)Frank R.
Our server (Samantha, I think) was terrific. I'm not aware of Graziano's being a part of any chain, but the place and the food have kind of a chain restaurant feel. That's not to say it isn't good, just not very unique. The flavor of the pizza and pasta we shared reminded me of dinners you buy frozen in the grocery store that are advertised as gourmet, so kind of a processed taste. It's a good place to go if you're very hungry. The people with whom I dined have been there a few times, and really like it. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but they could persuade me to go back. One thing I've noticed lately is more casual restaurants having big screen TV's. This seemed like the kind of place that would, but thankfully it has not!
(3)Bob B.
Nice little atmosphere with an open view to the brick oven. Started with a fresh salad and the house dressing. The dressing is awesome. Kind of a cross between Italian and Thousand Island. Next came the Chicken Vesuvio!! Very tender and juicy chicken. The quartered potatoes soaked up the flavor nicely. I'll be back.
(4)Jeffery S.
Came to this often reviewed restaurant with a group so I won't try to write another edition of War and Peace here. I'll just give you our own experience. Came here on a Saturday afternoon and the place was pretty empty. There were two dining areas, the main dining area and a smaller one off to the right of the entrance. We choose to go right as it appeared to be a little cozier. Place is larger than I xpected so I imagine the noise level is right up there when the place is full. Decor is that ersatz italian decor you see everywhere, brick wall, italian advertising posters, wood floor and exposed industrial type ceilings. Menu was full of traditional and new-wave type italian foods, wood fired pizza seems to be the hottest thing going right now and they have that here. We ordered Grilled Portobella Oreganata and Toasted Ravioli for appetizer. The Grilled Portabella was doused with olive oil, stuffed with a crumb type material and grilled. It was very good and disappeared quickly. The Toasted Ravioli was breaded and apparently deep fried (at least thats my guess) and then placed on a pool of red sauce and had a mess of cheese melted on top. Very gooey, if you like cheese, you'll love this. I thought it was just a bit over the top. Salads came next and we had two varieties; ceasar salad and house salad. Ceasar was OK but take it from me, the house salad is better, very light and slightly sweet viniagrette accompanies the greens. For the main course, we had Wood Roasted Pork Loin, Chicken Parmesan, Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers and Baked Ziti Chicken Ragu. Most of what I ate was the Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers, excellent red sauce with nice fennely sausage. I'd come back just for this. The Baked Ziti Chicken Ragu was fine, but I was still reaching for the rigatoni. Never touched the pork loin or chicken parmesan but my companions pronounced them "excellent". The finishing touches were Tiramisu and Sambuca Cake. I only had a taste of the Sambuca and it really was to sweet and rich for my taste, almost like fudge with a different aftertaste. Tiramisu fans declared the tiramasu "as good as you can get". Tab for 3 and tip, about $100. Service was mixed, slow at times but attentive. Overall I would consider this place as a stop for dinner if I am in the area again.
(4)Teddy M.
I found this place fairly disappointing. First off, the decor looks like a mix of the Olive Garden and your neighborhood art project by the el. Roman statues and paintings of meatballs with faces...come on! The food was even more so disappointing. To be fair, I think others in my company enjoyed their meals. One of the people I was with had the Wood Roasted Chicken which she raved about. However, I had one of their brick oven pizzas and it was on par with what you would get from Dominos, may be with a slightly thinner crust. The crust was not crisp. In fact, it was so soggy that I had to support the front end with my hands to keep the topping from falling apart...and this was meant to be a small personal pizza. The sausage used really had no flavor except salty. The worst were the mushroom toppings. They were bland, chewy, and over cooked with the most unappetizing gray color. The service was quite nice. Our waitress was fairly attentive and prompt. She was probably the only redeeming thing about Graziano's.
(2)Natalie K.
I'd give Graziano's 3.5 stars. I feel like a 3 isn't fair, but a 4 is a little high for my experience. My husband and I came in for dinner at 7 PM on a Thursday. No wait, and we were seated in a booth right away. First off, the server was fantastic. She was very cheerful, always had a smile on her face and was really on top of things. She was on top of refills, etc. You first get a bread basket with an array of different breads - focaccia, an onion roll, etc. The focaccia was sadly stale, but the other bread was OK. I got a bowl of soup with my meal (Free refills on soup and salad?! Cool.) It was Cream of Chicken and it was pretty good. We were torn between Steak Quesadillas or the Calamari for an appetizer, but since it's an Italian joint, we figured we couldn't go wrong with the calamari. We ordered the big portion, which was a mistake for two people because it could feed a whole family. The breading had a good flavor and they gave two sauces that were excellent, but the calamari itself was very rubbery. A big disappointment. We left the majority of it. Already I'm getting nervous to see what's in store for my entree. I ordered Chicken Vasuvio and my husband ordered Chicken Parmesan. The Chicken Vasuvio is a good portion, but the peas tasted like frozen peas and the potatoes were overcooked and dry. Thankfully, the entree is sitting in a pool of tasty sauce that I could dip everything in. The chicken was pretty good. The Chicken Parmesan is a hefty portion as well, where two can definitely share, as you get two large butterflied breasts of chicken and lots of pasta. It was good. Very good flavor, but the chicken itself was also rubbery. I wonder if it's from sitting on the heat for too long? They were out of everything for dessert except a couple of selections. The prices were reasonable. Food was OK. Service was awesome. I'm not really anticipating returning because none of the food was exceptional. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things? I don't know.
(3)Ruth C.
Fast delivery of hot and fresh food. I ordered the crispy calamari and brick oven pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms. The calamari was flash fried perfection, and came with a nice marinara sauce. The pizza was great-- tasty sauce and crust, well done as requested. Would have liked a little more pepperoni but otherwise delish. They lost one star because of that and also because it was delivered without ANY utensils, plates OR napkins. Kind of an obvious need for an order delivered to a hotel room! But, a solid 4 stars.
(4)Kalama B.
I had the salmon risotto special. The first few bites were great but it got to be a little monotonous with the same taste for the whole gargantuan plate. You need a glass of wine to balance out this flavor. There were not a lot of good paleo options, but that's typical Italian. I don't think I saw prosciutto on the menu though. So sad. The garlic mushroom soup was basically vegetable barley soup. Avoid!
(3)Carla H.
Great food! Had warm bread and good portion size for pasta. Extensive menu and lots of choices. Went for lunch around 2:00 and it was quite dead due to the time of day but kitchen was slow with the order. Besides that recommend!
(4)Mike L.
This place is nothing more than a Chuckie Cheese in disguise. They may claim to have a brick oven, but the product that we ordered (a "Margherita" Pizza) consisted of spongy thick doh that is too thick to even resemble a brick oven pizza. The cheese was ok, but the crust was way too thick and not crispy at all, not even in one spot! The morons working the brick oven need to cook it longer aside from using a different doh. The sauce was not flavorful either. The service sucked too - it took 10 minutes to be acknowledge by the waitress, however, the busboy did bring us water and THE WORST FOCCACIA I have ever had anywhere. No way, never again. Even though Lou Malnatti's does not produce brick oven Pizzas, they BLOW THIS HOLE OUT OF THE WATER, and I suggested Lou's before we came here. After we left, everyone agreed that my original suggestion was right! If I want a perfect Margherita Pizza, I will drive to Elio's Pizza on Fire on West Lake Street in Addison any day of the week. Not sure who about all these people praising this place, maybe they ordered something other than the pizza, but then again, Denny's and Olive Garden have lots of happy fans too...........................
(2)Majid M.
loved the plain cheese pizza.. simply good!! chicken wascawesome as well. loved the chicken parmasan
(5)Patty M.
The owner messaged me a letter of apology and offered a gift card (which I declined), and then posted this dishonest comment on yelp, denying we were even turned away! We were definitely turned away and the owner is a definite liar.
(1)vince v.
WOW! Big change new menu great choices and good .Lunch was very good great server.This is spot on.Keep up this way and you will be packed.
(4)Michelle M.
We have been dining here for years, and due to excellent food and service, have always liked it. However, lately we have noticed a huge change at this restaurant, and not for the better. I thought that possibly they were under new management but was told this was not the case. I came in for dinner a few weeks ago on a Saturday night and the host refused to let me sit in one of two open booths near a television. Instead, in spite of my telling her I could not walk far due to bad knees, I was told, "it's not that far, you can sit here". I did get a waitress to move us to the booth and we had a great time. The salad and bow tie pasta with vodka sauce were excellent, as usual. My husband ordered a pizza and had a salad as well, which he enjoyed very much. The food and service were both great and we left very happy. This last time we came for lunch, and were greeted by the same host, as well as a waitress (said "nikki" on her nametag) hanging on the host's stand . This time we had a waiter that was very hard to understand. He was not friendly and did not refill our drinks or bread after we asked. When we left, the same waitress was still at the front desk, busy talking with the host. Between these two meals, it was like eating at two different restaurants! Amazingly, our neighbors had a similar experience to this just a few weeks prior. Overall, this place is now very hit or miss depending on the waiter. I hope they improve and are able to return to the way they were in the past since we love the food and location and used to love the service as well!
(3)Mark H.
I ordered the special, which was Atlantic Salmon. Which came with a side of chopped avocado and tomato. The food was amazing and the staff was nice enough. The whole place seemed very updated and clean. The only reason this place is not a 5 star in my book is that its a bit on the pricey side. Other than that I would defiantly recommend you going here.
(4)Dino P.
Food consistently excellent. The bread they serve is out of this world. Also, the house salad dressing is the best Italian Dressing I have eaten. I highly recommend this restaurant. Good food, fast service! Try it out.
(5)Scott W.
Huge restaurant with a lot of seating. Service is great. Pizza crust was a little thicker and doughier than I expected, but still good. The gonzo was interesting, as the Gorgonzola didn't completely overwhelm the other flavors like it normally does. The best part of the meal was the Cobb salad.
(4)Valerie O.
Come for the salad and pizza and forget everything else! This is not your typical Chicago pizza joint. They have various kinds of cheeses and different toppings. I love the caramelized onions with fontina cheese. The crust is fresh made and delicious! They're not going to cut these brick oven pizzas into squares! Make a reservation to avoid long waits!
(5)Michael N.
No, just no. Chicago and the immediately surrounding suburbs have a surplus of very good to excellent Italian restaurants. Trust me, my waistline is proof. However, sadly, Graziano's is not one of them. We have been there easily a half-dozen times in the last several years and each time I am disappointed more than the last. I think the quality was quite a bit better years ago, but now not so much. Furthermore, the restaurant is not clean, the service is uneven, and the food is bland. I do not like to be negative, but I have to advise against going here. I am not saying it is terrible, just saying that there are so many better Italian restaurants to go to around the area.
(2)Realtor Karl B.
It's okay. Not the best, but good enough. Liked the cheesy bread (dipped in oil), the salads, margherita pizza, stella cidre, and their pastas. Don't know if the prices were high or low since it was paid for by somebody else. I wish their had more deep dish pizzas available.
(3)Pastor Andy G.
Pros: -nice inside, friendly service, manager greeted us. -bathrooms are clean and updated (also, paper towels & 2 tall wastebaskets were near the door) -enough parking (lot) -clean -no bug issues (as mentioned by others) Cons/issues we had: -we arrived at 3:45, ordered about 4:00, food didn't arrive until 5:00. After waiting for some time, and finally seeing our server, I called him over to ask if there are any updates about our food. I said to my wife, "if he brings the food immediately after I just asked that, then we know the delay is his fault. If he doesn't bring it right away, we know it's the kitchen's fault. Sure enough, no more than a minute after asking him, here comes our food. -My wife's sandwich was hot, but her fries were lukewarm, as if they'd been sitting there awhile. -My pork chops were moist & tender, very nicely heated, but tasteless. -honestly, as mentioned by some of the other reviewers, I have to agree that it looks nice on the inside, but the food is nothing more than overpriced mediocre food. It looks fancy, but tastes bland. When we asked for boxes, he asked if we would like him to do it in the back or if we'd just like the boxes to do it ourselves. We chose the boxes, figuring that since he rarely walked by our area, we'd probably be waiting forever to get our food back. We also paid up front for the same reason. I'm sorry, but I doubt we'll return here.
(2)Caroline A.
I need to update my earlier review from 2009. Where did the time go--and, more importantly, what happened to this restaurant? We've certainly been to Graziano's since 2009, but only once or twice in the last 18 months. Ownership must have changed hands to see such a dramatic decrease in quality. The menu, which admittedly had gotten rather large, has contracted dramatically. Some of our favorites (such as the Seafood Pescatore) are still there. But the change is striking. We were recently at Graziano's on a Saturday evening, and the place was nearly empty. This has never, ever happened. We were expecting a 25-min. wait. I had a steak salad, and my husband had one of the ravioli entrees, which was soupy and mushy. The house salad was smaller but still had the same dressing. Our friends had a chicken dish and a pasta dish. None of it lived up to earlier visits. I'm very sad to see this restaurant decline and hope they are focusing on bringing quality back.
(2)Erica B.
We drive by this place ALL the time, and its wackadoo font on the sign, has always turned me off. not sure what compelled me to go online and read the menu one day, but I did and was super excited to find they have a vegan menu! So we signed up for their email list, got a 20 percent off coupon and visited! The food was pretty darn tasty! I just had spaghetti with marinara, but honestly, its one of my favorite things to eat, and a vegan version usually isnt too easy to come by. My husband ate my leftovers and said they were even better the next day! The proportions were huge. My husband got spinach ravilolli and he was also very pleased with his meal. The meals come with salad (coated in a mayo-covered dressing but when i told her i was vegan, she brought me a new one); and a bread basket. honestly, the bread basket was nothing to be desired in my opinion, but everything else was really good. The service was good and friendly. I really want to try the brick oven pizzas next time. they looked AMAZING. Happy to have a local, family style, italian place to add to our regular places to visit.
(4)Kristina H.
We were quickly escorted to our table. The service was pretty good even though they were pretty busy. The restaurant even sent a free order of brushetta to our table, although there was some confusion as we didn't know about it. The food was very good. I got the fish special with asparagus. I would recommend it for a nice place to grab dinner in the suburbs. Definitely one of the better places in the area near the movie theater.
(4)M A.
One of our favorite family restaurants. Good people, good food, good atmosphere, and good prices. Parking is never a problem. They have both high chairs and boosters, and will accommodate almost any needs the customer has. If you haven't been there yet and have a taste for the feeling of comfort -- go there.
(5)Andi C.
I really liked this place. It seems it's getting some bad reviews. We went there on a weekday- a Wednesday so perhaps this helped. The food was good the atmosphere was clean and nice and the server was patient and not pushy. There menu is great- they offer a lot of vegan and vegetarian options and the server knew if there was chicken stock in the minestrone or not. Always a plus! They also have a nice selection of wines. From about $6- $15 dollars a glass. Pretty average. I did not try their pizza but I hear it's very good. We both had pasta. Good- not overcooked. Our water glasses were filled promptly and the prices were average. I recommend!
(4)Neil B.
Watch your check! It was $8.95 on the menu, but the bill said $9.95 for the veg panini. They claim it was a computer glitch -- this would mean they are doing this to everyone who orders this. Also fries comes with almost everything, but you can change it to vegs if you ask -- much healthier. Lots of choice and unlimited salad is nice, although mostly iceberg lettuce. Service was attentive. Would try it again sometime.just for variety.
(3)Amy L.
Awesome service! Food was yum, especially the fried calamari! Soup and salad were both refillable; and the pasta came with very large portion, so go there if you are very hungry!
(4)Lana Y.
Fake Italian food! Do not waste your money! Food was salty and it wasn't even that good. The waiter was rude and was not accommodating. I'll just stick to passing it up on my way home.
(1)Christina G.
I'm just not a fan of this place. The place seems extremely disorganized. When we arrived, three people were at the hostess desk, all looking over the floor plan and trying to re-arrange things on their board. No one even bothered to look up to greet us. Since we knew part of our party had already arrived, we went and found them ourselves. Once we got to our seats, two different servers came up to our table at different times. We told the second server we thought we already had a server, and she rushed off to find out what was happening with the seating areas without another word. The salad is good, which is one of the only reasons for the three star rating. The bread is good too. But the food itself is not. I had the special - butternut squash ravioli. For almost $14, I got five ravioli. They were overcooked, kind of sweet, and the sauce was very oily and separating on my plate. My grandma had the meat sauce on her pasta, and it was sweet. Much sweeter than sauce should be. My husband ordered another special - the risotto. The texture was all off. It was not as thick as risotto should be. Further, there was basically no sauce of any type on the risotto and there were only a few bits of chicken and tomato, not much else. I will say that their chicken parmesan (which my dad had) comes in a huuuuge portion size. Two huge pieces of chicken and a ton of spaghetti on the side. Our server was pleasant, attentive, and checked on us often, which was appreciated. However, good service doesn't trump mediocre food. I won't be back.
(3)Faye B.
It's been a while since I have been to Graziano's in a long time. This was a central location for me and my fiancee to have our engagement party. We had preordered the dinner ahead of time and the staff was helpful in setting it up. We had most of our party ready to go and the food came out in a pretty timely manner. Of all the things we chose I would have to say that the fettuccine alfredo was the best. It was cheesy and oh so yummy. The desserts were also pretty good. The apple crostada was apple pie a ala mode heaven. This place always seems to be hopping and there is no shortage of people as it seems that they have their regulars. But the staff did a good job catering to our needs.
(4)Em P.
Just too average of an Italian restaurant to return again for seconds. Food was decent... but not over the top. Service was very good though. We had a large group (30'ish) and they were more then accommodating. They did package up all the leftovers for whoever wanted to take them home.
(2)Jim B.
I usually order for delivery from here a couple times a month, mostly because I like their salad dressing. So today I ordered my usual Angel Hair Pasta, with salad, and bruschetta at 5:47pm order was placed. My order arrived at 7:17pm, with no salad. Instead I got 2 cold soups that where sitting in top of the bruschetta which was now hot and slimy. The angel hair pasta had hardly any sauce or vegetables on it (also cold), and the Italian Sausage tasted like it was from 2 days ago. For $35, I'll order from Zias from now on. The food always takes FOREVER, this place has gone downhill big time.
(1)Paul K.
One of my favorites. Been coming to this place for about 5 years and I have never been disappointed. Great selection on the menu. The brick oven pizza is superb the staff is friendly and polite the resturant is clean and inviting. Plenty of parking and I never waited more then a few minuets on a busy day to be seated.
(5)Omar K.
we were there recently and had the pleasure to be served by Maria. super sweet lady!!!! the buffalo calamari is fantastic, and of course the brick oven pizza is to die for!
(5)Brandon B.
The spinach ravioli was good. The appetizers (calimari and fried cheese) were just ok. For the price I guess I expected a bit of a nicer atmosphere and better food.
(2)Ralph F.
Updating with one concern; the server Sarah. Why does it take you so long to come back and check on your tables when there is no one in the restaurant? We've had you the last two times we've been to the restaurant and you consistently fail to meet even basic standards for customer service waitstaff. You take too long to do any/every thing required during a meal. We will still go to Graziano's because by and large it's a good place. The food is good, not too expensive and they are very kid friendly. I'll ask to be seated in any other server's section from now on though.
(3)Carolyn I.
I went here with a large group to celebrate a special occasion. Our server was really friendly. She gave pizza dough to all the children in our group to play with. It got a bit messy, but the kids enjoyed it. Appetizers Stuffed Arancini with peas, prosciutto, provolone, balsamic glaze Traditional Fried Calamari Both appetizers were good. The arancini was a bit heavy, but I only ate half of 1 piece so it didn't weigh me down. Pizza I ordered the Gaetano - sausage, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil The wood fired brick oven really makes a difference. The thin crust was crunchy and light and the toppings were fresh and delicious. I also tried the Graziano and Barbecue Chicken pizza. Both were good as well. I ordered a side salad and the portion was huge! It could easily be shared with another person. Our group ordered a mix of things: pizza, chicken and pasta. Everyone enjoyed their meal. This restaurant was a good choice for our large group and very kid-friendly.
(4)Christina C.
I ordered the chop salad and asked for easy lettuce but it definitely did not have easy lettuce. The lettuce didn't seem that fresh. Overall it was OK !
(3)Jennifer M.
I had ordered a pizza for carry out, and when I got home (and into pjs) realized that the order wasn't correct. I called and spoke with a manager with excellent customer service skills who took care of the problem quickly, and now I am happily relaxing and having a delicious pizza! Thanks so much for making it right. You guys are wonderful and make great food too.
(5)Karolina T.
Love this place for lunch. Been here multiple times and I always get the same thing because it is delicious. Their unlimited soup & salad deal is awesome. They have the best roasted red pepper soup. Also, their house dressing is probably the best salad dressing I have ever had and their foccaccia is delish. I definitely want to try more things on their menu next time I am in the area.
(5)Trina J.
This is a decent place to have dinner if in the area, and having tried it, I will continue my search for a better option. We dined here because my BF's parents chose it as it is near their home. In sum, it was a reasonably priced average meal and service was good as can be for a party of eight. We had to ask to have appetizer plates taken away, we had to ask for crushed red pepper with pizza orders. But, refills and second rounds of drinks were free flowing. The most surprising aspect of our service was at the end. My to go box included a piece of eaten crust. .... Guess folks who usually dine here literally want everything on their plate to be taken with them. I was wowed by that one. With each entree, you have the option of ordering a half or full order. For $4, you can add a soup or salad. The portions are large so it makes sense to share. I think you could even share the half order of the Chicken dishes. They were big. We had bruschetta and complimentary bread to start so no one was able to finish their meals. The Graziano pizza was slightly disappointing, but it was definitely edible. Despite its name, it was not the best item on the menu and if I were to return, I would not order the pizza. I tasted a few of the pasta dishes and they were okay. On the other hand, the Cheesecake with Raspberry was delicious! One of the sweetest, creamiest cheesecakes I ever had. I would definitely order it again and again. If the server put a piece of the cheesecake's broken crust in with any leftovers, I would probably eat it. As a matter of fact, I would. For those with celiac or gluten allergies, this may not be a not a bad dining option for you. The complimentary bread is all gluten free and they also offer gluten free pasta and gluten free pizza. One can only hope the GF meals have more flavor than the others.
(2)Gin G.
Been here several times but always for a baby shower or birthday parties that we've been invited to. So the food is always preordered. Typically a pizzas, salad, calamari, chicken n pasta dish. Food was always just ok. Maybe it's because it was always a big party but all the food was served cold. Not how I like my meals. Hotter the better (except for salads of course). I like the cheese from my pizza to be stringy as I take a bite n pull it away! I like my pastas al dente n pipping hot!! I didn't get that here. Service here was less than acceptable. The host for the baby shower had to buss tables and refill water glasses cuz the 2 servers assign to the party were no where to be found. We basically had to wave them down to ask for things like coffee we ordered but never got and we felt that we were bothering them as they were folding napkins at the bar. I probably wouldn't go back by choice. Only if were invited again for another event. If the food was good I could put up with below average service. Or If server were above par I could settle for ok food. But if the place provides neither, why would one go back??? Just my thought.
(2)Bethany M.
So disgusted/disappointed with this restaurant. Ordered the Salmon Cobb salad and found a strand of hair in it...... My Mother ordered the spinach ravioli to go, once at home and after inspection there was yet another strand of hair in her food too. This is never acceptable!
(1)Sanford R.
This place doesn't have a clue when it comes to customer service, and lost our business completely after only two experiences. My wife has a severe gluten allergy and both times we went we explained this to the server. On both trips they brought us plates that we didn't order that contained foods with gluten. The first time my wife opted to wait for what she originally ordered, but that took an extra twenty minutes that she had to sit hungry while I was eating my food. The service was very poor. No manager came over to apologize and the server didn't really do anything to make it better either. When we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and visit a second time they again brought us an appetizer with the gluten items that we told them to leave off. We just decided to leave at that point and never come back. Two times in a row is no fluke. If you are dining with somebody who has food allergies this is not the place for you. I tried writing to the restaurant, but never got a call back or anything. They did attempt to send me a $20 gift certificate, but that wasn't enough to make up for two bad experiences. My wife will never return to this place. I will say that their food isn't bad from what I tried the first time. I never got to try their pizza, but their pasta was decent. Too bad this isn't a place you can trust to get your order right or perhaps we might have visited more.
(2)Patrick M.
Everything we had was pretty good. Enjoyed the Grilled Calamari, Sausage and Peppers, House Salad, and Spinach Ravioli. The guy waiting on us did a nice job as well.
(4)Jack P.
I had not been to Graziano's in about 6 years, and I came back to check out the wood-fired pizza. We were three adults and one child, and we ordered an appetizer of Bruschetta, at the urging or arrangement of our server, and then their brick oven Pizzaiola of Spinach, carmelized onions, tomato, basil, mozzarella and Romano cheeses. We added some sweet Italian sausage for the two boy carnivores in the booth. And a separate small cheese for the small boy, which turned out to be pretty big. So there was lots of food to share and it was all very tasty. I'm accustomed to thin crust brick oven pizza having scant toppings, which is fine. But the toppings here were a little more substantial. Nothing wrong with that either. There were even some leftovers for the anticipatory cold pizza breakfast. The funniest thing was our server. He was this interesting combination of pleaser and stubborn bully. Anything we asked for was met with a loud "I can make that happen," yet when we had discrepancies in what was ordered or later when we had to return for forgotten left-overs, we were made to feel like liars. And don't get me wrong. His service was prompt and his attitude helpful, but there was this overwhelming feeling of being "coerced" into a large tip, which, by the way worked. He actually made a point after we rendered the bill but prior to leaving to thank us "for taking care of our server." I think it was the first time I've gotten that kind of feedback. And it felt kind of inappropriately icky . Our pizza meal was a great value for four people. But I think the other Italian entrees were a little pricey. I just find it difficult to pay $14 for example, for a plate of angel hair pasta with veggies. Or spaghetti with meatballs for $13. Portions are generous, though, I must admit. The atmosphere was fun, casual and festive on a Saturday night, And the place was crowded. It's also a huge space. It makes a good spot for family celebrations or birthdays, and doing a big pizza party here sharing all the different specialty pizzas would be both a good meal and a good value. Ingredients are fresh. The service is fast. Don't let your server rush you though. He could make that happen.
(3)Paul V.
One of my usual spots to go to for comfort food and a relaxing atmosphere. If you're in the area, I recommend you give them a try. Well worth it.
(5)Rodger W.
I really enjoyed the Kosher for Passover matzoh crust pizza and lasagna. Lunchtime service was excellent. I understand the gluten free items are delicious as well. Is this a chain or franchise?
(4)Daniel F.
Pasta was good but Marina our server was terrible., when I asked for more bread the second time. She said I only have two hands. She didn't deliver water to two guests at the table and was slow to deliver food and check. Terrible experience!
(2)Kathleen F.
Pays to know people who work there :) Love the food and the atmosphere, the bread is to die for.
(5)Jennifer M.
Very delicious pizza. Nice atmosphere and quick service.
(4)Eumi C.
(This review is 2 years late....but still necessary) ARG!!! I don't even know where to start with this place!! I planned my boyfriend's 30th birthday party here, and it was a disaster. The staff doesn't communicate, the food was cold, and the manager/owner was RUDE. I originally called and RSVP'd for 22 people. It was a Saturday night so they told me it had to be a family dinner style and preordered. Fine. I did. By Friday night, I only had 16 people who could make it. I STOPPED by, brought in his cake, spoke to the hostess and was reassured that it would be okay. The next night, we all arrived, but some of his friends did not show up (we had 14). The server came up to me and told me the manager wanted to speak to me. I was then told that I had ordered 22 peoples worth of food. I explained to him how I had come in the night before and spoken to the hostess about how I had only 16. He then said fine, then we should have 16 and I would HAVE to pay for 16 peoples worth of food as all the food was pre-made. Whatever, I agreed. I mean, this dude called me over to be RUDE. Didn't really matter I guess, since the not-that-busy restaurant was taking forever to feed us. The food came out, and it was mediocre, buffet quality, LUKEWARM crap. One of my biggest pet peeves is lukewarm food. HORRIBLE! We did cake and got out of there. That next week, I wrote the other manager/owner an email telling him what happened. He told me it was IMPOSSIBLE that the food was lukewarm as it is all cooked to order. 1st of all, if it is cooked to order, why are you charging me for more people than necessary?!?!? 2nd why are you DOUBTING me that the food was lukewarm?? Enraging!!! Every time I pass by this stupid restaurant, I STILL get mad that this happened. Don't plan a party here unless you want to overpay for lukewarm buffet style food.
(1)Jimmy J.
We had tried Graziano's over a decade ago and while it wasn't bad, they gave us no compelling reason to return. We gave it another try yesterday and I'd have to say I was pleased. The dining room is clean, bright, and modern. The bread basket made with homemade goods was solid. His price points for that type of fair in today's market was very reasonable. The fact that all entrees and pastas come with unlimited soup and salad is really wonderful given at the salad was superb. My pork loin on entree was a huge portion with unlimited soup and salad for $17 it was very tender and spiced well. . I had a couple salads perhaps a third of my entree and took the rest home. The kids menu was pretty good and reasonably priced. I will say that I am NOT a fan of brick oven pizza and tried some of my kids pie and it wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. My wifes Cobb salad was very good and presentation was upscale. The comped dessert for my birthday boy was a nice touch by Noble who provided warm service. We ll return.
(4)Ryan L.
Part 2 of Mediocre Duck Tales: I came here for a family birthday party, as there really is no other reason to make an effort to come here. Generic city up in here! I've had a rash of unimpressive duck meals lately, and my friend said to me, "Maybe you just don't like duck". Then I thought to myself, "Maybe I don't friend, maybe I don't". No, I'm gonna chalk this up to the restaurant. I like duck! How can you not when they eat free at Subway? (RIP Mitch) So after that flighty diatribe, I in fact did not like the duck. No flavor and just bleh. Not even the tasty accompanying orange sauce could mask the blandness. This time, I could NOT get through the entire plate, exhibiting my dissatisfaction. I did mildly enjoy the soup, but when that's the end of the highlight reel, you need to step up your game. This place was bumping on a Saturday night- families with loud babies and/or children, teenagers pre-gaming before prom, and lazy young adults too tired to journey further for something better. It's doing something right to have so many patrons, and for that I tip my hat to them. However, I see no reason to return, unless I have to. Someone give me a place with good duck! I've been miseducated for way too long.
(2)Christine B.
We had attended a St. Baldrick's event for our neighbor's daughter who passed away recently due to a Brain Tumor. There was a large group of people at the event and we had a parent go to Graziano's to make a reservation for us, we had about 30 people at the event from our group and expected about 15 - 20 to go to Graziano's. What we met there was to say the least, a less than welcoming experience. Not everyone came out for dinner, we ended up having 11adults and 2 children, the check was around $350.00. The Mother and Brother of the child who passed away were in the group as well as the two aunts who also shaved their heard for Cancer research. We were met with "Why did you not make a reservation?" (This was a spur of the moment decision made at 5 pm on a Thursday evening) The establishment was by NO means full, there were at least 10 empty tables in our section in the back. The waitstaff acted as if they were doing us a favor and the rest rooms were in horrible condition. The food was really good, it was a shame that were made to feel less than welcome. A smile can go along way, especially considering most were wearing their St. Baldrick's t shirts. I for one, never had my water refilled. In this economy I believe we should have been welcomed with open arms on a non busy evening......what do you think? Moral of the story, this is not a walk in place, please make sure you make a reservation or you will pay for it with bad service. This was sad as the little girl and her family were frequent diners here. I will think twice before going again. Good food will never replace BAD SERVICE. Thank you for listening. Chris
(2)D G.
They have a pizza with vegan cheese! And besides that being amazing the crust and sauce and roasted veggies are delish. Didn't give 5 stars because the bread they give the table when seated is lacking, it just doesn't taste fresh. But, for all of you out there like me that can't have dairy, there is finally a place that understands we want pizza too! Very exciting. Marina our server was also awesome.
(4)Lucy F.
The service and attention you receive here is amazing. The warm bread they bring when you seat down is great.. I tried their home made chicken noodle soup and it was great. I also had their pizza and it was delicious, I love the pepperoni.
(4)Josh V.
Based on my one experience here last night, this place was just very OK. The best thing was that after getting quoted 45 minutes at Olive Garden (suburbanites love them some chain restaurants, don't they?) we got seated here right away. The service was adequate. No major complaints. It took awhile for the fried cheese appetizer to come out, but the waitress noticed and went to check on them. She was quite friendly. I did have to ask for more water, and for some reason she brought another full glass instead of refilling the one I had. The food was generally mediocre. The soup was OK but salty. The salad was completely drowned in dressing and the lettuce was soggy. The baked ziti chicken ragu was OK, but a bit over-baked I think. At least they have the option for whole wheat or gluten free pasta. The baked chicken was good. The best part of the meal was the dessert, which was two soft brownies with ice cream, caramel and whipped cream. The portions are all huge. I took more than half my pasta home. Maybe we just caught them an off night, but I wasn't impressed. I guess I'd give them another try if I happened to be hungry and in the area.
(3)P J.
I went here recently with family and the pizza was freaking awesome! It wasn't like most pizza in Chicago but it was fantastic. The ingredients were obviously high quality. We only had the pizza so I can't speak to other menu items but Given the quality of the pizza I'm genuinely surprised the average rating is only 3.5 stars.
(5)Melissa M.
Let me start by saying that I've frequented this place many times and had stopped going because the service had become absolutely atrocious including the managers. Despite serious doubts we decided to give it a try again. I was pleasantly surprised. We had a great server who was very professional and attentive to our table. I think the only complaint I have is that the food came too fast. We only had about five minutes to eat our soup/salad, but it was all still good.
(4)Corey D.
It seems like growing up if we weren't at L Woods, we were at Graziano's. I can't even count the number of high school cast parties/banquets we also had. Can't say much about the place at lunch, but come dinner time they have it going on. Service is extremely friendly, everyone I've ever had there has been super knowledgeable, and I appreciate that even though I've been time and time again, they treat like it's my first, and walk me through the entire deal. I appreciate that over the years portions size has remained the same and pricing for the most part has too. There are now healthier options that weren't available back in the day, but it's Italian, right? It's not supposed to be good for you! It's supposed to make you feel good. The bruschetta is excellent as is the chicken parmigiana. Does it taste like a quaint place in Italy? Not so much. But it's better than the Olive Garden and I actually like it more than Maggianos. Know Before You Go: End with the tiramisu. Seriously. Some of the best I've ever tasted.
(4)Michelle P.
I hadn't been here in years, but Graziano's is just as I remembered it. Great family place with solid Italian-American food, big portions, reasonable prices and kid friendly. When you sit down, they give you a large basket filled with fresh baked bread & foccacia, and everything I've ever ordered here is huge - plenty to eat, and plenty to take home. The "bottomless salad" is delicious - it's really nothing more than lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and onions, but it has a killer dressing, and there's something cool about the idea of it being an unlimited amount. One thing to watch for though is the pricing - they know you think it's cool that it's unlimited, so there's a somewhat complicated price structure depending on what you order it with. We ordered two "pizzettes" (10 inch pizzas) for 3 people, plus 2 of the bottomless salads (the salads are 2.50 each with a pizzette, but you can only order one salad at that price per pizzette, and no sharing - see what I mean about complicated?) There was plenty of food - we easily ate just half the pizzas and took the other half home. They were good standard thin crust pizzas - a little bit thicker than the neopolitan style you get at gourmet places, but a little bit thinner than typical New York style. We got one florentine pizza and one pizzaioli pizza, both were great, and the leftovers held up reheated the next day too. My son got a kid's pizza which was almost as large as our pizzas, and came with a beverage (the only milk they had was whole milk, so he had juice instead). The only thing to be prepared for is the noise level - this place is loud! For years this was one of my family's regular places for dinner since the noise level would drown out anything any of our kids could produce, but I could see it being a little bit too loud for anyone expecting a quiet intimate meal. But if you have kids, this is the perfect place - they even give younger kids a blob of pizza dough to play with at the table while they wait for their food, or you can sit at a counter and watch the chefs prepare the pizzas and put them in the oven. Can't wait to come back!
(4)John G.
The wife and I had wanted to visit Grazianos for a while. It was the first time that she was going to enjoy the goodness that comes from a brick oven pizza. We went in for an early dinner and it was not crowded, but by the time we left the place was starting to get packed. The place is very family friendly and the wait staff was attentive and helpful. The meal starts with the standard bread basket which was excellent. The server was not kidding when he said that the portions were plentiful. Salad can definitely be shared. We got a personal pizza and seafood pasta and there was plenty to take home for another full meal. The pizza was delicious and cooked to perfection. It is the perfect place to go for dinner and then a movie, but try to get there before there is a wait.
(3)Laura D.
We have gone to Graziano's for the past 10 years and the last few times have been terrible. We went tonight and we ordered fried mozzarella cheese and they came out cold and not cooked. We sent them back and the next order came out cold again. Then we asked our waitress if we could order Italian nacho's and she said they wern't on the menu so we asked nicely if they could make them because last time we were there they did it for us. Her response was I have worked here four years and we don't do that. Anyways they did make the nachos for us. Then when our salad came they didnt bring the salad dressing. Just seemed that they were in a hurry to get us in and out when the place was empty. Our family was ver y disappointed. We wont ne going back anytime soon. So sad because we use to love the place.
(1)Peter R.
I came here with a group of my co-workers for lunch. We got there shortly after they opened, so we could avoid the inevitable lunch crowd. I am a Pizza aficionado, and I had to try one of the "brick oven" creations. I decided on the Toscano, which is topped with sweet Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Plum Tomatoes, and Tomato Sauce. I ordered the "Pizzette" size, which is the individual portion. Our orders didn't take too long as they slowly trickled unto our table. Some of the items my co-workers ordered were the Margherita pizza, Angel Hair Pasta w/ Shrimp, Chicken Marsala, and Grilled Pork Chops. Judging by the content look on their faces, I would have to say they liked the food. My pizza was the last order on the table, but no worries since I was munching on the Bruschetta app that we ordered. My pizza was molten hot, as the cheese was still bubbling...so I let that bad boy cool off. I took my first bite and I have to say that the pizza was OK, but nothing special. I want a pizza that will slap my taste buds with flavor, and make me update my facebook and twitter status on the spot. This just wasn't the case with this pizza. I was neither disappointed or impressed...just ehhhh. I will have to try the pasta dishes on the menu next time I come around. Overall, I did enjoy my dining experience here at Graziano's. And like Governator Schwarzenegger, "I'll be back!!!"
(3)Andy M.
Out of all the pizza chains in Chicago, this one might be my favorite. They offer a much more extensive menu than most pizza joints in Chicago. The pasta is always fresh and delicious, and the service is very good. I had an kick ass Italian beef here last night. The peppers were fresh and grilled and the gravy they served knocked my socks off. I have had pasta here in the past that was wonderful as well. If you are looking for a nice, comfortable place for some pizza or Italian food, I give this place two thumbs up.
(4)Susan B.
I don't know why but we've stopped going here but -tonight we did again, and I had the steak salad--w/ candied pecans, feta, polenta strips, red bell pepper strips, oh yum, (w/ a small thimble of the OMG house dressing), hubby had a cheese covered beef sandwich--he loved it, and our friend had a great bowl of cream of mushroom soup, and spaghetti marinara. He loved his too. Good bread (a must) is served also! The apple tostada was a absolute favorite long ago-- but it is SO darn TINY now compared to the last time we went here! cupcake size! for $7.00 it's a JOKE, that's not funny. The waiter never returned after we were served, and I was flagging down bus boys for water. If they sit me in his section --I'm moving to another one. This review is neither "funny, cool or useful" --FIND some new words Yelp!! We need an YUK button to hit! Everyone want this. just sayin.... Update on their ''Apple tostada dessert'' : --they have returned to the original decent size and it's a very sized good portion, -and an excellent choice for a dessert. :) Thank you Graziano's.
(4)Natalie S.
This place is just a block from where my Mom lives and where I grew up so maybe... just maybe... it got an extra star for sentimental reasons. It's a good alternative to "mall food" when you're shopping around at Village Crossing. They're open for lunch unlike, say, Outback... and whenever I can skip a chain restaurant, I'm down. The food isn't mind blowing (but then again, I rarely think that Italian restaurants are mind blowing... just a dime a dozen) but it is always consistently good. I have sampled all over the menu and never had a bad meal. I really like their calamari, margherita pizza and the spinach ravioli. However, the real standout here is the salad dressing. I don't know what they do to it... but it's the best salad dressing I've ever had. It is often my responsibility to stop at Graziano's on my way to my mother's for a family party to pick up salad dressing because nothing can compare to it. I'm letting out a secret: my pasta salad that all my friends rave about? The secret ingredient is the dressing from Graziano's. Shhhhhh.
(4)Neel S.
Good place, great food and good enivornment. !! Maria is the best server and here services is excellent.
(5)Bari L.
The restaurant has an appearance of a family friendly place to enjoy a good cooked meal with your family. On the day we went their sign even said voted #1 kid friendly restaurant (by whom I don't know), which was good since my 8 year old niece was with us. I was hesitant to go here for two reasons. 1. The last time I went I don't recall being very happy with my meal. 2. Yelp and favorite yelpers did not give such rave reviews. So you'll have refer to the picky sugar high child that was in our company we just need a place to go and quick we were hungry. I typically do not order chicken when I go out to eat (I can cook it at home with ease). I see on the menu they have Tuscan brick chicken and I like brick chicken it is typically very moist and delicious. Blach!! When did Tuscan mean the chicken swims in balsamic vinaigrette? That's all you could taste and I was shocked they put extra sauce on the side my mashed potatoes even absorbed a huge puddle of the "sauce" and there was still more to spare. Now to the moist part it was chewy and dry I ate a couple of bites and waited for our waitress who never came and when I turned around to see where she was she was right behind us watching tv. She never came to see how we were doing. My niece ordered a cheese pizza off the kids menu and ate two pieces it was huge and looked good. Since I knew I wouldn't be eating my dinner I grabbed a slice of hers it was inedible it was so over salted it was absolutely disgusting. I'm surprised she ate hers but then again the child started eating packets of sugar after she was done. I'm also confused as to how they got their first place kid friendly rating. There was nothing they did that was special not even a pencil and a piece of paper for her to scribble on. Needless to say this will be my last time walking through their doors. Oh they did take my chicken off the bill but charged me $6 for a house salad.
(2)Tricia D.
I've been wanting to try this place for a while now, having driven by it multiple times, and finally got the chance to stop in. Ordered a steak fajita pizza and was a bit stunned that it literally came out in 5 minutes, more or less. It was delicious! I'd definitely recommend this place for brick oven pizza.
(4)Colleen C.
5 stars for having a low carb menu AND being Italian :) Makes my life a bit easier, and I can be less annoying :) Food is really good though, large portions, big place. Dinner salad had killer dressing, waiter was superb. All in all, a great business lunch spot, and a lot of seating for bigger parties, if needed. I really enjoyed it. Easy to get to of 94, big parking lot (I know that's not a big deal in the burbs, but whatever!) I'd go back...if I ever find myself in Niles again.
(5)Edward W.
I like the pizza and nothing else. Seriously. I don't know what it is but the pizza is great but every time I try something else here I just don't like it. My wife feels the same way. Some of my friends think the place is great. The decor is very nice. They have a parking lot with lot's of space. I just think that the food is nothing special. Now we only phone order pizzas for pick up.
(3)Katie R.
Terrible. Well, not all of it but all of dinner. Bread was good, and there was a decent olivw oil on the table, but you couldn't pick it up because it was too slippery. The whole bottle was covered in oil and left my hands covered in oil too. Gross. My dining companion had salad, which was good. The house dressing was the redeeming feature ofthe meal. The croutons were good, and the salad was pretty decent, if too heavy on the onions. I had New England Clam Chowder, which was fine. Nothing to write to Maine about, but not bad by Chicago standards, and a glass of Beaujolais, which was nice. Then dinner. Ugh. First off, it took far too long for dinner to arrive, and we were never offered refills during the time we were waiting. I ordered one of tonight's specials, Risotto Vesuvio style. It was billed as a cross between chicken vesuvio and risotto. Indeed, the risotto had peas, potatoes and chicken in it. But the sauce was flat and characterless, a goopy salty garlic mush over mediocre risotto and chicken strips that looked like Perdue convenience packages. The potatoes were, oddly, the one redeeming feature of this dish as they were the only thing that did not overwhelm with salt. I finished less than half and didn't take the rest home, as there was no point in subjecting my fridge, empty as it is, to such mediocrity. My companion ordered chicken marsala, a family favorite. It came out as a huge slab of thin chicken with a mushy coating and a bland sauce. It tasted vaguely of garlic salt and flour and not much else. There was no marsala taste, no wine flavor at all! And nothing to go with it. We never ever send things back, but this was clear: it had to go back. Our waitress gracelessly stumbled around the issue, clearly not wanting to acknowledge that there was a problem. She did take it back, but and eventually offered to replace it with something else. It was too late at that point, and her surly attitude did not help. Then, the icing on the cake for me. We got our bill, and they had indeed taken the offending "marsala" off the bill. But she did choose to charge us for the salad that came with dinner, and it ended up being a very expensive meal which we hardly ate. As we left, we contemplating asking for a manager, but never did because not a single person of the four that we encountered on our way out asked us how our meal was. And that was probably good, because if they had, we might have had to be honest with them. My recommendation: skip the food (or maybe try the pizza, I haven't had it) but get the salad dressing to go and serve it at home with real food.
(1)Kristina K.
Service was pretty bad given the fact that we had to get up ourselves to put pizza on our plate. TDefinitely would not go back!
(2)Nick L.
We came here before catching a movie and because my brother is an Italian food junkie and as a visitor, he can pick what sort of food we eat. As Italian restaurants go, the decor and ambiance here is sociable and friendly so you'll get no gripes from me. Our order was taken and the food arrived promptly. The food was ok, not amazing. It's high on the carb content (no surprise with mainly pastas) which leaves you feeling bloated after the meal. The portion size was just too much for that type of food to remain enjoyable long term. The taste becomes too repetitive. Don't eat it all and it would be good.
(3)Mary F.
This was the worst restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life. We had table number 44 on 6/1/14 at 5:00 p.m. for a party of 7. The waiter must have been new as he constantly interrupted us several times to find out if we were ready to order. I don't eat meat but they had 3 seafood selections. The large menu did not say that all 3 selections were marinated in garlic and I can't stand garlic on seafood. The small menu only mentioned garlic on the white fish. The waiter came back to tell me that all 3 selections were marinated in garlic and that there was no seafood available without garlic. What kind of choice is this? He had the nerve to remind me that I was in an Italian restaurant. I have eaten in several Italian restaurants in many cities and have also been to Italy 4 times and I never encountered a situation where there was no seafood available without garlic. The kitchen finally said that they would thoroughly rinse the salmon so I agreed to try that since it was supposed to be accompanied by tomatoes and avacados both of which I love. When the salmon came, it was not there were no tomatoes or avacados and the waiter said the kitchen must have been confused since I had asked that red onions not be included since they bother my stomach. What does requesting no red onions have to do with eliminating tomatoes and avacados? Then another waiter brought me avacados topped with red onions which I couldn't eat. I just gave up. The salmon wasn't good so I just had a few bites of that and finally ordered a side of roasted potatoes to eat. On top of being totally incapable of serving a piece of decent piece of fish priced at almost $23., we had terrible service and the atmosphere so loud we couldn't hear ourselves think. None of us will ever be returning to this restaurant again.
(1)Tara M.
The food here is great! The Pizza, well that's okay... funny they have their pizza in the name of the restaurant, but it's mediocre. Then again, all I've had is the kids pizza, maybe the rest is better... although, I should say that the pizza is really good the next day, cold. :) My husband and mother typically both get chicken items, and they are always tasty. I, myself, am very partial to the rotini with peppers and sausage, a little zing and lots of flavor! MMMMMMMM!
(4)Reema S.
Went here on a Sunday night and it was decently busy. I can't remember our server's name but she was an older lady, very nice! For the amount of people in the restaurant, the amount of time it took for our food to come out was very fast! Almost too fast but I'd much rather it be fast than slow service. Food was okay, not the best but not terrible.
(4)Angelo C.
I made a suggestion about unneccessary intercom use and they made a policy about it. Way to go!
(5)Bob R.
This place was above average while trying to be an authentic Italian bistro. It's Huge and while I enjoy the exposed brick and high warehouse ceilings, I felt like I was dining at whole foods. Probably over a hundred tables with busboys making constant chair moving and dish clucking noises. The kitchen is open and You can here the cooks yelling and swearing in Spanish the whole time. While the hostess stands like a museum expo and really doesn't care about anything except her Iphone: Our server was Very attentive and constantly checking on us. Now here's the good part... The food of course. I liked how they serve warm foccacia with the bread. The calamari was very fresh but Too battered, and came with shrimp sauce?? while the Chicken Caesar salad was very fresh and delicious. If this place was twice as small and had a floor captain or owner, or Chef, then it wouldn't feel like a chain. Service 9 Atmosphere 5 Food 8 I guess I would be back.
(3)Lorna S.
I definitely enjoy the atmosphere at Graziano's. The food is also pretty yummy. The service on the other hand was not great. We were there with a party of about 10, which is not huge. The waitress was pretty rude. When I asked what types of beer they had on tap, she looked at me and said, "I mean, don't you know what you want?" I said, "I'm not sure, so I want to know what you have." She must not have really known what they had. She seemed to be mumbling some things, with an attitude. She spilled drinks when she set them down, and dropped a fork off a plate onto one of our guests. She didn't even apologize. I'm sure not all servers are this rude, but her attitude left a bad taste in my mouth. This place gets 3 stars for the food, and the idea that we just had a bad server.
(3)Melissa N.
I really like Graziano's. It's one of the local restaurants that my husband and I go back to again and again. Most of the time the food is great, although there have been a few times when I've tried something new off the insanely huge menu and have been disappointed. My favorite dishes include the chicken parmesean sandwich, the baked ziti chicken ragu, and the pepperoni pizza...mmm, now I am hungry just thinking about all that yummy food! The dessert portions are huge, and the drinks are usually good but not super strong. Most of the servers are good, but the restaurant fills up fast, especially on weekends, and service can be a bit slow at times. Still, overall, this is a great place for casual dining.
(4)Oliver S.
Best food ever
(5)Joyce C.
I like the pizza and the salad here, and that's about it. Everything else is just ok. Grazianos uses quality ingredients in their pizzas. For this category, they truly deserve 4 stars. We've tried the majority of their pizza offerings, but my fave is the Melanzana- it has roasted veggies like eggplant and zucchini and goat cheese. The crusts on their pizzas are thin and has a good chew and a little char to them. Their chopped chicken salad is pretty robust. It's the sauce and the ripe avocados that make this salad, the sauce is pretty delicious. This salad is a meal in itself. Service here kinda blows. The last time we came here, it took a long time to get seated, as the hostess and the take out girls were hanging out. After we were seated it seemed only one waitress was waiting on the entire section we were in, and it was pretty full that night. During our dinner, I realized that the hostess and the takeout counter girls seemed like they have nothing better to do than to gossip. Graziano's should probably fix that, because I heard other people in the dining area complain about the (lack of) service as well.
(3)Rhonda G.
The staff is friendly but they don't really care. No small talk, no suggestions, no return to the table to see how the food is. Frowning is the New smiling I guess. The pasta is excellent (we ordered spinach ravioli and spaghetti-huge portions so two meals in one) Orange San pellegrino is my new Favorite. The tables are too close together (sorry to the the little kid who will get into trouble tonight for repeating my curse words) Bread is served cold and if you look over to the service area you can see already poured glasses of water getting breathed on and the bread getting colder by the moment seconds before they grab it to bring to your table...yeah, thanks. I may go back to try the pizza with lower expectations.
(3)Debi K.
I would like to follow up that we have been contacted by Steven of Graziano's. I was very happy with his response and we look forward to once again trying this restaurant in the near future.... Customer service gets 5 starts!
(3)Jason J.
Have been to Graziano's many times and it's a decent Italian restaurant, but we tried the pizza this time and that upped it for us. The brickoven pizza makes this place. It was crispy, and had good fresh toppings with plenty of choices especially for kids. The pasta and other Italian specialites are hit or miss, not awful but nothing to get overly exicited about. The house salad is pretty tasty, and the focacia they bring out in the bread basket is very good. But if I want really good Italian food, Graziano's is just not my first choice.
(3)Bob T.
I ate there and worked down the block so I got dragged in many times at work outings. And also, many times on pick up orders the counter girl was rude and got our orders wrong. She was punching the keys so fast no human could be that correct at that speed and it caused issues on my bill a few times. The food is not really Italian at all but an Italian Mcdonalds. Not recommended.
(1)Carrie B.
"I love Graziano's- great option for casual, inexpensive family dining. The service has been less than stellar at times and the weekend evenings can get pretty loud and busy with families and kiddies, but the food is pretty yummy. I order the pasta with vodka sauce all the time, and always have enough left over to bring home. I've had the pizza a few times, which is ok but nothing great. The baked ziti and chicken parm are good too- but beware, the portions are HUGE. You can split them with two or even three people. And the bottomless house salad is so good. I love the dressing!"
(4)Catherine S.
if you like Tiramisu this is the place to go. I crave it. When i go with friends to eat they all order pizza or something and I skip the dinner and straight for the Tiramisu. Its AWESOME!!!!!!
(5)Mike H.
I like this place. The pizza is good--thin and crispy. Nice space, nice staff. Big enought to show up with a big group. Okay to bring kids. It's basically like a Denny's that serves pizza. Except not gross.
(4)April Z.
we've been going to this restaurant since it opened many years ago. and we've never had a bad dish. the portions are huge, but i'd rather have good flavor over a huge portion and they win on both. the service is always good. and i'm always happy to take even the pickiest eater here as everyone always finds something they like. its not exactly fine dining but a nice restaurant that can cater to all levels of patrons and pallettes.
(5)Laura R.
I LOVE their house salad, I could eat it everyday. I've tried a couple of their pastas and they're all pretty good too.
(4)Julia B.
The pizza is really good and the crust is thin..which is my favorite. The salads are huge and good! I had the chopped salad and thought it was great. The room is huge so you won't have to worry about there ever being much of a wait, especially during lunch.
(4)Nancy B.
The house salad is great, a few less onions would make it even better. The balsamic dressing they serve with it I could drink out of a bottle! I'm not much of a carb eater, so I like that they make a number of their meat dishes low carb by serving them with veg rather than potatoes or pasta. Honestly, the roast chicken is so good I crave it after. They serve it au jus, which is just the right amount of salty. Delicious. My husband frequently orders pasta or risotto specials, but it seems to me that they're very light on protein. Sometimes he doesn't want to bring home the leftovers, which would equate to about 3 normal servings as the portions are so freaking huge. How about giving us half the pasta and the same amount of protein and sauce so the proportions are right? If you're ordering a kids pizza, get one for every 2-3 kids, they're full size pizzas. Which is nuts. Overall, it's hit or miss. I wish they would change up the menu a bit, they've had the same base food for the 4 years we've been going. It feels like a corporate kitchen designed the menu and then moved on.
(3)Pamela P.
The go-to family place for any familia extravaganza! This weekend we ordered from here to cater Easter/Birthday party. They were absolutely top notch. From total and complete ease in ordering to charging my card so that someone other than I could be able to pick it up down to the food quality and preparation and even packaging for transport. Really, Graziano's is great! The prices are truly reasonably and the food is very versatile and will suit any array of tastes!! Highly recommended! You won't be disappointed! Oh, and also--their pizzas are AH-MAZing!
(5)Brent L.
I took the family back for another visit at the request of the owner and had an excellent experience from start to finish. As I mentioned in my previous review, the service on our prior visit had been terrible. This visit was much different! The service was excellent, the food was awesome and the portions were huge. Yes, we will be back and I will recommend Graziano's to my friends.
(4)Dan L.
Had a really great experience there. We stopped in for a quick lunch. We were seated immediately, had the bread/water brought out immediately. We ordered the bruschetta and a medium pizza (half goat cheese pesto and half zucchini). Both were delicious! The pizza came out quickly as well. All the food tasted great and we will soooo be back!
(5)Sarah C.
My visit to Grazianos wasn't necessarily the best, but surely not the worst. Service was slow, atmosphere was loud and chaotic. Food was mediocre at best.
(2)Carla G.
I have had different experiences in the past with Graziano's service- I come back because I like the food. For starters-the house salad and bread is delicious! They offer customers to purchase the house salad dressing. I ordered the four cheese linguini and added chicken. (Definitely suggested for cheese lovers). Heads up: There is an unlimited soup or salad option, but the details for this are towards the end of the menu. We came in early evening for dinner so we were seated without a wait and our server was attentive. I would suggest making a reservation otherwise. The portions are pretty large so I don't believe I have ever had room to try out the dessert- I enjoy the leftovers!
(4)Roseann M.
Back again, 11 months later, another 14 members of Rick's Hiking and Fun meetup group. No hiking for this group on a Wednesday night, but big appetites for food and fun. Graziano's was jam-packed. This is a huge restaurant, friends. The first clue should have been the very full parking lot. I was able to find a spot at the outer periphery of the lot. When I went in, there were so many people in line, milling about, in large groups at big table settings, I thought maybe I was at Wal-Mart on Black Friday. Yes, it was that jammed. Luckily, half our group was already there, so no problem - reservation was honored, on time. That's a point in Graziano's favor. Even with the huge crowds, we had professional, efficient service from a waiter named Noble. He wasn't super-friendly, just efficient. Mind you, 14 people were eating, and when he came with the food, he didn't stand there and say "now who had the ...?" He had some kind of system, and he handed the plates to the right people, without asking, He got all the drink orders correct, too. When the over-$250 check came, everything was correct. Score for Noble. Now, the food . . . Gentle Reader, if you have seen my other reviews on this site, I try to be fair and nice. Especially, as with Graziano's, it is a locally-owned business, not another national chain outpost. So, I will tell you, the portions are very, very large. People around me hand the individual-sized pizza (8 slices, enough for two of me), lasagna (the size of a concrete block), spaghetti with meatballs (meatballs the size of tennis balls), and chicken breast in a lemon sauce. Everyone liked their food and was happy to take leftovers home . . . except me. I had pasta with vegetables, in a marinara sauce. I tried, Gentle Reader, I really tried . . . but this was one of the nastier pasta entrees I've ever had. The sauce tasted like my worst memories of Ragu. The vegetables were all cooked to varying levels of doneness - some soggy, some crispy. Not good. Despite enough pasta on a huge plate to solve any foreign food crisis, I could barely eat it. Now, I don't know whether I just had the luck to pick the one lousy entree, or whether something weird happened in the kitchen that night. All I can tell you is, it was really bad, to the point that I had something to eat when I got home. So, 3 stars for Grazianos. If I'd liked my entree, it would be four stars. Everybody was happy with their food except me. The service was impeccable. And I did find a parking place. If the group should go again next year, I will probably go, but I'll order a pizza.
(3)Kristy H.
One star for previous times I've been there that have generally been good. One star for our baked goat cheese appetizer (a special). No other stars because: 1) we ordered the four season pizza (proscuitto, red pepper, artichoke hearts, mushrooms) and it came as eight slices; each set of two slices had one of the four ingredients on it. I get the concept, but that's something that should be mentioned on the menu. 2) I complained to the waitress that we were misled and this was not what we thought we were ordering and she stood there asking me how it tasted until I said it tasted ok. Then she said "good" and walked away. We re-arranged the ingredients on the pizza so that they were all intermingled. Kind of gross to touch your food. Stupid, too. 3) The crust was way too chewy. I came here for brick oven and expected it. I won't be back.
(2)steph n.
I just love when we sit down in our booth and the server brings out a basket of piping hot sundried tomato topped focaccia bread to our table. That couldn't be more of a perfect timing. It makes the place seem more inviting. Graziano's is one of my favorite Italian Restaurants that are moderately priced and offer big portions, but not as big as Maggiano's. The battered calamari appetizer is well-seasoned and can easily suffice and appetite for 4. Their salad with their house dressing is worth raving about. It doesn't taste anything like those generic dressings you get from the bottle, but theirs is sweet and tangy and creamy at the same time. I order it every time I go there. These are one of the few places that offer brick oven pizza and it does make the dough taste a bit different from your typical pizza chains, however it is not one of my favorites due to the fact that I don't like thin crust pizza. My friend, however, loved it so you should go see for yourself.
(4)Marlyn L.
Please never go here and have the Grilled Steak Fajita pizza. It was disgusting. When we sat down, the paper table cloth had grease and crayon smudges - as if someone previously sat there for a few minutes and soiled it up before deciding to leave. I should have taken that as a sign. I wasn't feeling confident at this point and don't like to pay $12 for pasta I can make at home for about $3, so I decided to try their pizza. It's gotta be the best thing on their menu right? Bleeeghhh First thing I noticed were the paltry, brownish slices of avocado. They were baked on. I don't know why I expected it to be just freshly sized on top after it was done... but nope. The avocado was warm. Then my eyes were attacked by the unappetizing chunks of steak. They were not looking healthy. Not really wanting to, I tried the first slice and immediately got that smell of bad quality meat. It wasn't seasoned much. I couldn't get past to smell. Seriously. Is this a Bear Grylls pizza? I didn't want to seem rude or anything, so I just took the meat off the second slice. I started eating that but could still detect that pungent sh*tty meat smell. We decided to take the rest home so that the restaurant wouldn't try to recycle it and pass it on to other patrons. I thought maybe I could give it to a homeless person on the street. But then I decided that would be a horrible deed. Please... maybe -- MAYBE -- they have other dishes that are good, but do not eat that pizza! It's sick. I won't ever eat there again. Oh and it was way overpriced, too. You're better off having a $5 pizza from Hot-N-Ready.
(1)Mark O.
I recently visited with a large group of 30 and we were served family style. From start to finish my visit was very enjoyable. The calamari was cooked properly, the salads were fresh and the brick oven pizza was very good. Then came the mains, we had a pork loin which was cooked to perfection, we also had chicken Vesuvio and the stuffed ravioli along with fresh vegetables which were all good. Then the deserts cheese cake and tiramisu which finished off a very good meal. I would definitely go back
(4)Amanda H.
Food is pretty good, salad dressing is great, and so is the salad. Love the shake machine. Its a bit loud, service a bit slow with food, and managers very impersonal just would sit at the bar and wouldn't come around.. Overall pretty good.
(4)Michelle B.
My fiance loves pasta, so when we traveled to Chicago our friends we were visiting swore by this place as the best Italian in town. I've only had above average/not generic Italian food a few times (that's not to say I don't enjoy some mediocre sauce-smothered carbs every now and again) so my expectations are never high. Graziano's wasn't any different than most Italian places, so I usually par down such an experience to a few mainstays. Bread: A couple mishmashed loaves. Nothing to write home about but there was plenty for the 3 of us to help us out of starvation. Pasta/sauce: I ordered my friend's most recommended dish, the linguine pescatori, while the other two ordered spaghetti and meatballs. Fiance's pasta was cooked al dente and not overdone as it often is most places, so that was nice. Tried a bite of one meatball and it seemed decent enough, but the second meatball tasted more bready than meaty. Total turn-off. The sauce didn't strike me as anything terribly different. My pasta was fine. Mostly chewy squid rings mixed in with 3 or 4 shrimp, maybe 2 scallops, undeveloped shriveled mussels. About your run-of-the-mill seafood linguine in a garlicky sauce. Service: Bleh. Our waitress started out as okay, but we quickly realized that we'd not be receiving refills on our drinks due to her absence. We waited for our food for a long time, considering that this was not a superb gourmet meal. I think after our food was served she came back one time to see how things were going and to bring me a larger cup o water so she would not have to refill my smaller cup. It wasn't really busy, and I didn't see her walking around much of our time there. Dessert: I wouldn't know, because I didn't want to wait another 45 minutes for a creme brulee that could potentially be a shoulder shrug.
(2)Irene H.
I absolutely love this place! I've been coming here for as long as I can remember. If you're around the neighbor hood, you should definitely stop in. It's also a major upgrade from stopping at Chili's or Outback after catching a movie at Village Crossing (although, there's nothing really wrong with those restaurants in my opinion). This place is great. The servers and host are really nice and pay just enough attention to your table without being overbearing. The food is amazing and isn't too pricey for what you get. The portions are just the right size, and their house dressing is delicious. They even get extra points for delivering to my house (which was slightly out of their range). If you're stump about what to order, you can't go wrong with anything. All of their pasta dishes are great. I personally love their antipasto salad as an appetizer and then the BBQ chicken pizza!
(5)Jason L.
It's not my style to bash usually good reviewers, but are all of you people on yelp ridiculously devoid of taste? This restaurant is a fucking disaster. It was my daughters' 2nd birthday tonight, and we just got out of target on Touhy and decided to go out to dinner, she said she wanted pasta, and I had seen Graziano's on Touhy before so I decided to check yelp for reviews, which for the most part, were on the positive side. Yelpers also said it was very "family friendly" so I figured it would be great for dinner for my two kids. The first sign that things were going to go wrong should have been the fact that the place was 1/2 empty at 6pm on a friday night. The second sign should have been the elderly sleep fest in the parking lot, and the fact that the parking lot is 1/2 full of handicapped spots. So we walked in and were greeted, seated and our waitress brought water and a bread basket. Im not going to go into a lengthy diatribe about the subtleties that were missed along the way. Our entree's flat out sucked. My kids liked the idea of PB&J Pizza and Mac & Cheese Pizza, so they were $4.95/ea and we got one of each. When they were brought out they were WHOLE pizza's, full 12" pizzas. Who's fat ass kids eat 8 slices of pizza in a sitting? Especially Pizza loaded with peanut butter and macaroni and cheese....I'm sorry but I dont need my kid inhaling 1500 calories in a sitting. As for the quality, the PB&J pizza was actually decently presented, it looked good, I tried a slice and it was good. The mac & cheese pizza looked like shit on a plate, literally a box of kraft poured onto a pizza shell. It tasted like crap too. I started with a clam chowder, new england style, and was suprised to find fresh clams, but the soup was flavorless, no salt or spices anywhere, pure disappointment. I ordered a special, The red-wine braised beef and portobello mushroom risotto. The first plate that was brought to me had a nice big long hair running through it, so needless to say I sent it back. The second plate was rushed to me, it was back in front of me within 5 minutes. Risotto takes 20 minutes to cook, minimum, so either they pulled the hair out, rearranged things and reserved it to me, or completely rushed a new dish. Whatever they did, the beef was so undercooked it looked like the sear you would put on a piece of tuna, the middle was completely cold and raw. My friends' pasta with marinara was watery and the sauce was tasteless, like a jar of wal-mart sauce. The manager tried to patch it up by comping our bill and sending us home with 2 desserts. I tried both when I got home hoping to redeem dinner and set my mind to one day give it a second chance. The apple tart with ice cream was warm and served with ice cream which was completely melted when i got home (why would you pack ice cream to go???) The tiramisu was dry to the point that I was grasping for a glass of milk, there was no evidence of any espresso, or even coffee liquor. And the marscapone was cracked on top, looks like this had been sitting for quite some time. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS!
(1)Mark G.
Was there tonight, it was terrible. There with my girl. I live in the city, she lives in the burbs, so when I get to see here all I want to do hold her and kiss her, apparently our waitress took some offense to us and was rude at best, our meal was terrible. We started the bruschetta. The tomatoes were not diced, they were cut in large different shapes that we could not eat with the bread, the onions were all sliced different, they barley used the right dressing. I had the chix Marsala, it was more like chicken in brown sauce - could not taste any Marsala wine. My girl had the chicken parm. Very average. The house salad- the lettuce was cut so large, very difficult to eat. For dessert, i ask if there was anything that they did not make. i figured if they bought it might be good. Well they didn"t , I had the chocolate cake, it was terrible. I spent $52. What a waste, should of just given it to a beggar, at least I would felt better for what I spent. I will never go back to this place. Just absolutely the worst experience I have had in a long time. These guys need to get back to the basics and start looking at what they are doing. It takes no time to dice a tomato in a uniform fashion and place nicely on a piece of bread. I wonder if the cooks taste things before it leaves the kitchen, if they did they might actually put out good food. Save your money and go down the street. Never again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(2)Johnny B.
Da Boss took us out for a "Holiday" lunch. Read between the lines- Christmas Lunch. When he said the name I was at a loss. But as I got closer I remember this place as at least 6 different restaurants in the last 20 yrs. Just a short jaunt from Leaning Tower. I admit, I was suspect. We were a group of 7. We ordered drinks (non-alcoholic, company policy) and perused the menu. I was impressed. Da Boss said they have an unlimited salad bowl w/lunch. The waitress brought out the drinks and GREAT BREAD. Well we all fought over it and they brought out some more. The salad was delicious. It was a house dressing, kinda a ranch. I had the chicken and pasta. Ample and well prepared, seasoned. The other highlight at out table was the Spaghet and meata balls. All who partook said it was good. In fact, there were no Doggie bags! Now who really gives their dog leftovers? It's dinner that night or the next breakfast. Our server was very cordial and patient with us whiners. What do you expect from some semi white collar slugs. Well paid slugs! I was intrigued by the big brick oven which they showcase. Worth a trip to try it. Not far from Arl Hts. We did arrive at 11:30 and it looked bleak. I wondered if it was open! But when we left after 1:00PM, the place was humming. Johnny Chitown
(3)Holly S.
The service can be iffy, but I seriously have loved everything I've had to eat here and am kind of baffled by the slew of complaints and negative reviews. I've eaten plenty of Italian from the very bad to the spectacular, and while this isn't spectacular, it's good, and definitely good for the suburbs! I'm a regular customer because it's near my office and I don't see that changing any time soon. I think some people are just born complainers...
(4)Aaliyah S.
I went to Grazianos on a Sunday night at around 6:30 with a group of 13 other people..the restaurant was very crowded by the time we arrived,but we had made reservations..the entire party wasn't seated together. Five of the people had to sit at a different table..it was close to the rest of us but it wasn't with us. Our waiter was clearly overwhelmed by the crowdedness of the restaurant and plus the size of the party I was with. After bringing our drinks and taking our orders we noticed that we still hadn't recieved silverware or plates..at this point,we had been seated for easily 25 minutes so plenty of time has passed since we were given our stuff and even then,the waiter put the silverware on the table next to us so when he left, I had to go get them from the next table. At one point,another waiter told our waiter to serve another table while he was taking our orders so he just left,which i felt was a bit odd, As far as the food,II don't have any major complaints..it was ok..I had the grazianos pizza and was satisfied. Maybe they were understaffed that day,or whatever..but..the service could have been much better.
(2)jill t.
I'd do 2.5 stars, but that's not a option. It's OK, I think the food quality is just OK. Not really fresh. The pizzas are probably better than some of the other options. I've had dinner their a couple times, pizza both times. My mom and I tried lunch and had pasta. The meals come with salad, it was too drenched in dressing and seemed a little soggy. The service has always been good. Lots of families. Not a romantic date spot. But, hey if you're on Target on Touhy buying toilet paper and shampoo and you want a brick oven pizza, you can come here.
(2)Marc W.
This is not really a pizza restaurant. I guess it is and that is what they call themselves, but most of their customers eat everything but the pizza. That is not to say the pizza is bad, but just not very memorable. Its a thin crust that is fairly "well done" with fresh ingredients. Good, Not Great. With that out of the way, I still come here all of the time. If you can find the time to enjoy a quick house salad for lunch then this is a great place. Their house salad and dressing go unmatched. If you are a fan of the Olive Garden's salad then you will be pleasantly suprised with what Graziano's has to offer. Their pasta dishes are heavy on sauce and flavor. You won't get bland food here. I can't go without mentioning they have the best buffalo calamari that I've ever had. Vitals (typical lunch): Buffalo Calamari Bottomless Salad Bowl No pizza $15 Not sure why some are saying that the service is below average. I've never had a bad experience here and I've ate there well over 20 times.
(3)kaya s.
The house salad dressing is absolutely phenomenal. I don't know what the 'secret' ingredient is but its addicting, and available to take home for a small price, just ask the host. I might lean closer to three stars but four is not absurd. This is a pretty large restaurant with lots of tables, but there is still a wait at times during busy dinner hours. Large menu, something for everyone, a nicely priced wine list. The brick oven pizza is fantastic and many of the pasta dishes are large and tasty. Service is hit or miss unfortunately which is my biggest knock on the place. I've had great servers and poor servers at my visits. Good for lunch and dinner, large parties, or a nice date.
(4)Jade T.
Disgusted by the food at Fluky's at Walmart, I yelped on my phone for a non-chain restaurant that offers lunch nearby. Graziano's was within three blocks from there, just after CD One Price Cleaners and before the Leaning Tower of Niles. You can't miss the restaurant or its sign. Graziano's was surprisingly large and rustically ornate. The replica of Venus de Milo had bunny ears and a lei around her neck. Funny. Sort of. I wanted to sit at the counter facing the open kitchen. Alas, it wasn't a "section" (hmm, might want to move the chairs then). Damnit. I love watching my pizza being made. In any case, I sat at a regular boring table and read through the menu. Lots of vegetarian options. Three vegetarian appetizers, five pizzas, several pastas, and so forth. Not bad for an Italian restaurant! I had the medium (14") Pizzaiolo (I can't pronounce this) with vodka sauce. The crust was good; slightly charred, thin, yet chewy. The salty, greasy combination of cheeses overpowered the vodka sauce. Overall, an above-average pizza. At $15.95, the price is just about right. It's gourmet-ish pizza after all. I recommend getting the soup or salad side for $2.50. I had the tomato-basil soup of the day, and the portion was quite large. The free bread was great for dipping. Oh, and their "pink lemonade" is actually Hi-C. Bummer.
(3)Brian C.
Greek meatballs are fantastic. Classic meatballs are very good too. The BLT sandwich is great. Did not love their Burger.
(5)Kim S.
Excellent Gluten Free menu options (they actually have a section of the menu dedicated to Gluten Free). My husband is the one with the Gluten Free needs and he loves the Pasta and the Sauce. He's eaten the Chicken Parm here also, but wasn't that impressed. When we visit here, he sticks to the Pasta, which is cheap, especially since it comes with a soup or salad (who does that anymore??). By the way, all of the salad dressings are gluten free as well. The House dressing itself is AMAZING. Definitely ask for it, but ask for it on the side so the salad isn't swimming in it. When I eat here, I also stick with the Pasta, specifically, the Pasta Arriabiata...yummo! A bit spicey, but not too intense, so I'm always pleased. I've also had the personal Pizzas which I think are pretty darn good. I didn't give this a 4 or 5 star because Pasta and Pizza are really the best options here. I wish I could give it at least a 3.5 star though because for the price, I think this is a great restaurant for a night out, with good food, and won't cause you to break the bank.
(3)Heather D.
We went back to Graziano's a few months ago and had a nice time with good service. Much more kid friendly than our last visit.
(3)Keshia W.
I used to work right up the street from Grazianos, their Italian beef and pizza is excellent. Great customer service, clean and friendly establishment!
(5)michele b.
Portions are HUGE!!!! think about splitting an entree with a friend or ordering a "half" portion (which is still plenty big) although this isn't as cost effective. HIGHLY RECOMMEND: The pizza is the closest I've had to New York style around here (Northwest side of Chicago). It's very close to actual Neopolitan style. Because of this I recommend getting the pizza to eat there and not to go or delivery. It just doesn't hold up to cold temperature or time. I've also had their chopped chicken salad and thought it was very good. My husband had the four cheese alfredo and loved it. The only thing I did not love is the decor. It's huge like a college cafeteria...not intimate at all. It is dark though and has dark wood every where.
(4)Amy T.
Horrendous service! We sat at our table for over 15 minutes before the waiter came over. He never once returned until we were finally able to flag him down well after our drinks had been emptied and our meal finished. He came and gave the check but not before checking his cell phone right in front of us. All the while, a group of employees and managers stood and chatted by the front desk. The food was just okay. We ordered a brick oven pizza. Very greasy. Not worth the money. I will never return to this restaurant.
(1)Michael D.
Had the Fried Calamari which was fried perfectly, hot and tender. Also, had the Rigatoni with peppers, and the Chicken Marsala. They both were fantastic! Nice big portions to!
(5)Sarena G.
I made reservations for Graziano's for a couples dinner on Feb. 28th. I am 8 months pregnant and suffer from pregnancy brain. I made the reservations for 7pm, but realized at 5:45 that I was supposed to make the reservations for 6pm. I called in a panic, and spoke to the hostess; she was friendly, and really supportive. She reassured me that it was okay, to stop crying and they will accommodate my party. We arrived at 6:15pm, the hostess smiled and said, we have a table ready for your party. We were seated right away. I have never been treated so kindly before at a restaurant. The food was amazing, huge portions and an awesome staff. I don't live in the area, but I WILL be back for my next date night! Keep up the great work with your awesome customer service Graziano's
(5)Jeremy M.
Probably the BEST brick oven pizza I've ever tasted!!! I highly recommend it to everyone.
(5)Lisa M.
Grazianos has some of the best Italian dishes. Both times I've visited were great experiences. The salad with the house dressing is to die for. The service is up to par and amiable. We need a Grazianos in California. I will miss this place but it's definitely a treat when visiting Chicago. Grazianos.....you are loved!
(5)Maria M.
Amazing food! The recent remodel is awesome. Great for families or parties. The brick oven pizza is delicious. Must try the classic margherita pizza. The pasta dishes are super tasty and good portioned too. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time.
(5)Natasha R.
I've been here numerous of times for company lunches, big and small. This is our company's first choice whether we are saying goodbye to someone, or welcoming a new member. Joy, who is our server every time, meets our very needy demands and requests, and believe me, we are not a easy group :) We call ahead of time, but lunch hour could be really busy and we never have to wait to be seated. It's always pretty packed, regardless of the hour. Aside from outstanding and accommodating service, the food is delicious as well. I always get their chicken chopped salad, which is one of my favorites. I always compare to the Wildfire chopped salad, so this says a lot. On my last visit, I got the grilled chicken panini and that was amazing too! Maybe I was just really hungry, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Another must is the Buffalo Calamari - spicy and tasty! Many of my coworkers get the Italian beef, so it may be my next lunch choice, or the chopped skirt steak salad, which also looks great. Either way you go, there seems to be a choice for everyone and a good variety to choose from. Oh, and always ask for their soup of the day - usually great choices! Graziano's is currently doing some reconstruction, but they are open and it seems that they are making some more room in the main dining room. It's a decent restaurant for what you pay and I definitely recommend it for a nice lunch or family dinner. With such outstanding service, its always great to bring business to those who deserve it!
(4)Robert B.
We always go here off and during the month, so the food has to be good. This last Sunday my wife and I were with an ailing friend and seems we got a real rookie for a server. He couldn't take our plates off our table fast enough, -even if we weren't done eating .He kept asking and asking and asking. My wife eats on the slower side, but apparently the avocado salad she was still eating was bothering our server, because he'd asked too many times if she was finished. My wife eats her salad after her entree'. He got so frustrated by my wife telling him nicely, ''no thanks, I'm still eating'' he sent in the ''closer'' (like when you buy a used car). Big ''Joy'' came over and quickly picked up my wife's green peppers (that our friend had ordered on the side FOR my wife) and just walked by w/o asking if she was done or not. My wife opened up and said ''I was still eating'' but off she went. We were offered a replacement for them, but she'd already lost her appetite from her rudeness, and the 'hurry up' attitude. She seemed so angry that we weren't making our minds up fast enough for her. We were going to have desert, shortly, and we had to look for our server high and low! One of us did order a desert -( I kept waiting for someone to stand over them watching them eating it, and hurry them on). Come on, there were many people there for parties etc. but there were open tables too, so we weren't taking up seats for any other parties waiting. We're seniors, and don't eat as quickly as others do and we're no where near 'demanding types' of customers. But when I'm eating anywhere, I hate being given the bums rush. Not for my money,- Let me eat in peace. Servers can make or break a good meal. Screaming babies were all around--but we said nothing. Can't help that. I'll say this experience wasn't Cool, Funny OR Useful. It really ticked us all off. How about Awful'? Pushy? Rude? They All fit.
(2)Lisa P.
I don't think the place is bad; the experience wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't positive. The food was bland, the server was inattentive, and the menu is misleading ("toasted mozzarella"? C'mon, it's just fried mozzarella patties instead of sticks.) We ordered the aforementioned "toasted mozzarella", a diet coke which never materialized, the 11" pizziaolo (which our server almost converted into a 16" margherita), and the unlimited salad. We ate our meal, and then our server stood off to the side of the restaurant completely ignoring us, even when we tried to wave him down for the check. We had to eventually go up to the hostess' station and tell them that our server was AWOL and we wanted the check. Luckily the diet coke wasn't on our bill.
(2)Terrel K.
They are hit and miss as far as customer service.but i love their goat cheese and sweet italian sausage pizza.
(4)Cara L.
Always solid and very good Italian food and wood-burning oven pizza. We would go there a few times a year when I crave Italian and can't come up with a new place to try. Never disappointing. My husband always has pizza (true pizza lover) and he likes it a lot. I tend to try different dishes and enjoy most of them. I tried seafood pasta and veal dish and they were both good. I also love Sambuca chocolate cake, if you have room for dessert.
(4)Ron S.
Graziano's is a solid 4-stars in my book. I ordered bow tie pasta with roasted garlic tomato sauce. I ordered the half order which was plenty for me especially after having a couple of plates of the bottomless Caesar salad bowl. I appreciate that our server was flexible with me and allowed me to substitute a different sauce with my pasta. I like Graziano's because they have good solid pasta dishes, a really good salad, you can order half or full orders of most pasta, and they have a nice family atmosphere. One of these days, I'll have to try the brick oven baked pizza but I have such a hard time bypassing a pasta dish. Oh well, maybe next time... Why only 4-stars? The wine list needs a little improvement.
(4)Nicole P.
I actually really like grazianos. I never ever remember it as an option for eating for some reason or another. Their hoyse salad dressing is phenomanal. I love stone oven pizza. The pizzas are always really crispy. Drinks are a little on the pricy side but the food is accurately priced. We need to stop by soon.
(4)Reda K.
Ok the last time I was here the service was bad and the food wasn't that good. Today was totally the opposite the service was great and our pizza was on point. We knew what we wanted already so as soon as the waitress came to ask what we wanted for our drinks we placed our pizza order. The bread they give you was great put a little oil on the plate along with the cheese then dip the bread in the oil it's really good. I would come back.
(5)Joyce R.
I had a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. I don't know what I was thinking getting this at a pasta and pizza place. It was just OK. The BBQ sauce was too sweet for my liking. And the pork wasn't so pulled after all. My husband's selections were much better. He had Marsala penne pasta with chicken. The pasta was actually cooked al dente and the tomato sauce was very tasty (not acidic). The mushroom soup was meaty and creamy. I made him switch entrees with me. They have a vegetarian and vegan section on the menu. For some reason they don't show this on their website. Not that it matters to me since I'm totally carnivorous. But it's still good to know since I am meeting more and more people with different diet restrictions these days. We also had black cows and root beer floats. We were like big little kids. I'll definitely be back to try their brick oven pizzas.
(4)Minay T.
Love the calamari and the food overall. They have big servings so the price is worth it. You can share the dishes without overspending. Good service and kids friendly.
(5)Kimberly C.
My kids like to draw on the tables and they have a funky kids menu including macaroni n cheese pizza!
(4)Bella B.
The drinks and appetizers are wonderful, the house dressing is OUT OF THIS WORLD and the pizzas are fantastic. Graziano's is a perfect "dinner and a movie" dinner spot. There's a theater across the street. I've been here for one birthday dinner (14 people in our party - service was wonderful) and many dates. Honestly, what keeps me coming back is the house salad and the pizzaiolo pizza - caramelized onions with tomato and spinach. Delicious. The only reason I'm not giving this place 5 stars is because they seem to be a little off their game for the weekend lunch rush. The last time I went, my entire party ordered personal pizzas and every single one came back burnt. Talk about a time waster to have those remade. And the waitress came over with a pitcher of diet to refill our non-diet pop. Not that great a time. Maybe it was an off day? Generally, it's a good experience.
(4)Transvision Zack X.
"Memories/All alone in the moonlight..." I'm a Michigan native but from about 1998-2006, I would make a regular summer trip to the Chicago area for a large-scale comic book convention. During road trips like that, certain things become tradition - and a pitstop to Graziano's was one of them for me. I sympathize with the negative reviews. If you only go to Graziano's once and it ends up being a bad experience, I can see why you wouldn't necessarily want to go back. The service does vary; I've had attentive waiters and not-so-attentive ones there. That definitely plays a part. Then again, if you're ordering things like peanut butter and jelly pizza, don't be surprised if it doesn't set your world on fire. I'm from Detroit. It can be hard to come by good pizza here. We're used to the the kind of greasy gutbomb pizza with liquid cheese that sticks to the lining of your stomach. That was why I so anticipated a trip to Graziano's. Each time I went there I was impressed with the quality salads and well-made traditional pizzas. If I lived in the local area I wouldn't make a habit of going there all the time, as it would quickly lose its luster. But if you're in the mood to dine out somewhere that's nice but not too fancy, with cool decor and comfy booths, and not to mention some damn good pizza...Graziano's is it. Okay, perhaps my memories are clouding my judgment. I mean, nostalgia is a powerful thing - and it's been years. Then again, after all this time I'm STILL craving a pizza from Graziano's, so that should tell you something.
(4)Jacob J.
What Graziano's is; an Italian food option for the suburbanite that won't travel another twenty minutes to find better. It's not horrible nor bad, just average. They've been around for many years so obviously they have a following, I've just never bought into it. Had their pizzas and pastas have never been impressed. At times it was just okay and probably didn't wow me as much; most any time I'd gone it was for a special occasion and when your with a group of people that aren't impressed it just compounds the feeling of not returning for a year or longer. Alike Rhonda G. said, the staff are friendly but they don't care to share their suggestions, nor do they follow up enough to see how the dinner is going and / or if anything else is needed. I drive passed this restaurant daily and maybe 30% of the time I may be on the lookout for food and I never have an inclination to try it again. Looking over their on-line menu I'm realizing they also offer steak, BBQ items and a few uncommon pizza toppings like grape jelly, peanut butter and Velveeta cheese. The atmosphere is friendly and with the family style seating great for groups. If on a date or in a crowd, you may feel at a loss in service.
(2)Erin K.
They have some relatively unique pizzas, like the PB&J pizza (not that I order it, since I hate peanut butter with a burning passion). That's their strong point. Their other pizzas are solid, not last-meal-on-earth good, but pretty decent. Their pastas are also good, but not excitingly so. Generic Italian food, you know. I was surprised by how delicious their tortilla soup was, though. It's obviously not super authentic, but it's yummy! Service is pretty so-so, and prices are a little high for the quality of food you're eating, but it's a nice place to go for lunch or dinner with the family.
(3)Patti M.
We (work) always eat here for lunch...the house salad dressing is to die for. We (work) always get extra and even come buy it for our own use at the office and home. My husband and I went for dinner the other night. We had excellent service and so much food we had to bring half home for our dinner the next night. I thought this only happened to us at lunch because we weren't really hungry and just needed to get out of the office. I was wrong, the portions are really large whatever time you go...and delicious. It may not be as "great" as some of the finer expensive italian restaurants around but the food is good and filling for the price..perfect for family and relaxing.
(4)T S.
This place looked awesome, but the food was alright. We ordered pizza, thinking that's what they are known for and were far from impressed. It didn't even taste like brick oven pizza. The pasta was alright. The best part of the night was their cappicino chip gelato-yum! I would also say the service was great.
(2)Lauren M.
The food was great! The only reason for lack of higher review was the terrible service we received. I was with a group of 13 and our waitress was extremely rude during our entire meal. One end of the table requested more salad (unlimited w/entree) as she had provided 1 bowl for 5 adults..and her response was fine as she glared at the other end of the table's salad and stormed away. In the past when we have come here with large groups, we have had absolutely no problem. Normally the water is promptly filled upon finishing the glass, however this time the only time our waters were filled were when we requested them to be filled and this was only met with an evil glare from the waitress. I understand if you are having a bad night, but that is no way to treat a table providing you with a tip from a large check including alcohol. Our table asked for minimal amounts of service, yet the waitress acted as if she just wanted to leave the entire time. Don't get me wrong, I love the food, (I had the Spinach Ravioli, normally get the Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka sauce, both are excellent and the house salad is to die for) but the service received significantly decreased my desire to return to the restaurant especially with a larger group.
(3)Brian W.
I've been here a couple times now and it's always been a decent Italian restaurant. Though, not on the top of my list. I just went with the family last night for dinner so I'll write this based on that experience. The dining areas are extremely large and when we arrived on a Friday night and it was at maybe twenty percent capacity. If there's so much room I wonder why the hostess sat us right between two other tables. When you have a lot of empty tables it's nice to maybe give one table buffer; so I don't have the super loud ladies next to us screaming in my ear. (I realize we can ask for a new table but I like to see where they initially decide to put us.) Our server was nice enough, though a little too soft spoken. We had to ask him to repeat himself a few times. Our drinks came promptly and better yet correctly; my dad's diabetic so it's kind of important that when he orders a diet coke, that's what he gets. We ordered a couple appetizers, the fried calamari and mozzarella. The large portion of calamari was lightly breaded and not too oily, however it seemed to be under-seasoned. The mozzarella was decent as well with a slightly sweet hint to it. Everyone else ordered pasta but I opted for the Pizza Margherita. It's a super basic pizza and one of the first invented; so it's a good marker, outside of deep dish joints, on how well they make pizza. Well... the mozzarella was fresh and for a mini pizza you get a decent twelve inches. They put on a lot of sauce with made the base bread soggy by the time it reached my table. The thing that got me, in order to insure that cheese reached all parts of the pizza (unnecessary in my opinion for that type of pizza) they used a processed mozzarella. The rest of the table seemed to enjoy their pasta well enough. Portion sizes are huge here. Everyone took home a container except my friend, he doesn't count because he formed some sort of pact with a devil to have an endless pit for a stomach. The bill for six people reached roughly a bill without alcohol. I might return here again but it's more out of convenience after watching a movie at Village Crossing.
(3)Chris S.
My parents live in Niles and I work in Niles near Graziano's, so I end up eating here often. Whether we're ordering out at work, or if the wife and I are meeting up with my mom and dad for dinner, this place rarely disappoints. There have been a couple isolated incidents that you can expect from any restaurant, but nothing horribly offensive. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of their pizza; although it's good for what it is, I tend to like my pizza either thick and deep, or thin and cut into little squares. Personal preference. My dad likes their pizza, as do most of my co-workers. What I like is their salad dressing and their pastas. Oh, and their burgers are decent too! Take warning though, their serving sizes are enormous, so either split something, or be prepared to have lunch and dinner for the next day. Good value, good food, go atmosphere.
(4)iddells E.
If I wanted mediocre Italian food, I would've just gone to Olive Garden down the street. I came here because the husband wanted Italian (oh the terrible sacrifices a wife has to make). Maybe it's because Italian food isn't one of my favorites. But I knew I made the wrong decision coming in here when I picked up the menu. Nothing at all interested me. I was looking at the menu for such a long time and when that happens, that means that I am not going to have a good time at this restaurant. The soup specials were horrendous. Black bean and something else that sounded nasty. I picked the one that I thought I could tolerate. The black bean wasn't great, it was too salty....husband enjoyed it though. I ate about 3 bites of my pasta meal and was done. I ordered the pasta with mussels in marinara sauce...it was quite bland. Leftovers for husband! I think he liked his food more than I did. Not making the same mistake again.
(2)Sam S.
Great place to eat, good pricing with great food and service.
(5)Dan D.
Great food, must have the Margherita pizza, get the all-you-can-eat soup and salad bowls! I've been coming here for a long time, and its simply because it is great food, good prices, and great service (Here is some advice: ask to have Zach Rudd as a waiter - fantastic service and he is a delight to serve you - a very comedic gentleman).
(4)Jacob K.
I was initially skeptical of this place as i had been here before and had mediocre food. Fortunately I had a delicious experience today. The service was fast and friendly. My salad with house dressing came out immediately after I ordered and was one of the best house salads I have had (it comes with most regular entrees). It was followed by lasagna with meet sauce and spinach which was equally scrumptious. The price was reasonable and the ice tea was alright. My friend had a panini sandwich with fries which he enjoyed. Overall it was a pleasant experience and would return. On a side note I remember they had good fruity alcoholic beverages- one called a mango bango....
(4)Jeff Z.
I love this place. They have the best Italian food. Great place for a date.
(5)Mary W.
Great service!!!! Very attentive and the food was great. Huge portions especially after bottomless salad. Would highly suggest. Went there after a movie with 6 other ladies. Can't wait to go again!!!!
(5)Craig F.
We went here over the weekend and were pretty underwhelmed. All Italian restaurants start with a great sauce, Graziano's doesn't. We had the spaghetti and meatballs, bakes ziti and margarita pizza. The meatballs were the only thing I came close to finishing. We didn't even take our leftovers home.
(2)Gail Z.
In the past I have had good food, but seating in the back room while another function took precedent compromised the service. Returned last night and was very disappointed. Started with a draft beer that was brought to the table. It was flat and was returned for a bottle. Ordered calamari. It was a large portion, but the grease puddled on the plate and the calamari was rubbery. Had to ask about bread basket as it took a long time to appear. Quality was lacking as well as freshness. Olive oil was flavorless and of poor quality. There salad used to be a highlight of their offerings, but to serve it with huge chunks of lettuce looking like a disaster takes away from the very good dressing. My shrimp dish was soggy with grease and the shrimp were toughened by overcooking. Daughter's dish was penne with artichokes and chicken both lacking in their presence. One water glass filled, but never refilled for the entire meal. Server left much to be desired as to attention of customers. All in all, after all the years of eating here, I am thinking I can do much better elsewhere.
(2)Ann Y.
I went here with a few friends from work not very long ago and to be honest I was not impressed. Our waitress seemed to have a stick up her but and really just seemed pissed off. The pizza was ok, though the carmalized onions were good! I just think there are so many better options for pizza and I don't think I will be going back any time soon.
(2)Jose B.
cant get enough, this time i impressed my future family in laws with their awesome pizza!!! cant complain
(5)Katie T.
I recently had my rehearsal dinner here. We picked it for basic reasons: it was close to the church and the hotel our guests were staying at, and the menu looked like a crowd pleaser. Overall, we were very satisfied! I worked with a manager named Steve, and he was super helpful along the way, making menu suggestions and accomodating our last minute changes in guest count. The food was family style and pretty tasty. There was a TON of it, which they wrapped for us to go. We did not have a private room, but we were tucked in an alcove and had no disruptions. The service was good, too! It was nice enough for a celebration without being too casual, or overly fancy and pretentious. I'd definitely recommend it!
(4)Jim S.
Graziano's is an upscale casual restaurant, certainly one of the best dining options in the Crossroads Square area of Niles and Skokie. First, the food is excellent. The homemade soups are, by far, the best I have had in the Chicago area. The Roasted Chicken is very good. The salads are also good, especially the dressings. Portions are huge. Roasted potatoes that come with most entrees are also delicious. It is tough to beat this place for overall value. The most popular pizzas here are more Neopolitan rather than American in style. They tend toward thin-or medium-crusted and not greasy. Those seeking deep dish should probably go elsewhere. Stick to the Italian entrees and the chicken or fish and you can't go wrong. The meat entrees are just okay, nothing special. Ambiance is sort of contemporary kitsch. Very noisy.
(4)Bee B.
I have been mentally eating mushroom ravioli since last Wednesday...That's sorta weird, right? But it was THAT good. I don't usually order pasta at a restaurant partly because I try to be all pseudo south-beach and partially because I am usually disappointed by pasta dishes at restaurants. Not mad, just disappointed. Graziano's was a different story, however. I had trouble deciding what I wanted to get when I went with some girlfriends for lunch...They have design-your own pizzas, salads and some great sounding pastas as well. The mushroom ravioli was on the specials menu and I had to try it. The dish was supposed to be served with a white sauce, but I switched it out for tomato with roasted garlic sauce. The waitress was super chill about this and helped me pick a new sauce when I told her I wanted to switch to red. The dish consisted of 5 or 6 HUGE raviolis and they were creamy and mushroom-y and really delicious. A friend got one of the personal pizzas which looked really tasty as well and they have all sorts of interesting toppings to choose from such as goat cheese, kalamata olives and peanut butter (?) The bread was great too, and they have a nice selection of wines by the glass and cocktails. I would recommend Graziano's to anyone in the Skokie/Niles/MG/ L-Wood area. The ravioli deserves 5 stars, easy. But I'll stick with a modest 4 star review until I go back (soon, I hope!) and try something else.
(4)Carolynne M.
I will say that this place is not the most adventurous in terms of their menu. You will get the basics a lot of restaurants offer, like antipasto salad, burgers, pasta, chicken parmesan and steak. But the pizza is divine, it has that yummy charred crust that only happens when baked in a 700 degree brick oven and there are some great toppings offered! My favourite is the Four Seasons which has artichokes, red peppers, mushrooms and prosciutto separated in four sections. The dining room is big so don't let a packed parking lot make you think that there will be a wait. We were seated almost immediately during prime time dinner hour on Friday night. Our waitress, Stephanie, was lovely and super-helpful. I ordered the salmon and asparagus risotto, which was a special that night. It comes with a huge salad, so after about 3 bites of the super-rich risotto I had it packed up to go. The risotto was quite good, but of course I always compare it to the kind I make which none ever seem to match. The dining room is decorated really cool, with oversized vintage posters on the brick walls, high ceilings and a breezy, open dining room. One of the nicer restaurants in this area.
(4)Dan F.
Graziano's is an old stand-by restaurant for my family. The menu has a lot of variety and the food is really pretty good and comes in large portions. It has an identity somewhere a really nice Italian place and a chain restaurant. I have never been disappointed by anything I've ever had there, but never blown away either. The service is occasionally slow, but not too bad. Their house salad is remarkable. I'm a repeat customer for my own sake but also because my sometimes finicky children can find something they like too.
(4)Rocky B.
I love the combination of coziness and spaciousness this restaurant offers. The staff are friendly tho very rushed. Love the warm bread basket they place on the tables. I've never had their pizza but their pasta is really good and huge portions. You'll definitely be leaving with a doggie bag.
(4)George K.
I went there last night and was pleased that they sat us at 9:26 PM. I shouldn't have been. - We were seated at the worst possible table in a largely empty dining room. Real nice. We got up and moved to a different table. - The restaurant was absolutely filthy. I realize it was "late", but if Graziano is going to serve at this time they have an obligation to cleanliness. - Adjoining tables had not been cleared. VERY unappetizing. - Waitress (Flora) corrected me for call a pizza a "pie". Sweet. - Noisy, seemingly disgruntled, busboys made a large racket as they went about their business. - A blaring TV, set on a loud-ass channel. - Waitress (Flora again) proceeded to clean the restaurant blinds during our meal. - Risotto was over-salted. Margarita "pie" was pretty good. Quite unpleasant experience. Won't be back.
(2)Jean C.
I really enjoy this place even though most of my friends remain unimpressed by it. It's big and airy, but unless you're there on one of the rare occasions when it's not crowded, it's really noisy. The menu is pretty basic. Some of the food is good, some not so good. I love their house salad dressing and would probably drink it out of a glass if I could. I also love their dipping oil, and tried to wrangle the recipe out of the manager. Service has been consistently good and many of the servers go out of their way to make sure you get a lot of bang for your buck. I went there with friends after a movie because our ticket stubs were supposed to get us a free bruschetta appetizer. It turned out that they usually only accept one stub per table, but our server brought us three, which was more than enough for all of us. Graziano's is at its best on a weekday afternoon, after the lunch rush. It's quiet then, and the pace is a bit slower. You won't wait forever for a table.
(4)Jason G.
A great family restaurant that is kid-friendly with solid consistently good food. The house made salad dressing is excellent as is the BBQ chicken pizza. Service is good and attentive. Decor is not corny Italian. Parking is easy and convenient. Our kids love that they can walk up to the cook line and the chefs will give them some pizza dough to play with as they watch them make pizzas.
(4)Sid B.
Oh yeah.. Lemme throw another grain in the ocean.. The salad and house dressing rocks.. So tough to find places serving large quantities of good fresh salad& dressing these days.. The entree was Chicken Vesuvio which was not that great.. But well my friend had a Chicken parmesan and was ga-ga over it.. A worthy option if you planning to have a leisure lunch in the cosy town of Niles
(4)Jennifer J.
made a 7:30pm reservation on saturday night for my friend and i. we were promptly seated in a large booth in the back of the restaurant. i started munching on the bread as soon as we sat down and then one of the busboys brought over a plate of bruschetta and said it was on the house. this happened once before and we were told it was b/c we made reservations. i've made reservations other times though and didn't receive the bruschetta so i don't know what the reason is. either way, i'll take it =) the bruschetta is great- lots of tomatoes (like waaaaaay more than necessary). i ordered one of the specials- crab ravioli fra diavalo. i was sure to say "fra diavalo" b/c i noticed there was another "easter special" on the front of the specials menu that was just crab ravioli- not crab ravioli fra diavalo. i, like george costanza, like my food spicy so i was excited about the fra diavalo part. the ravioli came with a salad so i asked for the house dressing on the side. the house dressing is like crack- really really ridiculously addictive. my friend and i chatted away and i waited for my salad. i saw the server a number of times and each time, he didn't have my salad in his hands. i was getting a little annoyed but hey, i used to be a server and sometimes you just forget. finally he came over and said "ladies your entrees will be out shortly", so i said "um am i gonna get my salad before the food?". he said "oh yeah, that's right" and returned with my salad, with the dressing on it, not on the side. ok, fine, whatever. i didn't have much time before the entrees arrived. the crab ravioli was on a huge plate and 6 large ravioli were covered in a red sauce. i took my first bite and it was not spicy in the least bit. i couldn't wait to see the server to ask for crushed red pepper. i saw him come and go between tables and when he checked on us, i asked for the pepper. i also should have asked for fresh parmesan too- usually the server or whoever brings the food offers you fresh parm for your pasta, but not this time. hmmm. i sat and watched the server stand by the pos and close out some checks and then walk over to a table a few feet from us and pick up the check off the table after the guests left. he then went back to the computer. ok, i'm starting to get annoyed. then i saw him standing with about 3 other servers, laughing and goofing around. alright pal, you forgot my salad, didn't take my order right, and now you're not bringing me what i requested. i decided i needed to get up and talk to a manager. as i was walking towards the front door, i saw the server start to walk towards my table and then he saw me and i heard him say "oh yeah, the pepper!". i guess i could have went back and sat down but at this point, i was worried that he would get distracted by a shiny object and forget my crushed red pepper once again. the manager was very understanding and said he'd take care of it. the pepper was waiting at the table when i returned. the situation was now awkward. my friend and i joked that we would be boxing up our food ourselves b/c we didn't want to let it out of our sight. the server came over and apologized. it was nice and seemed slightly sincere but a little forced. when it came time to box the food, we did it ourselves and then he dropped the check with a complimentary dessert which was delicious. there was also a discount on the check which was really nice. the manager cared enough to rectify the situation right there. he probably didn't want me being a disgruntled customer and then heading online to write an angry review... oops, i did it anyway. but i'm not disgruntled. while service has been a bit off my last 2 visits, i will still continue to visit. the food is great and this was my first time having to speak to a manager and he made things right again. oh the server even wrote "sorry" on the receipt. they did their part to make things right again. i go here with friends once or twice a month and i will definitely continue to go back. i work in the industry so i really appreciate the effort made by the manager. hopefully i won't have to address anything with him again in the future, but it's nice to know that if i have to, he'll listen.
(4)Katherine R.
I just spent about 10 minutes searching my reviews because I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet! I've been to Graziano's a dozen times and it's a consistently good place. They never get too busy, which shocks me because the food is good and they have great prices to boot. My most recent experience was in between Christmas shopping. Had a great time, and our server, Aman-duh (her name tag actually said that) was hilarious and attentive. The spicy shrimp app was great and the house salads aren't bad, just wish places would use greens instead of iceberg! It's a little pricer I know, but customers will appreciate! I had the margherita pizza and don't have a bad thing to say about it. Took some home and it was just as good the next day when I was nursing a hangover. Great place for kids to draw on the tables and eat pizza but great for date or night out with friends. Gluten-Free, Low Carb AND Vegan/Vegetarian options!!!! Really?! Amazing!
(4)Eric W.
The Great with the bad. I love this place they consitanly have great food great service. This place is casual dining with a bit of sophistication. They have the best new england calm chowder ever & it's bottomless. I had the soup (None Better). Fried calamari (as good as any) & I didn't like the sirloin salad. It didn't
(4)brian f.
love their food, great, unique pizza's. love their food, but never eat there...always too noisey. they need ceiling sound insulation, always have, always loud. service staff is always great, from front door to servers. we do carry out 100% of the time. it is nice that they have special parking spots for carry out.
(4)Mandi N.
the house salad is perfect. & the pizza is amazing. chewy & crunchy, but not too heavy. so good!
(4)Sara L.
The salad dressing is a must with the unlimited bowls of salad( like olive garden but sweeter and better). The Marghartie brick oven pizza is great. The pasta is very similar to what you would find in any Italian joint. The fish, meat and chicken are always fresh. The service is great and they aim to please. This is a family oriented place so if you want to go to a quiet romantic place this may not be for you. I reccommend trying it out, especially if you live in the Skokie/Niles area.
(3)Leang E.
I came here after I did some minor Christmas shopping. I'm surprised that as packed as the parking lot was, we were still seated right away. Our drinks were quite disappointing. We tried the Mango Bango, the Key Lime martini, and then finally settled on the Sicilian Margarita (which tastes like a melon flavored alcoholic beverage). We started out with the special steak nachos appetizers, and split a salad and the Rigatoni with sausage and peppers. All of it was delicious and we dipped our bread in the salad dressing. Yummy! The pizzas going by looked really good. Our server was really nice and I know she tried as best she could to recommend a drink that we'd like. I wouldn't mind coming to this place again.
(4)Nan D.
A fan for years, I trek over whenever I desire an excellent meal. I bring all of my visiting friends there. There is something for everyone. The prices are good. It is a nice quiet place where one can actually talk and not be rushed. I love the house salad dressing and the pasta dishes ! This is a great place to eat for dinner or lunch !
(5)Chris W.
Maybe I'm just a fan of really fat dripping pan pizzas but I wasn't too thrilled with coming here. I honestly don't even remember what pizza we got it was so lame, and we tried to get a pretty cool one because we enjoy trying new foods. If I had the menu in front of me I'd be able to tag it I'm sure. I do enjoy truly eating thin crust pizza but this stuff was at the low end of the spectrum for my taste buds. They had a decent steak there at least. And an alright kalimari appetizer. It's not the best atmosphere either, I wish it was a bit less interconnected with the booth/seat arrangements with other tables. However, it was alright. Service was alright too. If I was with a group that wanted to go back I'd just try something new.
(2)Keith T.
Good food, child friendly, good childrens menu including a macaroni and cheese pizza! Wide selection of italian dishes in large portions along with a decent pizza.
(3)Gabriel A.
I think I find myself sometimes coming back to this place simply for their amazing house salad. Their four cheese pizza is delicious. I do find their bruchetta to be a little sweet, but it is better than most. I definitely have recommended this restaurant to friends and will continue to do so.
(4)Justin L.
Seems that every time I want to take my parents out to eat they choose this neighborhood restaurant near their house. Graziano's is a very large open kitchen style restaurant which gets very busy and seems to be very popular in the area. It is family friendly and the wait staff is quick and attentive. My recommendations are to get a house salad the dressing is so good, people often order cups to take home. If some one can recreate it please send me the recipe. It is like a creamy Caesar with its own unique Graziano spin. Follow that with a baked ziti or chicken fettuccine Alfredo. The brick oven specialty pizzas are also very good only because they not your normal pizza. They have many combinations that work well together and makes the pizza eat more like a meal than regular pizza. If your in the area shopping at the neighborhood shopping centers, I suggest you make a stop for a bit to eat. It is an upgrade over other shopping center restaurants but very reasonably priced and tasty.
(3)Marcel M.
Eat here and you'll look like the regulars after subsequent visits. We've been going here for 12 years and their soups are amazing... The salad dressing is amazing also and I don't prefer salads. Also, huge pastas. The pizzas are great as well. My only gripe is that their appetizer choices are lame. I also tried a peanut butter and jelly pizza once. Good stuff. Bottom line is that the food has been consistent for all these years.
(5)Lale S.
If this were years ago when Graziano's first opened they would have had all 5 stars. The food has gone down drastically since then. When they first opened it seemed as though they were really worried about the satisfaction of their customers. Lets just say things have changed. This place is seriously down the block and across the street from my parents house. 1. the woman who takes phone orders and usually rings up your order to go has some serious issues, she has worked there for years yet needs to get a attitude adjustment, very bad... 2. The to-go salads (which i must add the house dressing is the best thing they make) look like they have been sitting there for days, not to mention the fact that they seriously skimp you on the veggies but double up on the brown lettuce. There are a couple of things i do love about this place and always have and that is why i give them three stars, the graz burger is amazing, the toasted or friend mozzarella to die for, the house salad dressing beyond amazing, and the chicken fingers are so good my mouth is now watering. I really think they need to pay more attention, and put the same attention to detail and their portions as they did in the beginning. minimal just doesnt cut it for me, especially considering how much money this place has made off me and my family.
(3)Edward H.
This place has a good menu and the food quality is consistent. I like eating here since there's minimum wait (large dining area) and fast service. The calamari and bruschetta is top notch. I love love LOVE the baked ziti here. Most of their menu selection comes with either soup or salad. I usually get the soup - unlike most restaurants, they give you a full bowl... enough to fill you to the point where you barely have room for your entree. Graziano's is also close to the local theater making it the perfect place to go before or after catching a flick.
(4)Anthony M.
Grazianos is a great place because they have a huge menu for an Italian resturant and there really is nothing there I have not liked. There portions are about right (not too big, but big enough to feed a big guy like me!). The pizza here (brick oven) is probably the best thing here and actually tough to find made right in the area (its found more in CA ala Wolfgang Puck). Pasta and sandwiches are great too!
(4)Crystal S.
I don't know what it is but they have the best "house salad dressing" EVER!!! That is the highlight of this place for me!
(3)Tess K.
If you're expecting upscale, unusual Italian food, you will be disappointed. If, however, you want consistently solid, somewhat Americanized Italian fare, try it out. The prices are average, serving size above average, and quality is satisfactory. The unlimited soup and salad combo is great - too bad you have to search for it on the menu if you don't already know about it. Service is their weak point, especially when it gets busy. It can be difficult to get your waiter's attention towards the end of the meal and I agree with previous reviewers - the waiters do tend to clump around the registers and talk. Still, for a very family friendly place with predictable quality, I like it.
(3)Benjamin S.
I would give this place 3 stars for the pizza. It's not the greatest compared to the pizza you'll find elsewhere in Chicago. But they brought us bread to munch on and the service was wicked fast. Almost too fast.
(4)A C.
I would say that Graziano's is a good place to eat. Their pizza is phenomenal. Only reason why I gave 4 out of 5 stars is because the menu prices are quite steep. Other than that, ya'll should give this place a try!
(4)Ilene J.
Their spaghetti and meat sauce is delicious. The salad dressing is the best!!! Sure wish I had the recipe. And on Saturday nights their soup is Cream of Mushroom-- it's wonderful with just a hint of wine in it.. I think, I go there all of the time and have never had a bad meal or bad service. The main dining room is noisy so I ask to be seated in the smaller room near the bar. It's a lot more quiet.
(5)April W.
pizza was good as was salad dressing but my pasta dish was terrible, the pasta was gummy, it was lukewarm and the vodka sauce had no flavor.
(3)kristen m.
I wanted to like this place because I have friends who go there and rave about it.. Unfortunately to me not so much.... I thought the service was awful we had to keep asking the waiter to refill our drinks, which is kinda a pet peeve of mine. We had three appetizers the fried calamari, bruschetta, and fried mozzarella, they were pretty good. The downfall for sure was the pasta entree I ordered. The sauce tasted like RAGU!! If I decide to give this place another try, I will have to go with the pizza it seems to get better reviews.
(3)S L.
In the land of the strip malls on this busy street called "Touhy Avenue" in Niles, there is this Italian restaurant called "Graziano's" somewhere between Walmart and Target. I never expected to find half-way decent Italian restaurant in this area, especially when your options consist of your typical American chain restaurants from fast food to super-fattening food. I have to admit, I like hopping on the Edens from the NW side of Chicago to do a little bit of shopping here, and catch a flick every now and then as well. I do recall Graziano's opening way back in the days and I've been back ever since. I wouldn't say this is my favorite Italian restaurant, but it's better than all the other restaurants in the area. The entree portions are huge and I always have leftovers. Their brick oven pizza is really good too, especially the crust. The service is Hit or Miss over the years. I've had really wonderful waiters and really horrible ones as well. I usually come here with a small group and never had to wait for a table. I'm sure for a larger group on the weekends, reservations is probably recommended. Bottom line: If you're in the area and not feeling the typical chain restaurants, head on over to Graziano's! Expect a family-friendly atmosphere, good food and possibly a doggie bag to take home. Don't forget to save your movie ticket stub from the theatre down the street - you get a freebie appetizer with your order.
(4)J F.
This is a place we know we can go to if we are hungry and don't have a lot of time. There is usually minimal to no wait--that said, the place does get business and is busy. They just handle customers well and the food is good.
(3)Kathy R.
Try the pizza. You won't be disappointed. Good salads, too. You won't leave hungry - portions are big. My one note of caution would be to check your carry-out order when you pick it up; they screwed up our order once, so my husband had to drive back (we live in Niles, and it's 20 min. away). Other than that, my experiences have been good.
(4)Alan R.
Graziano's is the perfect balance of Pizza/Italian. We went with another couple and my 17 month old son. Everyone got something different. Salad, Pasta, Sandwich and Pizza. There is something for everyone and they do it all well. They also have a good children's menu. If I lived closer to Graziano's, I'm sure I'd be a regular.
(4)Terri N.
Although we aren't a big fan of Graziano, we tend to come here once in a blue for our daughter Tamia. She loves this place. I've never been disappointed with the food but I had better italian food elsewhere. They have great pizza, salads and parmesan fries. We came here last week for a quick lunch. I got their Graziano Burger and I wasn't pleased with it. Tony had their steak and thought for the price he paid for it could've been better. Tamia had their chicken fingers and fries. She said the chicken was too chewy but didn't hesitate to scarf down all her fries. Overall, their service is great and they are extremely kid friendly.
(4)Jenni F.
Three words: Chopped Chicken Salad I am not a salad person (lettuce is just decoration for salad dressing and croutons in my opinion.) I also can't get full on just roughage. This in my opinion is the perfect salad, the right mix of salad and chicken and other good stuff. But what makes this salad the best I ever had is their dressing. I am typically a ranch or blue cheese type girl and will wrinkle my nose at the typical Italian dressing that is at every old time salad bar. However, the House Italian salad dressing at Graziano's is my favorite salad dressing ever, possibly my favorite condiment ever. I have only eaten in Graziano's a couple of times, so I can't speak for the service. Update: 2/19/08 I moved out the area, so when I found myself out there, i decided to pick up a salad to go. Apparently, the to go salad has become a hot item, because now they mass produce them. The salad was okay, but wasn't made fresh. The bread that I was given was so hard it was not eligible. Still, I would pay $10 for the salad dressing alone.
(3)tessa c.
i had the margherita pizza with shrimp and green peppers. hands down the best margherita i've had (i always try to have it with shrimp/peppers everywhere i go) !! service was great and i have to say it went beyond the dining experience. my dumb ass lost my phone somewhere between the time of leaving loyola and sitting down to dinner there. i didn't find it but the hostess and the manager was very accommodating in attempting to find it. oh man i am getting hungry just thinking of that pizza...
(4)Chris L.
My wife and I went here before seeing a moving at the nearby movie theater. It was a Saturday night around 6:15PM and pretty busy, but we were seated immediately. The service was far outshined by the food. It took our server about ten minutes to even take our drink orders and it was several minutes after that, that we got our water. Our server was very friendly, but slow. Once we did receive our food however, all was forgiven. We shared giant Calamari appetizer and I had the wood roasted chicken and my wife, the shrimp salad. The food was delicious and perfectly prepared. I will definitely be going back again.
(4)John F.
I used to like this place, but prefer Macaroni Grill insread. Service here seems a bit lax and menu a tad overpriced. Still they do have very good pizza.
(3)Mary C.
I found this place because there was a deal with the local theater for a free appetizer. It reeled me in and boy am I glad it did. They have awesome thin-crust pizzas, great salads and a variety of Italian dinners. I love the colorful vintage advertisments that decorate the walls and the open kitchen.
(4)Kristin A.
Great place to take a group for a work lunch. Pizza is thin and half way healthy (as far as pizza goes). Good salads and house dressing. Not too pricey.
(4)Liliana S.
This pizza is really good. I mean really really good. Its thin and just right...
(4)Rebecca E.
Not the best place for Italian food. To be honest I'm not quite sure what it is about this place but it just doesn't click with me. Nothing about it is comforting unless you like being surrounded by brick walls with a whole bunch of crayon markings on it. Felt like I was in a Chuck E Cheeses because of it. The portions are small and staff is not very good at making sure you are being serviced well. We were seated at a far end of the restaurant away from basically everyone, by the bar and there was barely anyone there. The food doesn't feel comforting and although the taste is there it's not worth the money. Would never return, and would not recommend.
(2)Kevin F.
Nice place. I'd call it upscale family friendly. Can be loud at time, which diluted the atmosphere. Very good pizza, but not the best. Overall, A repeated for casual night out and if you're in the general vacinity.
(3)Doug R.
Very, very good Italian place. Ive been here many times over the years and have never been disappointed.
(4)Sasha S.
Orderd a few simple takeout items by phone, had to repeat it several times as the hostess was talking to me and joking/laughing with a coworker too. Was told 20 minutes. Arrived about 25 minutes later, my pizza and pasta were ready but they forgot my soup and bread, waited another 15 minutes for my soup, watching my other food get cold and the place was completely empty! She shoved it in my bag, turned around and started talking to her coworkers again. Never said thank you, at all, not even a smile or kind tone Food was mediocre at best and overpriced for quality Too bad because when I'm in town it was my go to, not anymore
(1)Jacob K.
I was initially skeptical of this place as i had been here before and had mediocre food. Fortunately I had a delicious experience today. The service was fast and friendly. My salad with house dressing came out immediately after I ordered and was one of the best house salads I have had (it comes with most regular entrees). It was followed by lasagna with meet sauce and spinach which was equally scrumptious. The price was reasonable and the ice tea was alright. My friend had a panini sandwich with fries which he enjoyed. Overall it was a pleasant experience and would return. On a side note I remember they had good fruity alcoholic beverages- one called a mango bango....
(4)Jeff Z.
I love this place. They have the best Italian food. Great place for a date.
(5)Mary W.
Great service!!!! Very attentive and the food was great. Huge portions especially after bottomless salad. Would highly suggest. Went there after a movie with 6 other ladies. Can't wait to go again!!!!
(5)Craig F.
We went here over the weekend and were pretty underwhelmed. All Italian restaurants start with a great sauce, Graziano's doesn't. We had the spaghetti and meatballs, bakes ziti and margarita pizza. The meatballs were the only thing I came close to finishing. We didn't even take our leftovers home.
(2)Gail Z.
In the past I have had good food, but seating in the back room while another function took precedent compromised the service. Returned last night and was very disappointed. Started with a draft beer that was brought to the table. It was flat and was returned for a bottle. Ordered calamari. It was a large portion, but the grease puddled on the plate and the calamari was rubbery. Had to ask about bread basket as it took a long time to appear. Quality was lacking as well as freshness. Olive oil was flavorless and of poor quality. There salad used to be a highlight of their offerings, but to serve it with huge chunks of lettuce looking like a disaster takes away from the very good dressing. My shrimp dish was soggy with grease and the shrimp were toughened by overcooking. Daughter's dish was penne with artichokes and chicken both lacking in their presence. One water glass filled, but never refilled for the entire meal. Server left much to be desired as to attention of customers. All in all, after all the years of eating here, I am thinking I can do much better elsewhere.
(2)Ann Y.
I went here with a few friends from work not very long ago and to be honest I was not impressed. Our waitress seemed to have a stick up her but and really just seemed pissed off. The pizza was ok, though the carmalized onions were good! I just think there are so many better options for pizza and I don't think I will be going back any time soon.
(2)Jose B.
cant get enough, this time i impressed my future family in laws with their awesome pizza!!! cant complain
(5)Katie T.
I recently had my rehearsal dinner here. We picked it for basic reasons: it was close to the church and the hotel our guests were staying at, and the menu looked like a crowd pleaser. Overall, we were very satisfied! I worked with a manager named Steve, and he was super helpful along the way, making menu suggestions and accomodating our last minute changes in guest count. The food was family style and pretty tasty. There was a TON of it, which they wrapped for us to go. We did not have a private room, but we were tucked in an alcove and had no disruptions. The service was good, too! It was nice enough for a celebration without being too casual, or overly fancy and pretentious. I'd definitely recommend it!
(4)Jim S.
Graziano's is an upscale casual restaurant, certainly one of the best dining options in the Crossroads Square area of Niles and Skokie. First, the food is excellent. The homemade soups are, by far, the best I have had in the Chicago area. The Roasted Chicken is very good. The salads are also good, especially the dressings. Portions are huge. Roasted potatoes that come with most entrees are also delicious. It is tough to beat this place for overall value. The most popular pizzas here are more Neopolitan rather than American in style. They tend toward thin-or medium-crusted and not greasy. Those seeking deep dish should probably go elsewhere. Stick to the Italian entrees and the chicken or fish and you can't go wrong. The meat entrees are just okay, nothing special. Ambiance is sort of contemporary kitsch. Very noisy.
(4)Lorna S.
I definitely enjoy the atmosphere at Graziano's. The food is also pretty yummy. The service on the other hand was not great. We were there with a party of about 10, which is not huge. The waitress was pretty rude. When I asked what types of beer they had on tap, she looked at me and said, "I mean, don't you know what you want?" I said, "I'm not sure, so I want to know what you have." She must not have really known what they had. She seemed to be mumbling some things, with an attitude. She spilled drinks when she set them down, and dropped a fork off a plate onto one of our guests. She didn't even apologize. I'm sure not all servers are this rude, but her attitude left a bad taste in my mouth. This place gets 3 stars for the food, and the idea that we just had a bad server.
(3)Melissa N.
I really like Graziano's. It's one of the local restaurants that my husband and I go back to again and again. Most of the time the food is great, although there have been a few times when I've tried something new off the insanely huge menu and have been disappointed. My favorite dishes include the chicken parmesean sandwich, the baked ziti chicken ragu, and the pepperoni pizza...mmm, now I am hungry just thinking about all that yummy food! The dessert portions are huge, and the drinks are usually good but not super strong. Most of the servers are good, but the restaurant fills up fast, especially on weekends, and service can be a bit slow at times. Still, overall, this is a great place for casual dining.
(4)Oliver S.
Best food ever
(5)Joyce C.
I like the pizza and the salad here, and that's about it. Everything else is just ok. Grazianos uses quality ingredients in their pizzas. For this category, they truly deserve 4 stars. We've tried the majority of their pizza offerings, but my fave is the Melanzana- it has roasted veggies like eggplant and zucchini and goat cheese. The crusts on their pizzas are thin and has a good chew and a little char to them. Their chopped chicken salad is pretty robust. It's the sauce and the ripe avocados that make this salad, the sauce is pretty delicious. This salad is a meal in itself. Service here kinda blows. The last time we came here, it took a long time to get seated, as the hostess and the take out girls were hanging out. After we were seated it seemed only one waitress was waiting on the entire section we were in, and it was pretty full that night. During our dinner, I realized that the hostess and the takeout counter girls seemed like they have nothing better to do than to gossip. Graziano's should probably fix that, because I heard other people in the dining area complain about the (lack of) service as well.
(3)Rhonda G.
The staff is friendly but they don't really care. No small talk, no suggestions, no return to the table to see how the food is. Frowning is the New smiling I guess. The pasta is excellent (we ordered spinach ravioli and spaghetti-huge portions so two meals in one) Orange San pellegrino is my new Favorite. The tables are too close together (sorry to the the little kid who will get into trouble tonight for repeating my curse words) Bread is served cold and if you look over to the service area you can see already poured glasses of water getting breathed on and the bread getting colder by the moment seconds before they grab it to bring to your table...yeah, thanks. I may go back to try the pizza with lower expectations.
(3)Debi K.
I would like to follow up that we have been contacted by Steven of Graziano's. I was very happy with his response and we look forward to once again trying this restaurant in the near future.... Customer service gets 5 starts!
(3)Jason J.
Have been to Graziano's many times and it's a decent Italian restaurant, but we tried the pizza this time and that upped it for us. The brickoven pizza makes this place. It was crispy, and had good fresh toppings with plenty of choices especially for kids. The pasta and other Italian specialites are hit or miss, not awful but nothing to get overly exicited about. The house salad is pretty tasty, and the focacia they bring out in the bread basket is very good. But if I want really good Italian food, Graziano's is just not my first choice.
(3)Bob T.
I ate there and worked down the block so I got dragged in many times at work outings. And also, many times on pick up orders the counter girl was rude and got our orders wrong. She was punching the keys so fast no human could be that correct at that speed and it caused issues on my bill a few times. The food is not really Italian at all but an Italian Mcdonalds. Not recommended.
(1)Nancy B.
The house salad is great, a few less onions would make it even better. The balsamic dressing they serve with it I could drink out of a bottle! I'm not much of a carb eater, so I like that they make a number of their meat dishes low carb by serving them with veg rather than potatoes or pasta. Honestly, the roast chicken is so good I crave it after. They serve it au jus, which is just the right amount of salty. Delicious. My husband frequently orders pasta or risotto specials, but it seems to me that they're very light on protein. Sometimes he doesn't want to bring home the leftovers, which would equate to about 3 normal servings as the portions are so freaking huge. How about giving us half the pasta and the same amount of protein and sauce so the proportions are right? If you're ordering a kids pizza, get one for every 2-3 kids, they're full size pizzas. Which is nuts. Overall, it's hit or miss. I wish they would change up the menu a bit, they've had the same base food for the 4 years we've been going. It feels like a corporate kitchen designed the menu and then moved on.
(3)Pamela P.
The go-to family place for any familia extravaganza! This weekend we ordered from here to cater Easter/Birthday party. They were absolutely top notch. From total and complete ease in ordering to charging my card so that someone other than I could be able to pick it up down to the food quality and preparation and even packaging for transport. Really, Graziano's is great! The prices are truly reasonably and the food is very versatile and will suit any array of tastes!! Highly recommended! You won't be disappointed! Oh, and also--their pizzas are AH-MAZing!
(5)Brent L.
I took the family back for another visit at the request of the owner and had an excellent experience from start to finish. As I mentioned in my previous review, the service on our prior visit had been terrible. This visit was much different! The service was excellent, the food was awesome and the portions were huge. Yes, we will be back and I will recommend Graziano's to my friends.
(4)Dan L.
Had a really great experience there. We stopped in for a quick lunch. We were seated immediately, had the bread/water brought out immediately. We ordered the bruschetta and a medium pizza (half goat cheese pesto and half zucchini). Both were delicious! The pizza came out quickly as well. All the food tasted great and we will soooo be back!
(5)Sarah C.
My visit to Grazianos wasn't necessarily the best, but surely not the worst. Service was slow, atmosphere was loud and chaotic. Food was mediocre at best.
(2)Carla G.
I have had different experiences in the past with Graziano's service- I come back because I like the food. For starters-the house salad and bread is delicious! They offer customers to purchase the house salad dressing. I ordered the four cheese linguini and added chicken. (Definitely suggested for cheese lovers). Heads up: There is an unlimited soup or salad option, but the details for this are towards the end of the menu. We came in early evening for dinner so we were seated without a wait and our server was attentive. I would suggest making a reservation otherwise. The portions are pretty large so I don't believe I have ever had room to try out the dessert- I enjoy the leftovers!
(4)Roseann M.
Back again, 11 months later, another 14 members of Rick's Hiking and Fun meetup group. No hiking for this group on a Wednesday night, but big appetites for food and fun. Graziano's was jam-packed. This is a huge restaurant, friends. The first clue should have been the very full parking lot. I was able to find a spot at the outer periphery of the lot. When I went in, there were so many people in line, milling about, in large groups at big table settings, I thought maybe I was at Wal-Mart on Black Friday. Yes, it was that jammed. Luckily, half our group was already there, so no problem - reservation was honored, on time. That's a point in Graziano's favor. Even with the huge crowds, we had professional, efficient service from a waiter named Noble. He wasn't super-friendly, just efficient. Mind you, 14 people were eating, and when he came with the food, he didn't stand there and say "now who had the ...?" He had some kind of system, and he handed the plates to the right people, without asking, He got all the drink orders correct, too. When the over-$250 check came, everything was correct. Score for Noble. Now, the food . . . Gentle Reader, if you have seen my other reviews on this site, I try to be fair and nice. Especially, as with Graziano's, it is a locally-owned business, not another national chain outpost. So, I will tell you, the portions are very, very large. People around me hand the individual-sized pizza (8 slices, enough for two of me), lasagna (the size of a concrete block), spaghetti with meatballs (meatballs the size of tennis balls), and chicken breast in a lemon sauce. Everyone liked their food and was happy to take leftovers home . . . except me. I had pasta with vegetables, in a marinara sauce. I tried, Gentle Reader, I really tried . . . but this was one of the nastier pasta entrees I've ever had. The sauce tasted like my worst memories of Ragu. The vegetables were all cooked to varying levels of doneness - some soggy, some crispy. Not good. Despite enough pasta on a huge plate to solve any foreign food crisis, I could barely eat it. Now, I don't know whether I just had the luck to pick the one lousy entree, or whether something weird happened in the kitchen that night. All I can tell you is, it was really bad, to the point that I had something to eat when I got home. So, 3 stars for Grazianos. If I'd liked my entree, it would be four stars. Everybody was happy with their food except me. The service was impeccable. And I did find a parking place. If the group should go again next year, I will probably go, but I'll order a pizza.
(3)Kristy H.
One star for previous times I've been there that have generally been good. One star for our baked goat cheese appetizer (a special). No other stars because: 1) we ordered the four season pizza (proscuitto, red pepper, artichoke hearts, mushrooms) and it came as eight slices; each set of two slices had one of the four ingredients on it. I get the concept, but that's something that should be mentioned on the menu. 2) I complained to the waitress that we were misled and this was not what we thought we were ordering and she stood there asking me how it tasted until I said it tasted ok. Then she said "good" and walked away. We re-arranged the ingredients on the pizza so that they were all intermingled. Kind of gross to touch your food. Stupid, too. 3) The crust was way too chewy. I came here for brick oven and expected it. I won't be back.
(2)Edward W.
I like the pizza and nothing else. Seriously. I don't know what it is but the pizza is great but every time I try something else here I just don't like it. My wife feels the same way. Some of my friends think the place is great. The decor is very nice. They have a parking lot with lot's of space. I just think that the food is nothing special. Now we only phone order pizzas for pick up.
(3)Justin H.
Having driven by this place umpteen times we were at a loss on where to have dinner in this general vicinity one night and thought, "why have we never been here?" so we stopped, and boy am I glad we did. I ordered the Veal Parmesan and my cohort this evening ordered the spinach lasagna and both Items were prepared flawlessly. Everything was as it should be. Just make sure you read their STRICT salad policy. Gave me a good chuckle. Will be back for sure!
(4)steph n.
I just love when we sit down in our booth and the server brings out a basket of piping hot sundried tomato topped focaccia bread to our table. That couldn't be more of a perfect timing. It makes the place seem more inviting. Graziano's is one of my favorite Italian Restaurants that are moderately priced and offer big portions, but not as big as Maggiano's. The battered calamari appetizer is well-seasoned and can easily suffice and appetite for 4. Their salad with their house dressing is worth raving about. It doesn't taste anything like those generic dressings you get from the bottle, but theirs is sweet and tangy and creamy at the same time. I order it every time I go there. These are one of the few places that offer brick oven pizza and it does make the dough taste a bit different from your typical pizza chains, however it is not one of my favorites due to the fact that I don't like thin crust pizza. My friend, however, loved it so you should go see for yourself.
(4)Marlyn L.
Please never go here and have the Grilled Steak Fajita pizza. It was disgusting. When we sat down, the paper table cloth had grease and crayon smudges - as if someone previously sat there for a few minutes and soiled it up before deciding to leave. I should have taken that as a sign. I wasn't feeling confident at this point and don't like to pay $12 for pasta I can make at home for about $3, so I decided to try their pizza. It's gotta be the best thing on their menu right? Bleeeghhh First thing I noticed were the paltry, brownish slices of avocado. They were baked on. I don't know why I expected it to be just freshly sized on top after it was done... but nope. The avocado was warm. Then my eyes were attacked by the unappetizing chunks of steak. They were not looking healthy. Not really wanting to, I tried the first slice and immediately got that smell of bad quality meat. It wasn't seasoned much. I couldn't get past to smell. Seriously. Is this a Bear Grylls pizza? I didn't want to seem rude or anything, so I just took the meat off the second slice. I started eating that but could still detect that pungent sh*tty meat smell. We decided to take the rest home so that the restaurant wouldn't try to recycle it and pass it on to other patrons. I thought maybe I could give it to a homeless person on the street. But then I decided that would be a horrible deed. Please... maybe -- MAYBE -- they have other dishes that are good, but do not eat that pizza! It's sick. I won't ever eat there again. Oh and it was way overpriced, too. You're better off having a $5 pizza from Hot-N-Ready.
(1)Mark O.
I recently visited with a large group of 30 and we were served family style. From start to finish my visit was very enjoyable. The calamari was cooked properly, the salads were fresh and the brick oven pizza was very good. Then came the mains, we had a pork loin which was cooked to perfection, we also had chicken Vesuvio and the stuffed ravioli along with fresh vegetables which were all good. Then the deserts cheese cake and tiramisu which finished off a very good meal. I would definitely go back
(4)Amanda H.
Food is pretty good, salad dressing is great, and so is the salad. Love the shake machine. Its a bit loud, service a bit slow with food, and managers very impersonal just would sit at the bar and wouldn't come around.. Overall pretty good.
(4)Michelle B.
My fiance loves pasta, so when we traveled to Chicago our friends we were visiting swore by this place as the best Italian in town. I've only had above average/not generic Italian food a few times (that's not to say I don't enjoy some mediocre sauce-smothered carbs every now and again) so my expectations are never high. Graziano's wasn't any different than most Italian places, so I usually par down such an experience to a few mainstays. Bread: A couple mishmashed loaves. Nothing to write home about but there was plenty for the 3 of us to help us out of starvation. Pasta/sauce: I ordered my friend's most recommended dish, the linguine pescatori, while the other two ordered spaghetti and meatballs. Fiance's pasta was cooked al dente and not overdone as it often is most places, so that was nice. Tried a bite of one meatball and it seemed decent enough, but the second meatball tasted more bready than meaty. Total turn-off. The sauce didn't strike me as anything terribly different. My pasta was fine. Mostly chewy squid rings mixed in with 3 or 4 shrimp, maybe 2 scallops, undeveloped shriveled mussels. About your run-of-the-mill seafood linguine in a garlicky sauce. Service: Bleh. Our waitress started out as okay, but we quickly realized that we'd not be receiving refills on our drinks due to her absence. We waited for our food for a long time, considering that this was not a superb gourmet meal. I think after our food was served she came back one time to see how things were going and to bring me a larger cup o water so she would not have to refill my smaller cup. It wasn't really busy, and I didn't see her walking around much of our time there. Dessert: I wouldn't know, because I didn't want to wait another 45 minutes for a creme brulee that could potentially be a shoulder shrug.
(2)Irene H.
I absolutely love this place! I've been coming here for as long as I can remember. If you're around the neighbor hood, you should definitely stop in. It's also a major upgrade from stopping at Chili's or Outback after catching a movie at Village Crossing (although, there's nothing really wrong with those restaurants in my opinion). This place is great. The servers and host are really nice and pay just enough attention to your table without being overbearing. The food is amazing and isn't too pricey for what you get. The portions are just the right size, and their house dressing is delicious. They even get extra points for delivering to my house (which was slightly out of their range). If you're stump about what to order, you can't go wrong with anything. All of their pasta dishes are great. I personally love their antipasto salad as an appetizer and then the BBQ chicken pizza!
(5)Jason L.
It's not my style to bash usually good reviewers, but are all of you people on yelp ridiculously devoid of taste? This restaurant is a fucking disaster. It was my daughters' 2nd birthday tonight, and we just got out of target on Touhy and decided to go out to dinner, she said she wanted pasta, and I had seen Graziano's on Touhy before so I decided to check yelp for reviews, which for the most part, were on the positive side. Yelpers also said it was very "family friendly" so I figured it would be great for dinner for my two kids. The first sign that things were going to go wrong should have been the fact that the place was 1/2 empty at 6pm on a friday night. The second sign should have been the elderly sleep fest in the parking lot, and the fact that the parking lot is 1/2 full of handicapped spots. So we walked in and were greeted, seated and our waitress brought water and a bread basket. Im not going to go into a lengthy diatribe about the subtleties that were missed along the way. Our entree's flat out sucked. My kids liked the idea of PB&J Pizza and Mac & Cheese Pizza, so they were $4.95/ea and we got one of each. When they were brought out they were WHOLE pizza's, full 12" pizzas. Who's fat ass kids eat 8 slices of pizza in a sitting? Especially Pizza loaded with peanut butter and macaroni and cheese....I'm sorry but I dont need my kid inhaling 1500 calories in a sitting. As for the quality, the PB&J pizza was actually decently presented, it looked good, I tried a slice and it was good. The mac & cheese pizza looked like shit on a plate, literally a box of kraft poured onto a pizza shell. It tasted like crap too. I started with a clam chowder, new england style, and was suprised to find fresh clams, but the soup was flavorless, no salt or spices anywhere, pure disappointment. I ordered a special, The red-wine braised beef and portobello mushroom risotto. The first plate that was brought to me had a nice big long hair running through it, so needless to say I sent it back. The second plate was rushed to me, it was back in front of me within 5 minutes. Risotto takes 20 minutes to cook, minimum, so either they pulled the hair out, rearranged things and reserved it to me, or completely rushed a new dish. Whatever they did, the beef was so undercooked it looked like the sear you would put on a piece of tuna, the middle was completely cold and raw. My friends' pasta with marinara was watery and the sauce was tasteless, like a jar of wal-mart sauce. The manager tried to patch it up by comping our bill and sending us home with 2 desserts. I tried both when I got home hoping to redeem dinner and set my mind to one day give it a second chance. The apple tart with ice cream was warm and served with ice cream which was completely melted when i got home (why would you pack ice cream to go???) The tiramisu was dry to the point that I was grasping for a glass of milk, there was no evidence of any espresso, or even coffee liquor. And the marscapone was cracked on top, looks like this had been sitting for quite some time. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS!
(1)Mark G.
Was there tonight, it was terrible. There with my girl. I live in the city, she lives in the burbs, so when I get to see here all I want to do hold her and kiss her, apparently our waitress took some offense to us and was rude at best, our meal was terrible. We started the bruschetta. The tomatoes were not diced, they were cut in large different shapes that we could not eat with the bread, the onions were all sliced different, they barley used the right dressing. I had the chix Marsala, it was more like chicken in brown sauce - could not taste any Marsala wine. My girl had the chicken parm. Very average. The house salad- the lettuce was cut so large, very difficult to eat. For dessert, i ask if there was anything that they did not make. i figured if they bought it might be good. Well they didn"t , I had the chocolate cake, it was terrible. I spent $52. What a waste, should of just given it to a beggar, at least I would felt better for what I spent. I will never go back to this place. Just absolutely the worst experience I have had in a long time. These guys need to get back to the basics and start looking at what they are doing. It takes no time to dice a tomato in a uniform fashion and place nicely on a piece of bread. I wonder if the cooks taste things before it leaves the kitchen, if they did they might actually put out good food. Save your money and go down the street. Never again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(2)Johnny B.
Da Boss took us out for a "Holiday" lunch. Read between the lines- Christmas Lunch. When he said the name I was at a loss. But as I got closer I remember this place as at least 6 different restaurants in the last 20 yrs. Just a short jaunt from Leaning Tower. I admit, I was suspect. We were a group of 7. We ordered drinks (non-alcoholic, company policy) and perused the menu. I was impressed. Da Boss said they have an unlimited salad bowl w/lunch. The waitress brought out the drinks and GREAT BREAD. Well we all fought over it and they brought out some more. The salad was delicious. It was a house dressing, kinda a ranch. I had the chicken and pasta. Ample and well prepared, seasoned. The other highlight at out table was the Spaghet and meata balls. All who partook said it was good. In fact, there were no Doggie bags! Now who really gives their dog leftovers? It's dinner that night or the next breakfast. Our server was very cordial and patient with us whiners. What do you expect from some semi white collar slugs. Well paid slugs! I was intrigued by the big brick oven which they showcase. Worth a trip to try it. Not far from Arl Hts. We did arrive at 11:30 and it looked bleak. I wondered if it was open! But when we left after 1:00PM, the place was humming. Johnny Chitown
(3)Holly S.
The service can be iffy, but I seriously have loved everything I've had to eat here and am kind of baffled by the slew of complaints and negative reviews. I've eaten plenty of Italian from the very bad to the spectacular, and while this isn't spectacular, it's good, and definitely good for the suburbs! I'm a regular customer because it's near my office and I don't see that changing any time soon. I think some people are just born complainers...
(4)Aaliyah S.
I went to Grazianos on a Sunday night at around 6:30 with a group of 13 other people..the restaurant was very crowded by the time we arrived,but we had made reservations..the entire party wasn't seated together. Five of the people had to sit at a different table..it was close to the rest of us but it wasn't with us. Our waiter was clearly overwhelmed by the crowdedness of the restaurant and plus the size of the party I was with. After bringing our drinks and taking our orders we noticed that we still hadn't recieved silverware or plates..at this point,we had been seated for easily 25 minutes so plenty of time has passed since we were given our stuff and even then,the waiter put the silverware on the table next to us so when he left, I had to go get them from the next table. At one point,another waiter told our waiter to serve another table while he was taking our orders so he just left,which i felt was a bit odd, As far as the food,II don't have any major complaints..it was ok..I had the grazianos pizza and was satisfied. Maybe they were understaffed that day,or whatever..but..the service could have been much better.
(2)Lawrence D.
What a pleasant surprise. Each dish was really very good. Their salad was one of the best I've ever had. Their grilled calaimari was super (served on polenta sticks), and the baked chicken ziti, again was exceptional ( I had a half order and couldn't finish it all). This was my first visit, but certainly NOT my last. Try them, you won't be disappointed!
(4)Bob M.
I took my college bound daughter here for our last meal before she heads off to school. Her recomendation, but I have been here a few times before. She loves it, everytime it's the chicken salad. I, on the other hand like to change it up. As many times as I been here, nothing works. Sorry.
(2)Cara L.
Always solid and very good Italian food and wood-burning oven pizza. We would go there a few times a year when I crave Italian and can't come up with a new place to try. Never disappointing. My husband always has pizza (true pizza lover) and he likes it a lot. I tend to try different dishes and enjoy most of them. I tried seafood pasta and veal dish and they were both good. I also love Sambuca chocolate cake, if you have room for dessert.
(4)Stephanie P.
I've been to Graziano's several times and have loved everything I've ordered! The Margherita pizza is definitely my favorite. The salad is great too! I have to take one star off for the service as there are a few waitresses there that aren't so great but overall, Graziano's is a great restaurant.
(4)Karolina T.
Love this place for lunch. Been here multiple times and I always get the same thing because it is delicious. Their unlimited soup & salad deal is awesome. They have the best roasted red pepper soup. Also, their house dressing is probably the best salad dressing I have ever had and their foccaccia is delish. I definitely want to try more things on their menu next time I am in the area.
(5)Jennifer M.
I had ordered a pizza for carry out, and when I got home (and into pjs) realized that the order wasn't correct. I called and spoke with a manager with excellent customer service skills who took care of the problem quickly, and now I am happily relaxing and having a delicious pizza! Thanks so much for making it right. You guys are wonderful and make great food too.
(5)Carolyn I.
I went here with a large group to celebrate a special occasion. Our server was really friendly. She gave pizza dough to all the children in our group to play with. It got a bit messy, but the kids enjoyed it. Appetizers Stuffed Arancini with peas, prosciutto, provolone, balsamic glaze Traditional Fried Calamari Both appetizers were good. The arancini was a bit heavy, but I only ate half of 1 piece so it didn't weigh me down. Pizza I ordered the Gaetano - sausage, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil The wood fired brick oven really makes a difference. The thin crust was crunchy and light and the toppings were fresh and delicious. I also tried the Graziano and Barbecue Chicken pizza. Both were good as well. I ordered a side salad and the portion was huge! It could easily be shared with another person. Our group ordered a mix of things: pizza, chicken and pasta. Everyone enjoyed their meal. This restaurant was a good choice for our large group and very kid-friendly.
(4)Christina C.
I ordered the chop salad and asked for easy lettuce but it definitely did not have easy lettuce. The lettuce didn't seem that fresh. Overall it was OK !
(3)Dave G.
This is a good spot for late night dining with kids since most places in the neighborhood are not really family friendly. The bread basket was great with sun dried tomato focaccia and other fresh rolls. The unlimited salad bowl was nothing special but was fresh and worth $3 a person. I loved my florentine pizza except I couldn't taste the goat cheese. My friend ordered a pizza with caramelized onions but it was just a solid layer of onion! Our table also ordered linguine alfredo and spinach ravioli which were just okay. Fortunately the server was very nice and there was an awesome statue nose on the wall!
(3)Trina J.
This is a decent place to have dinner if in the area, and having tried it, I will continue my search for a better option. We dined here because my BF's parents chose it as it is near their home. In sum, it was a reasonably priced average meal and service was good as can be for a party of eight. We had to ask to have appetizer plates taken away, we had to ask for crushed red pepper with pizza orders. But, refills and second rounds of drinks were free flowing. The most surprising aspect of our service was at the end. My to go box included a piece of eaten crust. .... Guess folks who usually dine here literally want everything on their plate to be taken with them. I was wowed by that one. With each entree, you have the option of ordering a half or full order. For $4, you can add a soup or salad. The portions are large so it makes sense to share. I think you could even share the half order of the Chicken dishes. They were big. We had bruschetta and complimentary bread to start so no one was able to finish their meals. The Graziano pizza was slightly disappointing, but it was definitely edible. Despite its name, it was not the best item on the menu and if I were to return, I would not order the pizza. I tasted a few of the pasta dishes and they were okay. On the other hand, the Cheesecake with Raspberry was delicious! One of the sweetest, creamiest cheesecakes I ever had. I would definitely order it again and again. If the server put a piece of the cheesecake's broken crust in with any leftovers, I would probably eat it. As a matter of fact, I would. For those with celiac or gluten allergies, this may not be a not a bad dining option for you. The complimentary bread is all gluten free and they also offer gluten free pasta and gluten free pizza. One can only hope the GF meals have more flavor than the others.
(2)Gin G.
Been here several times but always for a baby shower or birthday parties that we've been invited to. So the food is always preordered. Typically a pizzas, salad, calamari, chicken n pasta dish. Food was always just ok. Maybe it's because it was always a big party but all the food was served cold. Not how I like my meals. Hotter the better (except for salads of course). I like the cheese from my pizza to be stringy as I take a bite n pull it away! I like my pastas al dente n pipping hot!! I didn't get that here. Service here was less than acceptable. The host for the baby shower had to buss tables and refill water glasses cuz the 2 servers assign to the party were no where to be found. We basically had to wave them down to ask for things like coffee we ordered but never got and we felt that we were bothering them as they were folding napkins at the bar. I probably wouldn't go back by choice. Only if were invited again for another event. If the food was good I could put up with below average service. Or If server were above par I could settle for ok food. But if the place provides neither, why would one go back??? Just my thought.
(2)Bethany M.
So disgusted/disappointed with this restaurant. Ordered the Salmon Cobb salad and found a strand of hair in it...... My Mother ordered the spinach ravioli to go, once at home and after inspection there was yet another strand of hair in her food too. This is never acceptable!
(1)Sanford R.
This place doesn't have a clue when it comes to customer service, and lost our business completely after only two experiences. My wife has a severe gluten allergy and both times we went we explained this to the server. On both trips they brought us plates that we didn't order that contained foods with gluten. The first time my wife opted to wait for what she originally ordered, but that took an extra twenty minutes that she had to sit hungry while I was eating my food. The service was very poor. No manager came over to apologize and the server didn't really do anything to make it better either. When we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and visit a second time they again brought us an appetizer with the gluten items that we told them to leave off. We just decided to leave at that point and never come back. Two times in a row is no fluke. If you are dining with somebody who has food allergies this is not the place for you. I tried writing to the restaurant, but never got a call back or anything. They did attempt to send me a $20 gift certificate, but that wasn't enough to make up for two bad experiences. My wife will never return to this place. I will say that their food isn't bad from what I tried the first time. I never got to try their pizza, but their pasta was decent. Too bad this isn't a place you can trust to get your order right or perhaps we might have visited more.
(2)Patrick M.
Everything we had was pretty good. Enjoyed the Grilled Calamari, Sausage and Peppers, House Salad, and Spinach Ravioli. The guy waiting on us did a nice job as well.
(4)Keshia W.
I used to work right up the street from Grazianos, their Italian beef and pizza is excellent. Great customer service, clean and friendly establishment!
(5)michele b.
Portions are HUGE!!!! think about splitting an entree with a friend or ordering a "half" portion (which is still plenty big) although this isn't as cost effective. HIGHLY RECOMMEND: The pizza is the closest I've had to New York style around here (Northwest side of Chicago). It's very close to actual Neopolitan style. Because of this I recommend getting the pizza to eat there and not to go or delivery. It just doesn't hold up to cold temperature or time. I've also had their chopped chicken salad and thought it was very good. My husband had the four cheese alfredo and loved it. The only thing I did not love is the decor. It's huge like a college cafeteria...not intimate at all. It is dark though and has dark wood every where.
(4)Amy T.
Horrendous service! We sat at our table for over 15 minutes before the waiter came over. He never once returned until we were finally able to flag him down well after our drinks had been emptied and our meal finished. He came and gave the check but not before checking his cell phone right in front of us. All the while, a group of employees and managers stood and chatted by the front desk. The food was just okay. We ordered a brick oven pizza. Very greasy. Not worth the money. I will never return to this restaurant.
(1)Michael D.
Had the Fried Calamari which was fried perfectly, hot and tender. Also, had the Rigatoni with peppers, and the Chicken Marsala. They both were fantastic! Nice big portions to!
(5)Sarena G.
I made reservations for Graziano's for a couples dinner on Feb. 28th. I am 8 months pregnant and suffer from pregnancy brain. I made the reservations for 7pm, but realized at 5:45 that I was supposed to make the reservations for 6pm. I called in a panic, and spoke to the hostess; she was friendly, and really supportive. She reassured me that it was okay, to stop crying and they will accommodate my party. We arrived at 6:15pm, the hostess smiled and said, we have a table ready for your party. We were seated right away. I have never been treated so kindly before at a restaurant. The food was amazing, huge portions and an awesome staff. I don't live in the area, but I WILL be back for my next date night! Keep up the great work with your awesome customer service Graziano's
(5)Jeremy M.
Probably the BEST brick oven pizza I've ever tasted!!! I highly recommend it to everyone.
(5)Lisa M.
Grazianos has some of the best Italian dishes. Both times I've visited were great experiences. The salad with the house dressing is to die for. The service is up to par and amiable. We need a Grazianos in California. I will miss this place but it's definitely a treat when visiting Chicago. Grazianos.....you are loved!
(5)Maria M.
Amazing food! The recent remodel is awesome. Great for families or parties. The brick oven pizza is delicious. Must try the classic margherita pizza. The pasta dishes are super tasty and good portioned too. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time.
(5)iddells E.
If I wanted mediocre Italian food, I would've just gone to Olive Garden down the street. I came here because the husband wanted Italian (oh the terrible sacrifices a wife has to make). Maybe it's because Italian food isn't one of my favorites. But I knew I made the wrong decision coming in here when I picked up the menu. Nothing at all interested me. I was looking at the menu for such a long time and when that happens, that means that I am not going to have a good time at this restaurant. The soup specials were horrendous. Black bean and something else that sounded nasty. I picked the one that I thought I could tolerate. The black bean wasn't great, it was too salty....husband enjoyed it though. I ate about 3 bites of my pasta meal and was done. I ordered the pasta with mussels in marinara sauce...it was quite bland. Leftovers for husband! I think he liked his food more than I did. Not making the same mistake again.
(2)Sam S.
Great place to eat, good pricing with great food and service.
(5)Dan D.
Great food, must have the Margherita pizza, get the all-you-can-eat soup and salad bowls! I've been coming here for a long time, and its simply because it is great food, good prices, and great service (Here is some advice: ask to have Zach Rudd as a waiter - fantastic service and he is a delight to serve you - a very comedic gentleman).
(4)Robert B.
We always go here off and during the month, so the food has to be good. This last Sunday my wife and I were with an ailing friend and seems we got a real rookie for a server. He couldn't take our plates off our table fast enough, -even if we weren't done eating .He kept asking and asking and asking. My wife eats on the slower side, but apparently the avocado salad she was still eating was bothering our server, because he'd asked too many times if she was finished. My wife eats her salad after her entree'. He got so frustrated by my wife telling him nicely, ''no thanks, I'm still eating'' he sent in the ''closer'' (like when you buy a used car). Big ''Joy'' came over and quickly picked up my wife's green peppers (that our friend had ordered on the side FOR my wife) and just walked by w/o asking if she was done or not. My wife opened up and said ''I was still eating'' but off she went. We were offered a replacement for them, but she'd already lost her appetite from her rudeness, and the 'hurry up' attitude. She seemed so angry that we weren't making our minds up fast enough for her. We were going to have desert, shortly, and we had to look for our server high and low! One of us did order a desert -( I kept waiting for someone to stand over them watching them eating it, and hurry them on). Come on, there were many people there for parties etc. but there were open tables too, so we weren't taking up seats for any other parties waiting. We're seniors, and don't eat as quickly as others do and we're no where near 'demanding types' of customers. But when I'm eating anywhere, I hate being given the bums rush. Not for my money,- Let me eat in peace. Servers can make or break a good meal. Screaming babies were all around--but we said nothing. Can't help that. I'll say this experience wasn't Cool, Funny OR Useful. It really ticked us all off. How about Awful'? Pushy? Rude? They All fit.
(2)Lisa P.
I don't think the place is bad; the experience wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't positive. The food was bland, the server was inattentive, and the menu is misleading ("toasted mozzarella"? C'mon, it's just fried mozzarella patties instead of sticks.) We ordered the aforementioned "toasted mozzarella", a diet coke which never materialized, the 11" pizziaolo (which our server almost converted into a 16" margherita), and the unlimited salad. We ate our meal, and then our server stood off to the side of the restaurant completely ignoring us, even when we tried to wave him down for the check. We had to eventually go up to the hostess' station and tell them that our server was AWOL and we wanted the check. Luckily the diet coke wasn't on our bill.
(2)Terrel K.
They are hit and miss as far as customer service.but i love their goat cheese and sweet italian sausage pizza.
(4)Pam D.
We stopped in for lunch after going to the movies. I did not read my review from 3 years ago, and oddly enough I ordered spaghetti and meatballs, totally unaware that I didn't like it last time around. Well, this time it was much better, as was Christopher's ziti. Another improvement from last time was that they let us take our leftover salad home. Bravo! I hate seeing food go to waste. We will be back. I just wish it wasn't so noisy in there. The place was nearly full and carrying on a conversation was not easy or pleasant. Next time, I will try something other than spaghetti .... if I remember. LOL
(3)Natasha R.
I've been here numerous of times for company lunches, big and small. This is our company's first choice whether we are saying goodbye to someone, or welcoming a new member. Joy, who is our server every time, meets our very needy demands and requests, and believe me, we are not a easy group :) We call ahead of time, but lunch hour could be really busy and we never have to wait to be seated. It's always pretty packed, regardless of the hour. Aside from outstanding and accommodating service, the food is delicious as well. I always get their chicken chopped salad, which is one of my favorites. I always compare to the Wildfire chopped salad, so this says a lot. On my last visit, I got the grilled chicken panini and that was amazing too! Maybe I was just really hungry, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone. Another must is the Buffalo Calamari - spicy and tasty! Many of my coworkers get the Italian beef, so it may be my next lunch choice, or the chopped skirt steak salad, which also looks great. Either way you go, there seems to be a choice for everyone and a good variety to choose from. Oh, and always ask for their soup of the day - usually great choices! Graziano's is currently doing some reconstruction, but they are open and it seems that they are making some more room in the main dining room. It's a decent restaurant for what you pay and I definitely recommend it for a nice lunch or family dinner. With such outstanding service, its always great to bring business to those who deserve it!
(4)Ron S.
Graziano's is a solid 4-stars in my book. I ordered bow tie pasta with roasted garlic tomato sauce. I ordered the half order which was plenty for me especially after having a couple of plates of the bottomless Caesar salad bowl. I appreciate that our server was flexible with me and allowed me to substitute a different sauce with my pasta. I like Graziano's because they have good solid pasta dishes, a really good salad, you can order half or full orders of most pasta, and they have a nice family atmosphere. One of these days, I'll have to try the brick oven baked pizza but I have such a hard time bypassing a pasta dish. Oh well, maybe next time... Why only 4-stars? The wine list needs a little improvement.
(4)Nicole P.
I actually really like grazianos. I never ever remember it as an option for eating for some reason or another. Their hoyse salad dressing is phenomanal. I love stone oven pizza. The pizzas are always really crispy. Drinks are a little on the pricy side but the food is accurately priced. We need to stop by soon.
(4)Reda K.
Ok the last time I was here the service was bad and the food wasn't that good. Today was totally the opposite the service was great and our pizza was on point. We knew what we wanted already so as soon as the waitress came to ask what we wanted for our drinks we placed our pizza order. The bread they give you was great put a little oil on the plate along with the cheese then dip the bread in the oil it's really good. I would come back.
(5)Joe B.
First of all the place is surprisingly huge and gorgeous inside. Huge portions for the price. Neapolitan style wood fired thin crust done right. Grilled calamari served with lettuce & polenta was a winner. Great find amonst the stripmalls in the Nikes/Skokie/Lincolnwood area.
(4)Kevin T.
It pains me to write this review. I've been ordering and going to Graziano's for seven years. I've rented out the group section of the restaurant on three separate occasions with 30-50 people each time. The food is very, very good which is what makes this hard to write. Tonight we ordered dinner for delivery at 4:15 PM. We were told that the food would, "arrive within the hour." Two hours later it showed up cold. An hour and fifteen minutes after ordering I called the restaurant. The woman how took my order answered. When I asked about my order she wanted nothing to do with me. She explained that it would be "coming soon." I asked if that meant ten or fifteen minutes? "Fifteen minutes", she replied. At nearly the two hour make I called again and was told that the food was gone so the driver must be on the way. When the driver arrived he told me that my street was a challenge to go down. I live on a quiet street and have driven to Graziano's from home many times. I have never had an issue getting there. It doesn't take much to lose a customer but I think Graziano's might have lost me tonight. For what we paid for dinner and the treatment of the woman at the restaurant & driver it wasn't worth it. I'm greatly disappointed.
(2)Pauline D.
Thanksgiving dinner here rocks. The turkey was delish so was the green beans and mashed potatoes. Staff is very friendly even on a busy holiday. Pizzas are awesome too!
(5)Vanessa J.
Food was ok the service was a little missing, the waitress was coming only to pick up the dishes and rarely care to ask us if we need anything else overall it was ok experience not the greatest
(3)I L.
Great service, great pizza, nice beer selection, great bruschetta, great tiramisu, great night :-)
(5)Dixie S.
I love their pork loin chops. You must try their house salad as a sauce for the chops. It's fantastic!
(5)Stefanie K.
I really enjoyed this place. I've been here twice and both times the service was excellent and the food was delicious. I've ordered pasta as well as an oven brick pizza and I honestly can't complain We came in for a group party and they gave us complimentary appetizers. Totally would recommend this location!
(4)Joanne K.
We have been here many times over the past year. Every single time the service is awful. No matter what time of day it is, we end up with the worst service. Tonight was no exception, after being told I will be with you in a second at least 5 different times, we finally had our drink order and food order taken. Drinks came after food and after we reminded the waitress that we didn't have them. I also had to snag our napkins and silverware from a neighboring table, because they were not brought to us. Our prior visit two weeks ago ended with our waiter putting me down for a full order of chicken vesuvio when the only size on the menu is a half order. Of course the waiter offered no discount on his mistake and packaged me TWO to go boxes. Sadly, I think this will be our last visit.
(1)Melisah B.
My boyfriend and I came here on a Thursday night, me with a hangover and ready to eat some fattening Italian food. We came to spend the gift card the manager Steve (who is very nice) gave us to compensate the very soggy-crusted pizza we had received months earlier. They offer complimentary bread at the table but there was no butter in sight - I had to ask for it. The waitress brought some out straight from the fridge, so of course it was rock hard and not spreadable for a while. I realize that Graziano's isn't a Wildfire, but some soft, whipped butter would be nice and without having to ask for it. Even Houlihan's has that. For an appetizer, we got the sausage and peppers. Meat was soggy and reminded me of the kind of crumbles of meat you would find in Italian wedding soup. Sort of bland, but the carmelized onions and peppers that came in the dish were good. I actually enjoyed those onions much more than the sausage itself. I chose a salad for my entree side and it was a standard, plain, pathetic salad of iceberg, a few limp onions, big cuts of tomatoes, and some croutons. I wasn't asked what kind of dressing I would prefer. It came out already mixed with what seemed to be some kind of house dressing. Veggies were not crisp whatsoever. My boyfriend ordered the Graziano's burger. He asked for it to be cooked medium and it was nothing close--more like well done. By the taste, it was very obvious that this was not a fresh ground burger that had been grilled, but rather some kind of frozen burger from a box with "grill flavoring." I don't believe the menu description claimed this was fresh so... oh well. I ordered the four cheese fettucini. It tasted no different than alfredo sauce; noodles were way overcooked and squishy, very far from al dente. It was still fairly flavorful, enough for me to keep eating it, but that was mostly due to my hangover. I needed that fat! It was pretty dead in there and yet the service was still pretty slow to the point where my boyfriend had me order a beer so he would have two at the table and not have to wait so long once he finished his own. We tipped generously because we're that kind of people - other than the service being a little slow, the waitress was pleasant and it's not her fault the food quality was so sub par. I'm so glad the food we ate was on the company dime. We will definitely not be returning.
(2)Derek G.
I will be honest I am surprised by the mixed reviews for Graziano's. I have eaten here on several occasions and have never had anything less than a terrific experience. Most recently, my family ate here during the holiday season. Even though the dining area was full, our server was attentive polite, and cordial. I finally tried the brick oven pizza and as an unofficial pizza Connoisseur, I have to say, I thought it tasted fabulous. Graziano's prices are fair; I do not recall ever having to wait for a table, and they have a parking lot. Perhaps I am just too easy to please. Nonetheless, I think Graziano's is great.
(5)Margaret A.
Terrible service today. Can't understand why because it wasn't too busy. Waited a good 15 minutes to be waited on after asking numerous times for service. Asked for more Bread and that was almost impossible. Sorry we had such an unpleasant visit today. This is very unusual. Saw waiter once to take order. After that had to call busboy and he wasn't too happy about it. Martin was our waiter and he left much to be desired.
(1)Mike L.
Just okay. I have been here before but today was very disappointing.
(2)David M.
My wife and I came at a busy family time 6pm on a Sunday. I expected it to be busy but we were seated right away. However, it was one of the worst spots in the joint. Right by the serving station. I had to sit with my back to it because I didn't want to stare at a bunch of dirty plates. I would have asked to be moved but my wife needed the bathroom as soon as we got to the table and I didn't have the energy to make a fuss. So here we are, in the "steerage" part of the restaurant. There were plenty of nice empty tables toward the front. Maybe because we're not regulars we don't get that option. OK, enough of that. My wife went with a black bean soup which was watery and my salad, with house dressing was wilted, like it's been sitting in the dressing for a long time. I ordered the grilled chicken panini which was very bland. The server was nice enough. I've been here several times but I don't know if I'll go back. It seems well suited for large families that just want to share basic Italian fare. Nothing knocks me out here. It was loud and we had to deal with servers flying right behind us. Also, there was a little of a chucky cheese atmosphere with unattended children darting around the tables. It was the least enjoyable experience I've had out with my wife in a while. At the end, she asked for me to remind her to never come back.
(2)Jorge P.
Seems that my follow-up visit was much better than the last. My wife And I went for lunch. And it was much better than the last time. Not only was the soup hot but very tasty. I also had an pizza and the dough was very good. I will come back again after this visit. Thanks for inviting me back.
(4)Brooke M.
Recently I was out with the family in the suburbs and we randomly stopped at Graziano's for lunch. I am vegan and I typically get plain pasta with tomato sauce or pizza with vegetables no cheese (with lots of questions about the tomato sauce and the crust) but my family is not. I was so plesantly surprised to see several options on the Graziano's menu labeled as vegan (they use daiya cheese) and the waitress knew exactly what I didn't eat without my having to ask lots of questions. The pizza I ended up getting was delicious as was what my family ordered. It is also very kid friendly with the usual crayons and the not so usual dough for my kids to play with. Because of the wood burning oven (not sure if it really burns wood but there is a fire you can see) lunch came out quickly which is also a real plus when eating with kids. We will be back to Graziano's for sure.
(5)Gladys G.
my boyfriend and I love this place! we only started going there after we bought a fundraising card from a niles west student that gives us 20% off. I know! cheap-o's! but seriously, I don't think we would come back as often without it. now that we've fallen for it, we probably will but let's get to the food. OMG everything tastes so fresh! their salad that comes a many of the entrees is to die for. so tasty and delicious. the dressing rounds it up. the pizza is everything you look for in a pizza. definitely has a distinct, brick oven flavor to it. our favorite entree is the ravioli with meat sauce. so fresh, finitely made in house and delightful. thank you grazianos for putting such efforts into making everything fresh and delicious!
(4)Nancy K.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the salad! However, as in any restaurant, don't expect good service when you go with a group of women. The staff tend to think we don't tip, so they don't bother. I was the first to arrive, they seated me in the bar which I was happy about - not as many kids and noise! Then I realized that my party was going to be larger than expected. Not a problem but they tried to move me into the other room where all the kids were. I wouldn't have said anything but there were at least 15 empty tables. Finally, they sat us at a booth. I had already ordered a drink and they had brought bread and I started to eat. When I moved, the manager said not to worry about taking my drink, they would give me a fresh one. It would have been nice if he would have passed that onto my waitress. She brought me another drink but it was also on the bill. I never even had a sip out of the other one. When I originally sat down I was told that because I made the reservation online, we get a free order of bruschetta. WHAT? That was good, however, I had to ask for it three different times once they moved our table. Food is great here, it's the service that can be better.
(3)S M.
I called the restaurant on a Sunday at 1:00 pm asking if the restaurant could possibly accommodate a reservation for 16 people at 6:00 pm that same evening. The manager was gracious and was able to fit us all in, and more importantly, he saved the day, as my party of 16 was gathering for a post-wedding day meal before the families departed back to their hometowns. I was so SO grateful! As for the food - delicious. I had the melanzana pizza and toasted mozzarella appetizer. Both hit the right spot. The service was fantastic and attentive. Finally, as for the ambiance, it was perfectly balanced - not too loud, not too quiet. And the exposed brick interior gave the place a nice, classy touch. I live in Washington, D.C., but my brother lives 5 minutes from this restaurant, so I'll definitely be back. Thanks again to management for accommodating me on such short (5-hour) notice!!
(5)O.M. R.
Its a 2 star because of the bread and tomato cream soup. I ordered the chicken marsala which had a terrible taste. I've send it back and had another bowl of soup. This place is next to my house, but i don't think I'm coming back...
(2)Brad E.
This would be higher if solely based on the food, but based on management. My wife, who is not a big eater, typically will order one or two side orders as her entree. We have been to dozens of restaurants where this has never been a problem. After ordering a side of pasta and a side of vegetables, the server returned to let us know that the side if veg was ok, but she would need to change the pasta to a half order, "that is why the half order is on the menu." When questioned about why she could still order the side of veg, we were told there were no entree sizes of veg. Seriously? Is the extra couple of dollars that important? Because our dollars are too valuable to be ever spent here again.
(1)Lysette H.
Dined here this evening for NYE with my sisters and was excited to see the Grilled White Salmon as the special for $16.99 versus the regular price of $22. My sister ordered and specifically asked the waitress what the difference was for the special versus the regular menu version, for which the waitress said just the lower price since featured as the special, but the same item. My sister orders and at the end of the meal, she receives her portion with the regular pricing. We call the waitress back and ask that the price be changed to the special, she comes back with the Manager and says he hasn't had a salmon on the specials in 6 years. We must all be on the same episode of the Twilight Zone or this is a classic Bait & Switch. Wow!!!!! Such a nice experience with plans to come back until learning that not only Dept stores deceive the public with this scam, but restaurants do as well!!!! Shameful!!!!!
(1)Evelyn Z.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place! I've been here numerous times! I've dined in before a movie, I've use them for catering and have been here for luncheons. The service is always great and the food is AWESOME! From appetizers to dessert. It's great for families and date nights. Basically just go, you like it! Oh FYI i love their buffalo calamari and the toasted mozzarella.
(5)Pk P.
This is our favorite pizza place. Bar none! Their brick oven pizza is to die for. We typically order the pizzolo and the way they carmelize their onions is extremely unique and adds a huge explosion of yummy in every bite. We've dined in many times and the service is excellent also. Our meals are always prepared quickly and served nice and warm. The location is very clean with ample parking. I just wish there were more of them so we don't have to drive all the way to Skokie.
(5)Naduu B.
The pizza is delicious! We had the margarita. The crust was just the perfect balance of soft and crunchy.
(4)Maria S.
Graziano's is very impressive! The moment you walk in, u feel like u are in another world....Rome, Italy. You come across the colossal cream-colored sculpture and your eyes start roaming, glancing at the ambiance & decor. It's a meeting place for many business people in the area, but if u ask d hostess for a quiet area, you'll get what u want. The service is superb; the waitresses are very well trained. If u order pasta, one of the servers comes over to offer freshly shredded cheese! Mmmm the pizza is ovrn baked, and though they are a bit skimpy on ingredients, its still delicious. The portions are huge and the prices are very reasonable. Order a whole portion of an entree, and you end up taking a half home. The place is super clean; the waitresses and hostesses are neatly and cleanly dressed, and the rest rooms are the cleanest Ive seen. I highly recommend this restaurant for any occassion, especially a family party, business meeting, or for casual dining.
(5)John K.
It's been a long time since I have been , nothing has changed ... Only the best. Food is incredible with service to match. Thanks to our incredible server Maria we had an awesome evening.
(5)Shrikant S.
I wanted to give -3 stars but Yelp does not allow me to. Saturday night my family went to dinner at Graziano's. Everything was ok, until my wife noticed a "WORM" in our pizza! We wouldn't have have noticed it but the "WORM" was alive ! #NeverGoingBackAGain !
(1)Frank R.
Our server (Samantha, I think) was terrific. I'm not aware of Graziano's being a part of any chain, but the place and the food have kind of a chain restaurant feel. That's not to say it isn't good, just not very unique. The flavor of the pizza and pasta we shared reminded me of dinners you buy frozen in the grocery store that are advertised as gourmet, so kind of a processed taste. It's a good place to go if you're very hungry. The people with whom I dined have been there a few times, and really like it. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but they could persuade me to go back. One thing I've noticed lately is more casual restaurants having big screen TV's. This seemed like the kind of place that would, but thankfully it has not!
(3)Bob B.
Nice little atmosphere with an open view to the brick oven. Started with a fresh salad and the house dressing. The dressing is awesome. Kind of a cross between Italian and Thousand Island. Next came the Chicken Vesuvio!! Very tender and juicy chicken. The quartered potatoes soaked up the flavor nicely. I'll be back.
(4)Mike L.
This place is nothing more than a Chuckie Cheese in disguise. They may claim to have a brick oven, but the product that we ordered (a "Margherita" Pizza) consisted of spongy thick doh that is too thick to even resemble a brick oven pizza. The cheese was ok, but the crust was way too thick and not crispy at all, not even in one spot! The morons working the brick oven need to cook it longer aside from using a different doh. The sauce was not flavorful either. The service sucked too - it took 10 minutes to be acknowledge by the waitress, however, the busboy did bring us water and THE WORST FOCCACIA I have ever had anywhere. No way, never again. Even though Lou Malnatti's does not produce brick oven Pizzas, they BLOW THIS HOLE OUT OF THE WATER, and I suggested Lou's before we came here. After we left, everyone agreed that my original suggestion was right! If I want a perfect Margherita Pizza, I will drive to Elio's Pizza on Fire on West Lake Street in Addison any day of the week. Not sure who about all these people praising this place, maybe they ordered something other than the pizza, but then again, Denny's and Olive Garden have lots of happy fans too...........................
(2)Majid M.
loved the plain cheese pizza.. simply good!! chicken wascawesome as well. loved the chicken parmasan
(5)Patty M.
The owner messaged me a letter of apology and offered a gift card (which I declined), and then posted this dishonest comment on yelp, denying we were even turned away! We were definitely turned away and the owner is a definite liar.
(1)vince v.
WOW! Big change new menu great choices and good .Lunch was very good great server.This is spot on.Keep up this way and you will be packed.
(4)Jeffery S.
Came to this often reviewed restaurant with a group so I won't try to write another edition of War and Peace here. I'll just give you our own experience. Came here on a Saturday afternoon and the place was pretty empty. There were two dining areas, the main dining area and a smaller one off to the right of the entrance. We choose to go right as it appeared to be a little cozier. Place is larger than I xpected so I imagine the noise level is right up there when the place is full. Decor is that ersatz italian decor you see everywhere, brick wall, italian advertising posters, wood floor and exposed industrial type ceilings. Menu was full of traditional and new-wave type italian foods, wood fired pizza seems to be the hottest thing going right now and they have that here. We ordered Grilled Portobella Oreganata and Toasted Ravioli for appetizer. The Grilled Portabella was doused with olive oil, stuffed with a crumb type material and grilled. It was very good and disappeared quickly. The Toasted Ravioli was breaded and apparently deep fried (at least thats my guess) and then placed on a pool of red sauce and had a mess of cheese melted on top. Very gooey, if you like cheese, you'll love this. I thought it was just a bit over the top. Salads came next and we had two varieties; ceasar salad and house salad. Ceasar was OK but take it from me, the house salad is better, very light and slightly sweet viniagrette accompanies the greens. For the main course, we had Wood Roasted Pork Loin, Chicken Parmesan, Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers and Baked Ziti Chicken Ragu. Most of what I ate was the Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers, excellent red sauce with nice fennely sausage. I'd come back just for this. The Baked Ziti Chicken Ragu was fine, but I was still reaching for the rigatoni. Never touched the pork loin or chicken parmesan but my companions pronounced them "excellent". The finishing touches were Tiramisu and Sambuca Cake. I only had a taste of the Sambuca and it really was to sweet and rich for my taste, almost like fudge with a different aftertaste. Tiramisu fans declared the tiramasu "as good as you can get". Tab for 3 and tip, about $100. Service was mixed, slow at times but attentive. Overall I would consider this place as a stop for dinner if I am in the area again.
(4)Teddy M.
I found this place fairly disappointing. First off, the decor looks like a mix of the Olive Garden and your neighborhood art project by the el. Roman statues and paintings of meatballs with faces...come on! The food was even more so disappointing. To be fair, I think others in my company enjoyed their meals. One of the people I was with had the Wood Roasted Chicken which she raved about. However, I had one of their brick oven pizzas and it was on par with what you would get from Dominos, may be with a slightly thinner crust. The crust was not crisp. In fact, it was so soggy that I had to support the front end with my hands to keep the topping from falling apart...and this was meant to be a small personal pizza. The sausage used really had no flavor except salty. The worst were the mushroom toppings. They were bland, chewy, and over cooked with the most unappetizing gray color. The service was quite nice. Our waitress was fairly attentive and prompt. She was probably the only redeeming thing about Graziano's.
(2)Natalie K.
I'd give Graziano's 3.5 stars. I feel like a 3 isn't fair, but a 4 is a little high for my experience. My husband and I came in for dinner at 7 PM on a Thursday. No wait, and we were seated in a booth right away. First off, the server was fantastic. She was very cheerful, always had a smile on her face and was really on top of things. She was on top of refills, etc. You first get a bread basket with an array of different breads - focaccia, an onion roll, etc. The focaccia was sadly stale, but the other bread was OK. I got a bowl of soup with my meal (Free refills on soup and salad?! Cool.) It was Cream of Chicken and it was pretty good. We were torn between Steak Quesadillas or the Calamari for an appetizer, but since it's an Italian joint, we figured we couldn't go wrong with the calamari. We ordered the big portion, which was a mistake for two people because it could feed a whole family. The breading had a good flavor and they gave two sauces that were excellent, but the calamari itself was very rubbery. A big disappointment. We left the majority of it. Already I'm getting nervous to see what's in store for my entree. I ordered Chicken Vasuvio and my husband ordered Chicken Parmesan. The Chicken Vasuvio is a good portion, but the peas tasted like frozen peas and the potatoes were overcooked and dry. Thankfully, the entree is sitting in a pool of tasty sauce that I could dip everything in. The chicken was pretty good. The Chicken Parmesan is a hefty portion as well, where two can definitely share, as you get two large butterflied breasts of chicken and lots of pasta. It was good. Very good flavor, but the chicken itself was also rubbery. I wonder if it's from sitting on the heat for too long? They were out of everything for dessert except a couple of selections. The prices were reasonable. Food was OK. Service was awesome. I'm not really anticipating returning because none of the food was exceptional. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things? I don't know.
(3)Ruth C.
Fast delivery of hot and fresh food. I ordered the crispy calamari and brick oven pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms. The calamari was flash fried perfection, and came with a nice marinara sauce. The pizza was great-- tasty sauce and crust, well done as requested. Would have liked a little more pepperoni but otherwise delish. They lost one star because of that and also because it was delivered without ANY utensils, plates OR napkins. Kind of an obvious need for an order delivered to a hotel room! But, a solid 4 stars.
(4)Kalama B.
I had the salmon risotto special. The first few bites were great but it got to be a little monotonous with the same taste for the whole gargantuan plate. You need a glass of wine to balance out this flavor. There were not a lot of good paleo options, but that's typical Italian. I don't think I saw prosciutto on the menu though. So sad. The garlic mushroom soup was basically vegetable barley soup. Avoid!
(3)Carla H.
Great food! Had warm bread and good portion size for pasta. Extensive menu and lots of choices. Went for lunch around 2:00 and it was quite dead due to the time of day but kitchen was slow with the order. Besides that recommend!
(4)Michelle M.
We have been dining here for years, and due to excellent food and service, have always liked it. However, lately we have noticed a huge change at this restaurant, and not for the better. I thought that possibly they were under new management but was told this was not the case. I came in for dinner a few weeks ago on a Saturday night and the host refused to let me sit in one of two open booths near a television. Instead, in spite of my telling her I could not walk far due to bad knees, I was told, "it's not that far, you can sit here". I did get a waitress to move us to the booth and we had a great time. The salad and bow tie pasta with vodka sauce were excellent, as usual. My husband ordered a pizza and had a salad as well, which he enjoyed very much. The food and service were both great and we left very happy. This last time we came for lunch, and were greeted by the same host, as well as a waitress (said "nikki" on her nametag) hanging on the host's stand . This time we had a waiter that was very hard to understand. He was not friendly and did not refill our drinks or bread after we asked. When we left, the same waitress was still at the front desk, busy talking with the host. Between these two meals, it was like eating at two different restaurants! Amazingly, our neighbors had a similar experience to this just a few weeks prior. Overall, this place is now very hit or miss depending on the waiter. I hope they improve and are able to return to the way they were in the past since we love the food and location and used to love the service as well!
(3)Mark H.
I ordered the special, which was Atlantic Salmon. Which came with a side of chopped avocado and tomato. The food was amazing and the staff was nice enough. The whole place seemed very updated and clean. The only reason this place is not a 5 star in my book is that its a bit on the pricey side. Other than that I would defiantly recommend you going here.
(4)Marc W.
This is not really a pizza restaurant. I guess it is and that is what they call themselves, but most of their customers eat everything but the pizza. That is not to say the pizza is bad, but just not very memorable. Its a thin crust that is fairly "well done" with fresh ingredients. Good, Not Great. With that out of the way, I still come here all of the time. If you can find the time to enjoy a quick house salad for lunch then this is a great place. Their house salad and dressing go unmatched. If you are a fan of the Olive Garden's salad then you will be pleasantly suprised with what Graziano's has to offer. Their pasta dishes are heavy on sauce and flavor. You won't get bland food here. I can't go without mentioning they have the best buffalo calamari that I've ever had. Vitals (typical lunch): Buffalo Calamari Bottomless Salad Bowl No pizza $15 Not sure why some are saying that the service is below average. I've never had a bad experience here and I've ate there well over 20 times.
(3)kaya s.
The house salad dressing is absolutely phenomenal. I don't know what the 'secret' ingredient is but its addicting, and available to take home for a small price, just ask the host. I might lean closer to three stars but four is not absurd. This is a pretty large restaurant with lots of tables, but there is still a wait at times during busy dinner hours. Large menu, something for everyone, a nicely priced wine list. The brick oven pizza is fantastic and many of the pasta dishes are large and tasty. Service is hit or miss unfortunately which is my biggest knock on the place. I've had great servers and poor servers at my visits. Good for lunch and dinner, large parties, or a nice date.
(4)Jade T.
Disgusted by the food at Fluky's at Walmart, I yelped on my phone for a non-chain restaurant that offers lunch nearby. Graziano's was within three blocks from there, just after CD One Price Cleaners and before the Leaning Tower of Niles. You can't miss the restaurant or its sign. Graziano's was surprisingly large and rustically ornate. The replica of Venus de Milo had bunny ears and a lei around her neck. Funny. Sort of. I wanted to sit at the counter facing the open kitchen. Alas, it wasn't a "section" (hmm, might want to move the chairs then). Damnit. I love watching my pizza being made. In any case, I sat at a regular boring table and read through the menu. Lots of vegetarian options. Three vegetarian appetizers, five pizzas, several pastas, and so forth. Not bad for an Italian restaurant! I had the medium (14") Pizzaiolo (I can't pronounce this) with vodka sauce. The crust was good; slightly charred, thin, yet chewy. The salty, greasy combination of cheeses overpowered the vodka sauce. Overall, an above-average pizza. At $15.95, the price is just about right. It's gourmet-ish pizza after all. I recommend getting the soup or salad side for $2.50. I had the tomato-basil soup of the day, and the portion was quite large. The free bread was great for dipping. Oh, and their "pink lemonade" is actually Hi-C. Bummer.
(3)Brian C.
Greek meatballs are fantastic. Classic meatballs are very good too. The BLT sandwich is great. Did not love their Burger.
(5)Lindsey B.
Graziano's is pretty ok. Definitely not the hot spot or the best place ever but it's ok. I used to work down the street in Niles and we'd order lunch in every once in a while or take a long lunch and actually go in. It's a little pricey for what it is, but hey it was an Italian fix before there was Noodles and Co. over there. I would always order the bowtie pasta in vodka sauce. It was pretty darn good. Their bottles of wine are on the affordable side and generally speaking the waiters are quite nice. Drinks are heavily poured which adds to my liking of this place :) The bar has some nice seats! Darn comfy.
(3)Paul K.
One of my favorites. Been coming to this place for about 5 years and I have never been disappointed. Great selection on the menu. The brick oven pizza is superb the staff is friendly and polite the resturant is clean and inviting. Plenty of parking and I never waited more then a few minuets on a busy day to be seated.
(5)Kim S.
Excellent Gluten Free menu options (they actually have a section of the menu dedicated to Gluten Free). My husband is the one with the Gluten Free needs and he loves the Pasta and the Sauce. He's eaten the Chicken Parm here also, but wasn't that impressed. When we visit here, he sticks to the Pasta, which is cheap, especially since it comes with a soup or salad (who does that anymore??). By the way, all of the salad dressings are gluten free as well. The House dressing itself is AMAZING. Definitely ask for it, but ask for it on the side so the salad isn't swimming in it. When I eat here, I also stick with the Pasta, specifically, the Pasta Arriabiata...yummo! A bit spicey, but not too intense, so I'm always pleased. I've also had the personal Pizzas which I think are pretty darn good. I didn't give this a 4 or 5 star because Pasta and Pizza are really the best options here. I wish I could give it at least a 3.5 star though because for the price, I think this is a great restaurant for a night out, with good food, and won't cause you to break the bank.
(3)Heather D.
We went back to Graziano's a few months ago and had a nice time with good service. Much more kid friendly than our last visit.
(3)Joyce R.
I had a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. I don't know what I was thinking getting this at a pasta and pizza place. It was just OK. The BBQ sauce was too sweet for my liking. And the pork wasn't so pulled after all. My husband's selections were much better. He had Marsala penne pasta with chicken. The pasta was actually cooked al dente and the tomato sauce was very tasty (not acidic). The mushroom soup was meaty and creamy. I made him switch entrees with me. They have a vegetarian and vegan section on the menu. For some reason they don't show this on their website. Not that it matters to me since I'm totally carnivorous. But it's still good to know since I am meeting more and more people with different diet restrictions these days. We also had black cows and root beer floats. We were like big little kids. I'll definitely be back to try their brick oven pizzas.
(4)Transvision Zack X.
"Memories/All alone in the moonlight..." I'm a Michigan native but from about 1998-2006, I would make a regular summer trip to the Chicago area for a large-scale comic book convention. During road trips like that, certain things become tradition - and a pitstop to Graziano's was one of them for me. I sympathize with the negative reviews. If you only go to Graziano's once and it ends up being a bad experience, I can see why you wouldn't necessarily want to go back. The service does vary; I've had attentive waiters and not-so-attentive ones there. That definitely plays a part. Then again, if you're ordering things like peanut butter and jelly pizza, don't be surprised if it doesn't set your world on fire. I'm from Detroit. It can be hard to come by good pizza here. We're used to the the kind of greasy gutbomb pizza with liquid cheese that sticks to the lining of your stomach. That was why I so anticipated a trip to Graziano's. Each time I went there I was impressed with the quality salads and well-made traditional pizzas. If I lived in the local area I wouldn't make a habit of going there all the time, as it would quickly lose its luster. But if you're in the mood to dine out somewhere that's nice but not too fancy, with cool decor and comfy booths, and not to mention some damn good pizza...Graziano's is it. Okay, perhaps my memories are clouding my judgment. I mean, nostalgia is a powerful thing - and it's been years. Then again, after all this time I'm STILL craving a pizza from Graziano's, so that should tell you something.
(4)Jacob J.
What Graziano's is; an Italian food option for the suburbanite that won't travel another twenty minutes to find better. It's not horrible nor bad, just average. They've been around for many years so obviously they have a following, I've just never bought into it. Had their pizzas and pastas have never been impressed. At times it was just okay and probably didn't wow me as much; most any time I'd gone it was for a special occasion and when your with a group of people that aren't impressed it just compounds the feeling of not returning for a year or longer. Alike Rhonda G. said, the staff are friendly but they don't care to share their suggestions, nor do they follow up enough to see how the dinner is going and / or if anything else is needed. I drive passed this restaurant daily and maybe 30% of the time I may be on the lookout for food and I never have an inclination to try it again. Looking over their on-line menu I'm realizing they also offer steak, BBQ items and a few uncommon pizza toppings like grape jelly, peanut butter and Velveeta cheese. The atmosphere is friendly and with the family style seating great for groups. If on a date or in a crowd, you may feel at a loss in service.
(2)Erin K.
They have some relatively unique pizzas, like the PB&J pizza (not that I order it, since I hate peanut butter with a burning passion). That's their strong point. Their other pizzas are solid, not last-meal-on-earth good, but pretty decent. Their pastas are also good, but not excitingly so. Generic Italian food, you know. I was surprised by how delicious their tortilla soup was, though. It's obviously not super authentic, but it's yummy! Service is pretty so-so, and prices are a little high for the quality of food you're eating, but it's a nice place to go for lunch or dinner with the family.
(3)Patti M.
We (work) always eat here for lunch...the house salad dressing is to die for. We (work) always get extra and even come buy it for our own use at the office and home. My husband and I went for dinner the other night. We had excellent service and so much food we had to bring half home for our dinner the next night. I thought this only happened to us at lunch because we weren't really hungry and just needed to get out of the office. I was wrong, the portions are really large whatever time you go...and delicious. It may not be as "great" as some of the finer expensive italian restaurants around but the food is good and filling for the price..perfect for family and relaxing.
(4)T S.
This place looked awesome, but the food was alright. We ordered pizza, thinking that's what they are known for and were far from impressed. It didn't even taste like brick oven pizza. The pasta was alright. The best part of the night was their cappicino chip gelato-yum! I would also say the service was great.
(2)Lauren M.
The food was great! The only reason for lack of higher review was the terrible service we received. I was with a group of 13 and our waitress was extremely rude during our entire meal. One end of the table requested more salad (unlimited w/entree) as she had provided 1 bowl for 5 adults..and her response was fine as she glared at the other end of the table's salad and stormed away. In the past when we have come here with large groups, we have had absolutely no problem. Normally the water is promptly filled upon finishing the glass, however this time the only time our waters were filled were when we requested them to be filled and this was only met with an evil glare from the waitress. I understand if you are having a bad night, but that is no way to treat a table providing you with a tip from a large check including alcohol. Our table asked for minimal amounts of service, yet the waitress acted as if she just wanted to leave the entire time. Don't get me wrong, I love the food, (I had the Spinach Ravioli, normally get the Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka sauce, both are excellent and the house salad is to die for) but the service received significantly decreased my desire to return to the restaurant especially with a larger group.
(3)Tricia D.
I've been wanting to try this place for a while now, having driven by it multiple times, and finally got the chance to stop in. Ordered a steak fajita pizza and was a bit stunned that it literally came out in 5 minutes, more or less. It was delicious! I'd definitely recommend this place for brick oven pizza.
(4)Colleen C.
5 stars for having a low carb menu AND being Italian :) Makes my life a bit easier, and I can be less annoying :) Food is really good though, large portions, big place. Dinner salad had killer dressing, waiter was superb. All in all, a great business lunch spot, and a lot of seating for bigger parties, if needed. I really enjoyed it. Easy to get to of 94, big parking lot (I know that's not a big deal in the burbs, but whatever!) I'd go back...if I ever find myself in Niles again.
(5)Brian W.
I've been here a couple times now and it's always been a decent Italian restaurant. Though, not on the top of my list. I just went with the family last night for dinner so I'll write this based on that experience. The dining areas are extremely large and when we arrived on a Friday night and it was at maybe twenty percent capacity. If there's so much room I wonder why the hostess sat us right between two other tables. When you have a lot of empty tables it's nice to maybe give one table buffer; so I don't have the super loud ladies next to us screaming in my ear. (I realize we can ask for a new table but I like to see where they initially decide to put us.) Our server was nice enough, though a little too soft spoken. We had to ask him to repeat himself a few times. Our drinks came promptly and better yet correctly; my dad's diabetic so it's kind of important that when he orders a diet coke, that's what he gets. We ordered a couple appetizers, the fried calamari and mozzarella. The large portion of calamari was lightly breaded and not too oily, however it seemed to be under-seasoned. The mozzarella was decent as well with a slightly sweet hint to it. Everyone else ordered pasta but I opted for the Pizza Margherita. It's a super basic pizza and one of the first invented; so it's a good marker, outside of deep dish joints, on how well they make pizza. Well... the mozzarella was fresh and for a mini pizza you get a decent twelve inches. They put on a lot of sauce with made the base bread soggy by the time it reached my table. The thing that got me, in order to insure that cheese reached all parts of the pizza (unnecessary in my opinion for that type of pizza) they used a processed mozzarella. The rest of the table seemed to enjoy their pasta well enough. Portion sizes are huge here. Everyone took home a container except my friend, he doesn't count because he formed some sort of pact with a devil to have an endless pit for a stomach. The bill for six people reached roughly a bill without alcohol. I might return here again but it's more out of convenience after watching a movie at Village Crossing.
(3)Chris S.
My parents live in Niles and I work in Niles near Graziano's, so I end up eating here often. Whether we're ordering out at work, or if the wife and I are meeting up with my mom and dad for dinner, this place rarely disappoints. There have been a couple isolated incidents that you can expect from any restaurant, but nothing horribly offensive. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of their pizza; although it's good for what it is, I tend to like my pizza either thick and deep, or thin and cut into little squares. Personal preference. My dad likes their pizza, as do most of my co-workers. What I like is their salad dressing and their pastas. Oh, and their burgers are decent too! Take warning though, their serving sizes are enormous, so either split something, or be prepared to have lunch and dinner for the next day. Good value, good food, go atmosphere.
(4)Jason G.
A great family restaurant that is kid-friendly with solid consistently good food. The house made salad dressing is excellent as is the BBQ chicken pizza. Service is good and attentive. Decor is not corny Italian. Parking is easy and convenient. Our kids love that they can walk up to the cook line and the chefs will give them some pizza dough to play with as they watch them make pizzas.
(4)Sid B.
Oh yeah.. Lemme throw another grain in the ocean.. The salad and house dressing rocks.. So tough to find places serving large quantities of good fresh salad& dressing these days.. The entree was Chicken Vesuvio which was not that great.. But well my friend had a Chicken parmesan and was ga-ga over it.. A worthy option if you planning to have a leisure lunch in the cosy town of Niles
(4)Jennifer J.
made a 7:30pm reservation on saturday night for my friend and i. we were promptly seated in a large booth in the back of the restaurant. i started munching on the bread as soon as we sat down and then one of the busboys brought over a plate of bruschetta and said it was on the house. this happened once before and we were told it was b/c we made reservations. i've made reservations other times though and didn't receive the bruschetta so i don't know what the reason is. either way, i'll take it =) the bruschetta is great- lots of tomatoes (like waaaaaay more than necessary). i ordered one of the specials- crab ravioli fra diavalo. i was sure to say "fra diavalo" b/c i noticed there was another "easter special" on the front of the specials menu that was just crab ravioli- not crab ravioli fra diavalo. i, like george costanza, like my food spicy so i was excited about the fra diavalo part. the ravioli came with a salad so i asked for the house dressing on the side. the house dressing is like crack- really really ridiculously addictive. my friend and i chatted away and i waited for my salad. i saw the server a number of times and each time, he didn't have my salad in his hands. i was getting a little annoyed but hey, i used to be a server and sometimes you just forget. finally he came over and said "ladies your entrees will be out shortly", so i said "um am i gonna get my salad before the food?". he said "oh yeah, that's right" and returned with my salad, with the dressing on it, not on the side. ok, fine, whatever. i didn't have much time before the entrees arrived. the crab ravioli was on a huge plate and 6 large ravioli were covered in a red sauce. i took my first bite and it was not spicy in the least bit. i couldn't wait to see the server to ask for crushed red pepper. i saw him come and go between tables and when he checked on us, i asked for the pepper. i also should have asked for fresh parmesan too- usually the server or whoever brings the food offers you fresh parm for your pasta, but not this time. hmmm. i sat and watched the server stand by the pos and close out some checks and then walk over to a table a few feet from us and pick up the check off the table after the guests left. he then went back to the computer. ok, i'm starting to get annoyed. then i saw him standing with about 3 other servers, laughing and goofing around. alright pal, you forgot my salad, didn't take my order right, and now you're not bringing me what i requested. i decided i needed to get up and talk to a manager. as i was walking towards the front door, i saw the server start to walk towards my table and then he saw me and i heard him say "oh yeah, the pepper!". i guess i could have went back and sat down but at this point, i was worried that he would get distracted by a shiny object and forget my crushed red pepper once again. the manager was very understanding and said he'd take care of it. the pepper was waiting at the table when i returned. the situation was now awkward. my friend and i joked that we would be boxing up our food ourselves b/c we didn't want to let it out of our sight. the server came over and apologized. it was nice and seemed slightly sincere but a little forced. when it came time to box the food, we did it ourselves and then he dropped the check with a complimentary dessert which was delicious. there was also a discount on the check which was really nice. the manager cared enough to rectify the situation right there. he probably didn't want me being a disgruntled customer and then heading online to write an angry review... oops, i did it anyway. but i'm not disgruntled. while service has been a bit off my last 2 visits, i will still continue to visit. the food is great and this was my first time having to speak to a manager and he made things right again. oh the server even wrote "sorry" on the receipt. they did their part to make things right again. i go here with friends once or twice a month and i will definitely continue to go back. i work in the industry so i really appreciate the effort made by the manager. hopefully i won't have to address anything with him again in the future, but it's nice to know that if i have to, he'll listen.
(4)Nan D.
A fan for years, I trek over whenever I desire an excellent meal. I bring all of my visiting friends there. There is something for everyone. The prices are good. It is a nice quiet place where one can actually talk and not be rushed. I love the house salad dressing and the pasta dishes ! This is a great place to eat for dinner or lunch !
(5)Rocky B.
I love the combination of coziness and spaciousness this restaurant offers. The staff are friendly tho very rushed. Love the warm bread basket they place on the tables. I've never had their pizza but their pasta is really good and huge portions. You'll definitely be leaving with a doggie bag.
(4)George K.
I went there last night and was pleased that they sat us at 9:26 PM. I shouldn't have been. - We were seated at the worst possible table in a largely empty dining room. Real nice. We got up and moved to a different table. - The restaurant was absolutely filthy. I realize it was "late", but if Graziano is going to serve at this time they have an obligation to cleanliness. - Adjoining tables had not been cleared. VERY unappetizing. - Waitress (Flora) corrected me for call a pizza a "pie". Sweet. - Noisy, seemingly disgruntled, busboys made a large racket as they went about their business. - A blaring TV, set on a loud-ass channel. - Waitress (Flora again) proceeded to clean the restaurant blinds during our meal. - Risotto was over-salted. Margarita "pie" was pretty good. Quite unpleasant experience. Won't be back.
(2)Jean C.
I really enjoy this place even though most of my friends remain unimpressed by it. It's big and airy, but unless you're there on one of the rare occasions when it's not crowded, it's really noisy. The menu is pretty basic. Some of the food is good, some not so good. I love their house salad dressing and would probably drink it out of a glass if I could. I also love their dipping oil, and tried to wrangle the recipe out of the manager. Service has been consistently good and many of the servers go out of their way to make sure you get a lot of bang for your buck. I went there with friends after a movie because our ticket stubs were supposed to get us a free bruschetta appetizer. It turned out that they usually only accept one stub per table, but our server brought us three, which was more than enough for all of us. Graziano's is at its best on a weekday afternoon, after the lunch rush. It's quiet then, and the pace is a bit slower. You won't wait forever for a table.
(4)Katherine R.
I just spent about 10 minutes searching my reviews because I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet! I've been to Graziano's a dozen times and it's a consistently good place. They never get too busy, which shocks me because the food is good and they have great prices to boot. My most recent experience was in between Christmas shopping. Had a great time, and our server, Aman-duh (her name tag actually said that) was hilarious and attentive. The spicy shrimp app was great and the house salads aren't bad, just wish places would use greens instead of iceberg! It's a little pricer I know, but customers will appreciate! I had the margherita pizza and don't have a bad thing to say about it. Took some home and it was just as good the next day when I was nursing a hangover. Great place for kids to draw on the tables and eat pizza but great for date or night out with friends. Gluten-Free, Low Carb AND Vegan/Vegetarian options!!!! Really?! Amazing!
(4)Eric W.
The Great with the bad. I love this place they consitanly have great food great service. This place is casual dining with a bit of sophistication. They have the best new england calm chowder ever & it's bottomless. I had the soup (None Better). Fried calamari (as good as any) & I didn't like the sirloin salad. It didn't
(4)brian f.
love their food, great, unique pizza's. love their food, but never eat there...always too noisey. they need ceiling sound insulation, always have, always loud. service staff is always great, from front door to servers. we do carry out 100% of the time. it is nice that they have special parking spots for carry out.
(4)Mandi N.
the house salad is perfect. & the pizza is amazing. chewy & crunchy, but not too heavy. so good!
(4)Sara L.
The salad dressing is a must with the unlimited bowls of salad( like olive garden but sweeter and better). The Marghartie brick oven pizza is great. The pasta is very similar to what you would find in any Italian joint. The fish, meat and chicken are always fresh. The service is great and they aim to please. This is a family oriented place so if you want to go to a quiet romantic place this may not be for you. I reccommend trying it out, especially if you live in the Skokie/Niles area.
(3)Leang E.
I came here after I did some minor Christmas shopping. I'm surprised that as packed as the parking lot was, we were still seated right away. Our drinks were quite disappointing. We tried the Mango Bango, the Key Lime martini, and then finally settled on the Sicilian Margarita (which tastes like a melon flavored alcoholic beverage). We started out with the special steak nachos appetizers, and split a salad and the Rigatoni with sausage and peppers. All of it was delicious and we dipped our bread in the salad dressing. Yummy! The pizzas going by looked really good. Our server was really nice and I know she tried as best she could to recommend a drink that we'd like. I wouldn't mind coming to this place again.
(4)Chris W.
Maybe I'm just a fan of really fat dripping pan pizzas but I wasn't too thrilled with coming here. I honestly don't even remember what pizza we got it was so lame, and we tried to get a pretty cool one because we enjoy trying new foods. If I had the menu in front of me I'd be able to tag it I'm sure. I do enjoy truly eating thin crust pizza but this stuff was at the low end of the spectrum for my taste buds. They had a decent steak there at least. And an alright kalimari appetizer. It's not the best atmosphere either, I wish it was a bit less interconnected with the booth/seat arrangements with other tables. However, it was alright. Service was alright too. If I was with a group that wanted to go back I'd just try something new.
(2)Keith T.
Good food, child friendly, good childrens menu including a macaroni and cheese pizza! Wide selection of italian dishes in large portions along with a decent pizza.
(3)Gabriel A.
I think I find myself sometimes coming back to this place simply for their amazing house salad. Their four cheese pizza is delicious. I do find their bruchetta to be a little sweet, but it is better than most. I definitely have recommended this restaurant to friends and will continue to do so.
(4)Justin L.
Seems that every time I want to take my parents out to eat they choose this neighborhood restaurant near their house. Graziano's is a very large open kitchen style restaurant which gets very busy and seems to be very popular in the area. It is family friendly and the wait staff is quick and attentive. My recommendations are to get a house salad the dressing is so good, people often order cups to take home. If some one can recreate it please send me the recipe. It is like a creamy Caesar with its own unique Graziano spin. Follow that with a baked ziti or chicken fettuccine Alfredo. The brick oven specialty pizzas are also very good only because they not your normal pizza. They have many combinations that work well together and makes the pizza eat more like a meal than regular pizza. If your in the area shopping at the neighborhood shopping centers, I suggest you make a stop for a bit to eat. It is an upgrade over other shopping center restaurants but very reasonably priced and tasty.
(3)Marcel M.
Eat here and you'll look like the regulars after subsequent visits. We've been going here for 12 years and their soups are amazing... The salad dressing is amazing also and I don't prefer salads. Also, huge pastas. The pizzas are great as well. My only gripe is that their appetizer choices are lame. I also tried a peanut butter and jelly pizza once. Good stuff. Bottom line is that the food has been consistent for all these years.
(5)Lale S.
If this were years ago when Graziano's first opened they would have had all 5 stars. The food has gone down drastically since then. When they first opened it seemed as though they were really worried about the satisfaction of their customers. Lets just say things have changed. This place is seriously down the block and across the street from my parents house. 1. the woman who takes phone orders and usually rings up your order to go has some serious issues, she has worked there for years yet needs to get a attitude adjustment, very bad... 2. The to-go salads (which i must add the house dressing is the best thing they make) look like they have been sitting there for days, not to mention the fact that they seriously skimp you on the veggies but double up on the brown lettuce. There are a couple of things i do love about this place and always have and that is why i give them three stars, the graz burger is amazing, the toasted or friend mozzarella to die for, the house salad dressing beyond amazing, and the chicken fingers are so good my mouth is now watering. I really think they need to pay more attention, and put the same attention to detail and their portions as they did in the beginning. minimal just doesnt cut it for me, especially considering how much money this place has made off me and my family.
(3)Edward H.
This place has a good menu and the food quality is consistent. I like eating here since there's minimum wait (large dining area) and fast service. The calamari and bruschetta is top notch. I love love LOVE the baked ziti here. Most of their menu selection comes with either soup or salad. I usually get the soup - unlike most restaurants, they give you a full bowl... enough to fill you to the point where you barely have room for your entree. Graziano's is also close to the local theater making it the perfect place to go before or after catching a flick.
(4)Anthony M.
Grazianos is a great place because they have a huge menu for an Italian resturant and there really is nothing there I have not liked. There portions are about right (not too big, but big enough to feed a big guy like me!). The pizza here (brick oven) is probably the best thing here and actually tough to find made right in the area (its found more in CA ala Wolfgang Puck). Pasta and sandwiches are great too!
(4)Crystal S.
I don't know what it is but they have the best "house salad dressing" EVER!!! That is the highlight of this place for me!
(3)Tess K.
If you're expecting upscale, unusual Italian food, you will be disappointed. If, however, you want consistently solid, somewhat Americanized Italian fare, try it out. The prices are average, serving size above average, and quality is satisfactory. The unlimited soup and salad combo is great - too bad you have to search for it on the menu if you don't already know about it. Service is their weak point, especially when it gets busy. It can be difficult to get your waiter's attention towards the end of the meal and I agree with previous reviewers - the waiters do tend to clump around the registers and talk. Still, for a very family friendly place with predictable quality, I like it.
(3)Benjamin S.
I would give this place 3 stars for the pizza. It's not the greatest compared to the pizza you'll find elsewhere in Chicago. But they brought us bread to munch on and the service was wicked fast. Almost too fast.
(4)A C.
I would say that Graziano's is a good place to eat. Their pizza is phenomenal. Only reason why I gave 4 out of 5 stars is because the menu prices are quite steep. Other than that, ya'll should give this place a try!
(4)Ilene J.
Their spaghetti and meat sauce is delicious. The salad dressing is the best!!! Sure wish I had the recipe. And on Saturday nights their soup is Cream of Mushroom-- it's wonderful with just a hint of wine in it.. I think, I go there all of the time and have never had a bad meal or bad service. The main dining room is noisy so I ask to be seated in the smaller room near the bar. It's a lot more quiet.
(5)April W.
pizza was good as was salad dressing but my pasta dish was terrible, the pasta was gummy, it was lukewarm and the vodka sauce had no flavor.
(3)kristen m.
I wanted to like this place because I have friends who go there and rave about it.. Unfortunately to me not so much.... I thought the service was awful we had to keep asking the waiter to refill our drinks, which is kinda a pet peeve of mine. We had three appetizers the fried calamari, bruschetta, and fried mozzarella, they were pretty good. The downfall for sure was the pasta entree I ordered. The sauce tasted like RAGU!! If I decide to give this place another try, I will have to go with the pizza it seems to get better reviews.
(3)S L.
In the land of the strip malls on this busy street called "Touhy Avenue" in Niles, there is this Italian restaurant called "Graziano's" somewhere between Walmart and Target. I never expected to find half-way decent Italian restaurant in this area, especially when your options consist of your typical American chain restaurants from fast food to super-fattening food. I have to admit, I like hopping on the Edens from the NW side of Chicago to do a little bit of shopping here, and catch a flick every now and then as well. I do recall Graziano's opening way back in the days and I've been back ever since. I wouldn't say this is my favorite Italian restaurant, but it's better than all the other restaurants in the area. The entree portions are huge and I always have leftovers. Their brick oven pizza is really good too, especially the crust. The service is Hit or Miss over the years. I've had really wonderful waiters and really horrible ones as well. I usually come here with a small group and never had to wait for a table. I'm sure for a larger group on the weekends, reservations is probably recommended. Bottom line: If you're in the area and not feeling the typical chain restaurants, head on over to Graziano's! Expect a family-friendly atmosphere, good food and possibly a doggie bag to take home. Don't forget to save your movie ticket stub from the theatre down the street - you get a freebie appetizer with your order.
(4)J F.
This is a place we know we can go to if we are hungry and don't have a lot of time. There is usually minimal to no wait--that said, the place does get business and is busy. They just handle customers well and the food is good.
(3)Kathy R.
Try the pizza. You won't be disappointed. Good salads, too. You won't leave hungry - portions are big. My one note of caution would be to check your carry-out order when you pick it up; they screwed up our order once, so my husband had to drive back (we live in Niles, and it's 20 min. away). Other than that, my experiences have been good.
(4)Alan R.
Graziano's is the perfect balance of Pizza/Italian. We went with another couple and my 17 month old son. Everyone got something different. Salad, Pasta, Sandwich and Pizza. There is something for everyone and they do it all well. They also have a good children's menu. If I lived closer to Graziano's, I'm sure I'd be a regular.
(4)Terri N.
Although we aren't a big fan of Graziano, we tend to come here once in a blue for our daughter Tamia. She loves this place. I've never been disappointed with the food but I had better italian food elsewhere. They have great pizza, salads and parmesan fries. We came here last week for a quick lunch. I got their Graziano Burger and I wasn't pleased with it. Tony had their steak and thought for the price he paid for it could've been better. Tamia had their chicken fingers and fries. She said the chicken was too chewy but didn't hesitate to scarf down all her fries. Overall, their service is great and they are extremely kid friendly.
(4)Jenni F.
Three words: Chopped Chicken Salad I am not a salad person (lettuce is just decoration for salad dressing and croutons in my opinion.) I also can't get full on just roughage. This in my opinion is the perfect salad, the right mix of salad and chicken and other good stuff. But what makes this salad the best I ever had is their dressing. I am typically a ranch or blue cheese type girl and will wrinkle my nose at the typical Italian dressing that is at every old time salad bar. However, the House Italian salad dressing at Graziano's is my favorite salad dressing ever, possibly my favorite condiment ever. I have only eaten in Graziano's a couple of times, so I can't speak for the service. Update: 2/19/08 I moved out the area, so when I found myself out there, i decided to pick up a salad to go. Apparently, the to go salad has become a hot item, because now they mass produce them. The salad was okay, but wasn't made fresh. The bread that I was given was so hard it was not eligible. Still, I would pay $10 for the salad dressing alone.
(3)tessa c.
i had the margherita pizza with shrimp and green peppers. hands down the best margherita i've had (i always try to have it with shrimp/peppers everywhere i go) !! service was great and i have to say it went beyond the dining experience. my dumb ass lost my phone somewhere between the time of leaving loyola and sitting down to dinner there. i didn't find it but the hostess and the manager was very accommodating in attempting to find it. oh man i am getting hungry just thinking of that pizza...
(4)Chris L.
My wife and I went here before seeing a moving at the nearby movie theater. It was a Saturday night around 6:15PM and pretty busy, but we were seated immediately. The service was far outshined by the food. It took our server about ten minutes to even take our drink orders and it was several minutes after that, that we got our water. Our server was very friendly, but slow. Once we did receive our food however, all was forgiven. We shared giant Calamari appetizer and I had the wood roasted chicken and my wife, the shrimp salad. The food was delicious and perfectly prepared. I will definitely be going back again.
(4)John F.
I used to like this place, but prefer Macaroni Grill insread. Service here seems a bit lax and menu a tad overpriced. Still they do have very good pizza.
(3)Mary C.
I found this place because there was a deal with the local theater for a free appetizer. It reeled me in and boy am I glad it did. They have awesome thin-crust pizzas, great salads and a variety of Italian dinners. I love the colorful vintage advertisments that decorate the walls and the open kitchen.
(4)Kristin A.
Great place to take a group for a work lunch. Pizza is thin and half way healthy (as far as pizza goes). Good salads and house dressing. Not too pricey.
(4)Liliana S.
This pizza is really good. I mean really really good. Its thin and just right...
(4)Minay T.
Love the calamari and the food overall. They have big servings so the price is worth it. You can share the dishes without overspending. Good service and kids friendly.
(5)Kimberly C.
My kids like to draw on the tables and they have a funky kids menu including macaroni n cheese pizza!
(4)Bella B.
The drinks and appetizers are wonderful, the house dressing is OUT OF THIS WORLD and the pizzas are fantastic. Graziano's is a perfect "dinner and a movie" dinner spot. There's a theater across the street. I've been here for one birthday dinner (14 people in our party - service was wonderful) and many dates. Honestly, what keeps me coming back is the house salad and the pizzaiolo pizza - caramelized onions with tomato and spinach. Delicious. The only reason I'm not giving this place 5 stars is because they seem to be a little off their game for the weekend lunch rush. The last time I went, my entire party ordered personal pizzas and every single one came back burnt. Talk about a time waster to have those remade. And the waitress came over with a pitcher of diet to refill our non-diet pop. Not that great a time. Maybe it was an off day? Generally, it's a good experience.
(4)Alison M.
Tasty food and giant portions-- this place is better than a lot of its strip mall neighbors. I highly recommend splitting their linguine with seafood. It's probably the best thing on the menu. I've had other things here, and they've all been pretty good, but ever since trying the linguine with seafood, I don't bother with anything else. I'm knocking it down a star for its bread, though. I mean, honestly, you're an Italian restaurant, you shouldn't be serving dinner rolls to dip in the olive oil.
(3)Randy G.
Average food. Service is lacking
(3)jill t.
I'd do 2.5 stars, but that's not a option. It's OK, I think the food quality is just OK. Not really fresh. The pizzas are probably better than some of the other options. I've had dinner their a couple times, pizza both times. My mom and I tried lunch and had pasta. The meals come with salad, it was too drenched in dressing and seemed a little soggy. The service has always been good. Lots of families. Not a romantic date spot. But, hey if you're on Target on Touhy buying toilet paper and shampoo and you want a brick oven pizza, you can come here.
(2)Bee B.
I have been mentally eating mushroom ravioli since last Wednesday...That's sorta weird, right? But it was THAT good. I don't usually order pasta at a restaurant partly because I try to be all pseudo south-beach and partially because I am usually disappointed by pasta dishes at restaurants. Not mad, just disappointed. Graziano's was a different story, however. I had trouble deciding what I wanted to get when I went with some girlfriends for lunch...They have design-your own pizzas, salads and some great sounding pastas as well. The mushroom ravioli was on the specials menu and I had to try it. The dish was supposed to be served with a white sauce, but I switched it out for tomato with roasted garlic sauce. The waitress was super chill about this and helped me pick a new sauce when I told her I wanted to switch to red. The dish consisted of 5 or 6 HUGE raviolis and they were creamy and mushroom-y and really delicious. A friend got one of the personal pizzas which looked really tasty as well and they have all sorts of interesting toppings to choose from such as goat cheese, kalamata olives and peanut butter (?) The bread was great too, and they have a nice selection of wines by the glass and cocktails. I would recommend Graziano's to anyone in the Skokie/Niles/MG/ L-Wood area. The ravioli deserves 5 stars, easy. But I'll stick with a modest 4 star review until I go back (soon, I hope!) and try something else.
(4)Carolynne M.
I will say that this place is not the most adventurous in terms of their menu. You will get the basics a lot of restaurants offer, like antipasto salad, burgers, pasta, chicken parmesan and steak. But the pizza is divine, it has that yummy charred crust that only happens when baked in a 700 degree brick oven and there are some great toppings offered! My favourite is the Four Seasons which has artichokes, red peppers, mushrooms and prosciutto separated in four sections. The dining room is big so don't let a packed parking lot make you think that there will be a wait. We were seated almost immediately during prime time dinner hour on Friday night. Our waitress, Stephanie, was lovely and super-helpful. I ordered the salmon and asparagus risotto, which was a special that night. It comes with a huge salad, so after about 3 bites of the super-rich risotto I had it packed up to go. The risotto was quite good, but of course I always compare it to the kind I make which none ever seem to match. The dining room is decorated really cool, with oversized vintage posters on the brick walls, high ceilings and a breezy, open dining room. One of the nicer restaurants in this area.
(4)Dan F.
Graziano's is an old stand-by restaurant for my family. The menu has a lot of variety and the food is really pretty good and comes in large portions. It has an identity somewhere a really nice Italian place and a chain restaurant. I have never been disappointed by anything I've ever had there, but never blown away either. The service is occasionally slow, but not too bad. Their house salad is remarkable. I'm a repeat customer for my own sake but also because my sometimes finicky children can find something they like too.
(4)Nancy V.
This place is awesome! Amazing pasta dishes, the salad is to die for (and in unlimited quantities), garlic bread phenomenal. Every time we go, we say next time we have to just have salad and dessert cause we never have had room for dessert and the desserts look fantastic. We do tend to eat lots of salad and bread, then part of the entree and have plenty of entree as left-over to do at least one, if not two, more meals. Service has always been excellent. Highly recommend and we'll keep coming back.
(5)Duncan S.
I really like the pizza. It's not perfect, but it's thin, crust is nice and cooked/crispy, and you can taste the nice oven (sounds weird, but I like that). Don't have any service issues. Once there was a little wait for seating, but it was real busy and we had no reservations. Haven't had anything else, but my friends think the pastas aren't anything special, so your own risk there. Walking around, roasted chicken looked good (maybe a specialty? A lot of people were ordering them. Along with salads), but yes, I love the pizza
(4)Valerie O.
Come for the salad and pizza and forget everything else! This is not your typical Chicago pizza joint. They have various kinds of cheeses and different toppings. I love the caramelized onions with fontina cheese. The crust is fresh made and delicious! They're not going to cut these brick oven pizzas into squares! Make a reservation to avoid long waits!
(5)Dino P.
Food consistently excellent. The bread they serve is out of this world. Also, the house salad dressing is the best Italian Dressing I have eaten. I highly recommend this restaurant. Good food, fast service! Try it out.
(5)Scott W.
Huge restaurant with a lot of seating. Service is great. Pizza crust was a little thicker and doughier than I expected, but still good. The gonzo was interesting, as the Gorgonzola didn't completely overwhelm the other flavors like it normally does. The best part of the meal was the Cobb salad.
(4)Michael N.
No, just no. Chicago and the immediately surrounding suburbs have a surplus of very good to excellent Italian restaurants. Trust me, my waistline is proof. However, sadly, Graziano's is not one of them. We have been there easily a half-dozen times in the last several years and each time I am disappointed more than the last. I think the quality was quite a bit better years ago, but now not so much. Furthermore, the restaurant is not clean, the service is uneven, and the food is bland. I do not like to be negative, but I have to advise against going here. I am not saying it is terrible, just saying that there are so many better Italian restaurants to go to around the area.
(2)Realtor Karl B.
It's okay. Not the best, but good enough. Liked the cheesy bread (dipped in oil), the salads, margherita pizza, stella cidre, and their pastas. Don't know if the prices were high or low since it was paid for by somebody else. I wish their had more deep dish pizzas available.
(3)Carrie B.
"I love Graziano's- great option for casual, inexpensive family dining. The service has been less than stellar at times and the weekend evenings can get pretty loud and busy with families and kiddies, but the food is pretty yummy. I order the pasta with vodka sauce all the time, and always have enough left over to bring home. I've had the pizza a few times, which is ok but nothing great. The baked ziti and chicken parm are good too- but beware, the portions are HUGE. You can split them with two or even three people. And the bottomless house salad is so good. I love the dressing!"
(4)Catherine S.
if you like Tiramisu this is the place to go. I crave it. When i go with friends to eat they all order pizza or something and I skip the dinner and straight for the Tiramisu. Its AWESOME!!!!!!
(5)Mike H.
I like this place. The pizza is good--thin and crispy. Nice space, nice staff. Big enought to show up with a big group. Okay to bring kids. It's basically like a Denny's that serves pizza. Except not gross.
(4)April Z.
we've been going to this restaurant since it opened many years ago. and we've never had a bad dish. the portions are huge, but i'd rather have good flavor over a huge portion and they win on both. the service is always good. and i'm always happy to take even the pickiest eater here as everyone always finds something they like. its not exactly fine dining but a nice restaurant that can cater to all levels of patrons and pallettes.
(5)Laura R.
I LOVE their house salad, I could eat it everyday. I've tried a couple of their pastas and they're all pretty good too.
(4)Julia B.
The pizza is really good and the crust is thin..which is my favorite. The salads are huge and good! I had the chopped salad and thought it was great. The room is huge so you won't have to worry about there ever being much of a wait, especially during lunch.
(4)Pastor Andy G.
Pros: -nice inside, friendly service, manager greeted us. -bathrooms are clean and updated (also, paper towels & 2 tall wastebaskets were near the door) -enough parking (lot) -clean -no bug issues (as mentioned by others) Cons/issues we had: -we arrived at 3:45, ordered about 4:00, food didn't arrive until 5:00. After waiting for some time, and finally seeing our server, I called him over to ask if there are any updates about our food. I said to my wife, "if he brings the food immediately after I just asked that, then we know the delay is his fault. If he doesn't bring it right away, we know it's the kitchen's fault. Sure enough, no more than a minute after asking him, here comes our food. -My wife's sandwich was hot, but her fries were lukewarm, as if they'd been sitting there awhile. -My pork chops were moist & tender, very nicely heated, but tasteless. -honestly, as mentioned by some of the other reviewers, I have to agree that it looks nice on the inside, but the food is nothing more than overpriced mediocre food. It looks fancy, but tastes bland. When we asked for boxes, he asked if we would like him to do it in the back or if we'd just like the boxes to do it ourselves. We chose the boxes, figuring that since he rarely walked by our area, we'd probably be waiting forever to get our food back. We also paid up front for the same reason. I'm sorry, but I doubt we'll return here.
(2)Caroline A.
I need to update my earlier review from 2009. Where did the time go--and, more importantly, what happened to this restaurant? We've certainly been to Graziano's since 2009, but only once or twice in the last 18 months. Ownership must have changed hands to see such a dramatic decrease in quality. The menu, which admittedly had gotten rather large, has contracted dramatically. Some of our favorites (such as the Seafood Pescatore) are still there. But the change is striking. We were recently at Graziano's on a Saturday evening, and the place was nearly empty. This has never, ever happened. We were expecting a 25-min. wait. I had a steak salad, and my husband had one of the ravioli entrees, which was soupy and mushy. The house salad was smaller but still had the same dressing. Our friends had a chicken dish and a pasta dish. None of it lived up to earlier visits. I'm very sad to see this restaurant decline and hope they are focusing on bringing quality back.
(2)Erica B.
We drive by this place ALL the time, and its wackadoo font on the sign, has always turned me off. not sure what compelled me to go online and read the menu one day, but I did and was super excited to find they have a vegan menu! So we signed up for their email list, got a 20 percent off coupon and visited! The food was pretty darn tasty! I just had spaghetti with marinara, but honestly, its one of my favorite things to eat, and a vegan version usually isnt too easy to come by. My husband ate my leftovers and said they were even better the next day! The proportions were huge. My husband got spinach ravilolli and he was also very pleased with his meal. The meals come with salad (coated in a mayo-covered dressing but when i told her i was vegan, she brought me a new one); and a bread basket. honestly, the bread basket was nothing to be desired in my opinion, but everything else was really good. The service was good and friendly. I really want to try the brick oven pizzas next time. they looked AMAZING. Happy to have a local, family style, italian place to add to our regular places to visit.
(4)Kristina H.
We were quickly escorted to our table. The service was pretty good even though they were pretty busy. The restaurant even sent a free order of brushetta to our table, although there was some confusion as we didn't know about it. The food was very good. I got the fish special with asparagus. I would recommend it for a nice place to grab dinner in the suburbs. Definitely one of the better places in the area near the movie theater.
(4)M A.
One of our favorite family restaurants. Good people, good food, good atmosphere, and good prices. Parking is never a problem. They have both high chairs and boosters, and will accommodate almost any needs the customer has. If you haven't been there yet and have a taste for the feeling of comfort -- go there.
(5)Andi C.
I really liked this place. It seems it's getting some bad reviews. We went there on a weekday- a Wednesday so perhaps this helped. The food was good the atmosphere was clean and nice and the server was patient and not pushy. There menu is great- they offer a lot of vegan and vegetarian options and the server knew if there was chicken stock in the minestrone or not. Always a plus! They also have a nice selection of wines. From about $6- $15 dollars a glass. Pretty average. I did not try their pizza but I hear it's very good. We both had pasta. Good- not overcooked. Our water glasses were filled promptly and the prices were average. I recommend!
(4)Neil B.
Watch your check! It was $8.95 on the menu, but the bill said $9.95 for the veg panini. They claim it was a computer glitch -- this would mean they are doing this to everyone who orders this. Also fries comes with almost everything, but you can change it to vegs if you ask -- much healthier. Lots of choice and unlimited salad is nice, although mostly iceberg lettuce. Service was attentive. Would try it again sometime.just for variety.
(3)Amy L.
Awesome service! Food was yum, especially the fried calamari! Soup and salad were both refillable; and the pasta came with very large portion, so go there if you are very hungry!
(4)Lana Y.
Fake Italian food! Do not waste your money! Food was salty and it wasn't even that good. The waiter was rude and was not accommodating. I'll just stick to passing it up on my way home.
(1)Christina G.
I'm just not a fan of this place. The place seems extremely disorganized. When we arrived, three people were at the hostess desk, all looking over the floor plan and trying to re-arrange things on their board. No one even bothered to look up to greet us. Since we knew part of our party had already arrived, we went and found them ourselves. Once we got to our seats, two different servers came up to our table at different times. We told the second server we thought we already had a server, and she rushed off to find out what was happening with the seating areas without another word. The salad is good, which is one of the only reasons for the three star rating. The bread is good too. But the food itself is not. I had the special - butternut squash ravioli. For almost $14, I got five ravioli. They were overcooked, kind of sweet, and the sauce was very oily and separating on my plate. My grandma had the meat sauce on her pasta, and it was sweet. Much sweeter than sauce should be. My husband ordered another special - the risotto. The texture was all off. It was not as thick as risotto should be. Further, there was basically no sauce of any type on the risotto and there were only a few bits of chicken and tomato, not much else. I will say that their chicken parmesan (which my dad had) comes in a huuuuge portion size. Two huge pieces of chicken and a ton of spaghetti on the side. Our server was pleasant, attentive, and checked on us often, which was appreciated. However, good service doesn't trump mediocre food. I won't be back.
(3)Faye B.
It's been a while since I have been to Graziano's in a long time. This was a central location for me and my fiancee to have our engagement party. We had preordered the dinner ahead of time and the staff was helpful in setting it up. We had most of our party ready to go and the food came out in a pretty timely manner. Of all the things we chose I would have to say that the fettuccine alfredo was the best. It was cheesy and oh so yummy. The desserts were also pretty good. The apple crostada was apple pie a ala mode heaven. This place always seems to be hopping and there is no shortage of people as it seems that they have their regulars. But the staff did a good job catering to our needs.
(4)Em P.
Just too average of an Italian restaurant to return again for seconds. Food was decent... but not over the top. Service was very good though. We had a large group (30'ish) and they were more then accommodating. They did package up all the leftovers for whoever wanted to take them home.
(2)Jack P.
I had not been to Graziano's in about 6 years, and I came back to check out the wood-fired pizza. We were three adults and one child, and we ordered an appetizer of Bruschetta, at the urging or arrangement of our server, and then their brick oven Pizzaiola of Spinach, carmelized onions, tomato, basil, mozzarella and Romano cheeses. We added some sweet Italian sausage for the two boy carnivores in the booth. And a separate small cheese for the small boy, which turned out to be pretty big. So there was lots of food to share and it was all very tasty. I'm accustomed to thin crust brick oven pizza having scant toppings, which is fine. But the toppings here were a little more substantial. Nothing wrong with that either. There were even some leftovers for the anticipatory cold pizza breakfast. The funniest thing was our server. He was this interesting combination of pleaser and stubborn bully. Anything we asked for was met with a loud "I can make that happen," yet when we had discrepancies in what was ordered or later when we had to return for forgotten left-overs, we were made to feel like liars. And don't get me wrong. His service was prompt and his attitude helpful, but there was this overwhelming feeling of being "coerced" into a large tip, which, by the way worked. He actually made a point after we rendered the bill but prior to leaving to thank us "for taking care of our server." I think it was the first time I've gotten that kind of feedback. And it felt kind of inappropriately icky . Our pizza meal was a great value for four people. But I think the other Italian entrees were a little pricey. I just find it difficult to pay $14 for example, for a plate of angel hair pasta with veggies. Or spaghetti with meatballs for $13. Portions are generous, though, I must admit. The atmosphere was fun, casual and festive on a Saturday night, And the place was crowded. It's also a huge space. It makes a good spot for family celebrations or birthdays, and doing a big pizza party here sharing all the different specialty pizzas would be both a good meal and a good value. Ingredients are fresh. The service is fast. Don't let your server rush you though. He could make that happen.
(3)Daniel F.
Pasta was good but Marina our server was terrible., when I asked for more bread the second time. She said I only have two hands. She didn't deliver water to two guests at the table and was slow to deliver food and check. Terrible experience!
(2)Kathleen F.
Pays to know people who work there :) Love the food and the atmosphere, the bread is to die for.
(5)Ralph F.
Updating with one concern; the server Sarah. Why does it take you so long to come back and check on your tables when there is no one in the restaurant? We've had you the last two times we've been to the restaurant and you consistently fail to meet even basic standards for customer service waitstaff. You take too long to do any/every thing required during a meal. We will still go to Graziano's because by and large it's a good place. The food is good, not too expensive and they are very kid friendly. I'll ask to be seated in any other server's section from now on though.
(3)Omar K.
we were there recently and had the pleasure to be served by Maria. super sweet lady!!!! the buffalo calamari is fantastic, and of course the brick oven pizza is to die for!
(5)Eumi C.
(This review is 2 years late....but still necessary) ARG!!! I don't even know where to start with this place!! I planned my boyfriend's 30th birthday party here, and it was a disaster. The staff doesn't communicate, the food was cold, and the manager/owner was RUDE. I originally called and RSVP'd for 22 people. It was a Saturday night so they told me it had to be a family dinner style and preordered. Fine. I did. By Friday night, I only had 16 people who could make it. I STOPPED by, brought in his cake, spoke to the hostess and was reassured that it would be okay. The next night, we all arrived, but some of his friends did not show up (we had 14). The server came up to me and told me the manager wanted to speak to me. I was then told that I had ordered 22 peoples worth of food. I explained to him how I had come in the night before and spoken to the hostess about how I had only 16. He then said fine, then we should have 16 and I would HAVE to pay for 16 peoples worth of food as all the food was pre-made. Whatever, I agreed. I mean, this dude called me over to be RUDE. Didn't really matter I guess, since the not-that-busy restaurant was taking forever to feed us. The food came out, and it was mediocre, buffet quality, LUKEWARM crap. One of my biggest pet peeves is lukewarm food. HORRIBLE! We did cake and got out of there. That next week, I wrote the other manager/owner an email telling him what happened. He told me it was IMPOSSIBLE that the food was lukewarm as it is all cooked to order. 1st of all, if it is cooked to order, why are you charging me for more people than necessary?!?!? 2nd why are you DOUBTING me that the food was lukewarm?? Enraging!!! Every time I pass by this stupid restaurant, I STILL get mad that this happened. Don't plan a party here unless you want to overpay for lukewarm buffet style food.
(1)Jimmy J.
We had tried Graziano's over a decade ago and while it wasn't bad, they gave us no compelling reason to return. We gave it another try yesterday and I'd have to say I was pleased. The dining room is clean, bright, and modern. The bread basket made with homemade goods was solid. His price points for that type of fair in today's market was very reasonable. The fact that all entrees and pastas come with unlimited soup and salad is really wonderful given at the salad was superb. My pork loin on entree was a huge portion with unlimited soup and salad for $17 it was very tender and spiced well. . I had a couple salads perhaps a third of my entree and took the rest home. The kids menu was pretty good and reasonably priced. I will say that I am NOT a fan of brick oven pizza and tried some of my kids pie and it wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. My wifes Cobb salad was very good and presentation was upscale. The comped dessert for my birthday boy was a nice touch by Noble who provided warm service. We ll return.
(4)Paul V.
One of my usual spots to go to for comfort food and a relaxing atmosphere. If you're in the area, I recommend you give them a try. Well worth it.
(5)Rodger W.
I really enjoyed the Kosher for Passover matzoh crust pizza and lasagna. Lunchtime service was excellent. I understand the gluten free items are delicious as well. Is this a chain or franchise?
(4)Ryan L.
Part 2 of Mediocre Duck Tales: I came here for a family birthday party, as there really is no other reason to make an effort to come here. Generic city up in here! I've had a rash of unimpressive duck meals lately, and my friend said to me, "Maybe you just don't like duck". Then I thought to myself, "Maybe I don't friend, maybe I don't". No, I'm gonna chalk this up to the restaurant. I like duck! How can you not when they eat free at Subway? (RIP Mitch) So after that flighty diatribe, I in fact did not like the duck. No flavor and just bleh. Not even the tasty accompanying orange sauce could mask the blandness. This time, I could NOT get through the entire plate, exhibiting my dissatisfaction. I did mildly enjoy the soup, but when that's the end of the highlight reel, you need to step up your game. This place was bumping on a Saturday night- families with loud babies and/or children, teenagers pre-gaming before prom, and lazy young adults too tired to journey further for something better. It's doing something right to have so many patrons, and for that I tip my hat to them. However, I see no reason to return, unless I have to. Someone give me a place with good duck! I've been miseducated for way too long.
(2)Christine B.
We had attended a St. Baldrick's event for our neighbor's daughter who passed away recently due to a Brain Tumor. There was a large group of people at the event and we had a parent go to Graziano's to make a reservation for us, we had about 30 people at the event from our group and expected about 15 - 20 to go to Graziano's. What we met there was to say the least, a less than welcoming experience. Not everyone came out for dinner, we ended up having 11adults and 2 children, the check was around $350.00. The Mother and Brother of the child who passed away were in the group as well as the two aunts who also shaved their heard for Cancer research. We were met with "Why did you not make a reservation?" (This was a spur of the moment decision made at 5 pm on a Thursday evening) The establishment was by NO means full, there were at least 10 empty tables in our section in the back. The waitstaff acted as if they were doing us a favor and the rest rooms were in horrible condition. The food was really good, it was a shame that were made to feel less than welcome. A smile can go along way, especially considering most were wearing their St. Baldrick's t shirts. I for one, never had my water refilled. In this economy I believe we should have been welcomed with open arms on a non busy evening......what do you think? Moral of the story, this is not a walk in place, please make sure you make a reservation or you will pay for it with bad service. This was sad as the little girl and her family were frequent diners here. I will think twice before going again. Good food will never replace BAD SERVICE. Thank you for listening. Chris
(2)D G.
They have a pizza with vegan cheese! And besides that being amazing the crust and sauce and roasted veggies are delish. Didn't give 5 stars because the bread they give the table when seated is lacking, it just doesn't taste fresh. But, for all of you out there like me that can't have dairy, there is finally a place that understands we want pizza too! Very exciting. Marina our server was also awesome.
(4)Lucy F.
The service and attention you receive here is amazing. The warm bread they bring when you seat down is great.. I tried their home made chicken noodle soup and it was great. I also had their pizza and it was delicious, I love the pepperoni.
(4)Brandon B.
The spinach ravioli was good. The appetizers (calimari and fried cheese) were just ok. For the price I guess I expected a bit of a nicer atmosphere and better food.
(2)Josh V.
Based on my one experience here last night, this place was just very OK. The best thing was that after getting quoted 45 minutes at Olive Garden (suburbanites love them some chain restaurants, don't they?) we got seated here right away. The service was adequate. No major complaints. It took awhile for the fried cheese appetizer to come out, but the waitress noticed and went to check on them. She was quite friendly. I did have to ask for more water, and for some reason she brought another full glass instead of refilling the one I had. The food was generally mediocre. The soup was OK but salty. The salad was completely drowned in dressing and the lettuce was soggy. The baked ziti chicken ragu was OK, but a bit over-baked I think. At least they have the option for whole wheat or gluten free pasta. The baked chicken was good. The best part of the meal was the dessert, which was two soft brownies with ice cream, caramel and whipped cream. The portions are all huge. I took more than half my pasta home. Maybe we just caught them an off night, but I wasn't impressed. I guess I'd give them another try if I happened to be hungry and in the area.
(3)P J.
I went here recently with family and the pizza was freaking awesome! It wasn't like most pizza in Chicago but it was fantastic. The ingredients were obviously high quality. We only had the pizza so I can't speak to other menu items but Given the quality of the pizza I'm genuinely surprised the average rating is only 3.5 stars.
(5)Melissa M.
Let me start by saying that I've frequented this place many times and had stopped going because the service had become absolutely atrocious including the managers. Despite serious doubts we decided to give it a try again. I was pleasantly surprised. We had a great server who was very professional and attentive to our table. I think the only complaint I have is that the food came too fast. We only had about five minutes to eat our soup/salad, but it was all still good.
(4)Corey D.
It seems like growing up if we weren't at L Woods, we were at Graziano's. I can't even count the number of high school cast parties/banquets we also had. Can't say much about the place at lunch, but come dinner time they have it going on. Service is extremely friendly, everyone I've ever had there has been super knowledgeable, and I appreciate that even though I've been time and time again, they treat like it's my first, and walk me through the entire deal. I appreciate that over the years portions size has remained the same and pricing for the most part has too. There are now healthier options that weren't available back in the day, but it's Italian, right? It's not supposed to be good for you! It's supposed to make you feel good. The bruschetta is excellent as is the chicken parmigiana. Does it taste like a quaint place in Italy? Not so much. But it's better than the Olive Garden and I actually like it more than Maggianos. Know Before You Go: End with the tiramisu. Seriously. Some of the best I've ever tasted.
(4)Jim B.
I usually order for delivery from here a couple times a month, mostly because I like their salad dressing. So today I ordered my usual Angel Hair Pasta, with salad, and bruschetta at 5:47pm order was placed. My order arrived at 7:17pm, with no salad. Instead I got 2 cold soups that where sitting in top of the bruschetta which was now hot and slimy. The angel hair pasta had hardly any sauce or vegetables on it (also cold), and the Italian Sausage tasted like it was from 2 days ago. For $35, I'll order from Zias from now on. The food always takes FOREVER, this place has gone downhill big time.
(1)Jennifer M.
Very delicious pizza. Nice atmosphere and quick service.
(4)Michelle P.
I hadn't been here in years, but Graziano's is just as I remembered it. Great family place with solid Italian-American food, big portions, reasonable prices and kid friendly. When you sit down, they give you a large basket filled with fresh baked bread & foccacia, and everything I've ever ordered here is huge - plenty to eat, and plenty to take home. The "bottomless salad" is delicious - it's really nothing more than lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and onions, but it has a killer dressing, and there's something cool about the idea of it being an unlimited amount. One thing to watch for though is the pricing - they know you think it's cool that it's unlimited, so there's a somewhat complicated price structure depending on what you order it with. We ordered two "pizzettes" (10 inch pizzas) for 3 people, plus 2 of the bottomless salads (the salads are 2.50 each with a pizzette, but you can only order one salad at that price per pizzette, and no sharing - see what I mean about complicated?) There was plenty of food - we easily ate just half the pizzas and took the other half home. They were good standard thin crust pizzas - a little bit thicker than the neopolitan style you get at gourmet places, but a little bit thinner than typical New York style. We got one florentine pizza and one pizzaioli pizza, both were great, and the leftovers held up reheated the next day too. My son got a kid's pizza which was almost as large as our pizzas, and came with a beverage (the only milk they had was whole milk, so he had juice instead). The only thing to be prepared for is the noise level - this place is loud! For years this was one of my family's regular places for dinner since the noise level would drown out anything any of our kids could produce, but I could see it being a little bit too loud for anyone expecting a quiet intimate meal. But if you have kids, this is the perfect place - they even give younger kids a blob of pizza dough to play with at the table while they wait for their food, or you can sit at a counter and watch the chefs prepare the pizzas and put them in the oven. Can't wait to come back!
(4)John G.
The wife and I had wanted to visit Grazianos for a while. It was the first time that she was going to enjoy the goodness that comes from a brick oven pizza. We went in for an early dinner and it was not crowded, but by the time we left the place was starting to get packed. The place is very family friendly and the wait staff was attentive and helpful. The meal starts with the standard bread basket which was excellent. The server was not kidding when he said that the portions were plentiful. Salad can definitely be shared. We got a personal pizza and seafood pasta and there was plenty to take home for another full meal. The pizza was delicious and cooked to perfection. It is the perfect place to go for dinner and then a movie, but try to get there before there is a wait.
(3)Laura D.
We have gone to Graziano's for the past 10 years and the last few times have been terrible. We went tonight and we ordered fried mozzarella cheese and they came out cold and not cooked. We sent them back and the next order came out cold again. Then we asked our waitress if we could order Italian nacho's and she said they wern't on the menu so we asked nicely if they could make them because last time we were there they did it for us. Her response was I have worked here four years and we don't do that. Anyways they did make the nachos for us. Then when our salad came they didnt bring the salad dressing. Just seemed that they were in a hurry to get us in and out when the place was empty. Our family was ver y disappointed. We wont ne going back anytime soon. So sad because we use to love the place.
(1)Peter R.
I came here with a group of my co-workers for lunch. We got there shortly after they opened, so we could avoid the inevitable lunch crowd. I am a Pizza aficionado, and I had to try one of the "brick oven" creations. I decided on the Toscano, which is topped with sweet Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Plum Tomatoes, and Tomato Sauce. I ordered the "Pizzette" size, which is the individual portion. Our orders didn't take too long as they slowly trickled unto our table. Some of the items my co-workers ordered were the Margherita pizza, Angel Hair Pasta w/ Shrimp, Chicken Marsala, and Grilled Pork Chops. Judging by the content look on their faces, I would have to say they liked the food. My pizza was the last order on the table, but no worries since I was munching on the Bruschetta app that we ordered. My pizza was molten hot, as the cheese was still bubbling...so I let that bad boy cool off. I took my first bite and I have to say that the pizza was OK, but nothing special. I want a pizza that will slap my taste buds with flavor, and make me update my facebook and twitter status on the spot. This just wasn't the case with this pizza. I was neither disappointed or impressed...just ehhhh. I will have to try the pasta dishes on the menu next time I come around. Overall, I did enjoy my dining experience here at Graziano's. And like Governator Schwarzenegger, "I'll be back!!!"
(3)Andy M.
Out of all the pizza chains in Chicago, this one might be my favorite. They offer a much more extensive menu than most pizza joints in Chicago. The pasta is always fresh and delicious, and the service is very good. I had an kick ass Italian beef here last night. The peppers were fresh and grilled and the gravy they served knocked my socks off. I have had pasta here in the past that was wonderful as well. If you are looking for a nice, comfortable place for some pizza or Italian food, I give this place two thumbs up.
(4)Susan B.
I don't know why but we've stopped going here but -tonight we did again, and I had the steak salad--w/ candied pecans, feta, polenta strips, red bell pepper strips, oh yum, (w/ a small thimble of the OMG house dressing), hubby had a cheese covered beef sandwich--he loved it, and our friend had a great bowl of cream of mushroom soup, and spaghetti marinara. He loved his too. Good bread (a must) is served also! The apple tostada was a absolute favorite long ago-- but it is SO darn TINY now compared to the last time we went here! cupcake size! for $7.00 it's a JOKE, that's not funny. The waiter never returned after we were served, and I was flagging down bus boys for water. If they sit me in his section --I'm moving to another one. This review is neither "funny, cool or useful" --FIND some new words Yelp!! We need an YUK button to hit! Everyone want this. just sayin.... Update on their ''Apple tostada dessert'' : --they have returned to the original decent size and it's a very sized good portion, -and an excellent choice for a dessert. :) Thank you Graziano's.
(4)Natalie S.
This place is just a block from where my Mom lives and where I grew up so maybe... just maybe... it got an extra star for sentimental reasons. It's a good alternative to "mall food" when you're shopping around at Village Crossing. They're open for lunch unlike, say, Outback... and whenever I can skip a chain restaurant, I'm down. The food isn't mind blowing (but then again, I rarely think that Italian restaurants are mind blowing... just a dime a dozen) but it is always consistently good. I have sampled all over the menu and never had a bad meal. I really like their calamari, margherita pizza and the spinach ravioli. However, the real standout here is the salad dressing. I don't know what they do to it... but it's the best salad dressing I've ever had. It is often my responsibility to stop at Graziano's on my way to my mother's for a family party to pick up salad dressing because nothing can compare to it. I'm letting out a secret: my pasta salad that all my friends rave about? The secret ingredient is the dressing from Graziano's. Shhhhhh.
(4)Neel S.
Good place, great food and good enivornment. !! Maria is the best server and here services is excellent.
(5)Bari L.
The restaurant has an appearance of a family friendly place to enjoy a good cooked meal with your family. On the day we went their sign even said voted #1 kid friendly restaurant (by whom I don't know), which was good since my 8 year old niece was with us. I was hesitant to go here for two reasons. 1. The last time I went I don't recall being very happy with my meal. 2. Yelp and favorite yelpers did not give such rave reviews. So you'll have refer to the picky sugar high child that was in our company we just need a place to go and quick we were hungry. I typically do not order chicken when I go out to eat (I can cook it at home with ease). I see on the menu they have Tuscan brick chicken and I like brick chicken it is typically very moist and delicious. Blach!! When did Tuscan mean the chicken swims in balsamic vinaigrette? That's all you could taste and I was shocked they put extra sauce on the side my mashed potatoes even absorbed a huge puddle of the "sauce" and there was still more to spare. Now to the moist part it was chewy and dry I ate a couple of bites and waited for our waitress who never came and when I turned around to see where she was she was right behind us watching tv. She never came to see how we were doing. My niece ordered a cheese pizza off the kids menu and ate two pieces it was huge and looked good. Since I knew I wouldn't be eating my dinner I grabbed a slice of hers it was inedible it was so over salted it was absolutely disgusting. I'm surprised she ate hers but then again the child started eating packets of sugar after she was done. I'm also confused as to how they got their first place kid friendly rating. There was nothing they did that was special not even a pencil and a piece of paper for her to scribble on. Needless to say this will be my last time walking through their doors. Oh they did take my chicken off the bill but charged me $6 for a house salad.
(2)Katie R.
Terrible. Well, not all of it but all of dinner. Bread was good, and there was a decent olivw oil on the table, but you couldn't pick it up because it was too slippery. The whole bottle was covered in oil and left my hands covered in oil too. Gross. My dining companion had salad, which was good. The house dressing was the redeeming feature ofthe meal. The croutons were good, and the salad was pretty decent, if too heavy on the onions. I had New England Clam Chowder, which was fine. Nothing to write to Maine about, but not bad by Chicago standards, and a glass of Beaujolais, which was nice. Then dinner. Ugh. First off, it took far too long for dinner to arrive, and we were never offered refills during the time we were waiting. I ordered one of tonight's specials, Risotto Vesuvio style. It was billed as a cross between chicken vesuvio and risotto. Indeed, the risotto had peas, potatoes and chicken in it. But the sauce was flat and characterless, a goopy salty garlic mush over mediocre risotto and chicken strips that looked like Perdue convenience packages. The potatoes were, oddly, the one redeeming feature of this dish as they were the only thing that did not overwhelm with salt. I finished less than half and didn't take the rest home, as there was no point in subjecting my fridge, empty as it is, to such mediocrity. My companion ordered chicken marsala, a family favorite. It came out as a huge slab of thin chicken with a mushy coating and a bland sauce. It tasted vaguely of garlic salt and flour and not much else. There was no marsala taste, no wine flavor at all! And nothing to go with it. We never ever send things back, but this was clear: it had to go back. Our waitress gracelessly stumbled around the issue, clearly not wanting to acknowledge that there was a problem. She did take it back, but and eventually offered to replace it with something else. It was too late at that point, and her surly attitude did not help. Then, the icing on the cake for me. We got our bill, and they had indeed taken the offending "marsala" off the bill. But she did choose to charge us for the salad that came with dinner, and it ended up being a very expensive meal which we hardly ate. As we left, we contemplating asking for a manager, but never did because not a single person of the four that we encountered on our way out asked us how our meal was. And that was probably good, because if they had, we might have had to be honest with them. My recommendation: skip the food (or maybe try the pizza, I haven't had it) but get the salad dressing to go and serve it at home with real food.
(1)Kristina K.
Service was pretty bad given the fact that we had to get up ourselves to put pizza on our plate. TDefinitely would not go back!
(2)Nick L.
We came here before catching a movie and because my brother is an Italian food junkie and as a visitor, he can pick what sort of food we eat. As Italian restaurants go, the decor and ambiance here is sociable and friendly so you'll get no gripes from me. Our order was taken and the food arrived promptly. The food was ok, not amazing. It's high on the carb content (no surprise with mainly pastas) which leaves you feeling bloated after the meal. The portion size was just too much for that type of food to remain enjoyable long term. The taste becomes too repetitive. Don't eat it all and it would be good.
(3)Mary F.
This was the worst restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life. We had table number 44 on 6/1/14 at 5:00 p.m. for a party of 7. The waiter must have been new as he constantly interrupted us several times to find out if we were ready to order. I don't eat meat but they had 3 seafood selections. The large menu did not say that all 3 selections were marinated in garlic and I can't stand garlic on seafood. The small menu only mentioned garlic on the white fish. The waiter came back to tell me that all 3 selections were marinated in garlic and that there was no seafood available without garlic. What kind of choice is this? He had the nerve to remind me that I was in an Italian restaurant. I have eaten in several Italian restaurants in many cities and have also been to Italy 4 times and I never encountered a situation where there was no seafood available without garlic. The kitchen finally said that they would thoroughly rinse the salmon so I agreed to try that since it was supposed to be accompanied by tomatoes and avacados both of which I love. When the salmon came, it was not there were no tomatoes or avacados and the waiter said the kitchen must have been confused since I had asked that red onions not be included since they bother my stomach. What does requesting no red onions have to do with eliminating tomatoes and avacados? Then another waiter brought me avacados topped with red onions which I couldn't eat. I just gave up. The salmon wasn't good so I just had a few bites of that and finally ordered a side of roasted potatoes to eat. On top of being totally incapable of serving a piece of decent piece of fish priced at almost $23., we had terrible service and the atmosphere so loud we couldn't hear ourselves think. None of us will ever be returning to this restaurant again.
(1)Tara M.
The food here is great! The Pizza, well that's okay... funny they have their pizza in the name of the restaurant, but it's mediocre. Then again, all I've had is the kids pizza, maybe the rest is better... although, I should say that the pizza is really good the next day, cold. :) My husband and mother typically both get chicken items, and they are always tasty. I, myself, am very partial to the rotini with peppers and sausage, a little zing and lots of flavor! MMMMMMMM!
(4)Reema S.
Went here on a Sunday night and it was decently busy. I can't remember our server's name but she was an older lady, very nice! For the amount of people in the restaurant, the amount of time it took for our food to come out was very fast! Almost too fast but I'd much rather it be fast than slow service. Food was okay, not the best but not terrible.
(4)Angelo C.
I made a suggestion about unneccessary intercom use and they made a policy about it. Way to go!
(5)Bob R.
This place was above average while trying to be an authentic Italian bistro. It's Huge and while I enjoy the exposed brick and high warehouse ceilings, I felt like I was dining at whole foods. Probably over a hundred tables with busboys making constant chair moving and dish clucking noises. The kitchen is open and You can here the cooks yelling and swearing in Spanish the whole time. While the hostess stands like a museum expo and really doesn't care about anything except her Iphone: Our server was Very attentive and constantly checking on us. Now here's the good part... The food of course. I liked how they serve warm foccacia with the bread. The calamari was very fresh but Too battered, and came with shrimp sauce?? while the Chicken Caesar salad was very fresh and delicious. If this place was twice as small and had a floor captain or owner, or Chef, then it wouldn't feel like a chain. Service 9 Atmosphere 5 Food 8 I guess I would be back.
(3)