Mandile’s Italian Ristorante & Banquets
2160 Lake Cook Rd, Algonquin, IL, 60102
Mandile’s Italian Ristorante & Banquets Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Algonquin for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
2160 Lake Cook Rd
Algonquin, IL, 60102 - Phone (847) 458-4000
- Website https://www.mandilesrestaurant.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- 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 : Romantic
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Rachael L.
My husband and I tried this restaurant after seeing a Groupon deal online. The voucher stated "reservations required, but the gentleman who answered the phone just said to come on in. When we arrived at about 5:45pm, on a Thursday, it was dead. It was almost awkward, being the only two people in the restaurant! Luckily three other couples followed shortly thereafter (phew!). After being seated, we were quickly served water, fresh crusty bread, and a dipping sauce of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs and garlic that was actually pretty good. I'd prefer good old herbed oil and parmesan, but the dip was interesting. My lasagna was definitely five stars. Seriously amazing. I'm always worried if I'll like the red sauce at any new restaurant, because it's hit or miss, but it was seriously perfect. Just the right proportions of ricotta, meat, sauce, and cheese. My husband's chicken marsala, however, wasn't his favorite. The chicken was rubbery, and not tender at all, and the sauce was the consistency of water. The pasta was perfectly cooked and had a good flavor though. My husband also really enjoyed his minestrone. The tiramisu was perfect (but so large, I could only eat half)! My husband's chocolate gelato was spot-on as well. Our server, James, was very attentive and provided excellent customer service. Overall, the restaurant presents itself like a super - upscale (stuffy, even) type of place--which doesn't really jive with its strip-mall location and the paper tablecloth liners. The prices were reasonable (just over $50 +tip) and the food was delicious (mostly), so they could get away with a more laid back vibe, and a trendier atmosphere, rather than the "first date italian restaurant" vibe. I'll be back though, if only for the lasagna ;)
(4)charles H.
WOW. Ive been going here since it opened and they were amazing the first time and still keep getting better. We have tried almost everything on the menu and have never had a bad meal. The staff is friendly and happy to help and serve. Tonight the place was so packed that the girl at the front told us we could sit at the bar but probably would not get a table for hours, yeas hours. No biggy we drank and ate at the bar and when the live music started we danced. BEST Italian food by far in the chicago SUBurbs. No joke the food is amazing
(5)Lauretta P.
Background: 6:00 on Saturday, group of 4 for dinner and to scope out the banquet room as a possible venue for a 2016 wedding event. Banquet area (one star): With permission to look around ("It might be a little humid down there") , we viewed the area, set up for a 7:00 event. We were met with a musty odor that smelled as if the room had recently flooded. The closer we got, the stronger the smell became - it smelled like mold and mildew. I would never book Mandile's as a party venue, partly because of the odor but, more importantly, because it is apparent that Mandile's thinks holding a party in such a smelly room is acceptable; I do not. Back to the main restaurant... Physical layout (two stars): When you walk in, you are created with a huge staircase. There is an elevator available, but because we do not have a problem with steps, we took the stairs. However, the thickly carpeted stairs felt unsafe -- as if each step slopes downward toward the front door. This is not apparent until you are actually walking the stairs. We found that the tables to be too close together... It was difficult to return to our seats; even the servers often had to zig-zag in and out to get to their customers. This contributed to our impression that the restaurant is poorly organized/managed, or understaffed, or perhaps both. Service (three stars): We were EACH provided with THREE very large, redundant, one-page menus... We found it difficult to manage four people holding such large menus at the same time. We would like to see one cohesive menu, perhaps a bit smaller in size. Our server was extremely pleasant and helpful. However, it seemed she wasn't very well trained. She asked whether we wanted cocktails or wine, which at first we declined... then she walked away without asking about other beverages or appetizers. After quite some time, she returned and we ordered bruschetta and iced tea (more about that, later). Someone else brought bread and dipping sauce, saying he'd be back with cheese, salt, and pepper -- but he never returned. When our server took our coffee order, she did not ask whether we wanted dessert; we did! When the bus boy removed our salad course, he removed the flatware we would need for dinner but did not replace it. We had to request water and coffee refills more than once. The servers and bus boys at Mandile's need to be trained to avoid reaching across the front of one customer to serve another; it is dangerous and rude. We observed this with beverage service, food service, bussing, and coffee service. We observed EVERY staff member running around chaotically; this apparent lack of organization was unnerving. Frankly, it seemed like opening night at a brand new restaurant. We wondered whether the restaurant was understaffed. The staff was very nice; I just wish they were better trained. Up to a point, we were wondering how Mandile's stays in business... Food (four stars): Our evening started out rough when we ordered three glasses of iced tea and two glasses of wine. The wine was fine, but the iced tea was HORRIBLE! Honestly, they should not even serve tea if that is the best they can do. The tea tasted like lukewarm, gaggingly-strong INSTANT tea. We sent it back, whereupon our server confirmed that it was, indeed, instant Nestea. GAG! Please... just take iced tea off your menu if you can't take ten minutes at the beginning of each shift to brew and chill decent tea... Then, our food arrived; the food was terrific! The lasagna was among the best we've ever tasted! The chicken marsala was very good, and the rigatoni/vodka sauce was quite good. Why not five stars? The salads were great, but the balsamic dressing was horrible - it tasted like straight balsamic vinegar. One dish (cheese ravioli) was lukewarm and needed seasoning. However, overall, the food was definitely the high point of the evening and, after all, isn't that what a restaurant is about? Still, we're not sure we'll be back. The mediocre service, unforgivably bad iced tea, and the perplexing balsamic vinegar make us a bit uneasy about what we might encounter during a return visit. At the same time, the friendly staff and the lasagna -- oh, the lasagna! -- might just draw us back in.
(3)Pam T.
This is one of the worst places ever! Had six of us , no one in the place and they stick us in a corner. The waiter was less than pleasant and I think we were an inconvenience for him. We watched him hang around the bar talking with the bartender and had his back to us the whole time. One person ordered a drink, and he brought the wrong one, but still charged us for it. They must own the building because they are never busy! Will never go back and never recommend them. It is amazing that I have gotten a private message from Michael asking me to remove my review. He offered me a gift card to make up for what happened, and that he has since reprimanded the server. But here is the sad part, this happened months before I wrote this review so how can you reprimand the server when clearly you have no idea who it is. I am at least honest with my review, why can't you be honest with your response.
(1)Linda S.
By far the most authentic Italian food and atmosphere in the area. The best in the 30 mile radius by far. Food is delicious and unique, made by Italian chefs who've lived or traveled regularly to Italy. They have a great combination of traditional favorites and unique dishes. I highly recommend anything on the menu but my favorites are Chicken or Veal Francais or Marsala, lasagna, Maria's Gnocci, shrimp scampi or veal chop or Italian steak. Don't miss dessert.. Yummy!! Waiters have Italian accents, and the decor is Italian inspired too.
(5)Adrianne H.
Tried this for the first time tonite. Appetizers were very good, Bruschhetta special was well worthy the try. Beet Salad was ok, typical red beets. The Salmon special was wild salmon, taste was good however it looked pan fried. The chicken franchise was good. The service is absolutely out of this word and the staff is your attentive. They made the entire dinner.
(3)Jeremy R.
So live review So far waitress perfect seeing how busy it is in here tonight. The Moods are playing. Sugar pie honey bunch and now boogie wonderland. Bruschetta good $9 Scampi e Fungi won't order again but was ok $14 City Lights Cass Tiene Pino Noir 2013 as us brit's say "nice drop of plonk" $38 So far 4 stars atmosphere with the band is great Motown Classics Order in now for pizza will give final stars later. Ok just back from the dance floor great night Food 3.5 stars (UN DECIDED ) Wine 4 stars BAND atmosphere vibe 5 Star brilliant So over all 4 Stars We will be back Rod Stewart next week Tamara great job x x
(4)Bryan N.
Everything I got was really good - got the claims - the sausage appetizer - Salmon - also hAve a kid menus there's not much on it but everything is like 5 bucks and comes with ice cream- price is good on all the food - fresh Parmesan cheese too:)
(5)Paula C.
My first experience was to try the gluten free pasta. I have a severe gluten allergy and was glad to see they had gluten free options. When my meal came out I re-asked if it was gluten free. Our server said yeah I guess so. I said it's important to know since I have a severe allergy. She came and told me it wasn't. She asked me what is gluten free? I told I couldn't have the dish and sent it back, she asked if I wanted anything else and I said no because they were not educated on gluten free. They took my meal off the bill but charged me for my drink. My husband ate his meal and I did not eat. We stopped at Wendy's on the way home to get me dinner. Second visit service was terrible. My husbands dinner was cold. Per my husband the bread and dipping sauce is good. I ate dinner before we went so I ordered a salad and figured that would be safe. My husband ordered ice cream for desert and it was melted. They put whip cream on top to disguise that it was melted. If your gluten free, I don't recommend and the staff is not educated. Not good service at all.
(1)Nikki S.
My husband and I hosted a baptism dinner here this past weekend and from start to finish Mandile's did a fantastic job. Michael at Mandile's helped me organize the event starting 3 weeks ago and got a specific menu together for our guests. Our waitress (I forgot her name my bad) did a great job with everyone in our group. All of our meals were cooked to perfection. I received a lot of compliments post meal from our Sicilian family members. Hats off to Mandile's!
(5)Grant D.
We visited recently for the first time based on a groupon type deal. Atmosphere was a little dark but the salmon dish I had there was the best I've ever had. One doesn't think seafood often at an Italian restaurant...but if the chef knows what he/she is doing and tops it with a seafood based marinara, it can be awesome. We were so full from the salad and main course that we split a very generously sized tiramisu for dessert. Server was friendly and polite, but could have been a bit more prompt with dessert inquiry and check. Highly recommended!
(4)Karina H.
Terrible gnocchi swimming in Alfredo that tasted like it came out of a can the menu also didn't mention it'd be covered in Alfredo and the spaghetti also tasted like it wasn't worth 15 . Salad and dumpling soup were ok but not good enough to finish eating . Never coming back . We enjoyed the bread though
(2)Melissa W.
The service was a 5/5... very attentive but not annoyingly so. Food was decent but nothing I would write home about. Specifically the calamari was just so-so; a lot of breading and not a lot of meat. Asked for Italian dressing with my salad which they didn't have (a little strange for an Italian resturant, in my opinion) so the waiter suggested balsamic which turned out to be just straight up balsamic vinegar, not a vinaigrette as I had in mind. Entrees were good but I actually enjoyed my leftovers the next day more than I did eating at the restaurant; I think the flavors had a little more time to blend and soak in over night. Decent restaurant, no real complaints, just wouldn't go out of my way to hurry back.
(3)Carl J.
Excellent banquet hall for weddings, special occasions etc. The Staff gives 110% to every request. More thanAdequate Bar services( please have a designated driver), you call the drink and the bartender wiill deliver.
(5)L P.
We were hesitant to try this place, due to the mixed reviews, however, the four of us were in the mood to try someplace new (we eat out often), so we have it a whirl. There weren't many patrons in the place for a Thursday evening (7:30), so we pretty much had the dining room to ourselves. It was quite cold and drafty at our table, but other than that, we were seated in a nice area of the dining room, and the ambiance was appealing. The bread and olive oil was quite good. Drinks, so-so. I was pleased to see they had caipirinhas (many places do not carry the Brazilian rum which is a key ingredient), so I quickly ordered one, however it was definitely "missing" something. It was also served in a tiny glass, filled to the top with ice. For $26 for two of tiny cocktails, I thought was a huge ripoff. The salad came, and was decent. Then the main course. My eggplant was delicious. The meatballs my husband had, not so much. One of the people we were with had told the waiter (the one with what sounded to be a fake Italian accent) it was his first time there, and asked for a recommendation. The waiter suggested "build your own pasta", but never asked him what to put in the pasta. He just took it upon himself to add the most expensive ingredients, and then not tell him his dish alone was going to be $40. We were appalled when the bill came, and saw this. Not only that, he did not give us the 50% off the bottle of wine (special) we ordered until I said something. There were no other patrons in the restaurant, so there was no excuse for "forgetting". I have worked in the restaurant industry for 20+ years, and realize things can happen, but if you've trying to impress first-time guests, my advice would be not to try to vehemently rip off your customers. Up until that point we probably would've returned, now I'm not so sure. We were extremely put off by the fact that we had just spent $206 on a Thursday night on dinner for four (with no dessert), which was more than we had spent downtown Chicago for Italian dinner the weekend prior. I also noticed they charge $5 for splitting checks. I have never seen this practice before, and feel that it's pretty unethical to do to your customers. Good food for the most part. It's a shame we'll probably never be back. Disappointing!
(3)John L.
For a place that has banquets in their name you'd think they could handle a brunch service. You'd be wrong. Easter brunch was atrocious, we'd have had a better experience at Golden Corral with a better selection. everything was cold, all but one of the pasta dishes was overcooked mush swimming in too much sauce, and the chicken parm was inedible due to the salt. The desserts were decent but so sweet one needed a cup of coffee with them which like many others we were surprised to find out was not included. Combine all this with service that was mediocre at best (we waited at least 10 minutes for our check and only received refills on beverages if we stopped someone and asked) If Mandile's is capable of decent service they should be embarrassed by what they offered for the holiday, you couldn't pay me to return.
(1)Ryan P.
My favorite Italian restaurant in the area. I have been coming here for years and every time it has been great. Mandile's reminds me of the quiet little family restaurants I visited in Italy. Decent wine list with a few Chiantis which is my favorite. The food is great, from the bread to the main course all the way to the deserts. The portions are fairly large and I usually end up bringing some home. The price is fair. Not cheap but I never feel gouged either. This last time my wife and I took our kids. We were not the only ones with kids but they should be on there best behaviour here as the place can be fairly quiet and small feeling with a lot of couples enjoying the romantic atmosphere. Most times I have come without a reservation and haven't had to wait very long.
(5)Suzi B.
My husband and I came here for Valentine's Day and was very disappointed. The owners reach out to us after and truly made it right! We came last night and were pleasantly greeted! We first sat at the bar and the bartender was awesome! He made us laugh! Then we sat down for dinner. We were very impressed with both the service and the food! We will definitely come back!!!
(5)Becka F.
I recently saw a short and sweet video of Mario Batali describing three crimes against pasta in America: Crime 1: Thinking that a one pound package of pasta is a single serving. (can serve 5-10 as a small first course) Crime 2: Misinterpreting the concept of 'sauce' as 'soup'. (it's a condiment - less is better) Crime 3 (and the most heinous): Over-cookery Mandile's, on a recent visit for dinner, committed all three of these crimes. My rigatoni with eggplant, zucchini, and artichoke hearts in a zesty marinara sauce was enough to last me four meals. The noodles were swimming in the sauce - even more so, because they had been so overcooked that they were falling apart and I had little strips of rigatoni to try to pick up. These crimes are even more tragic, because the sauce was DELICIOUS. The hot, crusty bread and garlic-oil-balsamic dipping concoction served after we were seated might honestly be the very best taste I have experienced in this food wasteland that is the northwest suburbs. The service was kind and gracious. Everything inside the restaurant screams "legit Italian-family dining establishment run with love". Please, Mandile's, tidy up the menu, don't over or undercook the food (my partner's pizza could have used another couple minutes), and give us a great plate for the prices. I'll pay the same for less volume, if what I get leaves me satisfied and appreciative of what is being created in the kitchen. Oh, and PLEASE don't refrigerate the tomatoes that are put on the side salads. There is a great-grandmother Mandile crying in her grave somewhere over that one.
(2)Sam M.
Came here for the first time tonight and had a wonderful time. Our server was fantastic! He was very friendly and helpful with all of our questions about the menu. Everything we ordered came out promptly and was delicious. They have the best bruschetta! Overall I have nothing at to complain about. The restaurant is beautiful. Food wasn't over priced and we had a great time.
(5)Emma W.
Having enjoyed many meals here before, my husband and I decided to host a small wedding reception in the main dining room. We held the ceremony out on the veranda just before lunch was served. The food and service were both exceptional. Very flexible and accommodating to the many different needs that the guests had. The eggplant parmigiana received the most compliments. The staff made this day painless for me and enjoyable for everyone. Not one detail was overlooked.
(5)Lauren F.
Definitely not my choice for Italian food in the area. I have now been here twice. Neither experience was worth bragging about. I visited Mandile's 2/20/14. A group of six went for my fiance's birthday. The waiter had to take our order twice because he misplaced the first one. 15 minutes later the power went out. That was an experience. Not the restaurant's fault, obviously, but they were not gracious about it. Our food came out moments later and everything was just OK. Although I didn't taste it, my father said his lasagna was terrible. Two ordered eggplant Parmesan and said it was edible but nothing to write home about. I had chicken Parmesan and was very pleased with it. After dinner we asked to see a dessert menu. Our waiter told us dessert wasn't available because they couldn't see in the kitchen - yet they were still bringing food out to other guest's tables. Also, I highly doubt tiramisu needed to be "prepared." Couldn't they have gone into the fridge with a flashlight? When it came time to pay, they asked for our credit card information so they could write it down and process the bill at a later time. Personally, I am not cool with throwing my credit card number around. Luckily, someone in the group had cash. Like I said, not the restaurant's fault the power went out....but none of the staff apologized for the inconvenience or even acknowledged it. We thought maybe we'd receive a 10% discount or something for having to eat by candlelight and being denied dessert. Next time I will opt for Olive Garden.
(2)Brian H.
Can't offer a true review since my wife and I discovered that the management had opted to refuse to accept Groupons on the night of our reservation. We witnessed at least two other couples walk away from their reservations as well. Going to get a refund on the groupon and plan on never going back.
(1)Andrew R.
This food is good. Shockingly good. I say that as a down-town "snob" that assumes every suburban restaurant is TGIWhatevers. I was pretty floored by how good the food is. Bruschetta, mussels, polenta, campari, frutti di mare and polenta. amaaazing.
(5)Mike K.
Best Italian restaurant outside of italy itself. Great wine selection, great food, friendly staff, and great ambiance. Highly recommend frequenting this Italian restaurant and trying most of their menu. If I go to long without their food I start to lose my mind.
(5)Leanne J.
We came for Mothers Day brunch based off of a suggestion from a friend, and I can assure you that this place was BY FAR the WORST brunch we have ever had! My mother actually said it was the worst brunch she has had in 73 years! We arrived on time for our reservation and had to wait 35 minutes to be seated. There were plenty of open tables, it just seemed like they were short on staff. This should of been our first clue to leave, but we stayed and once seated, headed to the buffet. The buffet was set up in the outside portion of the restaurant, which was enclosed with tarps. It was absolutely freezing in there despite them having some standing heaters. This would explain why most of the food was cold. Overall, the food was mediocre at best. They offered 3 different chicken dishes, all which were dry, quite a few pasta dishes which were all bland and breakfast such as eggs, sausage, waffles, etc. My children normally love waffles, but would not eat them because they were so soggy. They also had bruschetta, but the bread it was on was so wet and soggy it could hardly be picked up. The carving station was just that...a station. No meat! They ran out, but the guy kept saying they were bringing more out in a few minutes. It never happened though. Finally, we decided to head to the dessert table. I was stunned to see the limited amount of choices. They had little bite size desserts like the ones Costco sells that come in those little wrappers and that are in the freezer section. There were all of about 10 left on the entire table, none of which my family would eat. You know it's got to be pretty bad when even 3 kids ages 12 - 16 won't eat dessert! To top things off, our waitress, who only removed some of our used dishes from the table and filling drinks occasionally brought us the bill. We had 7 people in our party and we were charged for 8 buffet's. Not only that, but a 20% gratuity was added to our bill!!!!?? 20%?? For what? refilling drinks every now and then and moving a few plates? I have seen people work harder at McDonnalds then this lady did and what came to be almost $50.00 for a tip, I found was absolutely insane! We also told her my son should have been charged the child fee (ages 12 and under). She asked how old he was and when we told her 12, she said "oh, well its only for kids 11 and under". OK? That isn't what we were originally told, but whatever...just fix our bill and let us get the heck out of here. She brings it back and the gratuity is still added in. We paid $278.00 for the absolute worst food we have ever eaten. My mom spoke to the manager to let him know how horrible it was. He had little to nothing to say other than "I'm sorry". She then saw the owner, approached him, and told him as well. All he had to say was "Why didn't you say something sooner?" We had been there far too long already waiting for our table and then waiting for meat that never arrived, had crappy food and crappy service and we wanted to get out of there so we could get home and make something to eat since we were all hungry. I find it interesting that all of the negative reviews this restaurant has received, both on this site as well as others, there is never a response from the owner/management, yet the good reviews, they do respond!? They have this all wrong! I also left a comment on their Facebook page expressing our dissatisfaction and it was deleted. Not the way a GOOD business would handle a situation like this. Tend to the people who have an issue and try to resolve the problem. Pressing delete isn't going to help your business. Word of mouth sure spreads fast and I will be sure to let everyone I know to NEVER eat at this restaurant.
(1)Karen S.
We drove one and a half hours to get to this restaurant to celebrate Mother's Day with a party of eight, which included our 70 year old Mother. Our reservation was scheduled using Open Table at 2:00 pm which appeared to be the only time available. I was surprised that this time of day was available since this restaurant normally opens at 4:00 pm. I called the restaurant directly several days prior to confirm our reservation and,then the restaurant called me to confirm one more time, the day or so before. We arrived to a slightly empty establishment and were seated - first at one table and then in another per the hosts request. We ordered drinks and realized that the only menu available was the buffet located in a room right off the dining room. The "room" did not offer handicap access so we needed to prepare a plate for our mother. The temperature of buffet room was approx. 90 degrees and had tables set up around the perimeter showcasing chaffing dishes with lack luster options. There was a salad and fruit table that offered a few leaves of brown lettuce and a couple of dinner rolls. The fruit plate offered a few slices of dried up cantaloupe and sad, wilted lettuce (unfortunately being used as a garnish - no chance to make a salad out of that stuff). Everything in the room looked and smelled like it had been sitting in the heat, in open chaffing dishes on sterno's for at least 5 hours. There was a girl in the room with a chef's hat on who appeared to be the "official meat carver" - she asked us if we wanted any of the dry, old meat carcass she was carving from which we all replied, "no thank you". At this time I asked her how much they are charging for this buffet, she asked an older man who replied $40 each -- she was stunned and said, "really? "To which he responded ... "What does it matter, they're already here." When this man appeared to realize I have overheard his response, he corrected the amount to state that we would be paying $29.00 per person (for this awful, Petri dish of botulism.) We tried to fill our dishes with the limited options before us in an effort to try and make this trip worth the drive and to make the day special for our Mother who was very, very hungry at this point, after all we were going to be charged $29 per person for this stuff. We all took one bite only to realize that the food was as awful tasting as it looked and smelled. Our waitress agreed that it was awful, as did the meat carver and the host. She said she checked with her manager and he agreed to allow us to only pay half price. So this horrible, inedible meal would cost us ONLY $14.50 per person. After much discussion with the owner, host and manager, they allowed us to leave this awful place if we paid for our drinks. I will NEVER return to this restaurant nor would I recommend it to anyone who may be looking for a tasty, ambient night out. Heck - even if you were looking for a decent roll or slice of fruit -- you would have better luck anywhere else. The wait staff and hostess were outstanding -- the owners, managers resembled the food. Truly an awful experience!!!
(1)Dublin S.
As a person who has lived in Chicago for almost a decade, and has traveled the world I am skeptical giving credit to suburban restaurants.. They are frequented by people with opinions who in reality have no idea about food. Mandiles was the complete opposite! Our first time here and it definitely will not be the last, outstanding authentic Italian cuisine.. The best I have found in the suburbs. When they claim fresh they mean it, the ravioli and the limoncello cake for dessert were remarkable. Service was outstanding, Damir was great & very knowledgable about the wine list . Ambiance was outstanding, great old world feel. Have dined in the area, as far as Italian goes this is the place!
(4)Mike H.
Took a group of 12 for my mother's birthday. The drinks were fantastic the food was fantastic and the service was awesome (Thank you Tamara).Llike I said we were a group of 12 and of course everyone didn't show up on time, but the staff was very patient. Everyone was undecided on everything but they took it in stride. We had a wide variety of drinks, appetizers, dinner and desserts. Not a single complaint about any aspect from anyone.
(5)Matthew B.
After our previous review, Michael Mandile reached out to us and asked that we give Mandile's another chance. It was a totally different experience, the food was excellent, and we really appreciated the extra care that was taken to ensure that we had a better time than we did on Valentine's Day. It's very refreshing to have an establishment that cares about feedback they receive and tries to make things right. We will definitely return to Mandile's in the future.
(5)Rachael K.
We had our rehearsal dinner here this past week. The service was outstanding and our guests couldn't get over the good and how good it was! Michael was awesome and made sure everything was great! We will definitely be back and I think our family will be as well!
(5)Ann C.
Hubby and I decided it was time to have a "romantic" dinner, just the two of us, and decided it was about time to try Mandile's. We were seated at a two-top next to a six-top... which was fine because there were two of us. However, the table was so close to the six-top, I felt like were were part of their family... and it's a shame we weren't part of their family, perhaps we would have been treated better. I'm not sure if you have to know someone here to get good service. Our service (and food for that matter) sucked. We were ignored, treated poorly by our waitress and our food was cold (I did bring some of my dinner home and reheated it the next day for lunch. It was delicious when it was warm). I did notice the table next to us, who were getting hugs and kisses by everyone who worked there, including the owner, were treated like royalty. I may give it another try someday... keeping my fingers crossed for a better experience.
(2)Nikki P.
My husband and I went here with a Groupon ($40 to use at restaurant) a couple months ago. I had never heard of or been to this restaurant. when we walked in we went upstairs and the place is so cute. Very old world Italian type feel to it. We both ordered drinks and they make a great stiff cocktail. We had the bruschetta and it was crazy good. We both ordered pasta dishes and were very good and a large portion. For dessert we both had cappuccinos and shared a tiramisu. I have to say I think it was the BEST tiramisu I have ever had (and being Italian myself i have had a lot of it). At the end of it all our bill was about $62. I couldn't believe how affordable this place was after 2 cocktails, an appetizer, 2 meals, 2 coffee's, and a dessert. We will definitely return to this restaurant!
(4)Daniel W.
Excellent food..super service and decent presentation. It was a date night with the wife and was very impressed. Couple to large groups..no excessive noise. And the server was fantastic. The only reason I gave 4 stars is I have to try again to be sure its a five..their lasagna will let me know..and I'm looking forward to it!
(4)Elizabeth G.
Seriously, their food is heaven in my mouth. My sister and I went because we had purchased a groupon, and our waiter was super nice and the food was outstanding. I got pasta with vodka sauce (sooooo good and they give you so much haha) and then we split a margarita pizza, which was delish. Definitley plan on bringing my family here!
(5)Fred M.
Poor management, treats customers like garbage due to their mistakes. Been here before and while the service was sloooooow and the waitstaff was not very professional. Management decided they didn't want to accept the Groupons for 2/15/2014 so they posted a sign when you came in. The Groupon had no restrictions as to black out dates so we didn't even know till we already drove over to the restaurant. After speaking with the manager Michael, I would never want to eat here anyways due to poor attitudes. They decided after the fact that they should have put black out dates for the Groupon so now they are pissing off customers coming in to use them and losing business. I thought Groupon was to help you build your business, not drive customers away. While there we also witnessed 2 other couples walk out and one that had reservations walk out that was not using a Groupon because they witnessed the poor management.
(1)T L.
I've been twice, once for carry out, once dining in since May this year. So far, the appetizer with the figs is yumm. The pizza is good, has a nice crust. The pasta is good, we've gotten spaghetti and some fettuccine with cream sauce. The meatballs are really delicious. The bread is better dining in, because they have a really good olive oil blend. The service is really great and they were very accommodating as far as our drink selections, they didn't know what the mixed drink my husband wanted, but I think they may have googled and brought out a very tasty drink. As far as the ambiance, it's very welcoming... and I understand what people mean by it's quiet. It's a fairly big space, in a kind of odd location. I am really glad to have found a nice and delicious italian place near by, thank goodness for Mandile's!
(4)Keith R.
The reviews are all over the place on Mandile's, some don't care for it, others really seem to enjoy the place...what are they thinking? I bought a $15 for $30 Groupon to use here(actually, we started out with one, then my wife bought one right after we ordered, so it was, all told, $30 for $60 worth of food.) We have always wanted to eat here, the lights in the window remind me of the patio of Le Creperie in Chicago. Let all comparisons to a good restaurant end there. $15 for the "Pesce combo". It was supposed to be calamari, scallops and baked clams. The scallops were greasy, like they'd been breaded and cooked for too long in a pan that wasn't hot enough. I was expecting tentacles, my favorite part of most fried calamari dishes. Not to be found here, where they serve giant calamari. The baked clams were okay though, the only thing I enjoyed. $15 for a crummy appetizer though. I had the Chicken Marsala with choice of pasta or potato, except I wasn't given a choice on either a pasta or a potato, so I got spaghetti noodles with my chicken. The "Marsala" sauce imposter had no Marsala taste to it, it was watery, the chicken wasn't seasoned, it was bare and cooked in the pan just boringly. It could have been pounded flat and used a dash of salt and pepper before being dredged in flour and pan-fried, moved from the pan, fond deglazed using Marsala and cooked down to reduce. At least that's how I do it, and I'm no chef. My wife had the build your own. Choose a noodle, choose a sauce, add ingredients and see what you get. A base of linguine with alio(garlic olive oil) starts at $12, she added spinach and tomato for $2 each and shrimp for $5. That adds up to $21. Was this dish worth it? She didn't finish it, and we boxed it and threw it out as soon as we got home. The tomatoes were diced and lacked flavor. I would have preferred a can of crushed tomatoes, or roma tomatoes, but this was none of those. They threw maybe 5 leaves of spinach into the dish. We're never coming back here to eat, I would, however, have a drink in the bar and listen to the old standards that they play, I think that was the most enjoyable thing about this restaurant. Save your money and your efforts and eat at Francesca's on 72. Or come by my house and I'll make you a better Chicken Marsala, guaranteed.
(1)Linda T.
So very amateur. Poor service. Dirty napkins. Chicken that tasted as it had been cooked and sat for hours..
(2)John H.
Our favorite Italian venue in the area. We love the new menu and finally enjoyed the patio for the first time. Thank you for all the great times.
(4)Joseph M.
Ate here last week, was very unimpressed by the food, atmosphere is stark and cold, kinda of like your eating in a wharehouse with painted walls. Our waitress was nice and somewhat knowledgable of the menu but food lacked any real Italian flavor. Pricing was average, portion sizes where fair. Don't think I would go back, the competition in the area means you do not have to settle for this.
(1)Dorothy P.
I wish I could give 6 stars, seriously, I love this place. My hubby & I are new to the neighborhood, so we have decided to scout out the best Italian restaurant around...boy did we find it! I will say that the place wasn't crowded by any means when we went last night (it was a Monday night), which was completely fine with us. The decor was very charming & we were seated by one of the chefs who happened to walk by as we walked in. We had a Groupon voucher, which my husband handed to the waiter right away (at the other Italian place in town, we did the same thing & could tell that we were given less than stellar service as a result...it took over an hour and a half for the two of us and it really wasn't all that busy), and the waiter gladly took it and kept on with great service anyways. The warm bread and oil/vinegar/herbs/garlic were fantastic, very flavorful without being overpowering. We didn't mind that they didn't slap a bottle of olive oil and a cup of cheese on the table because the portion was just right for the two of us to enjoy without filling up. We ordered the grilled calamari to start, which consisted of 4 grilled calamari pieces with onions and spices in some sort of wine reduction. The first piece that each of us had was a little chewy, maybe a little overcooked. We looked at each other & thought that the rest was going to be down hill. The second piece that we each had was cooked perfectly & we really enjoyed the dish over all. Next, I got the tomato basil bisque, which was perfectly seasoned, and the texture was really great too. There was just enough mouth feel to make it interesting, not too smooth but not overly chunky. If it's on the menu when you go, I highly recommend it. My husband got a salad with bleu cheese dressing that he enjoyed as well, noting that they incorporated the bleu cheese dressing into the salad instead of "globbing it on." As our dinner entrees, I had the Penne di Pollo, which was penne pasta with mushrooms & asparagus (they subbed broccoli at my request because the asparagus was out) and grilled chicken in a marinara sauce. The portion was very generous, enough for two or three meals. I absolutely love their marinara sauce, the spice blend in it is perfect, and you can really tell that it's homemade. My husband had the fettuccine alfredo with meatballs (yes, he added meatballs...I don't get it either) which he said was really delicious too. As if that weren't enough, we ordered two orders of cannoli to go. They were three mini cannoli each. The filling was perfectly smooth and had just the right hint of cinnamon. We definitely enjoyed these when we got back to our house. Seriously, the service was impeccable, the food was delicious and satisfying & the prices were not that bad compared to other restaurants in the area. I'm not sure why more people weren't dining there when we were there last night, but I know we'll be coming back when the craving for Italian food hits us.
(5)Paul K.
Let's call it 3.5 stars. My wife had the pizza which was very good. I had the eggplant parmesan which was very good as well. They make a very good martini and the chiantis we had with dinner were very good. For desert we split a canoli which was excellent. Now for the cons....the calamari was not the greatest. The breading was not crispy enough. Could have been an off day, but I dock it .5 stars for this reason. Additionally, the sauce was lacking the spice (a little more basil and oregano) that I generally like with my Italian food. If you looking for a decent Italian meal at a good price then you should give it a try. If not for the calamari I would have given it four stars.
(3)Tom D.
My wife and I returned from two weeks in Italy. We were getting Italy withdrawal symptoms and decided to go to Mandile's. I told Michael one of the owners that it was our 30th wedding anniversary, which it was, and that we were homesick for Italy. He said no worries we came to the right place. We had a romantic table on the top tier and we were waited on by Damir. Italian music playing in the background and very authentic we felt like we were back in Italy. We had a nice bottle of wine and started with their Griglia Mista a delicious mixture of grilled squid, octopus, and shrimp on a bed of arugula with balsamic. We were back. Followed by two awesome pasta dishes. They surprised us with a desert of tiramisu with Happy Anniversary drawn on the plate. I love the food here and the atmosphere is perfect. It's our Italy right here in the Crystal Lake area. I highly recommend this restaurant if you love real Italian food.
(5)Laurin G.
I've lived in Algonquin for more than ten years and somehow my family and I just got around to trying Mandile's yesterday for their Mother's Day brunch. We had a 1:00 reservation and were seated within about five minutes of our arrival, even though the place was packed and they seemed a little understaffed. The brunch buffet had a good selection of pasta dishes, meatballs, sausage and peppers, a couple of chicken dishes, a fish selection, eggplant parmesan as well as a few breakfast items, salads, pasta salads, fruit, dessert table and a carving station. My family and I especially enjoyed the Italian dishes (duh, it's an Italian restaurant!) and the dessert table. However, I felt the breakfast selections were lacking. On the plus side, they had some good, crispy bacon and some decent breakfast sausage. On the minus side, the only eggs they had were scrambled, and they looked to be a few hours old and were cold when we got there. Also, for some reason there were two varieties of waffles offered, but both appeared to be the frozen variety and the only discernible difference was that one type was square and the other was round. My son tried both and said they were fine but tasted like your typical frozen waffles. Another weak spot was the "fruit display", which did not appear to have been replenished at all during our meal. All that was there was some cut up cantaloupe and honeydew melon and one sad piece of dried up looking pineapple. I got a slice of roast beef from the carving station but it was REALLY underdone, and I enjoy my roast beef on the rare side. It was so rare that it wasn't cooked at all in the middle, which made it impossible to to cut (and chew). Minor gripes aside, we did enjoy our brunch and no one went away hungry. I'm not sure if we'll be back for the brunch for the $25 per person price tag, but we'll definitely be back for dinner to try the Italian food.
(3)Lisa P.
A friend and I had dinner there a couple weeks ago. The service was outstanding. The food was delicious. We went there because they have a large selection of gluten free items to choose from. They also have quite a large wine and martini selection. We really enjoyed ourselves there. Good size portions. A small band was playing, but surprisingly no one was on the dance floor. They played some great songs. I was impressed. We will definitely go again.
(4)Carl W.
Went on 11/09/13, plenty of tables. Was seated and ordered appetizers. Crostini Un Fico. They were out of Fig, still had it not too bad.. As we are sitting there we see the server, and manager go up to all the tables asking the guest how everything is, not ours. For the main course we had the Chicken Marsala. Took 30 minutes for it to arrive. Someone other that our server brought it out, Chicken was tough and dry, noodles were over cooked and cold. Tasted as if someone just dumped gravy over cold noodles. I would have told them but the server NEVER came back to our table to ask how things were, not one time. Plus, you know how they serve the bread and oil? He asked if we would like more bread before our meal arrived, I said yes. He brought the bread and he also brought another plate with the oil, but he must have thought we didn't need that so he took it back with him. We were out of that at the table, so we didn't eat a dry loaf of bread. Total waste. Funny how the server couldn't come over to the table to ask if we needed anything or how things were. But was able to come by with the dessert menu, which I wanted to tell him to stick that right were he could stick the tip, actually that would be his tip. Terrible service, with the food quality to match. Had a Groupon for this place which is why I was there, I would never go back, never recommend it to someone. Don't waste your time on this Faux Italian. It's nice to pretend your a big time, high quality restaurant. Only problem is, once you turn off your string lights, and your terrible servers deliver your terrible cold food, you are exposed as being just what you are, a joke.
(1)Daniel C.
Just had our Christmas party here on Wednesday night and everyone couldn't have been happier. The food was delicious from start to finish, especially the gnocchi in the vodka sauce which were handmade. One of my employees (she is Italian too) said it was the best she's ever had! It's not the best location so the owners will go out of their way to make your experience great. They are very warm, welcoming and very Italian. If you haven't been there yet you need to give this one a try! Note: "In a bad location you have to be pretty damn good to survive 14 years".
(5)Dana C.
Food was excellent! We had the stuffed mini peppers for an appetizer. Lobster ravioli and lemon chicken for entrees. Both were super delicious. The server was very tentative and polite. We came here on a Monday and the restaurant was pretty quiet. Nice music and a nice environment. I would come here again if it wasn't soooo far away! Boo to the distance! Other than that it was really good!
(5)Jon U.
Very Nice Family run Italian restaurant, place is very dark so make sure you have a flashlight app on your iPhone. Had the minestroni, was very good, had tortellini for main meal wasnt really impressed, need to stop by a second time. No sound profofing so open bar resonated throughout the dining area, we were ther with about 4 other tables, but bar area was hopping. Had house cab sav was very good, will be back for second try.
(3)Clark B.
Knowing that Mandile's has been a staple in the Fox Valley area for years we were excited for our first visit in early May. After that visit we were left extremely disappointed by the service, and as a result of a post on another site, we received an email from Mr. Mandile, who was concerned about our experience. Based upon his concern and desire for us to try the restaurant again, we returned this past weekend. As with our visit in May, the food was wonderful. Just sitting in the restaurant and listening to other patrons as their food is served, you hear a symphony of "Oh my gosh, look at that!" and " That smells wonderful!" along with a variety of other pleased responses. The little things that make great service are ever-present here. For example, the service staff places your napkin on your lap, the servers frequently check-in along with the host to ensure you aren't left to want, and any problems with your meal are generously and quickly corrected. I'm pleased with Mr. Mandile's attention to our reviews, his dedication to service, and his hope to provide memorable experiences to his patrons.
(5)Jimmy C.
If you're looking for FINE DINNING in Algonquin or any of the surrounding suburbs this is the place. Me and my wife moved to the area a few months ago and finally got around to trying Mandile's. The hostess was very courteous and prompt in offering us a table but we chose to sit at the bar to check things out since it was our first time there. One of the first things we noticed was the table cloths were actually made of cloth and not the plastic or butcher paper found at many so called fine dining restaurants in the area. Within a few minutes our bartender Mike was offering drink suggestions and giving us a rundown of the place. He knowledge of mixing drinks was very impressive. He is not one of those bartenders you find at places like Applebee's or XXXX that just find a flavored vodka and mix it with soda water, he actually mixes drinks the old fashioned way using fresh ingredients. It may take a little more time to mix, but it is well worth the wait. We started with the grilled seafood appetizer that had calamari, octopus, and scallops grilled to perfection. It was to die for. I had the Ribeye steak and my wife had a beef tips and risotto dish. The steak was cooked just right and had a great taste and the risotto dish was also delicious. We had the lemon chello cake for desert that was out of this world. The owner came over and took the time to chat with us for a while and before we knew it he had brought over some other samples of deserts they offer. They bring in Gelato from Italy that is not like any you will find in the area. It is so rich and creamy and I could go back just for that. My wife mentioned cannoli's and with a few minutes he had a cannoli brought out. My wife said it was the best she had ever had. We lived downtown Chicago for many years and this place is up there with any of the fine dining restaurants in the city. If you want great food, great service and a reasonable price check this place out.
(5)Marc B.
Like others, we went here because of all the 5 star reviews. Granted, I'm difficult to impress with Italian food. My standard for Italian food is that it has to be better than what I make at home. I'm not a chef and I have no training but I do love to cook -- and eat. We sat outside on the second-story deck which was quite lovely and seductive in a mostly-empty restaurant. We ordered a nice bottle of Chianti, the veal saltimbocca, chicken Marsala and some tiramisu and cappuccinos for dessert. Let's begin with the veal saltimbocca. To me, true veal saltimbocca has three compulsory ingredients: veal, prosciutto and fresh sage. From there, the chef is free to experiment. Saltimbocca means "jumps in the mouth" in Italian. In other words, it should have a lot of flavor. Mandile's saltimbocca was fairly bland and smothered in mozzarella cheese and served over pasta. Not a fleck of sage or jump-in-the mouth flavor was to be found. The chicken Marsala was better, even though the iconic shape of the Previously Frozen Pre-trimmed Foodservice Boneless Chicken Breasts visually defined the dish. The Marsalla wine sauce was quite good and very well done. The tiramisu tasted more like cake than anything -- most likely made several days ahead and on it's last day that it would be acceptable to serve. I had a couple bites and pushed it aside. The cappuccinos were amazing, and next to the fresh bread at the beginning of our meal and real balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh spices and the Chianti, the best parts of our dinner. Overall, I'd say it's a solid three star restaurant -- worthy of a romantic night out -- especially if you can sit outside on the deck.
(3)Mark T.
Definitely a place with an identity crisis. Are we an Italian Fine Dining Restaurant or a Lounge/Bar? First the food. Food was OK. Only complaint regarding the food was the Pasta Fagioli soup. I had the soup instead of the salad. The first cup came out with an unidentified rubbery white square hunk of something. Could not even cut the hunk with the spoon. Never seen anything like it in any other Pasta Fagioli soup before. Sent it back. Service was OK, attentive but not clingy. However the food seemed slow coming out of the kitchen. The worst part of the evening and what would prevent me from coming back is the LOUNGE SINGER. Yes, they had a lounge singer in the tiny bar attached to the dinning area who was so loud that it was impossible for the 4 people at our table to hear anything being said at the table even when shouting. You could not hear the wait staff when this "music" was going on. Totally inappropriate for a fine dining experience. We complained to the manager/wait staff 4 times regarding the noise and the manager allegedly asked the singer to turn down the volume but it appeared he just turned up the volume instead. I have one more "Groupon" to use, I will check to see if I can dine before 7 pm to see if I can enjoy a meal at a normal volume. Otherwise I would never go back again.
(1)Elizabeth L.
It was awesome that they had organic wine, gluten free pasta and it was delicious. It was a little quiet but the food was good.
(4)Franklin D.
With all the 5 star reviews here on Yelp I had to check this place out for myself. Maybe i hit the place on an "off night", but the results were mixed for us. The menu had a LOT of choices, so it took me a while just to figure out what to eat. I wound up going with the veal picatta, which was pretty good (not great) for $22 and my wife got the chicken parmesan, also $22, and also good but not great. Not clear on why the prices for these dishes were so high? The portion sizes were just enough to almost fill you up, so I guess this place is good if you're on a diet. Where were the gut-busting, belt-loosening portions reported by my fellow Yelpers? On the other hand, the desserts were PERFECT (on the night we were there?). They must have a trained pastry chef or something because, like I said in the sentence before this one, they were fantastic. Our table ordered spumoni, gelato, espresso, canole, tiramisu, and cheesecake....basically everything but the creme brulee, which I almost got just so we could say we'd tried one of everything. But what we had was great. Something was...off about the whole place though. Holding back on the oil & bread, charging for every glass of iced tea or diet cola, the light crowd in the dining room, all the little indications of cutting corners. Not sure if it's the down economy, or the lack of customers due to cutting corners, or both but it seems like this place might be on the down slope. The service was excellent...but also VERY slow, and the place was nearly empty! Slow to take the order, slow food coming out of the kitchen, even slow to bring the check and ring it up (seriously, an extra 20-30 minutes just for swiping our cards!?) So this place is great if you just want to burn some time. Also Sunday is "kids eat free" with purchase of adult entree. The kids pizzas are pretty good sized. We had two kids split one, and still had leftovers. So be sure to bring your wallet and leave your watch at home!
(3)Michael B.
Mandile's really frustrates me. I so want to like it, but each time I go it is so inconsistent. First, in the winter it is ice cold. The place is nice and open, and I am sure it is difficult to keep a constant climate. Just keep that in mind. The service is usually pretty good. But it depends on the night. You either get a waiter that could be from the best restaurant in Milan, or some guy that could barely handle the customers at Subway. The food is the best and worst parts of the review. I do think it has gone downhill over the years. It used to be a very diverse and creative menu. Now it seems to be scaled back a lot and not as enjoyable to go through. On the other hand, when it is good, they score a home run. Just hard to predict. We will still go ... but we would rather hit up Martini's on Main or Cucina Bella for a more consistent meal. Since the menu changes frequently, it can always be a new experience (good or bad).
(3)Renee S.
Visited again tonight. I had the Salmon risotto special and hubby had the pork chop special. Both were fantastic. One thing that Mandile's is superior with is their sauces. They're all good. I've also had the Chicken Vesuvio in the past, and it is very garlicky and memorable. Restaurant-prepared balsamic vinaigrette is awesome. :)
(5)Rebecca C.
Good wine (1/2 price bottles on Thursdays), great food...best butternut squash ravioli I have ever had. Knocked a star in our eyes for bringing out the wrong meal to one of our guests. Otherwise, good service but was also only 1 of 3 tables. Would also recommend a better quality bread since the seasoned olive oil was fantastic.
(3)Bill B.
I've driven by many times, always on the way to somewhere else. Then the opportunity came up through Groupon. Atmosphere - not like the website shows! Lighting poor, service slow. My wife and I both ordered pasta dishes. She the Penne Di Pollo, and me the Giovanni's Pasta. I had the soup and for $1 extra it would have italian sausage - wow, 2 whole pieces. Both pasta dishes were mediocre at best. Sauces were flavorless
(1)Tony M.
This is my favorite Italian restaurant. The place setting is very romantic, calm, elegant, peaceful and the lighting is just perfect. I also like it because its not a chain restaurant which I think is good because the food is more authentic. I would always come here and recommend it to anyone :-)
(5)Robin J.
We went to Mandile's on Saturday night for dinner. When we got there there were only a handful of tables filled. I can tell you it was some of the worst service and food we have ever had. It started off with our waiter Denis, when I asked about one of the specials all he did was hand me back the menu to reread the description. He brought us our drinks, the sodas were flat, we had to flag him down and ask for an other drink. He disappeared along with our drinks, soups and salad. Finally after about 15 minuets someone else brought us our soup and salad( the soup was cold) we asked about our drinks we were told the soda dispenser was broken. Finally our dinner arrived. My daughter ordered the Rigatoni ala Vodka sauce, I had the Veal Franchise, my husband had the Veal Marsala and my son had the Chicken Franchise. My husband said his veal was tough but the sauce wasn't to bad. My son's chicken was cooked ok but there was no flavor in the sauce. My veal was inedible. It was tough, the breading was soggy and the sauce was watered down and flavorless. I did something I don't normally do, I sent it back. That is after having to flag down our waiter who went MIA again. I wound up getting what my daughter had and it was pretty good. At no time did a manager come over to our table to check on us, even after sending back food. Maybe we hit it on a bad night, but this was our first time there and our last. I really had high hopes for this place after reading the big write-up it got in the local paper a few months back.
(1)Fernando M.
Is there a bad dish here? I didn't think so. Every dish is awesome.
(5)Laurie W.
food was fair, service and drinks were horrible
(1)Amykate C.
I have been here a couple of times and loving Italian food I have been excited to go. However each time I go I leave with a "meh" feeling. The food is good, it's slightly different than other big Italian restaurants and I like that you do a make your own dish with the pasta where you choose the type of pasta, the dressing and the type of meat if you want it. I feel that this restaurant is too expensive for the food we get. as I said it is not bad food, but I do not think it's worth $15 per dish either. I have also used the groupon so it hasn't been badly priced, but we picked up one for the wrong day and had to pay full price and I have to say I would rather have gone to a different place to pay what we did. It seems odd with such a big building that it has always been almost empty when we go (which has been at night at least once on a weekend). The staff have seemed generally informative, though not too friendly or mean, just "meh". It's not a bad place to go and the food is decent but if you are paying full price I might suggest going elsewhere.
(3)Jim T.
It was a rough start when we walked in. The place was cold and seemed to be understaffed at the time. I think we caught them just as they were opening up. 3 times I asked to turn the heat up, and by desert time I could take my coat off. Otehr than that The food was good and would probably be giving a better review as most of my friends say the place is great. I'll have to go back and give them a 2nd chance.
(3)Julie L.
The pizza at Madile's is GREAT!!! Best pizza I've found in the area. I did eat at the restaurant once and ordered the steak. It was okay. Definitely recommend the pizza though....Yummy!!
(4)Yakuza G.
Went to Mandile's on a Saturday night with another couple on the strong recommendation of friends who know their Italian food. We were disappointed. First, the restaurant was only about 20% filled = on a Sat night! The food was very "traditional" Italian-American, and was overall OK, just OK. Our waiter apparently was relatively new to the restaurant, but was overly familiar and spent too much time interacting with us, the clientele. The 4 of us had appetizers (bruchetta), soup (minestrone) , pizza, sausage, chicken parmesean and fish. Overall, we were unimpressed. During the middle of dinner the fire alarm went off and was not shut off for about 10 minutes. We probably will not be back
(2)Andrew K.
Went there for mothers day brunch....mediocre at best. Food was all right but cold. And nothing special for the cost.
(2)Erik S.
Even though I have passed by this restaurant nearly every day for the past 4 years, I only recently visited this establishment. I have to say that I was very surprised. Most locally-owned restaurants in the Algonquin area have lackluster service, overpriced and underwhelming food, and complete indifference to the customer. Mandile's is happily the antithesis of that philosophy. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left we felt like family, even though neither I nor my wife are Italian! The food prices are not cheap, but the quality and quantity of the food supports the price paid. I will likely return to Mandile's for other occasions, but given my household food budget sadly I will not be able to frequent as often as I would like.
(5)Sara G.
Bought a Groupon to try this place out. Food was good, drinks were good but kinda small but who can complain when they were only $5, service was slow at first but then once we did get a waiter he was very good. They had a live singer the night we were there, it was nice he sang some old tunes that were enjoyable. Loved the Yelp check in and get a free dessert that was awesome, they brought us Tiramisu that was very good. I'd go again on a Friday to get those $5 Martinis.
(3)Liz B.
I have never eaten here, but they deserve five stars. On my way to work I noticed the sign outside their restaurant showing that they will be serving dinner to families in need on Christmas day from 1-5. Five stars for kindness during this holiday season!!!
(5)Joe K.
The best Italian restaurant in the area, it's family owned and operated and the staff is terrific. The Filetto Spinache (sp?) is as good of a steak as you'll find.
(5)Barbara H.
Excellent Italian restaurant for lovers of every area of Italy. They have everything from seafood and steaks to pasta and pizza. There is always a family member to welcome you as you walk in the door. They also treat you like you are part of their family from your first visit, and remember you every visit afterwards. The food is terrific and they have outdoor seating in the summer... the Frank Sinatra crooner is always good too. Wine selection is so vast, you will have trouble make a decision. 5 stars!! (brunch for special holidays is worth the trip)
(5)Laura S.
My boyfriend and I were really impressed by the gluten free options. They have gluten free pasta and pizza, which you can almost never find when dining out. The only problem was they never told us or had it labeled on the menu that there is an up charge for gluten free. I don't mind paying a little more for healthier options, but I would like to be notified when I order. But on the upside, our server was very helpful and they were extremely accommodating. Could of used a little more frequent refills on the beverages, but the entire staff was pleasant and welcoming. There chocolate gelato was delicious!
(3)Tiffany T.
Great local place with authentic Italian and a colorful cast of regulars and employees. Homemade ministrone to die for and pasta that is always al dente and magnifico. Great place for large groups or just to sit at the bar and watch the show.
(4)L P.
We were hesitant to try this place, due to the mixed reviews, however, the four of us were in the mood to try someplace new (we eat out often), so we have it a whirl. There weren't many patrons in the place for a Thursday evening (7:30), so we pretty much had the dining room to ourselves. It was quite cold and drafty at our table, but other than that, we were seated in a nice area of the dining room, and the ambiance was appealing. The bread and olive oil was quite good. Drinks, so-so. I was pleased to see they had caipirinhas (many places do not carry the Brazilian rum which is a key ingredient), so I quickly ordered one, however it was definitely "missing" something. It was also served in a tiny glass, filled to the top with ice. For $26 for two of tiny cocktails, I thought was a huge ripoff. The salad came, and was decent. Then the main course. My eggplant was delicious. The meatballs my husband had, not so much. One of the people we were with had told the waiter (the one with what sounded to be a fake Italian accent) it was his first time there, and asked for a recommendation. The waiter suggested "build your own pasta", but never asked him what to put in the pasta. He just took it upon himself to add the most expensive ingredients, and then not tell him his dish alone was going to be $40. We were appalled when the bill came, and saw this. Not only that, he did not give us the 50% off the bottle of wine (special) we ordered until I said something. There were no other patrons in the restaurant, so there was no excuse for "forgetting". I have worked in the restaurant industry for 20+ years, and realize things can happen, but if you've trying to impress first-time guests, my advice would be not to try to vehemently rip off your customers. Up until that point we probably would've returned, now I'm not so sure. We were extremely put off by the fact that we had just spent $206 on a Thursday night on dinner for four (with no dessert), which was more than we had spent downtown Chicago for Italian dinner the weekend prior. I also noticed they charge $5 for splitting checks. I have never seen this practice before, and feel that it's pretty unethical to do to your customers. Good food for the most part. It's a shame we'll probably never be back. Disappointing!
(3)John L.
For a place that has banquets in their name you'd think they could handle a brunch service. You'd be wrong. Easter brunch was atrocious, we'd have had a better experience at Golden Corral with a better selection. everything was cold, all but one of the pasta dishes was overcooked mush swimming in too much sauce, and the chicken parm was inedible due to the salt. The desserts were decent but so sweet one needed a cup of coffee with them which like many others we were surprised to find out was not included. Combine all this with service that was mediocre at best (we waited at least 10 minutes for our check and only received refills on beverages if we stopped someone and asked) If Mandile's is capable of decent service they should be embarrassed by what they offered for the holiday, you couldn't pay me to return.
(1)Jeremy R.
So live review So far waitress perfect seeing how busy it is in here tonight. The Moods are playing. Sugar pie honey bunch and now boogie wonderland. Bruschetta good $9 Scampi e Fungi won't order again but was ok $14 City Lights Cass Tiene Pino Noir 2013 as us brit's say "nice drop of plonk" $38 So far 4 stars atmosphere with the band is great Motown Classics Order in now for pizza will give final stars later. Ok just back from the dance floor great night Food 3.5 stars (UN DECIDED ) Wine 4 stars BAND atmosphere vibe 5 Star brilliant So over all 4 Stars We will be back Rod Stewart next week Tamara great job x x
(4)Bryan N.
Everything I got was really good - got the claims - the sausage appetizer - Salmon - also hAve a kid menus there's not much on it but everything is like 5 bucks and comes with ice cream- price is good on all the food - fresh Parmesan cheese too:)
(5)Rachael L.
My husband and I tried this restaurant after seeing a Groupon deal online. The voucher stated "reservations required, but the gentleman who answered the phone just said to come on in. When we arrived at about 5:45pm, on a Thursday, it was dead. It was almost awkward, being the only two people in the restaurant! Luckily three other couples followed shortly thereafter (phew!). After being seated, we were quickly served water, fresh crusty bread, and a dipping sauce of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs and garlic that was actually pretty good. I'd prefer good old herbed oil and parmesan, but the dip was interesting. My lasagna was definitely five stars. Seriously amazing. I'm always worried if I'll like the red sauce at any new restaurant, because it's hit or miss, but it was seriously perfect. Just the right proportions of ricotta, meat, sauce, and cheese. My husband's chicken marsala, however, wasn't his favorite. The chicken was rubbery, and not tender at all, and the sauce was the consistency of water. The pasta was perfectly cooked and had a good flavor though. My husband also really enjoyed his minestrone. The tiramisu was perfect (but so large, I could only eat half)! My husband's chocolate gelato was spot-on as well. Our server, James, was very attentive and provided excellent customer service. Overall, the restaurant presents itself like a super - upscale (stuffy, even) type of place--which doesn't really jive with its strip-mall location and the paper tablecloth liners. The prices were reasonable (just over $50 +tip) and the food was delicious (mostly), so they could get away with a more laid back vibe, and a trendier atmosphere, rather than the "first date italian restaurant" vibe. I'll be back though, if only for the lasagna ;)
(4)Melissa W.
The service was a 5/5... very attentive but not annoyingly so. Food was decent but nothing I would write home about. Specifically the calamari was just so-so; a lot of breading and not a lot of meat. Asked for Italian dressing with my salad which they didn't have (a little strange for an Italian resturant, in my opinion) so the waiter suggested balsamic which turned out to be just straight up balsamic vinegar, not a vinaigrette as I had in mind. Entrees were good but I actually enjoyed my leftovers the next day more than I did eating at the restaurant; I think the flavors had a little more time to blend and soak in over night. Decent restaurant, no real complaints, just wouldn't go out of my way to hurry back.
(3)Grant D.
We visited recently for the first time based on a groupon type deal. Atmosphere was a little dark but the salmon dish I had there was the best I've ever had. One doesn't think seafood often at an Italian restaurant...but if the chef knows what he/she is doing and tops it with a seafood based marinara, it can be awesome. We were so full from the salad and main course that we split a very generously sized tiramisu for dessert. Server was friendly and polite, but could have been a bit more prompt with dessert inquiry and check. Highly recommended!
(4)Karina H.
Terrible gnocchi swimming in Alfredo that tasted like it came out of a can the menu also didn't mention it'd be covered in Alfredo and the spaghetti also tasted like it wasn't worth 15 . Salad and dumpling soup were ok but not good enough to finish eating . Never coming back . We enjoyed the bread though
(2)Suzi B.
My husband and I came here for Valentine's Day and was very disappointed. The owners reach out to us after and truly made it right! We came last night and were pleasantly greeted! We first sat at the bar and the bartender was awesome! He made us laugh! Then we sat down for dinner. We were very impressed with both the service and the food! We will definitely come back!!!
(5)Becka F.
I recently saw a short and sweet video of Mario Batali describing three crimes against pasta in America: Crime 1: Thinking that a one pound package of pasta is a single serving. (can serve 5-10 as a small first course) Crime 2: Misinterpreting the concept of 'sauce' as 'soup'. (it's a condiment - less is better) Crime 3 (and the most heinous): Over-cookery Mandile's, on a recent visit for dinner, committed all three of these crimes. My rigatoni with eggplant, zucchini, and artichoke hearts in a zesty marinara sauce was enough to last me four meals. The noodles were swimming in the sauce - even more so, because they had been so overcooked that they were falling apart and I had little strips of rigatoni to try to pick up. These crimes are even more tragic, because the sauce was DELICIOUS. The hot, crusty bread and garlic-oil-balsamic dipping concoction served after we were seated might honestly be the very best taste I have experienced in this food wasteland that is the northwest suburbs. The service was kind and gracious. Everything inside the restaurant screams "legit Italian-family dining establishment run with love". Please, Mandile's, tidy up the menu, don't over or undercook the food (my partner's pizza could have used another couple minutes), and give us a great plate for the prices. I'll pay the same for less volume, if what I get leaves me satisfied and appreciative of what is being created in the kitchen. Oh, and PLEASE don't refrigerate the tomatoes that are put on the side salads. There is a great-grandmother Mandile crying in her grave somewhere over that one.
(2)Paul K.
Let's call it 3.5 stars. My wife had the pizza which was very good. I had the eggplant parmesan which was very good as well. They make a very good martini and the chiantis we had with dinner were very good. For desert we split a canoli which was excellent. Now for the cons....the calamari was not the greatest. The breading was not crispy enough. Could have been an off day, but I dock it .5 stars for this reason. Additionally, the sauce was lacking the spice (a little more basil and oregano) that I generally like with my Italian food. If you looking for a decent Italian meal at a good price then you should give it a try. If not for the calamari I would have given it four stars.
(3)Carl W.
Went on 11/09/13, plenty of tables. Was seated and ordered appetizers. Crostini Un Fico. They were out of Fig, still had it not too bad.. As we are sitting there we see the server, and manager go up to all the tables asking the guest how everything is, not ours. For the main course we had the Chicken Marsala. Took 30 minutes for it to arrive. Someone other that our server brought it out, Chicken was tough and dry, noodles were over cooked and cold. Tasted as if someone just dumped gravy over cold noodles. I would have told them but the server NEVER came back to our table to ask how things were, not one time. Plus, you know how they serve the bread and oil? He asked if we would like more bread before our meal arrived, I said yes. He brought the bread and he also brought another plate with the oil, but he must have thought we didn't need that so he took it back with him. We were out of that at the table, so we didn't eat a dry loaf of bread. Total waste. Funny how the server couldn't come over to the table to ask if we needed anything or how things were. But was able to come by with the dessert menu, which I wanted to tell him to stick that right were he could stick the tip, actually that would be his tip. Terrible service, with the food quality to match. Had a Groupon for this place which is why I was there, I would never go back, never recommend it to someone. Don't waste your time on this Faux Italian. It's nice to pretend your a big time, high quality restaurant. Only problem is, once you turn off your string lights, and your terrible servers deliver your terrible cold food, you are exposed as being just what you are, a joke.
(1)Daniel C.
Just had our Christmas party here on Wednesday night and everyone couldn't have been happier. The food was delicious from start to finish, especially the gnocchi in the vodka sauce which were handmade. One of my employees (she is Italian too) said it was the best she's ever had! It's not the best location so the owners will go out of their way to make your experience great. They are very warm, welcoming and very Italian. If you haven't been there yet you need to give this one a try! Note: "In a bad location you have to be pretty damn good to survive 14 years".
(5)Dana C.
Food was excellent! We had the stuffed mini peppers for an appetizer. Lobster ravioli and lemon chicken for entrees. Both were super delicious. The server was very tentative and polite. We came here on a Monday and the restaurant was pretty quiet. Nice music and a nice environment. I would come here again if it wasn't soooo far away! Boo to the distance! Other than that it was really good!
(5)Jon U.
Very Nice Family run Italian restaurant, place is very dark so make sure you have a flashlight app on your iPhone. Had the minestroni, was very good, had tortellini for main meal wasnt really impressed, need to stop by a second time. No sound profofing so open bar resonated throughout the dining area, we were ther with about 4 other tables, but bar area was hopping. Had house cab sav was very good, will be back for second try.
(3)Sam M.
Came here for the first time tonight and had a wonderful time. Our server was fantastic! He was very friendly and helpful with all of our questions about the menu. Everything we ordered came out promptly and was delicious. They have the best bruschetta! Overall I have nothing at to complain about. The restaurant is beautiful. Food wasn't over priced and we had a great time.
(5)Lauren F.
Definitely not my choice for Italian food in the area. I have now been here twice. Neither experience was worth bragging about. I visited Mandile's 2/20/14. A group of six went for my fiance's birthday. The waiter had to take our order twice because he misplaced the first one. 15 minutes later the power went out. That was an experience. Not the restaurant's fault, obviously, but they were not gracious about it. Our food came out moments later and everything was just OK. Although I didn't taste it, my father said his lasagna was terrible. Two ordered eggplant Parmesan and said it was edible but nothing to write home about. I had chicken Parmesan and was very pleased with it. After dinner we asked to see a dessert menu. Our waiter told us dessert wasn't available because they couldn't see in the kitchen - yet they were still bringing food out to other guest's tables. Also, I highly doubt tiramisu needed to be "prepared." Couldn't they have gone into the fridge with a flashlight? When it came time to pay, they asked for our credit card information so they could write it down and process the bill at a later time. Personally, I am not cool with throwing my credit card number around. Luckily, someone in the group had cash. Like I said, not the restaurant's fault the power went out....but none of the staff apologized for the inconvenience or even acknowledged it. We thought maybe we'd receive a 10% discount or something for having to eat by candlelight and being denied dessert. Next time I will opt for Olive Garden.
(2)Brian H.
Can't offer a true review since my wife and I discovered that the management had opted to refuse to accept Groupons on the night of our reservation. We witnessed at least two other couples walk away from their reservations as well. Going to get a refund on the groupon and plan on never going back.
(1)Dublin S.
As a person who has lived in Chicago for almost a decade, and has traveled the world I am skeptical giving credit to suburban restaurants.. They are frequented by people with opinions who in reality have no idea about food. Mandiles was the complete opposite! Our first time here and it definitely will not be the last, outstanding authentic Italian cuisine.. The best I have found in the suburbs. When they claim fresh they mean it, the ravioli and the limoncello cake for dessert were remarkable. Service was outstanding, Damir was great & very knowledgable about the wine list . Ambiance was outstanding, great old world feel. Have dined in the area, as far as Italian goes this is the place!
(4)Mike H.
Took a group of 12 for my mother's birthday. The drinks were fantastic the food was fantastic and the service was awesome (Thank you Tamara).Llike I said we were a group of 12 and of course everyone didn't show up on time, but the staff was very patient. Everyone was undecided on everything but they took it in stride. We had a wide variety of drinks, appetizers, dinner and desserts. Not a single complaint about any aspect from anyone.
(5)Matthew B.
After our previous review, Michael Mandile reached out to us and asked that we give Mandile's another chance. It was a totally different experience, the food was excellent, and we really appreciated the extra care that was taken to ensure that we had a better time than we did on Valentine's Day. It's very refreshing to have an establishment that cares about feedback they receive and tries to make things right. We will definitely return to Mandile's in the future.
(5)Rachael K.
We had our rehearsal dinner here this past week. The service was outstanding and our guests couldn't get over the good and how good it was! Michael was awesome and made sure everything was great! We will definitely be back and I think our family will be as well!
(5)Leanne J.
We came for Mothers Day brunch based off of a suggestion from a friend, and I can assure you that this place was BY FAR the WORST brunch we have ever had! My mother actually said it was the worst brunch she has had in 73 years! We arrived on time for our reservation and had to wait 35 minutes to be seated. There were plenty of open tables, it just seemed like they were short on staff. This should of been our first clue to leave, but we stayed and once seated, headed to the buffet. The buffet was set up in the outside portion of the restaurant, which was enclosed with tarps. It was absolutely freezing in there despite them having some standing heaters. This would explain why most of the food was cold. Overall, the food was mediocre at best. They offered 3 different chicken dishes, all which were dry, quite a few pasta dishes which were all bland and breakfast such as eggs, sausage, waffles, etc. My children normally love waffles, but would not eat them because they were so soggy. They also had bruschetta, but the bread it was on was so wet and soggy it could hardly be picked up. The carving station was just that...a station. No meat! They ran out, but the guy kept saying they were bringing more out in a few minutes. It never happened though. Finally, we decided to head to the dessert table. I was stunned to see the limited amount of choices. They had little bite size desserts like the ones Costco sells that come in those little wrappers and that are in the freezer section. There were all of about 10 left on the entire table, none of which my family would eat. You know it's got to be pretty bad when even 3 kids ages 12 - 16 won't eat dessert! To top things off, our waitress, who only removed some of our used dishes from the table and filling drinks occasionally brought us the bill. We had 7 people in our party and we were charged for 8 buffet's. Not only that, but a 20% gratuity was added to our bill!!!!?? 20%?? For what? refilling drinks every now and then and moving a few plates? I have seen people work harder at McDonnalds then this lady did and what came to be almost $50.00 for a tip, I found was absolutely insane! We also told her my son should have been charged the child fee (ages 12 and under). She asked how old he was and when we told her 12, she said "oh, well its only for kids 11 and under". OK? That isn't what we were originally told, but whatever...just fix our bill and let us get the heck out of here. She brings it back and the gratuity is still added in. We paid $278.00 for the absolute worst food we have ever eaten. My mom spoke to the manager to let him know how horrible it was. He had little to nothing to say other than "I'm sorry". She then saw the owner, approached him, and told him as well. All he had to say was "Why didn't you say something sooner?" We had been there far too long already waiting for our table and then waiting for meat that never arrived, had crappy food and crappy service and we wanted to get out of there so we could get home and make something to eat since we were all hungry. I find it interesting that all of the negative reviews this restaurant has received, both on this site as well as others, there is never a response from the owner/management, yet the good reviews, they do respond!? They have this all wrong! I also left a comment on their Facebook page expressing our dissatisfaction and it was deleted. Not the way a GOOD business would handle a situation like this. Tend to the people who have an issue and try to resolve the problem. Pressing delete isn't going to help your business. Word of mouth sure spreads fast and I will be sure to let everyone I know to NEVER eat at this restaurant.
(1)Karen S.
We drove one and a half hours to get to this restaurant to celebrate Mother's Day with a party of eight, which included our 70 year old Mother. Our reservation was scheduled using Open Table at 2:00 pm which appeared to be the only time available. I was surprised that this time of day was available since this restaurant normally opens at 4:00 pm. I called the restaurant directly several days prior to confirm our reservation and,then the restaurant called me to confirm one more time, the day or so before. We arrived to a slightly empty establishment and were seated - first at one table and then in another per the hosts request. We ordered drinks and realized that the only menu available was the buffet located in a room right off the dining room. The "room" did not offer handicap access so we needed to prepare a plate for our mother. The temperature of buffet room was approx. 90 degrees and had tables set up around the perimeter showcasing chaffing dishes with lack luster options. There was a salad and fruit table that offered a few leaves of brown lettuce and a couple of dinner rolls. The fruit plate offered a few slices of dried up cantaloupe and sad, wilted lettuce (unfortunately being used as a garnish - no chance to make a salad out of that stuff). Everything in the room looked and smelled like it had been sitting in the heat, in open chaffing dishes on sterno's for at least 5 hours. There was a girl in the room with a chef's hat on who appeared to be the "official meat carver" - she asked us if we wanted any of the dry, old meat carcass she was carving from which we all replied, "no thank you". At this time I asked her how much they are charging for this buffet, she asked an older man who replied $40 each -- she was stunned and said, "really? "To which he responded ... "What does it matter, they're already here." When this man appeared to realize I have overheard his response, he corrected the amount to state that we would be paying $29.00 per person (for this awful, Petri dish of botulism.) We tried to fill our dishes with the limited options before us in an effort to try and make this trip worth the drive and to make the day special for our Mother who was very, very hungry at this point, after all we were going to be charged $29 per person for this stuff. We all took one bite only to realize that the food was as awful tasting as it looked and smelled. Our waitress agreed that it was awful, as did the meat carver and the host. She said she checked with her manager and he agreed to allow us to only pay half price. So this horrible, inedible meal would cost us ONLY $14.50 per person. After much discussion with the owner, host and manager, they allowed us to leave this awful place if we paid for our drinks. I will NEVER return to this restaurant nor would I recommend it to anyone who may be looking for a tasty, ambient night out. Heck - even if you were looking for a decent roll or slice of fruit -- you would have better luck anywhere else. The wait staff and hostess were outstanding -- the owners, managers resembled the food. Truly an awful experience!!!
(1)Ann C.
Hubby and I decided it was time to have a "romantic" dinner, just the two of us, and decided it was about time to try Mandile's. We were seated at a two-top next to a six-top... which was fine because there were two of us. However, the table was so close to the six-top, I felt like were were part of their family... and it's a shame we weren't part of their family, perhaps we would have been treated better. I'm not sure if you have to know someone here to get good service. Our service (and food for that matter) sucked. We were ignored, treated poorly by our waitress and our food was cold (I did bring some of my dinner home and reheated it the next day for lunch. It was delicious when it was warm). I did notice the table next to us, who were getting hugs and kisses by everyone who worked there, including the owner, were treated like royalty. I may give it another try someday... keeping my fingers crossed for a better experience.
(2)Nikki P.
My husband and I went here with a Groupon ($40 to use at restaurant) a couple months ago. I had never heard of or been to this restaurant. when we walked in we went upstairs and the place is so cute. Very old world Italian type feel to it. We both ordered drinks and they make a great stiff cocktail. We had the bruschetta and it was crazy good. We both ordered pasta dishes and were very good and a large portion. For dessert we both had cappuccinos and shared a tiramisu. I have to say I think it was the BEST tiramisu I have ever had (and being Italian myself i have had a lot of it). At the end of it all our bill was about $62. I couldn't believe how affordable this place was after 2 cocktails, an appetizer, 2 meals, 2 coffee's, and a dessert. We will definitely return to this restaurant!
(4)Daniel W.
Excellent food..super service and decent presentation. It was a date night with the wife and was very impressed. Couple to large groups..no excessive noise. And the server was fantastic. The only reason I gave 4 stars is I have to try again to be sure its a five..their lasagna will let me know..and I'm looking forward to it!
(4)Elizabeth G.
Seriously, their food is heaven in my mouth. My sister and I went because we had purchased a groupon, and our waiter was super nice and the food was outstanding. I got pasta with vodka sauce (sooooo good and they give you so much haha) and then we split a margarita pizza, which was delish. Definitley plan on bringing my family here!
(5)Fred M.
Poor management, treats customers like garbage due to their mistakes. Been here before and while the service was sloooooow and the waitstaff was not very professional. Management decided they didn't want to accept the Groupons for 2/15/2014 so they posted a sign when you came in. The Groupon had no restrictions as to black out dates so we didn't even know till we already drove over to the restaurant. After speaking with the manager Michael, I would never want to eat here anyways due to poor attitudes. They decided after the fact that they should have put black out dates for the Groupon so now they are pissing off customers coming in to use them and losing business. I thought Groupon was to help you build your business, not drive customers away. While there we also witnessed 2 other couples walk out and one that had reservations walk out that was not using a Groupon because they witnessed the poor management.
(1)T L.
I've been twice, once for carry out, once dining in since May this year. So far, the appetizer with the figs is yumm. The pizza is good, has a nice crust. The pasta is good, we've gotten spaghetti and some fettuccine with cream sauce. The meatballs are really delicious. The bread is better dining in, because they have a really good olive oil blend. The service is really great and they were very accommodating as far as our drink selections, they didn't know what the mixed drink my husband wanted, but I think they may have googled and brought out a very tasty drink. As far as the ambiance, it's very welcoming... and I understand what people mean by it's quiet. It's a fairly big space, in a kind of odd location. I am really glad to have found a nice and delicious italian place near by, thank goodness for Mandile's!
(4)Keith R.
The reviews are all over the place on Mandile's, some don't care for it, others really seem to enjoy the place...what are they thinking? I bought a $15 for $30 Groupon to use here(actually, we started out with one, then my wife bought one right after we ordered, so it was, all told, $30 for $60 worth of food.) We have always wanted to eat here, the lights in the window remind me of the patio of Le Creperie in Chicago. Let all comparisons to a good restaurant end there. $15 for the "Pesce combo". It was supposed to be calamari, scallops and baked clams. The scallops were greasy, like they'd been breaded and cooked for too long in a pan that wasn't hot enough. I was expecting tentacles, my favorite part of most fried calamari dishes. Not to be found here, where they serve giant calamari. The baked clams were okay though, the only thing I enjoyed. $15 for a crummy appetizer though. I had the Chicken Marsala with choice of pasta or potato, except I wasn't given a choice on either a pasta or a potato, so I got spaghetti noodles with my chicken. The "Marsala" sauce imposter had no Marsala taste to it, it was watery, the chicken wasn't seasoned, it was bare and cooked in the pan just boringly. It could have been pounded flat and used a dash of salt and pepper before being dredged in flour and pan-fried, moved from the pan, fond deglazed using Marsala and cooked down to reduce. At least that's how I do it, and I'm no chef. My wife had the build your own. Choose a noodle, choose a sauce, add ingredients and see what you get. A base of linguine with alio(garlic olive oil) starts at $12, she added spinach and tomato for $2 each and shrimp for $5. That adds up to $21. Was this dish worth it? She didn't finish it, and we boxed it and threw it out as soon as we got home. The tomatoes were diced and lacked flavor. I would have preferred a can of crushed tomatoes, or roma tomatoes, but this was none of those. They threw maybe 5 leaves of spinach into the dish. We're never coming back here to eat, I would, however, have a drink in the bar and listen to the old standards that they play, I think that was the most enjoyable thing about this restaurant. Save your money and your efforts and eat at Francesca's on 72. Or come by my house and I'll make you a better Chicken Marsala, guaranteed.
(1)Linda T.
So very amateur. Poor service. Dirty napkins. Chicken that tasted as it had been cooked and sat for hours..
(2)John H.
Our favorite Italian venue in the area. We love the new menu and finally enjoyed the patio for the first time. Thank you for all the great times.
(4)Joseph M.
Ate here last week, was very unimpressed by the food, atmosphere is stark and cold, kinda of like your eating in a wharehouse with painted walls. Our waitress was nice and somewhat knowledgable of the menu but food lacked any real Italian flavor. Pricing was average, portion sizes where fair. Don't think I would go back, the competition in the area means you do not have to settle for this.
(1)Dorothy P.
I wish I could give 6 stars, seriously, I love this place. My hubby & I are new to the neighborhood, so we have decided to scout out the best Italian restaurant around...boy did we find it! I will say that the place wasn't crowded by any means when we went last night (it was a Monday night), which was completely fine with us. The decor was very charming & we were seated by one of the chefs who happened to walk by as we walked in. We had a Groupon voucher, which my husband handed to the waiter right away (at the other Italian place in town, we did the same thing & could tell that we were given less than stellar service as a result...it took over an hour and a half for the two of us and it really wasn't all that busy), and the waiter gladly took it and kept on with great service anyways. The warm bread and oil/vinegar/herbs/garlic were fantastic, very flavorful without being overpowering. We didn't mind that they didn't slap a bottle of olive oil and a cup of cheese on the table because the portion was just right for the two of us to enjoy without filling up. We ordered the grilled calamari to start, which consisted of 4 grilled calamari pieces with onions and spices in some sort of wine reduction. The first piece that each of us had was a little chewy, maybe a little overcooked. We looked at each other & thought that the rest was going to be down hill. The second piece that we each had was cooked perfectly & we really enjoyed the dish over all. Next, I got the tomato basil bisque, which was perfectly seasoned, and the texture was really great too. There was just enough mouth feel to make it interesting, not too smooth but not overly chunky. If it's on the menu when you go, I highly recommend it. My husband got a salad with bleu cheese dressing that he enjoyed as well, noting that they incorporated the bleu cheese dressing into the salad instead of "globbing it on." As our dinner entrees, I had the Penne di Pollo, which was penne pasta with mushrooms & asparagus (they subbed broccoli at my request because the asparagus was out) and grilled chicken in a marinara sauce. The portion was very generous, enough for two or three meals. I absolutely love their marinara sauce, the spice blend in it is perfect, and you can really tell that it's homemade. My husband had the fettuccine alfredo with meatballs (yes, he added meatballs...I don't get it either) which he said was really delicious too. As if that weren't enough, we ordered two orders of cannoli to go. They were three mini cannoli each. The filling was perfectly smooth and had just the right hint of cinnamon. We definitely enjoyed these when we got back to our house. Seriously, the service was impeccable, the food was delicious and satisfying & the prices were not that bad compared to other restaurants in the area. I'm not sure why more people weren't dining there when we were there last night, but I know we'll be coming back when the craving for Italian food hits us.
(5)Andrew R.
This food is good. Shockingly good. I say that as a down-town "snob" that assumes every suburban restaurant is TGIWhatevers. I was pretty floored by how good the food is. Bruschetta, mussels, polenta, campari, frutti di mare and polenta. amaaazing.
(5)Tom D.
My wife and I returned from two weeks in Italy. We were getting Italy withdrawal symptoms and decided to go to Mandile's. I told Michael one of the owners that it was our 30th wedding anniversary, which it was, and that we were homesick for Italy. He said no worries we came to the right place. We had a romantic table on the top tier and we were waited on by Damir. Italian music playing in the background and very authentic we felt like we were back in Italy. We had a nice bottle of wine and started with their Griglia Mista a delicious mixture of grilled squid, octopus, and shrimp on a bed of arugula with balsamic. We were back. Followed by two awesome pasta dishes. They surprised us with a desert of tiramisu with Happy Anniversary drawn on the plate. I love the food here and the atmosphere is perfect. It's our Italy right here in the Crystal Lake area. I highly recommend this restaurant if you love real Italian food.
(5)Rebecca C.
Good wine (1/2 price bottles on Thursdays), great food...best butternut squash ravioli I have ever had. Knocked a star in our eyes for bringing out the wrong meal to one of our guests. Otherwise, good service but was also only 1 of 3 tables. Would also recommend a better quality bread since the seasoned olive oil was fantastic.
(3)Clark B.
Knowing that Mandile's has been a staple in the Fox Valley area for years we were excited for our first visit in early May. After that visit we were left extremely disappointed by the service, and as a result of a post on another site, we received an email from Mr. Mandile, who was concerned about our experience. Based upon his concern and desire for us to try the restaurant again, we returned this past weekend. As with our visit in May, the food was wonderful. Just sitting in the restaurant and listening to other patrons as their food is served, you hear a symphony of "Oh my gosh, look at that!" and " That smells wonderful!" along with a variety of other pleased responses. The little things that make great service are ever-present here. For example, the service staff places your napkin on your lap, the servers frequently check-in along with the host to ensure you aren't left to want, and any problems with your meal are generously and quickly corrected. I'm pleased with Mr. Mandile's attention to our reviews, his dedication to service, and his hope to provide memorable experiences to his patrons.
(5)Jimmy C.
If you're looking for FINE DINNING in Algonquin or any of the surrounding suburbs this is the place. Me and my wife moved to the area a few months ago and finally got around to trying Mandile's. The hostess was very courteous and prompt in offering us a table but we chose to sit at the bar to check things out since it was our first time there. One of the first things we noticed was the table cloths were actually made of cloth and not the plastic or butcher paper found at many so called fine dining restaurants in the area. Within a few minutes our bartender Mike was offering drink suggestions and giving us a rundown of the place. He knowledge of mixing drinks was very impressive. He is not one of those bartenders you find at places like Applebee's or XXXX that just find a flavored vodka and mix it with soda water, he actually mixes drinks the old fashioned way using fresh ingredients. It may take a little more time to mix, but it is well worth the wait. We started with the grilled seafood appetizer that had calamari, octopus, and scallops grilled to perfection. It was to die for. I had the Ribeye steak and my wife had a beef tips and risotto dish. The steak was cooked just right and had a great taste and the risotto dish was also delicious. We had the lemon chello cake for desert that was out of this world. The owner came over and took the time to chat with us for a while and before we knew it he had brought over some other samples of deserts they offer. They bring in Gelato from Italy that is not like any you will find in the area. It is so rich and creamy and I could go back just for that. My wife mentioned cannoli's and with a few minutes he had a cannoli brought out. My wife said it was the best she had ever had. We lived downtown Chicago for many years and this place is up there with any of the fine dining restaurants in the city. If you want great food, great service and a reasonable price check this place out.
(5)Marc B.
Like others, we went here because of all the 5 star reviews. Granted, I'm difficult to impress with Italian food. My standard for Italian food is that it has to be better than what I make at home. I'm not a chef and I have no training but I do love to cook -- and eat. We sat outside on the second-story deck which was quite lovely and seductive in a mostly-empty restaurant. We ordered a nice bottle of Chianti, the veal saltimbocca, chicken Marsala and some tiramisu and cappuccinos for dessert. Let's begin with the veal saltimbocca. To me, true veal saltimbocca has three compulsory ingredients: veal, prosciutto and fresh sage. From there, the chef is free to experiment. Saltimbocca means "jumps in the mouth" in Italian. In other words, it should have a lot of flavor. Mandile's saltimbocca was fairly bland and smothered in mozzarella cheese and served over pasta. Not a fleck of sage or jump-in-the mouth flavor was to be found. The chicken Marsala was better, even though the iconic shape of the Previously Frozen Pre-trimmed Foodservice Boneless Chicken Breasts visually defined the dish. The Marsalla wine sauce was quite good and very well done. The tiramisu tasted more like cake than anything -- most likely made several days ahead and on it's last day that it would be acceptable to serve. I had a couple bites and pushed it aside. The cappuccinos were amazing, and next to the fresh bread at the beginning of our meal and real balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh spices and the Chianti, the best parts of our dinner. Overall, I'd say it's a solid three star restaurant -- worthy of a romantic night out -- especially if you can sit outside on the deck.
(3)Mark T.
Definitely a place with an identity crisis. Are we an Italian Fine Dining Restaurant or a Lounge/Bar? First the food. Food was OK. Only complaint regarding the food was the Pasta Fagioli soup. I had the soup instead of the salad. The first cup came out with an unidentified rubbery white square hunk of something. Could not even cut the hunk with the spoon. Never seen anything like it in any other Pasta Fagioli soup before. Sent it back. Service was OK, attentive but not clingy. However the food seemed slow coming out of the kitchen. The worst part of the evening and what would prevent me from coming back is the LOUNGE SINGER. Yes, they had a lounge singer in the tiny bar attached to the dinning area who was so loud that it was impossible for the 4 people at our table to hear anything being said at the table even when shouting. You could not hear the wait staff when this "music" was going on. Totally inappropriate for a fine dining experience. We complained to the manager/wait staff 4 times regarding the noise and the manager allegedly asked the singer to turn down the volume but it appeared he just turned up the volume instead. I have one more "Groupon" to use, I will check to see if I can dine before 7 pm to see if I can enjoy a meal at a normal volume. Otherwise I would never go back again.
(1)Elizabeth L.
It was awesome that they had organic wine, gluten free pasta and it was delicious. It was a little quiet but the food was good.
(4)Mike K.
Best Italian restaurant outside of italy itself. Great wine selection, great food, friendly staff, and great ambiance. Highly recommend frequenting this Italian restaurant and trying most of their menu. If I go to long without their food I start to lose my mind.
(5)Tony M.
This is my favorite Italian restaurant. The place setting is very romantic, calm, elegant, peaceful and the lighting is just perfect. I also like it because its not a chain restaurant which I think is good because the food is more authentic. I would always come here and recommend it to anyone :-)
(5)Bill B.
I've driven by many times, always on the way to somewhere else. Then the opportunity came up through Groupon. Atmosphere - not like the website shows! Lighting poor, service slow. My wife and I both ordered pasta dishes. She the Penne Di Pollo, and me the Giovanni's Pasta. I had the soup and for $1 extra it would have italian sausage - wow, 2 whole pieces. Both pasta dishes were mediocre at best. Sauces were flavorless
(1)Laurin G.
I've lived in Algonquin for more than ten years and somehow my family and I just got around to trying Mandile's yesterday for their Mother's Day brunch. We had a 1:00 reservation and were seated within about five minutes of our arrival, even though the place was packed and they seemed a little understaffed. The brunch buffet had a good selection of pasta dishes, meatballs, sausage and peppers, a couple of chicken dishes, a fish selection, eggplant parmesan as well as a few breakfast items, salads, pasta salads, fruit, dessert table and a carving station. My family and I especially enjoyed the Italian dishes (duh, it's an Italian restaurant!) and the dessert table. However, I felt the breakfast selections were lacking. On the plus side, they had some good, crispy bacon and some decent breakfast sausage. On the minus side, the only eggs they had were scrambled, and they looked to be a few hours old and were cold when we got there. Also, for some reason there were two varieties of waffles offered, but both appeared to be the frozen variety and the only discernible difference was that one type was square and the other was round. My son tried both and said they were fine but tasted like your typical frozen waffles. Another weak spot was the "fruit display", which did not appear to have been replenished at all during our meal. All that was there was some cut up cantaloupe and honeydew melon and one sad piece of dried up looking pineapple. I got a slice of roast beef from the carving station but it was REALLY underdone, and I enjoy my roast beef on the rare side. It was so rare that it wasn't cooked at all in the middle, which made it impossible to to cut (and chew). Minor gripes aside, we did enjoy our brunch and no one went away hungry. I'm not sure if we'll be back for the brunch for the $25 per person price tag, but we'll definitely be back for dinner to try the Italian food.
(3)Lisa P.
A friend and I had dinner there a couple weeks ago. The service was outstanding. The food was delicious. We went there because they have a large selection of gluten free items to choose from. They also have quite a large wine and martini selection. We really enjoyed ourselves there. Good size portions. A small band was playing, but surprisingly no one was on the dance floor. They played some great songs. I was impressed. We will definitely go again.
(4)Yakuza G.
Went to Mandile's on a Saturday night with another couple on the strong recommendation of friends who know their Italian food. We were disappointed. First, the restaurant was only about 20% filled = on a Sat night! The food was very "traditional" Italian-American, and was overall OK, just OK. Our waiter apparently was relatively new to the restaurant, but was overly familiar and spent too much time interacting with us, the clientele. The 4 of us had appetizers (bruchetta), soup (minestrone) , pizza, sausage, chicken parmesean and fish. Overall, we were unimpressed. During the middle of dinner the fire alarm went off and was not shut off for about 10 minutes. We probably will not be back
(2)Andrew K.
Went there for mothers day brunch....mediocre at best. Food was all right but cold. And nothing special for the cost.
(2)Franklin D.
With all the 5 star reviews here on Yelp I had to check this place out for myself. Maybe i hit the place on an "off night", but the results were mixed for us. The menu had a LOT of choices, so it took me a while just to figure out what to eat. I wound up going with the veal picatta, which was pretty good (not great) for $22 and my wife got the chicken parmesan, also $22, and also good but not great. Not clear on why the prices for these dishes were so high? The portion sizes were just enough to almost fill you up, so I guess this place is good if you're on a diet. Where were the gut-busting, belt-loosening portions reported by my fellow Yelpers? On the other hand, the desserts were PERFECT (on the night we were there?). They must have a trained pastry chef or something because, like I said in the sentence before this one, they were fantastic. Our table ordered spumoni, gelato, espresso, canole, tiramisu, and cheesecake....basically everything but the creme brulee, which I almost got just so we could say we'd tried one of everything. But what we had was great. Something was...off about the whole place though. Holding back on the oil & bread, charging for every glass of iced tea or diet cola, the light crowd in the dining room, all the little indications of cutting corners. Not sure if it's the down economy, or the lack of customers due to cutting corners, or both but it seems like this place might be on the down slope. The service was excellent...but also VERY slow, and the place was nearly empty! Slow to take the order, slow food coming out of the kitchen, even slow to bring the check and ring it up (seriously, an extra 20-30 minutes just for swiping our cards!?) So this place is great if you just want to burn some time. Also Sunday is "kids eat free" with purchase of adult entree. The kids pizzas are pretty good sized. We had two kids split one, and still had leftovers. So be sure to bring your wallet and leave your watch at home!
(3)Michael B.
Mandile's really frustrates me. I so want to like it, but each time I go it is so inconsistent. First, in the winter it is ice cold. The place is nice and open, and I am sure it is difficult to keep a constant climate. Just keep that in mind. The service is usually pretty good. But it depends on the night. You either get a waiter that could be from the best restaurant in Milan, or some guy that could barely handle the customers at Subway. The food is the best and worst parts of the review. I do think it has gone downhill over the years. It used to be a very diverse and creative menu. Now it seems to be scaled back a lot and not as enjoyable to go through. On the other hand, when it is good, they score a home run. Just hard to predict. We will still go ... but we would rather hit up Martini's on Main or Cucina Bella for a more consistent meal. Since the menu changes frequently, it can always be a new experience (good or bad).
(3)Renee S.
Visited again tonight. I had the Salmon risotto special and hubby had the pork chop special. Both were fantastic. One thing that Mandile's is superior with is their sauces. They're all good. I've also had the Chicken Vesuvio in the past, and it is very garlicky and memorable. Restaurant-prepared balsamic vinaigrette is awesome. :)
(5)Robin J.
We went to Mandile's on Saturday night for dinner. When we got there there were only a handful of tables filled. I can tell you it was some of the worst service and food we have ever had. It started off with our waiter Denis, when I asked about one of the specials all he did was hand me back the menu to reread the description. He brought us our drinks, the sodas were flat, we had to flag him down and ask for an other drink. He disappeared along with our drinks, soups and salad. Finally after about 15 minuets someone else brought us our soup and salad( the soup was cold) we asked about our drinks we were told the soda dispenser was broken. Finally our dinner arrived. My daughter ordered the Rigatoni ala Vodka sauce, I had the Veal Franchise, my husband had the Veal Marsala and my son had the Chicken Franchise. My husband said his veal was tough but the sauce wasn't to bad. My son's chicken was cooked ok but there was no flavor in the sauce. My veal was inedible. It was tough, the breading was soggy and the sauce was watered down and flavorless. I did something I don't normally do, I sent it back. That is after having to flag down our waiter who went MIA again. I wound up getting what my daughter had and it was pretty good. At no time did a manager come over to our table to check on us, even after sending back food. Maybe we hit it on a bad night, but this was our first time there and our last. I really had high hopes for this place after reading the big write-up it got in the local paper a few months back.
(1)Fernando M.
Is there a bad dish here? I didn't think so. Every dish is awesome.
(5)Laurie W.
food was fair, service and drinks were horrible
(1)Amykate C.
I have been here a couple of times and loving Italian food I have been excited to go. However each time I go I leave with a "meh" feeling. The food is good, it's slightly different than other big Italian restaurants and I like that you do a make your own dish with the pasta where you choose the type of pasta, the dressing and the type of meat if you want it. I feel that this restaurant is too expensive for the food we get. as I said it is not bad food, but I do not think it's worth $15 per dish either. I have also used the groupon so it hasn't been badly priced, but we picked up one for the wrong day and had to pay full price and I have to say I would rather have gone to a different place to pay what we did. It seems odd with such a big building that it has always been almost empty when we go (which has been at night at least once on a weekend). The staff have seemed generally informative, though not too friendly or mean, just "meh". It's not a bad place to go and the food is decent but if you are paying full price I might suggest going elsewhere.
(3)Jim T.
It was a rough start when we walked in. The place was cold and seemed to be understaffed at the time. I think we caught them just as they were opening up. 3 times I asked to turn the heat up, and by desert time I could take my coat off. Otehr than that The food was good and would probably be giving a better review as most of my friends say the place is great. I'll have to go back and give them a 2nd chance.
(3)Julie L.
The pizza at Madile's is GREAT!!! Best pizza I've found in the area. I did eat at the restaurant once and ordered the steak. It was okay. Definitely recommend the pizza though....Yummy!!
(4)Erik S.
Even though I have passed by this restaurant nearly every day for the past 4 years, I only recently visited this establishment. I have to say that I was very surprised. Most locally-owned restaurants in the Algonquin area have lackluster service, overpriced and underwhelming food, and complete indifference to the customer. Mandile's is happily the antithesis of that philosophy. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left we felt like family, even though neither I nor my wife are Italian! The food prices are not cheap, but the quality and quantity of the food supports the price paid. I will likely return to Mandile's for other occasions, but given my household food budget sadly I will not be able to frequent as often as I would like.
(5)Sara G.
Bought a Groupon to try this place out. Food was good, drinks were good but kinda small but who can complain when they were only $5, service was slow at first but then once we did get a waiter he was very good. They had a live singer the night we were there, it was nice he sang some old tunes that were enjoyable. Loved the Yelp check in and get a free dessert that was awesome, they brought us Tiramisu that was very good. I'd go again on a Friday to get those $5 Martinis.
(3)Liz B.
I have never eaten here, but they deserve five stars. On my way to work I noticed the sign outside their restaurant showing that they will be serving dinner to families in need on Christmas day from 1-5. Five stars for kindness during this holiday season!!!
(5)Joe K.
The best Italian restaurant in the area, it's family owned and operated and the staff is terrific. The Filetto Spinache (sp?) is as good of a steak as you'll find.
(5)Barbara H.
Excellent Italian restaurant for lovers of every area of Italy. They have everything from seafood and steaks to pasta and pizza. There is always a family member to welcome you as you walk in the door. They also treat you like you are part of their family from your first visit, and remember you every visit afterwards. The food is terrific and they have outdoor seating in the summer... the Frank Sinatra crooner is always good too. Wine selection is so vast, you will have trouble make a decision. 5 stars!! (brunch for special holidays is worth the trip)
(5)Adrianne H.
Tried this for the first time tonite. Appetizers were very good, Bruschhetta special was well worthy the try. Beet Salad was ok, typical red beets. The Salmon special was wild salmon, taste was good however it looked pan fried. The chicken franchise was good. The service is absolutely out of this word and the staff is your attentive. They made the entire dinner.
(3)Emma W.
Having enjoyed many meals here before, my husband and I decided to host a small wedding reception in the main dining room. We held the ceremony out on the veranda just before lunch was served. The food and service were both exceptional. Very flexible and accommodating to the many different needs that the guests had. The eggplant parmigiana received the most compliments. The staff made this day painless for me and enjoyable for everyone. Not one detail was overlooked.
(5)Inna B.
We had a great celebration of my daughter's Birthday. Food was incredible and very attentive service. This my favorite place to go for any special occasion and just great time. They have life music on weekends. Many people complaining about waiting for a food to be served but it's only because they make it after you order, no pre-cooked meals. Ousters Rockefeller the best I ever try. Amazing place.
(5)Pam T.
This is one of the worst places ever! Had six of us , no one in the place and they stick us in a corner. The waiter was less than pleasant and I think we were an inconvenience for him. We watched him hang around the bar talking with the bartender and had his back to us the whole time. One person ordered a drink, and he brought the wrong one, but still charged us for it. They must own the building because they are never busy! Will never go back and never recommend them. It is amazing that I have gotten a private message from Michael asking me to remove my review. He offered me a gift card to make up for what happened, and that he has since reprimanded the server. But here is the sad part, this happened months before I wrote this review so how can you reprimand the server when clearly you have no idea who it is. I am at least honest with my review, why can't you be honest with your response.
(1)Paula C.
My first experience was to try the gluten free pasta. I have a severe gluten allergy and was glad to see they had gluten free options. When my meal came out I re-asked if it was gluten free. Our server said yeah I guess so. I said it's important to know since I have a severe allergy. She came and told me it wasn't. She asked me what is gluten free? I told I couldn't have the dish and sent it back, she asked if I wanted anything else and I said no because they were not educated on gluten free. They took my meal off the bill but charged me for my drink. My husband ate his meal and I did not eat. We stopped at Wendy's on the way home to get me dinner. Second visit service was terrible. My husbands dinner was cold. Per my husband the bread and dipping sauce is good. I ate dinner before we went so I ordered a salad and figured that would be safe. My husband ordered ice cream for desert and it was melted. They put whip cream on top to disguise that it was melted. If your gluten free, I don't recommend and the staff is not educated. Not good service at all.
(1)Nikki S.
My husband and I hosted a baptism dinner here this past weekend and from start to finish Mandile's did a fantastic job. Michael at Mandile's helped me organize the event starting 3 weeks ago and got a specific menu together for our guests. Our waitress (I forgot her name my bad) did a great job with everyone in our group. All of our meals were cooked to perfection. I received a lot of compliments post meal from our Sicilian family members. Hats off to Mandile's!
(5)Ryan P.
My favorite Italian restaurant in the area. I have been coming here for years and every time it has been great. Mandile's reminds me of the quiet little family restaurants I visited in Italy. Decent wine list with a few Chiantis which is my favorite. The food is great, from the bread to the main course all the way to the deserts. The portions are fairly large and I usually end up bringing some home. The price is fair. Not cheap but I never feel gouged either. This last time my wife and I took our kids. We were not the only ones with kids but they should be on there best behaviour here as the place can be fairly quiet and small feeling with a lot of couples enjoying the romantic atmosphere. Most times I have come without a reservation and haven't had to wait very long.
(5)charles H.
WOW. Ive been going here since it opened and they were amazing the first time and still keep getting better. We have tried almost everything on the menu and have never had a bad meal. The staff is friendly and happy to help and serve. Tonight the place was so packed that the girl at the front told us we could sit at the bar but probably would not get a table for hours, yeas hours. No biggy we drank and ate at the bar and when the live music started we danced. BEST Italian food by far in the chicago SUBurbs. No joke the food is amazing
(5)Lauretta P.
Background: 6:00 on Saturday, group of 4 for dinner and to scope out the banquet room as a possible venue for a 2016 wedding event. Banquet area (one star): With permission to look around ("It might be a little humid down there") , we viewed the area, set up for a 7:00 event. We were met with a musty odor that smelled as if the room had recently flooded. The closer we got, the stronger the smell became - it smelled like mold and mildew. I would never book Mandile's as a party venue, partly because of the odor but, more importantly, because it is apparent that Mandile's thinks holding a party in such a smelly room is acceptable; I do not. Back to the main restaurant... Physical layout (two stars): When you walk in, you are created with a huge staircase. There is an elevator available, but because we do not have a problem with steps, we took the stairs. However, the thickly carpeted stairs felt unsafe -- as if each step slopes downward toward the front door. This is not apparent until you are actually walking the stairs. We found that the tables to be too close together... It was difficult to return to our seats; even the servers often had to zig-zag in and out to get to their customers. This contributed to our impression that the restaurant is poorly organized/managed, or understaffed, or perhaps both. Service (three stars): We were EACH provided with THREE very large, redundant, one-page menus... We found it difficult to manage four people holding such large menus at the same time. We would like to see one cohesive menu, perhaps a bit smaller in size. Our server was extremely pleasant and helpful. However, it seemed she wasn't very well trained. She asked whether we wanted cocktails or wine, which at first we declined... then she walked away without asking about other beverages or appetizers. After quite some time, she returned and we ordered bruschetta and iced tea (more about that, later). Someone else brought bread and dipping sauce, saying he'd be back with cheese, salt, and pepper -- but he never returned. When our server took our coffee order, she did not ask whether we wanted dessert; we did! When the bus boy removed our salad course, he removed the flatware we would need for dinner but did not replace it. We had to request water and coffee refills more than once. The servers and bus boys at Mandile's need to be trained to avoid reaching across the front of one customer to serve another; it is dangerous and rude. We observed this with beverage service, food service, bussing, and coffee service. We observed EVERY staff member running around chaotically; this apparent lack of organization was unnerving. Frankly, it seemed like opening night at a brand new restaurant. We wondered whether the restaurant was understaffed. The staff was very nice; I just wish they were better trained. Up to a point, we were wondering how Mandile's stays in business... Food (four stars): Our evening started out rough when we ordered three glasses of iced tea and two glasses of wine. The wine was fine, but the iced tea was HORRIBLE! Honestly, they should not even serve tea if that is the best they can do. The tea tasted like lukewarm, gaggingly-strong INSTANT tea. We sent it back, whereupon our server confirmed that it was, indeed, instant Nestea. GAG! Please... just take iced tea off your menu if you can't take ten minutes at the beginning of each shift to brew and chill decent tea... Then, our food arrived; the food was terrific! The lasagna was among the best we've ever tasted! The chicken marsala was very good, and the rigatoni/vodka sauce was quite good. Why not five stars? The salads were great, but the balsamic dressing was horrible - it tasted like straight balsamic vinegar. One dish (cheese ravioli) was lukewarm and needed seasoning. However, overall, the food was definitely the high point of the evening and, after all, isn't that what a restaurant is about? Still, we're not sure we'll be back. The mediocre service, unforgivably bad iced tea, and the perplexing balsamic vinegar make us a bit uneasy about what we might encounter during a return visit. At the same time, the friendly staff and the lasagna -- oh, the lasagna! -- might just draw us back in.
(3)Carl J.
Excellent banquet hall for weddings, special occasions etc. The Staff gives 110% to every request. More thanAdequate Bar services( please have a designated driver), you call the drink and the bartender wiill deliver.
(5)Laura S.
My boyfriend and I were really impressed by the gluten free options. They have gluten free pasta and pizza, which you can almost never find when dining out. The only problem was they never told us or had it labeled on the menu that there is an up charge for gluten free. I don't mind paying a little more for healthier options, but I would like to be notified when I order. But on the upside, our server was very helpful and they were extremely accommodating. Could of used a little more frequent refills on the beverages, but the entire staff was pleasant and welcoming. There chocolate gelato was delicious!
(3)Tiffany T.
Great local place with authentic Italian and a colorful cast of regulars and employees. Homemade ministrone to die for and pasta that is always al dente and magnifico. Great place for large groups or just to sit at the bar and watch the show.
(4)