Jennifer B.

Tracey M.

Tim Y.

Roland W.

Patrick W.

Donna B.

My hubby and I love this place. We have been coming here for over 10 years. We always ask for Gwens section. Food is incredible and reasonably priced. Atmosphere is upbeat and everyone always has a great time. Only downfall I have noticed over the years and from the reviews I'm not the only one...the timeframe has gotten very slow. It takes a very long time for dinner to be served. Not sure why that has been happening. Frank the owner/cook comes out to thanks his customers and I love that. We look forward to our next date night there. We even bring the kids on occasion.

Icerune W.

Let me explain my rating of two stars... First... the food here is excellent. That is not the problem. The problem is the wait staff. One woman in particular who is so rude and off-putting that my wife and I will never come here again unless she is fired as she should be. She shoved my arm off the table, (not joking or exaggerating) made rude remarks as to my wife being a foreigner, and had the worst personality I have ever seen in a waitress. It amazes me that she makes any money. Management... You are losing customers because of this woman. Do yourselves a favor and be rid of her. You know who she is.

Jennifer P.

Let me give the Cliff Notes version: If you like loud spaces full of boisterous people, Amalfi is for you. If you like your dining experience spread out over multiple hours, Amalfi is for you. And if you enjoy large portions of food, Amalfi is for you. The last point is an obvious positive, but personally, I enjoy conversing without having to yell. I'm also a fan of eating when I'm hungry. On to my lengthier review: Our dinner this Friday night took 2.5 hours from the time we were seated until we walked out the door. First impressions were that this is a popular neighborhood place where people bring their spouses and groups of family and friends. Even though we felt as if we stood out from the moment we walked in, we were optimistic about a new dining experience. After being seated, we sat for ten minutes with no water or server, though servers and busboys buzzed around us. The hostess approached me at the table and asked if our server had been by. (The party of regulars seated after us had gotten theirs, though..) When I said "No," she said she'd send the server over. Server arrived 5 minutes later, at which point I placed our orders for the Eggplant (rolled with ricotta) Appetizer ($8.50), my Vegetable Primavera with wheat pasta ($14) w/ Shrimp (+ $5.50), and his Cod Linguine with capers ($18). I asked for a glass of wine ($7.75) and waters, since we still had none. It took another 10 minutes to finally get water, and nearly 10 after that to get any bread on our table. There were two types: typical cold slices to soak up your oil and parmesan cheese, and warm buttery rolls. The latter were seasoned nicely and insanely chewy. The Eggplant app, which came out 30-40 minutes later, was more like a lasagne roll than anything. I tried to locate the eggplant, even picking it apart, but I couldn't tell if the soggy tannish breaded (?) thing WAS eggplant. It only tasted like cheese and sauce, with no eggplant taste. For what it's worth, the boyfriend enjoyed it. She must have either seen us looking at our watches/phones (or maybe we seemed so obviously out of place?), because, an hour in, our server approached us and asked if we were pressed for time. She explained that they are required to time when things (appetizers, soup/salad, entrees) come to the table: the logic being so patrons can enjoy their meals and not feel rushed. While that might be the Amalfi way, we surely weren't planning on devoting our entire evening to a long drawn-out dinner. I understand normal waits: high volumes, small kitchens, busy kitchens...but by that time 1/3 of the diners were clearing out, the chef was in and out of the kitchen on the regular (sitting in a booth and schmoozing it up with his buddies, later hanging out by the bar), and an hour in/by 9:00, we'd barely eaten. Sooo... honestly, the only reason I can't have my app or soup is because there's a time limit on when they allow it to be brought to the table? (Or maybe the chef is too busy socializing to cook?) I don't get it... Oh, and the people seated after us? They left way before us. They had their waters, bread, appetizer, and entrees way before we did, too. I was so envious. It seemed like the timing was in 30 minute incriments, because we didn't get our soup until well after we finished our app. The Minestrone soup was under seasoned and depressing looking, with just spinach and onion along with the shells. At 9:55 the hostess, followed immediately by the server, both came over to tell us they'd checked on our entrees and they should be right out. They obviously picked up on our discontent. Since I'm writing chronologically and our entrees came dead last at 10:00, that's one of the last points to mention: I thought the bf's dish had good flavor. My Primavera had big chunks of fresh veggies and 5 nice sized shrimp. Sadly it was entirely bland and the noodles were overcooked and just getting soggier from sitting in an inch of oil at the bottom of my dish. Portion sizes were large. I would rate the dish 2.5 out of 5. The ONLY redeeming qualities were the nice hostess (I guess our server was nice, too, if just mostly inattentive) and the portion sizes of our entrees. About the noise: The patrons/layout makes for a ridiculously LOUD atmosphere: loud as in having to lean forward so we're 8" from one another and STILL raise our voices -loud. ugh; not really how I wanted to spend my evening with my Honey. I can't say I've ever dined in an adult space with so much squealing, shouting, and clammoring. The fact that there were pronounced mandatory wait times - along with the stress of missing out on 3 other things we planned on doing after our date and before bed - made the whole experience very unpleasant. I'd expect such exorbidant food wait times at a Michelin Star restaurant where a renowned chef meticulously prepares a culinary masterpiece, but not for mediocre Italian fare in Bloomingdale. Amalfi was definitely NOT for us. Never, ever again.

Lefai K.

I've heard of fast food. But have you ever heard of slow food? Where they diliberately slow down their service so you don't feel rushed? Where there's an actual intentional waiting period of 10-15minutes between getting your water, order taken, appetizer, and entree? Have you ever been to a place and thought: "man, I want to have a dining experience of over 2-hours, lets do this every night!" If so, this is the place for you!! Talk about slow service. We sat at a table and waited about 10-15 minutes before someone gave us water. Another 10 minutes before our orders came in. Don't get me wrong, the staff was nice and friendly, apologized for the wait several times, and even explained to us the mandatory wait between appetizer and entree. It took us almost 30-minutes before we got bread. The food was bland too. It lacked seasoning, This place was packed on a Friday night, and I know why now. Several times we saw one of the chefs sit down at the dining room chatting with friends, and other times we saw him hanging out near the bar and using the bathroom. With such a high-maintenance cook, how can you not expect a long wait? I don't give a lot of 1-stars, but this place deserves it. Maybe its because I'm not Italian and thats how Italians like things -- long waits amongst meals (OMG, did I just piss off an entire nation?) but this place is definitely not for me BATHROOM REVIEW: The bathrooms are located near the front, by the entrances. Inside, there is a dinky stall and a urinal. Everything was in working order, but could be cleaner. The floors were dingy and dirty too. Sit or squat? Squat..... for 2-hours apparently

Cindy F.

The servers at this place are unbelievably rude and unfriendly! It's almost as if that's a requirement to work at this restaurant, treat your customers like jerks and expect a tip. You guys need to hire an entire new wait staff, the ladies you have now are just plain mean and wear way too much scary makeup. I'd rather have the nice bus boy serve our table and tip him. Please tell me you don't realize what ignorant ladies you have working there.

Peter G.

The food is great and the owner Frank really cares about how his food is made. I have been going + for 30 + years and never had a bad meal. I have to say the new help he has there is a plus. I want on a Saturday night and only had to wait 20 minutes and it was a great night. If you like a great Italian dinner check this place out you won't be disappointed.

Leah G.

This is a great neighborhood Italian restaurant! The food is fantastic and I wish I could say the same about the service. We went on a Thursday night thinking it wouldn't be too crowded. Much to our surprise it was pretty busy for a Thursday night. The wait staff was very slow in coming, we had to ask about specials and were constantly asking for drink refills. I will consider going back again because the food was great but I truly hope the less than ideal service was a fluke and will improve.

Marcello L.

Food is pretty good a little pricey. Atmosphere is real nice Staff is good. Place is clean. Good place if your on a date with your wife and no kids. Parking is good too.

Sandy M.

I've been going to Amalfi's for years, even before the current owner. I like going here with friends and family because even though some say the noise level is too high, you can have a great conversation, laugh and have a good time without worrying that you are too loud. The food is usually pretty good, but can be a little inconsistent. I like their Sausage and Polenta and chicken dishes. Some say the service is slow, but I like that too. You won't be rushed out of here, relax, settle in and enjoy yourself. It is small, so can be crowded on Friday and Saturday nights but so are most places. Prices are average and if you live in the area you will get coupons in the mail. (I like the two meals for $50.) Each person gets a glass of wine and an entrée and then 2 will share an appetizer and dessert. Get over the Pizza Hut Structure !

Ron S.

We went to Amalfi's after a long absence. We arrived on a Saturday night about 7:00 PM and the place was packed and LOUD. Waiting at the bar, you had to raise your voice to be heard. We were seated about 30 minutes later which was fine. About 10 minutes later, our server turned from another table she was attending to and said "Here are the specials and do you need another drink?" That was pretty much the level of service we got all night. Not rude, but brusque. My wife ordered the eggplant parmigiane which was very good. I ordered the polenta with crumbled Italian sausage with red sauce. I took two bites and couldn't eat the rest, it was so salty. I couldn't figure out where the salt was coming from, either the sauce or the crumbled sausage. My wife tried and said she didn't think it was that bad but that she thought it was salty too. I ended up eating her eggplant. I very rarely send anything back in a restaurant and I should have probably sent last night's dish back. I weighed the pros and cons and decided not to on such a busy night. I'm reluctantly giving just 2 stars but "Meh...I've experienced better" sums it up.

Anthony M.

Service is a bit lax. Place is small and noisy but the food is so incredible all else means nothing. Some of the best food I've ever had. Portion size is pretty generous as well.

Ken M.

Went for the fish fry. They offer two, the traditional cod and the Italian smelt & calamari. I had the Italian. Calamari had no seasoning no taste at all. Thank goodness for the dipping sauce. The smelt tasted so fishy it was not eatable. My wife's cod was very bland not tasty at all. Will not be going back.

A H.

Both times I've been there the service was the worst I've ever had. In fact the service is so bad at this restaurant that "Amalfi" is now an adjective in our vocabulary for "horrible service." We only returned here because of a Groupon type of offer we received from a friend who couldn't use it. Food is pricey considering it's not the best Italian. There also not very flexible on changes to a dish. So if you want them to add onion or remove it, expect an eye roll or a hard time from the staff.

Sherry M.

Joey B.

A disappointment even before stepping inside... Atmosphere: Well... It tries hard to be a legitimate Italian restaurant, but the Pizza Hut structure and design aren't doing the place any favors lol. The effort is there though, but it just adds to the deception you discover after the end of your meal. Service: Not the kind of experience you hope for at a pricey Italian restaurant. We had reservations, but it took over an hour to get our food ready on a moderately busy day. Service wasn't that friendly, and the busboy kept trying to take unfinished food. Food: The biggest disappointment of the night was the food. A lot of the dishes were soggy and retained water at the bottom. I also felt that the meat quality was subpar, especially in the Calamari and their Beefs. To top it off, the Cheesecake was not sweet enough whatsoever. It really makes you feel ripped off considering the prices on everything. I'd give it a 1 star if not for its effort in atmosphere and decent dinner bread. This place is a big disappointment though. Don't take a girl out here. I am by no means an experienced Italian eater, but even Olive Garden is more authentic than this place. It all felt like a big charade.

William L.

A family birthday dinner brought me to Amalfi, and I'm glad we ended up here. It's tucked away off the beaten path, but it was jumpin' when we came on a Saturday night. Not a single complaint among the group of 18 people, everything from wine, appetizers, salad, and entrees were all very good. I think if people could chill out and get past "it's an old pizza hut" they might be surprised at how good the food is. I ordered the braciole with mostaccioli, molto buono! The braciole was very tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned with fresh garlic and herbs. The sauce is a traditional marinara and I don't know if it is homemade or not, but it sure tastes like it's from nonna's kitchen. My better half had the eggplant parm and loved every bite. Made for excellent leftovers as well. Wine list was very good with nice offerings by the glass and bottle. It's not the cheapest spot in town, but worth every dollar to me.

Kevin Brice P.

Best Eggplant Parmesan around. All the food is fresh and has a distinctive homemade deliciousness.

Allison A.

I'm really not sure what all the bad reviews are about. I had a fine time here with my husband. We showed up around 5 on a Friday night to avoid the evening rush. Yes, it is a bit pricey but we both had leftovers for the next day. I was able to get gluten free pasta with no questions asked. It was very good in the vodka sauce. My husband had the calamari sauce and enjoyed his as well. We received a gift certificate for here which is why we went. I would go back again for a special occasion though.

Cupcake S.

Years ago, this place was great when we went....tonight, not so much. Here's a rundown of a long dinner that threw our after-dinner plans way off. Sat down at 7:30. Ordered drinks shortly thereafter. They finally came 40 minutes later--beers and glasses of wine--not elaborate mixed drinks. We saw others around us waiting a long time and slowly getting their orders... Finally ordered food a little after that. At 9:30, still no soup/salad or food. We asked for our soup and our waitress said NO!!! Something about they can't bring out the soup/salad until the food order has started to be made! What!?!? I'm starving. I've had enough of this bread on the table. Soup came a little while later. Food finally came a little after 10PM. By that time we weren't too hungry anymore....had a few bites of food--tasted okay. Waitress and a guy from the kitchen apologized for the inconvenience and offered us dessert, which was nice (however, it was one of the strangest Tiramisu's we've ever had). Our waitress was very nice throughout this whole ordeal, so I honestly don't know if it was a service issue or kitchen problem in back. I didn't plan on spending over 3 hours at this restaurant--it's not like I was having an elegant meal at a fondue place or in France, where that's how long dinners are expected to last!

Amanda H.

I'm shocked to see that this place has earned so many stars! We're new to the area and decided to check out this place and support a local small business. Unfortunately, we were really surprised and not in a good way. The restaurant is in a converted Pizza Hut, that's obvious. The decor is something that you would find in someone's home. Cute and cozy, but not sophisticated. We opened our menus and my husband was the first to point out the high prices. We really weren't expecting a high price tag, but we went with it anyway. I had baked mostaccoli and asked for the whole wheat pasta. The waitress advised that the only whole wheat pasta was a linguini. I went with it, the shape of the pasta doesn't matter. My husband ordered the braciole with a side of pasta and marinara. When we received our meals we were so ready to chow! My pasta was MUSH! I wonder how long this whole wheat pasta cooked. Seriously, it was like baby food. My husband's pasta was so watery that the marinara sauce was actually more pink than red. We will never go back. We were very disappointed b/c we were so looking forward to finding our favorite neighborhood place.

Bridget D.

You'll find more authentic food at the Olive Garden. The food is oily and the pasta is out of a box. The bathrooms aren't clean and the facility needs serious updating. There's no reason to go here when there are so many great options for Italian food in Bloomingdale.

Rhonda G.

No, no, no, no, no. How dare they play the sweet sounds of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin while serving cuisine worse than the crap Chef Boyardee is famous for. The parmesan dusted bread they bring out for the table is quite good but that is really the only thing. The escarole soup was salty beyond belief and seriously trying to hide the fact that is was lacking in any real flavor. My tortellni came out swimming in a broth of oil and tomato juice with overly generous chunks of garlic and onion. Service was incredibly slow although we were one of the two tables present. Our waitress was MIA most of the time and very short and annoyed when she was available. My friends complained that their dishes were extremely salty so i'm thinking this was no isolated incident. If this is someone's idea of "great Italian", I weep for them.

Chris K.

So terrible. My husband has been needling me to go to Amalfi for years. We decided to go tonight for Val Day. Cute inside; nice ambience. Our table was in a very cold area. Greeted right away by waitress. Ordered our house wines. They were typical - good. I ordered veal piccante with salad and side of spaghetti and marinara sauce. Husband ordered zuppa de pesce with salad. Salads were pretty good - lettuce was fresh, no water in the bottom of the plate. I ordered blue cheese dressing (1.50 extra with dry blue cheese sprinkles 2.40 extra.) They put way too much dressing on the salad. I should have asked for it on the side. Bread was cold and gummy like cheap Jewel Italian bread. There were some buns with a lot of garlic on them. Food report: my veal piccante had about 2 cups of watery sauce over it. The meat was absolutely swimming in the liquid. Veal piccante is supposed to have a reduced butter, lemon, white wine sauce. NOT SOUP. The veal itself had no seasoning. The side of spaghetti also had water problems. About a cup of liquid was in the bottom of the bowl, washing off all the thick sauce, making a disgusting soupy mess. The marinara sauce itself had too much garlic and no basil flavor. Husband's zuppa de pesce was okay but he, too, had about 2 cups of liquid in the bottom of the dish. He did not finish his pasta or liquid. Waitress asked how the food was and I told her that it was terribly disappointing. I told her piccante was not supposed to swim in food and pasta was not supposed to be water logged. She apologized, but offered nothing to make us feel better. No manager came to apologize. We like the food at Olive Garden - never have we gotten soupy pasta. He usually ends up dipping his bread in the bottom of the zuppa de pesce bowl to get the last bits. Not at Amalfi. If I could give this place zero stars, I would. We just wasted near $80.00!!!!! As we used to live in Chicago and loved the restaurants, I seriously wonder about the people in the suburbs. Don't they know good food? I kept hearing Gordon Ramsey in my ear screaming about the veal swimming in liquid and having no flavor.

Ashley M.

Amalfis has been a family favorite for years now. We returned last weekend with a large group and no one was disappointed! Try the baked cavatelli, the baked clams and the gnocchi! The waitress was a doll And Frank, owner/chef is so welcoming! You gotta try this place!

Jill P.

Frank C.

Patti R.

Sandra C.

Tony M.

Jason H.

Natalie V.