Italian Kitchen
648 Deerfield Rd, Deerfield, IL, 60015
Italian Kitchen Menu
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Address :
648 Deerfield Rd
Deerfield, IL, 60015 - Phone (847) 945-2727
- Website https://deerfielditaliankitchen.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Jerry. Paul B.
Always enjoy this heart of the City spot squarely in the middle of downtown DEERFIELD
(4)Kevin L.
Friday Fish fry is awesome! All you can eat. $16.99. Cod is very delicious! The clam chowder is to die for! So good! Sub for the fries, and order the garlic steamed vegetables!
(4)Kevin N.
No one was harmed during my meal. On a recommendation from a friend, I got a tip to try this place for lunch. I'd seen it plenty of times, situated in a small strip next to the takeout Chinese restaurant. I thought it was a take out place. One of the oldest restaurants in Deerfield, it's been open since 1962, and it's not dead yet. Originally, this place was half the size, but about 30 years ago the second dining room opened next door doubling the space. It's a no-nonsense family owned place with frescos of Italy adorning the walls. There a real hominess to the interior, rather dimly lit, but I wouldn't call it spooky. The service is personable and friendly. One of the family members made sure that we were happy with everything throughout the meal. As a bit of trivia, my dining partner said the claim to fame of the establishment was that it was featured in "The Amityville Horror" movie from years back. Here's some great news: this isn't Amityville New York, and I didn't see any ghosts while I ate. I was beckoned by a great value lunch. $10.99 Tuesday-Friday, (closed on Mondays), this deal includes homemade soup or salad, bread bowl, your choice of beverage, and about 8 chafing dishes of the tastiest homemade Italian food I've had in a long time. Today's buffet included chicken tagliatelle; sausage and peppers; mushroom, onion and pepper pizza; chicken limone; veal parmigiana; parmesan horseradish sea bass; fried cod; garlic butter veggies and a cookie tray. The pasta is homemade and the seabass was mysteriously good. Now I'm in a trance from the delciousness. I'm going back as well. Make an appearance there.
(4)Megan M.
Mediocre on all levels. Small plates for appetizers, over oiled risotto, topped with three moderately sized scallops as an entree. Servers are nice, but not prompt nor do they check up on you frequently. Plastic over white cloth table cloths really cheapened the experience below the entree price. I'm not sure how they've managed to survive when you consider the caliber of restaurant they're up against. Go across the street to Bobby's if you want an exquisite experience. No desire to venture in here again.
(2)Jan K.
Fantastic last night. My husband chose to celebrate New Years Eve at ITALIAN KITCHEN because we wanted the taste of down home cooking, and the feel of a intimate Italian eatery. The owner is frequently visiting tables and graciously responding to the needs of the diners. We have tried most of the items on the menu. Good neighborhood eatery.
(5)Carl G.
5 stars. I took the family out to come experience the pure delight that is Chef John's cooking. It was quite busy on this night and we were cramped into a small seating area with several other parties. The wait was a bit long but a wizard like John can only work his magic so quickly. After eating John's tasty clam chowder soup (which came with our entrees), our main courses finally arrived. It didn't take long to realize that John had brought his A game that day. The tuna was both cooked and seasoned perfectly. The beef ravioli that my daughter ordered was excellent as well, with the perfect amount of meat filling. Additionally the fettuccine alfredo was very rich and creamy. The chicken that went along with it was extremely tender and was clearly freshly prepared by John. As phenomenal as the food was, it pales in comparison to the wonderful conversations our family had with John when he came over to ask how everything was going. We will definitely be back soon!
(5)Veronica M.
I'm not a big steak eater, but when I am, I'm usually disappointed, and then wait another year for another steak. Give or take. A few weeks ago, my boyfriend took me there for the second time. He's spoken very highly of the place, so I'm thinking, oh good! Good food! Totally underestimated how awesome it was going to be. They had this tear-inducing ribeye steak, that I'm pretty sure I'd sell my mother for, just to taste again. Cannot believe how awesome it was. I ordered it medium rare, and with the pasta on the side, (garlic and olive oil, with a side of the meat sauce, as suggested by the waitress, who was BRILLIANT with her suggestions! Grilled chicken breast, btw, that's totally the way to go!) I had more than enough food. I think I had enough leftovers for three meals. And I'm not a shy eater, I like my food. Cannot recommend this place enough. Go. Eat. Get fed. Then go back and do it all over again. Cannot wait to go back!
(5)Adriane P.
VAMPIRE KITCHEN! Because they don't use garlic in anything, it very old timey, and dark. Yes the food is BLAND. Theres a lack of garlic, salt, fennel in the sausage, basil, no spice, blah...I've had the cheese ravioli, cheese pizza, and the italian kitchen signature pizza. Zzz. They only have one kind of weird pizza crust like really thick, non crispy thin crust, the width and floppiness of a Vice magazine. It's cut in squares not triangle. The signature Kitchen Special pizza comes with sausage, mushroom, bacon, onions, green peppers, and Italian beef. The flavor was muted, I could barely taste the SAUCE and mushroom and bacon. The Italian beef was long sheets drapped all over the pizza. It was all very queer. The place has been open over 50 years and is family run. It has an old fashioned dated look and (cough) mature patrons who've been going their lives. Also many young whippersnappers who love it since they grew up on the place. The lunch buffet is renowned and very popular. Amongst the fusty decor there's a picture of a pretty girl above the register. I asked an employer who she was. I'm used to seeing pictures of celebrity patrons in businesses. Just like I'm sure famous people keep pictures of their bartenders and dry cleaners in their foyers. Anyhow she answered it was a "girl who knew the owner and died tragically young." awkward but sweet I guess.
(3)Donnarae H.
Love this place! Great service and food! To start off my husband had escargot and I had the Brussel sprouts. They were both excellent, the sprouts had pine nuts, goat cheese, tomatoes and caramelized onions. Wow it was unbelievable! Out entrees were veal sambucca and salmon and both were excellent. Would most definitely recommend dinning here.
(5)Robert M.
Stopped here for lunch with my daughter and tried the buffet, what a great variety for $11. Handmade Tortellini, Eggplant Parmigian, Baked Crusted Sea Bass, Fried Cod, Chicken Brest/Sausage and Peppers and some dishes I can't remember and all of it was delicious through and through. I really enjoyed the eggplant and excellant Sea Bass and my finicky daughter who doesn't usually eat fish couldn't get enough and went back for seconds on the cod. Soup or salad was included with the meal and there were some dessert items, but we opted for the tarimisu(extra charge) which is always fantastic, light and airy with just the right amount of soaking for the ladyfingers, unlike a lot of place that serve it dense and soggy. Overall a great value, with terrifc well prepared foods.
(5)Stephen M.
I just read a review of the day, raving about this restaurant. At first, I saw the Deerfield location and thought--oh, an Italian restaurant, sounds good . . . then it all fell in place. My mouth dropped. I have lived in the area since '87. I had heard from a friend who loves to love restaurants that this was 'great'. For years, I would drive by and look--it was inviting in appearance. It became one of those 'I wonder what it's like? I want to go.' It never happened until a few years ago when my two twenty-somethings were in the car and we drove by. I suggested enthusiastically that we stop and try. The two naysayers gave in and we walked in after the lunch hour. The owner was there and friendly. We ordered a variety of traditional items. They all disappointed. The naysayers delighted in their 'I told you so-s'. Recommendation: Go across the street o Biagi's. Much better. Go down Waukegan--the used to be very good, now relocated Rosebud is even better. So I politely say there are lots of average Italian restaurants where it does get way better than this.
(2)Jo D.
I think their prices went up, which in my opinion, almost $15 for a bowl of noodles and marinara sauce is way, way, way too much. I used to love this place but, price-wise, I'll never be back.
(3)Michael P.
I was back there again tonight....great service like always, the pasta sauce was incredible!!! And yes I had chicken limone again can never go wrong with that
(4)Kristen D.
Came in for the $10 lunch buffet and it was about what I expected it to be. Buffets by nature do not necessairly serve up the hottest, most fresh food, so that is something to be considered. My favorite dish was the spinach lasagna - I added marinara sauce to it, since I typically prefer a little pasta with my sauce. Their special was some type of chicken and vodka sauce wrapped in a type of pasta shell and my boyfriend loved that. Not anything to write home about, but certainly not horrible! I might order takeout from there some time, but I'm not sure I'll pay $10 to go back for lunch.
(3)Michelle F.
This place has gone down hill in the last few years. I like to support small locally owned businesses so I keep going back. My last experience has made me realize that I need to stop going here. I got there for lunch at 12:15. The place was not busy but there was no one at the front. It took so long for the server to take our order that the buffet which closes at 1 was done. Painfully slow service and just ok food will not bring back.
(1)Ryan M.
Been here twice. The individual dishes are pretty good. You can tell they make their own pastas and sauce, however, I went back to try the buffet and I was pretty disappointing in the quality of the food. Service is just ok. Try the eggplant. its the best thing I have had there.
(3)Laurin G.
I've dined at Italian Kitchen about five times in the past two years that I've worked in the Deerfield area. I have tried a variety of dishes on the menu as well as the buffet and I just don't see what all the fuss is about. There hasn't been much flavor in the dishes I have ordered and tried on the buffet . I have my doubts about whether garlic was used in any of the dishes I have tried. I am not even exaggerating when I say that I have had Lean Cuisine pasta entrees that were more flavorful than the pasta dishes at Italian Kitchen. The portion sizes are large, I will give them that. I dined here again today with several co-workers to celebrate a birthday. Service today was slow, they were out of the food that two people wanted to order and the bus boy was kinda surly and acted like we were bothering him. The menus we were handed were carry-out menus--the kind you might find stuck under your windshield wiper. The waitress was nice, but did not return to fill our drinks or ask us if we needed anything else. Blah. I won't be sad if I don't have to eat here again for another year--until the next birthday of my co-worker who loves this place.
(2)Valerie W.
Being Italian, I don't go out for Italian food (except for pizza) by choice on a regular basis. I find that I can either make or be served (yes, by my mama) better Italian food at home than I can at any restaurant. Also, people who like the Olive Garden baffle me. Back to Italian Kitchen. The interior is cute. Very homey, retro-style Italian place. Menu was standard Italian fare with some house specialties. I had the fettuccine alfredo, because the menu touted that the fettuccine was house made. More like a tagliatelle in shape (wider,) it was most definitely house made, and most definitely delicious. The other entrees on the table (spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti marinara) looked delicious, and the carbonara was authentic (pancetta) which made me smile. Next time I'm there, I'll probably try that. The service, however, was inconsistent. My wine and water glasses were never ever empty, but the rest of the service was really slow. It took an exceptionally long time for the appetizers, entrees, and check to come. Maybe it was just an off night?
(3)Bob B.
I have been coming here regularly for the $10 lunch buffet. The food is decent, very low carb friendly, just a couple of pasta dishes, mixtures of chicken, sausage, pork, fish, and pizza. Italian Waitress was very "friendly" to me, will go back for sure :)
(4)Richard G.
Could be great, but falls short. I have lived around the corner for about 15 years. I have been there 10 times. I go out to eat about 3 days a week. That should say something. Usually the food is good and sometimes really good. Unfortunately the service is usually bad and sometimes really bad. Last week we actually got up to go looking for our food. Then I had to chase them down to pay the bill. The worst was when I took the whole family out and the waiter brought all the food except mine. Completely forgot to put my order in. The funny part (now) is he looked me straight in the face and asked if everything was ok? I kind of looked back and said dinner would be nice. At that point I said to forget the meal, as I didn't want to be eating alone. They brought it anyway after everyone was finished. I sent it back. ( I might have over reacted a touch, but I was mad). So basically good food with bellow average service. For me, I give up. There is a Rosebud down the block.
(3)Richard K.
As far as authentically good Italian food and cuisine, it does not get better than this restaurant. I have lived in the area since 1981 and have been frequenting this eatery the entire time. As a foodie surrounded by Italian heritage cooking and spoiled by it, if this restaurant has our approval, it is good! Add to that the reasonable price for what you are getting and the consistently good service. Don't expect to go here and have a fast meal, that will probably not happen unless you are at a downtime, it is more European and the pace is more relaxed. I also have to say that as far as a local establishment being supportive of its community, this place has consistently donated their fare without thought of reward. Go here and you will not be disappointed if high quality, good Italian food is your goal, with excellent service and a reasonable price! It is great from the lasagna to the pizza, and don't miss the Chicken Limon!
(5)Effie D.
Genuine Italian flavour and warm atmosphere. And the live music every week is great. Took a friend from Sicile there and she loved it.
(5)Shari S.
Great Italian restaurant. I love coming here for lunch with my son. He can get very fussy when he is hungry, so the lunch buffet is key! This is not your typical lunch buffet. All of the food is made from scratch, is fresh, and high quality. They always have a great fish option. You also have the option of soup or salad. This is a great place to go for lunch or dinner if you are craving Italian food.
(4)Brad S.
I do not understand what others see at this place. I have been more than a few times and never have I been happy. I have tried to get simple things, recommend things, expensive things & even cheep. I have found the food comparable to frozen dinners and not exceptional Italian. It is so close to home I know I will try again but I have little hope.
(1)D'Arcy K.
"Authentic" is a term bandied about loosely; make no mistake, this is American-Italian food. Delicious, abundant, cheesy, saucy, Sunday dinner at second-gen Nonna's food. More for the gourmand than the gourmet. Mmmm... definitely not a complaint in my book. Sure, the décor leaves a bit to be desired, and the side salads, which are kept in an over-chilled cooler, invariably arrive slightly frozen, but the fresh appetizers, homemade pasta dishes, eggplant parmigiana, and pizza are all quite palatable. Diners seem to enjoy the lunch buffet, but it's not a good value for vegetarians, so I only order off of the regular menu. Good wine selection. The catering options have saved me on several occasions when I simply didn't have the mental fortitude to manage an obligatory large dinner party. Tip: Always order extra sauce. My lone grievance is the European-style pace. And by "European-style pace" I mean unfathomably slow service that seems to have no correlation to the dining room capacity. The Sciarrettas are super-sweet, I just don't have that kind of time on my hands.
(4)Sarah M.
I recently moved to the area and had been searching for some good places to eat. I always saw Italian Kitchen, but from the outside it didn't leave a great impression, so I never bothered to try it until a few months ago. This is my new favorite place to take out from! Everything my family has tried from here has been delicious! The cheese bread is great, the meatballs are great, the seafood pasta was great. I would have given it 5 stars but I have had to wait several minutes past when they said my order would be ready on some occassions. But it's great food, friendly service, and really not all too expensive!
(4)B G.
Wow...has this place changed - and not in a good way. Always thought of it as a reliable local spot to grab some decent pasta but sadly no longer. Bread was cold and uninspired. At least heat it to give a crust! Salads had a couple of small pieces of cucumber and a few giant slices of carrot. Our entertainment became trying to cut the carrots into manageable size. Italian dressing had not one bit of herbs in it. Lasagna entree was meager with runny sauce. For $15.99. Really? Never thought I'd say this but Olive Garden is a much better deal...sigh.
(1)Thomas K.
A friend and I returned to Italian Kitchen ("IK") for lunch, after an absence of about two years, after I realized that I loved everything about IK as a former LUNCHTIME diner (I worked nearby), and that we suspended our visits based on two excruciatingly slow dinnertime service experiences, which some characterized as "European dining". I respectfully reject the notion of "European dining", because I believe that it more likely involves logistics related to a conscientious chef, who blesses his patrons with his high standard, who also must cope with a kitchen too small to support IK's original dining room, AND a banquet room which was added after IK was established, through its acquisition of neighboring shop space, which it converted to its "banquet room". While IK's wonderful buffet table seems to adequately accommodate the demands of less numerous lunchtime diners, who are concerned about being in and out within and hour, the same cannot be said for more numerous dinnertime diners who don't have a time limitation and are less prone to select dining from a buffet table, which I recall was not open for dinner, likely because keeping it full and fresh and fulfilling individual meal orders would be an impossibility. So, don't deprive yourself and pass this gem, because of slow service during dinnertime. PLAN on a visit that should last about two hours, invite interesting conversationalists, have a few glasses of wine together, and appreciate that exceptional Italian American food is being prepared 'to order' for you as you enjoy your table mate's company as you wait. Anyway, we were glad to find upon our reunion with IK, that whether I dined during lunch or dinnertime, the food is just as delectable. My friend, who has a demanding palate, ordered lasagna, and received a generous portion, which she found was delicious and too large for her to finish in a single sitting. I opted for the buffet, surprisingly, a first-time-ever selection I made, though I dined there for years when I worked in the area. After I finished my very cold iceberg lettuce, carrot and tomato side salad (with my choice of creamy garlic dressing), I found that the buffet offered ravioli stuffed with hot seasoned sausage in tomato sauce; chicken tagliatelle in vodka sauce; baked sea bass; chicken cacciatore (with all ingredients but tomato sauce); sausage pizza, and cheese pizza. All of the aforementioned items, pasta included, were fresh made at IK, and tasted as though mia nonna made them herself. All entrees were refilled, were kept hot, and did not suffer in quality because they were momentarily kept in warming trays. I was delighted with the buffet, though disappointed that I could no bring myself to eat just one more 'nest' of my favorite, the sumptuous chicken tagliatelle in vodka sauce. I was tempted to smuggle two servings out in my jeans pockets, but alas, then you would have to weather yet another 'unfortunate consequence' theory in this review, which also would involve logistics!
(5)Ann S.
Poor experience and we will not be going Back. Our waitress spoke little English and had a hard time understanding us. My husband ordered an Italian Beef and they brought out Italian beef pizza! What!? Never heard of such a thing, but it was really gross. Soggy beef pieces placed on top....really ruined the concept of pizza for us. When we told the waitress about the order mistake, she got defensive. Eeek. Only plus was the live jazz ensemble playing which our kids LOVED.
(2)Chris C.
Food was delicious! First came the bread basket and the garden salad with house vinaigrette. Nice way to start the meal. Had the lemon scallops. When it came to the table with only 3 scallops I was a bit disappointed, but that soon changed after I tasted them and the risotto below them. Was actually very filling. Didn't even have room for dessert. The other meal at the table was the salmon (don't remember what the specific name on the menu was) and my dining partner said it was the best salmon they had ever had. It was so good that we returned for a second helping during our business trip. I had the scallops again. One disappointment for my colleague is that they were out of the salmon the second night. He ended up having some sort of tilapia that was on that nights specials menu and he wasn't disappointed at all. Prices were about average (Lemon Scallops was $19.95, I think). Very casual crowd. Would definitely go back if I am in Deerfield again and would recommend to anyone that is in the area.
(4)James H.
Buffet! I came here for lunch one day with my buddies since it is right by my office in Deerfield. I was a bit sketchy of the place because it's in a tiny parking lot. My buddies and I decided to try out the buffet. They have a non-buffet item as well but I know we were curious about the place and wanted to give it a try. The food was actually pretty solid! They had some pasta dishes and chicken as well. I really enjoyed the lasagna, as it was thick and juicy. I also enjoyed the cannolis for dessert. Service was great and it was a good bang for your buck.
(4)michael w.
Not a bad place, but not great either. I think one can do better elsewhere without trying too hard. I had to take a couple of tries at the menu because the waitress kept coming back to me to tell me they were out of stuff. Once perhaps, more than once is an immediate turn off. I think I got the fish and it was OK, but the rest of my family are pasta heads and they were not impressed. Nothing bad to report, but for the money spent, we will most likely not return.
(2)Richard R.
Wow, I'm kind of surprised Italian Kitchen doesn't have a higher rating. I guess some folks must have different expectations. For my money, this place is 4 stars because it usually exceeds my expectations. For starters, it has good authentic Italian food. Second, I don't know if it's family-run, but the service is very friendly and sure gives the impression the owner and family members are on site. Third, they have good portions and reasonable prices. Granted, this place is not fancy. (is that what other folks are basing their ratings on?), but it is a nice little place to go for a good lunch or dinner.
(4)Luke S.
I grew up on the North Shore just minutes from here and my first time eating here was last night. It's an easy place to miss, but I was definitely missing out. The menu was not huge, but they had some really nice specials. We ended up getting a few appetizers and a large pizza. Both were really good. The pizza was ultra thin and was loaded with fresh veggies. The baked clams and portabello topped with cheese was cooked to perfection. My only complaint was that our server was inattentive. He literally disappeared for fifteen minutes before our appetizers came. I had downed my water five minutes into his disappearance. It was still a great little place that I will be coming back to.
(4)Devin O.
Pretty decent local Italian eatery. It's got a nice small atmosphere, but still seems to maintain privacy for it's occupants. I always see the same chef (assuming head chef and apparently owner) walking around the front talking with customers and giving suggestions that usually end up on the spot. Their food may seem pricey, but their portions are pretty huge. So far everything I've ordered there has been delicious and their take out holds up really well too.
(4)Moey B.
Three of us went there on Saturday night. The place was hopping and bopping, lots of energy...a good sign so far. Once seated, we were informed that the appetizer we wanted was not available, still not too bad. The rest of the experience should be a SNL skit. Two people ordered the "all you can eat" pasta. One person ordered a salad and soup. One of the pasta people ordered spaghetti and the other one ordered linguine. The person who ordered the salad took two forksful of pasta from one of the pasta dishes to sample the sauce. We were then informed by the waitress that because someone had "sampled" two tiny bites of pasta that they would be assessing a "sharing" charge. We asked that the manager be sent over. She said that since she didn't see it, there would be no charge for "sharing." Here's where it gets over the top. The spaghetti person wanted to try the linguine from the other person's plate. In order to avoid any possible conflict, the linguine person asked the waitress if it was ok for the spaghetti person to sample the linguine without being charged. Keep in mind that they both ordered the "all you can eat" pasta and paid the same amount for each dish. The waitress gave a dirty look and said she would have to send the manager over to our table and it would need to be discussed with her!!! I believe that eating a meal at Cook County Jail involves less stress than eating here. Do they really have hidden cameras and federal food police hiding in the salt shakers? Unbelieveable experience!! Would have ordered more wine, dessert, etc. but needed to get out of there. The pasta sauce was tasty but way oversalted....probably by the little men hiding inside the salt shakers!!!. Would NOT go back!!! .
(1)d a.
plus- the value is good. It's decent for families with really young kids negatives-the food. came in, the waiter brought bread. the bread was stale. we asked for a new one. it was stale but this time warm. I don't know how you function as a restaurant and pull this but they did. then we ordered beer. they were out of the first. then out of the 2nd. we succeeded on third. they also have a charge for "sharing a bottle of beer". ordered dinner-the salad is not fresh made, they take it out of a fridge and put it on the table. not sure how long it was sitting in there but this is deerfield, not lake villa. then ordered the chicken parm. it was chicken nuggets with sauce and a piece of cheese. wanted to like the place but stale bread-twice, out of beer-this was a weekday night with lots of old people in there-not exactly a boozy crew, and chicken parm that wasn't fresh. next.
(1)Joan M.
Not very Italian. What I call an Antipasto Salad & they call Italian Salad was mediocre at best. Cubed cheddar and pepper jack cheese, cubed ham and salami were just ok, no peppers, giardinera, etc. The Italian dressing that came with it was Wish Bone-like. Ordered a plain cheese pizza and it was, again, just ok. Cracker crust not flavorful, sauce plain, cheese sparse. The servers were scattered and confused, missing our drink order several times, taking away clean plates before food came, etc. In the Chicago area, you can do a whole lot better.
(2)Carla P.
I go out of my way to make the trip to Deerfield, just to eat here. They make THE best minestrone soup I've ever had. I recommend bringing some home for later, if you can keep from eating it on the way home! I loved their home made filled pasta dishes and gnocchi. The arriabiata is excellent too. The owners are very nice people and will go out of their way to make sure you have a great meal. Fairly priced as well.
(5)Richard B.
A chance at four stars blown by small portion of fish. We have always enjoyed Italian Kitchen and appreciate a local home cooking restaurant. All of our food was delicious and most portions were huge. The only thing knocking the Italian Kitchen down from four stars is the very tiny serving of whitefish for 16 bucks. Come on, whitefish usually is something that looks like a filet. This serving was smaller than a deck of cards. Veggies with the fish were excellent and it looked to me the large portion of them was trying to makeup for the size of the fish portion. It's too bad. Stick with the Pasta!
(3)harry b.
Heard this was "the place to go for Italian food" in Deerfield and was very disappointed. Went with another couple and our three year old child. The place was packed with families and an older crowd. The service was friendly but horribly slow. They kept telling us our food was on its way out but after 20 min of this, still nothing. The food was mediocre at best and the price was the same as a chain restaurant. I should also mention that for a place that is touted as kid friendly, they brought the kid meal out last and only after we asked twice for it. At least the bread was plentiful, though hardly memorable.
(2)Scott C.
I ate here for the first time this afternoon for a holiday lunch. The Italian Kitchen is very unassuming and casual. The decor inside is simple, not fancy at all without the Maggiano-esque black and white pictures and Frank Sinatra piped in. The Italian Kitchen had a wide array of lunch specials for $10 - which gave you a good portion of food as well as a soft drink. Not a bad deal. I went with the spaghetti Arrabieta which was excellent. There was a good amount of vegetables in the sauce - mushrooms, green peppers, red peppers, and olives which really added to the flavor of the dish. Also, you can get the dish in varying levels of spiciness. Overall, the group liked the food and commented on the taste and flavor of their dishes. The service was good. We were a large group and the waitress did a good job of being attentive and making sure we had drinks throughout lunch. I'll be back again.
(4)Brian L.
How many times have you been to an italian restaurant and the food was just exceptionally fantastic? Probably not many. My point is that an AMAZING italian restaurant is few and far between; maybe it's that it always tastes the same, maybe its that I could make it at home. Either way, Italian Kitchen falls into the majority. The dishes are what you'd expect. Standard big portioned pasta dishes for around $10 and not-very-special "Italian Specialties" go for $15. The décor is modest in a small, intimate atmosphere. I wouldn't come here to impress anybody; but it's a decent spot when you're looking for a casual, reasonably priced meal.
(3)Crystal Aura W.
Italian Kitchen is an excellent authentic Italian restaurant, awesome food, big portions, and great prices! I've been eating here for 5 years and I have yet to be disappointed. It's family owned and very cozy, they even decorate the place every single holiday! The menu has a nice wide variety of things, not just pasta dishes, but really good sandwiches and pizzas! I especially love that they have new dinner specials every week, so there's always a variety of new things to try! Their risotto with truffles is to die for, on one special they served it with Chilean seabass, another with pan-seared scallops. Around Thanksgiving they had the most delicious, buttery pumpkin ravioli I ever had! Also the daughter-in-law of the restaurant owner makes the most wonderful deserts! Around Christmas-time she made an almond tiramisu....soooo good! I don't have any setbacks to say about this place, although if you are into a fancy atmosphere to impress a date, this may not be the place for you. (Just your typical red and white checkered tablecloths and some hand painted pic of Italy on the wall) But, if you just want awesome Italian food in a cozy setting, go now!
(5)Mr H.
The only authentic Italian restaurant in Deerfield. If you want a corporation serving you canned, pre-planned, computer generated food, then go to one of the "newer" Italian spots in town. If you want the real deal, a real Italian restaurant, owned by an Italian family, the Italian Kitchen is the authentic choice in town. You don't need high heels or a Louis Vuitton purse to be seen here, just a smile and a handshake to your neighbors. You never leave dissapointed. Favorites include : Chicken Limon over Linguini and good old fashioned spaghetti with meatballs. Big portions, full belly.
(5)Rick G.
Great food, great prices. The lunch buffet is ok, but the regular meals are much better. Salads are always fresh. Love it
(5)Annie C.
my family always comes here for our big get togethers. the portions are sooooo fulfilling and i love bringing home leftovers and eating them the next day. honestly, you can do no wrong here. i mean yes it's pricey, but it's worth it.
(5)Patty C.
Service can get a little slow as there aren't that many ppl working here. This is a family restaurant with good traditional Italian food. The portions are huge, and when you eat there you get bread and a side salad with your entree. However, if you order carry out, it is ala-carte=(. My favorite there is the tortellini with the special red sauce. They charge extra for the special red sauce, but it is so worth it. I always have to doggie bag because the portions are so huge, and I literally have enough for another meal. So, the value is there and the food is good.
(3)Alison M.
First, let me say this: I've never eaten IN the restaurant, so this review is based solely on take-out orders. Their food is wonderful to serve a group! The portions are enormous (I'd order roughly 2 entrees/3 people), and get a wide variety. Even if you have picky eaters in your group, they'll find something to love. When I got married, my parents hosted the whole affair in their backyard, and we did a lot of the work ourselves. The night before the big day, we needed something low-key to calm down after all our preparations, and something to please a small group of future in-laws and various siblings. Italian Kitchen was absolutely perfect - everyone loved the food, it was easy, and quite reasonably-priced (since we were of course over budget on the wedding!)
(4)SnapdragonI g.
They have specials several nights a week, the pizza is great there, good thin crust crust. The salads are fair to poor but the pastas are good. The desserts are very good. This is a homey italian spot for a nice but unassuming dinner.
(4)Sam C.
This is a consensus review. I've eaten here and, since I live nearby, many of my friends and neighbors have eaten here. The consensus opinion: (1) very solid food. in fact, really good food. very few complaints about the food. (2) horrible, terrible, incredibly bad service. No one I know who lives nearby eats here -- it's just too painful. try take-out, maybe?
(2)Michele B.
Our first visit here tonight. Staff was friendly, service was good. We had the Baked Rigatoni Special. It was delicious. A great tomato sauce. And to our surprise, the rigatoni was stuffed with ricotta cheese. We will definitely return.
(4)Melissa G.
The food is excellent. The service can be somewhat slow (there's one waiter in particular), but the pasta is homemade so obviously it will take a bit longer to prepare. If you are looking for a delicious Italian dinner in the north suburbs, this is the place to go. Decently priced as well.
(5)Becky P.
I've been here for lunch a few times and have yet to be disappointed. Great food, filling portions. Service has always been good.
(5)Rich A.
Pretty good Italian restaurant. Pastas are great, and even their fish is good. Sometimes, the Bulls players eat here as it is near the Berto Center
(4)Bryce R.
Came here with a group of 18 people on a Saturday night. Made the reservation a week in advance. They offered up their private room for $100, but I declined. We didn't need the special treatment. The service: As soon as we arrived (15 minutes BEFORE we were scheduled), the table was ready and they seated us. The rest of the party hadn't even arrived yet. Very pleased. Bread was out within five minutes of everyone arriving, and they took drink orders soon after. We had already previewed the menu to save time, so everyone knew what they wanted. After an interesting game of Charades with a waitress across the table, where I told her that we would not require menus, we ordered. The food: It came about 30 minutes later, extremely fast for that number of dishes. Granted, everyone either had pasta with sauce or chicken vesuvio, but still - that was a feat with that small of a kitchen. The general consensus was that the food was hot and tasty, and that everyone wanted to come back and try something more. The only point where they could have won that extra star was with a bit more attentiveness to the table. We finished eating, and it took half an hour for me to flag down the waiter, who seemed to be over-booked with tables across the two rooms (there wasn't an empty seat), to get the check. Otherwise, a great night and a great place for families, large groups, or just a small, nice dinner!
(4)Carol L.
People are friendly, the service efficient and the food is simple but yummy. Lunch special and even dinner special on tuesday. Live music on thursday from 6-9 with 1/2 price on wine. Place is relatively small and gets crowded. Overall a good italian place! Very much a home cooking type italian place and I will definitely come back.
(4)Sue B.
Worst service, even worse food! Would NEVER EVER return.
(1)Cheryl S.
I'm not hugely familiar with Deerfield, but I imagine there are better places in the area you could go for Italian. I came here on a Sunday night with my finace and his family and they were out of several menu items. I ordered one of the specials, the grilled mahi, which was supposed to come with mushroom truffle risotto, and they served me the fish with no risotto becasue they were out of it. BOOO! I ended up filling up on bread and fried calamari (which was pretty good) because I'm sorry, one piece of fish and some veggies is not enough to satisfy me. Our waitress was nice, but since we were the only people in the restaurant (it was about 8:30 pm) I felt a little like we were being rushed out. Meh.
(2)Paul S.
Read the reviews here, and the 6 of us decided to head out for some good cooking!. We had the Bruschetta and the caprese Appetizers - Both were awesome. For the mains had one lasagna, the gnocchi (red/cream sauce), Italian salad, Chicken vesuvio. All were very good- Portions are huge! About some of the other reviews, spoke with the owners wife, and we learned that a few years ago there was a service "slowness" about the restaurant, but we experienced none of that service was fantastic and attentive. The restaurant expanded its seating area as well, so the kitchen is a little slow, but if you are really in a hurry go to olive garden - if you want very good Italian food, and don't mind waiting 20 minutes then go here! We also had their limoncello cake as well as their cheese cake - WOW on both!
(5)Peter S.
I've dined in and taken out dozens of times from Italian Kitchen, and I've never walked out disappointed or hungry. The food is great, the prices are reasonable, the staff is attentive, the portions are generous, their wine list is good, their desserts are fantastic, and they often have some great specials. I also very-much enjoy their thin crust pizzas and sandwiches. This has become a regular place for my friends and I to dine.
(5)Dawn L.
Cautiously updating my review from 1 star to 3 after a recent visit. This restaurant is very close to our house and we would probably eat there several times a month but we got such inconsistent service we just took the place off our list. Went back on a desperate whim recenlty and the food and service were both great. I had the all you can eat fish fry. Huge portion, no need for seconds, and some of the best Fried fish I've had. Daughter had gnoochia -- great as well. We were seated promptly, all the food arrived at the same time, and they weren't out of anything we ordered. The service while not zippy, wasn't slow either. Was this an anomaly or has IK finally gotten their act together? Stay tuned.
(3)Elle J.
Food is GREAT - service is HORRIBLE. I've lived in Deerfield for almost 8 years and have only gone to this place three times. The food is awesome, but because of the bad experiences I've had there, I refuse to go back. When dining in, we waited over 20 minutes before a waiter showed up at our table. Mind you it was just my husband and I, and there are only about 10-12 tables in the entire place. Once we finally placed our orders, it was another 30 minutes before our food arrived. Not acceptable in my opinion. On another occasion, I placed a take-out order. I was told to pick up the order at 5:00. Knowing they always run behind, I showed up at 5:15. Even then, I had to wait ANOTHER 20 minutes for my order. When I got home, I realized they didn't pack a few of the items I ordered, but when I called I was told they would send the remainder of my order over "immediately". Well, two phone calls and 40 minutes later, my food arrived cold and soggy. When I called to complain, I was told they would give me a $2.00 credit off my next order. No thanks - there won't be a next order. It's such a shame that food this good is ruined by the extremely poor service.
(2)Steve O.
First the food is GREAT. I'm pretty generous in my ratings, so I'm reluctant to do this.. but... every time I've eaten in this place, its been a horrible experience because of the waiters. I don't know where they find these guys. Slow service every time - thats bad when you have little kids. Once I asked for more tomato bread and the waiter told me they were all out for the evening. Fine, but then a few minutes later another table got some. C'mon, lying to me about the bread? Because the food is so good we'll order in occasionally. And the owners are great. One holiday evening (Xmas or New Years, I forget) we wanted to order in and they took our order - even though they were closed (staff was there prepping for a big catering job). They just took the order like it was no big deal! The food still came out great. However, I can't stand eating in places where I feel like I can't leave a tip. Its been three years since we've eaten in their dining room.
(2)Matt S.
I used to go here all the time with my extended family. The food was always great. Always had good service, but maybe that's because my grandpa has a habit of chatting up the wait-staff and knew most by name. Great food (Love the sausage and peppers) and the price is fair.
(5)John M.
What is one of the major criteria by which an Italian restaurant is judged? The bread. Hard bread is an Italian staple, however this bread could break your teeth. The wine was vinegar-like and was subsequently sent back. Even if the entree is on par, other factors (bread, wine), while small, can ruin the meal. I foolishly went back about a year after my initial experience with my best buddy. The tip we left was a McDonalds Monopoly coupon, back when that crap was going on. A quick story with respect to this place. An acquaintance of mine who was pushing 450 pounds was dining with another acquaintance of mine in a booth. The 450 pound acquaintance, upon attempting to depart to the bathroom, realized that he was fully wedged between the table and the booth backing. He was too panic stricken to speak, so my other acquaintance summoned one of the Mexican busy boys and informed him of the problem. After 5 minutes of the 450 pound guy clinching his ass, the bus boy returned with a toolbox and socket set. While the bus boy was loosening the lug nuts holding the table to the floor, the 450 pound guys says to the bus boy..."When you are done could you bring some more bread."....Unreal.
(1)Mike M.
A local establishment. Great Neighborhood, homestyle Italian food. Casual room, a bit noisy, a bit packed most nights. Thursday nights there is a jazz combo. The pasta is the best in the aria, try the lobster raviolis or the carbonara, or the veal parmesan. They make a great pizza as well. If you want fancy/pretentious, go to Rosebud down the street and pay for it too. If you want better ambiance, and the food is not really that important, then Biaggis might do. Me, I will keep coming back here.
(4)Liz T.
Very cute staple in Deerfield. It's right on Deerfield road and has been here since the 60's. The place is very cozy and a little outdated in a good way. We were seated right away and our server was lovely. My mom and I split an entree and there was no additional cost (I hate that). We were thinking about one thing and the server invited us to try something else. Im so glad we did! Tremendous. It came with a very nice salad and the food was a nice portion. At the end of the meal, the manager came by and invited us to try their homemade lemon alcoholic drink. It was very good. Their was plenty of parking and it sounds like they've got some nice events going on during the week. It's casual and would be a nice place to bring a family. Will be back!
(5)AJ K.
Sometimes you weigh the rating of a place by the service, more so than the food. This happens to be one of those places. The food - in all honesty - I rank as 3.5 stars - but the Sevice is worth 7 stars... you do the math :) Everybody is so friendly and welcoming, and our server (Alex) was incredible. We ordered the chicken tag and a very decent bottle of table wine (Thursday's are live jazz nights with 50% off bottles of wine) and absolutely loved our experience there. We were seated outdoors and it was a gorgeous 72 degree evening... Perfect weeknight summer(ish) evening
(5)R K.
I tried this place twice in a month and was not really impressed. I will try to keep this short and simple. Food- Food was average for us both times. Not bad but also not great. Our first visit was with about 8 people and all seemed to have the same opinion, that it was OK but not the best. What brought this review way down was the service. Both times it was awful and we waited so long for our food. The second time I went I wanted to try the buffet but it didn't look all that great so I ordered from the menu. They had one guy who seemed to be filling everyone's drinks and then a waitress. It took forever for her to come to our table and take our order. Then she seemed bothered that we ordered and didn't go the buffet. When our food came out my salad had no dressing and I couldn't find her to get me some. I ate the whole salad without dressing. I got up to find her and she was on the other side taking a order for another table. Didn't get me tea refilled either. She took our order and never came back until she put the bill down. That is unacceptable. And I didn't even see anyone to complain to. I wanted to like this place but we will never go back. I tried 2 times and I just can't get past such poor service and no one to talk to.
(2)Cristina D.
We ordered catering from Italian Kitchen for a baby shower. We specifically chose it because of its chicken tagliatelle dish. John was very helpful through the process and James was awesome at delivery and set up to downtown Chicago. The guests raved about the chicken tagliatelle (as I knew they would). I can't wait until the next event they can cater.
(5)Susan S.
They made me a spicy seafood pasta dish in a cream sauce. I carried out and they put the food in a turkey pan to carry out Octopus,squid,shrimp,scallops,mussels and clams over a spicy red creme fettucini. it was enough to serve 4. The staff was wonderful excellent customer service. Good bread. Excellent blue cheese crumbles. I will definitely be back.
(4)Rachael N.
My high school friend and I were craving Italian food, and as we both work in the big pharmas in Deerfield, we felt like trying something new. I googled Italian restaurant and found Italian Kitchen. A small restaurant nestled on the corner of Deerfield and Waukegan, it was a cute location. Lots of small shops nearby and quite the "quaint" part of town. I liked it. However, I'm not sure why the reviews raved about the food. I felt like I've had better food? Yes, the service was slow, but it's a small restaurant with a wait staff of about 3. What do you expect? I ordered the linguini with mussels and clams. My friend ordered the chicken cacciatore with mascotti, both dishes were $12 each. First, the bread was alright. I kinda wish it came out warm? It came out on a basket right when I sat down. Second, the salad we were given.... wasn't salad. It was poorly chopped lettuce with half a slice of tomato. Wheeee.... salad. :P I asked for creamy garlic dressing.. and it was way too thick. I got my linguini and mussels... but missing the baby clams. I'm not sure where it was? The dish was definitely big- I didn't finish it and the mussels were plentiful- that's why I gave this restaurant three stars. However, the pasta was a bit too salty for my taste and a tad too much olive oil.... had they held off on the oil and salt a bit and actually ADDED the baby clams, this would have been a good dish. My friend's dish was GIGANTIC. She got about half a whole chicken..but her mascotti looked sad. It just looked like pasta in a small corningware with red sauce on it. Overall, the dinner was ALRIGHT. I mean, this restaurant is DEFINITELY an Italian restaurant, as I couldn't recognize half of what was on the menu (perhaps I ordered the wrong thing?) and the wait staff, although few of them, were definitely nice, so I would go back.. but it just didn't "wow" me. Food was decent, but amazing? I'll go to Little Italy for that.....
(3)Lucy P.
Not such a great experience. The food was authenic. Yea yea. Whatever that means. The service is average at best. All my requests were met with blank stares as the servers continued doing what I asked them not to do. I wondered if maybe they did not speak english. (not the case) Plus I really dislike the strip mall atmosphere. Prices are fair enough though.
(3)David C.
In the words of Kyle Broslovsky. "[Italian Kitchen] Kill yourself." I have never eaten from a worse "Italian kitchen". Frankly, this was low grade dog food. And there is basically nothing on the menu that was Italian. This is Barilla pasta with some canned tomato sauce, some wonderful herbs to top it off. I think if I had been smoking wonderful herbs, I would still have noticed that the food was uninspired, defrosted garbage. If you actually know Deerfield's community, you would know that the restaurant appeals to the cities classiest, most middle class elements. Perhaps the waitstaff knew I was daring, having suggested the "house cheese stix" and the "Fresh N Tender grilled octopus" in the same breath. Perhaps they recommend these dishes to all of their customers. I frankly don't care, as I will never be coming to the good ole "Italian Kitchen" ever again. I give it two stars since it was really cheap and portions were plentiful, it could certainly be a viable option if science diet down the street isn't on sale and rover's ribs are showing. As we say in Turino, "E, Sti Cazzi!"
(2)Michelle F.
This place has gone down hill in the last few years. I like to support small locally owned businesses so I keep going back. My last experience has made me realize that I need to stop going here. I got there for lunch at 12:15. The place was not busy but there was no one at the front. It took so long for the server to take our order that the buffet which closes at 1 was done. Painfully slow service and just ok food will not bring back.
(1)Stephen M.
I just read a review of the day, raving about this restaurant. At first, I saw the Deerfield location and thought--oh, an Italian restaurant, sounds good . . . then it all fell in place. My mouth dropped. I have lived in the area since '87. I had heard from a friend who loves to love restaurants that this was 'great'. For years, I would drive by and look--it was inviting in appearance. It became one of those 'I wonder what it's like? I want to go.' It never happened until a few years ago when my two twenty-somethings were in the car and we drove by. I suggested enthusiastically that we stop and try. The two naysayers gave in and we walked in after the lunch hour. The owner was there and friendly. We ordered a variety of traditional items. They all disappointed. The naysayers delighted in their 'I told you so-s'. Recommendation: Go across the street o Biagi's. Much better. Go down Waukegan--the used to be very good, now relocated Rosebud is even better. So I politely say there are lots of average Italian restaurants where it does get way better than this.
(2)Jo D.
I think their prices went up, which in my opinion, almost $15 for a bowl of noodles and marinara sauce is way, way, way too much. I used to love this place but, price-wise, I'll never be back.
(3)Michael P.
I was back there again tonight....great service like always, the pasta sauce was incredible!!! And yes I had chicken limone again can never go wrong with that
(4)Kristen D.
Came in for the $10 lunch buffet and it was about what I expected it to be. Buffets by nature do not necessairly serve up the hottest, most fresh food, so that is something to be considered. My favorite dish was the spinach lasagna - I added marinara sauce to it, since I typically prefer a little pasta with my sauce. Their special was some type of chicken and vodka sauce wrapped in a type of pasta shell and my boyfriend loved that. Not anything to write home about, but certainly not horrible! I might order takeout from there some time, but I'm not sure I'll pay $10 to go back for lunch.
(3)Mike M.
A local establishment. Great Neighborhood, homestyle Italian food. Casual room, a bit noisy, a bit packed most nights. Thursday nights there is a jazz combo. The pasta is the best in the aria, try the lobster raviolis or the carbonara, or the veal parmesan. They make a great pizza as well. If you want fancy/pretentious, go to Rosebud down the street and pay for it too. If you want better ambiance, and the food is not really that important, then Biaggis might do. Me, I will keep coming back here.
(4)Liz T.
Very cute staple in Deerfield. It's right on Deerfield road and has been here since the 60's. The place is very cozy and a little outdated in a good way. We were seated right away and our server was lovely. My mom and I split an entree and there was no additional cost (I hate that). We were thinking about one thing and the server invited us to try something else. Im so glad we did! Tremendous. It came with a very nice salad and the food was a nice portion. At the end of the meal, the manager came by and invited us to try their homemade lemon alcoholic drink. It was very good. Their was plenty of parking and it sounds like they've got some nice events going on during the week. It's casual and would be a nice place to bring a family. Will be back!
(5)AJ K.
Sometimes you weigh the rating of a place by the service, more so than the food. This happens to be one of those places. The food - in all honesty - I rank as 3.5 stars - but the Sevice is worth 7 stars... you do the math :) Everybody is so friendly and welcoming, and our server (Alex) was incredible. We ordered the chicken tag and a very decent bottle of table wine (Thursday's are live jazz nights with 50% off bottles of wine) and absolutely loved our experience there. We were seated outdoors and it was a gorgeous 72 degree evening... Perfect weeknight summer(ish) evening
(5)Kevin N.
No one was harmed during my meal. On a recommendation from a friend, I got a tip to try this place for lunch. I'd seen it plenty of times, situated in a small strip next to the takeout Chinese restaurant. I thought it was a take out place. One of the oldest restaurants in Deerfield, it's been open since 1962, and it's not dead yet. Originally, this place was half the size, but about 30 years ago the second dining room opened next door doubling the space. It's a no-nonsense family owned place with frescos of Italy adorning the walls. There a real hominess to the interior, rather dimly lit, but I wouldn't call it spooky. The service is personable and friendly. One of the family members made sure that we were happy with everything throughout the meal. As a bit of trivia, my dining partner said the claim to fame of the establishment was that it was featured in "The Amityville Horror" movie from years back. Here's some great news: this isn't Amityville New York, and I didn't see any ghosts while I ate. I was beckoned by a great value lunch. $10.99 Tuesday-Friday, (closed on Mondays), this deal includes homemade soup or salad, bread bowl, your choice of beverage, and about 8 chafing dishes of the tastiest homemade Italian food I've had in a long time. Today's buffet included chicken tagliatelle; sausage and peppers; mushroom, onion and pepper pizza; chicken limone; veal parmigiana; parmesan horseradish sea bass; fried cod; garlic butter veggies and a cookie tray. The pasta is homemade and the seabass was mysteriously good. Now I'm in a trance from the delciousness. I'm going back as well. Make an appearance there.
(4)Megan M.
Mediocre on all levels. Small plates for appetizers, over oiled risotto, topped with three moderately sized scallops as an entree. Servers are nice, but not prompt nor do they check up on you frequently. Plastic over white cloth table cloths really cheapened the experience below the entree price. I'm not sure how they've managed to survive when you consider the caliber of restaurant they're up against. Go across the street to Bobby's if you want an exquisite experience. No desire to venture in here again.
(2)Jan K.
Fantastic last night. My husband chose to celebrate New Years Eve at ITALIAN KITCHEN because we wanted the taste of down home cooking, and the feel of a intimate Italian eatery. The owner is frequently visiting tables and graciously responding to the needs of the diners. We have tried most of the items on the menu. Good neighborhood eatery.
(5)Carl G.
5 stars. I took the family out to come experience the pure delight that is Chef John's cooking. It was quite busy on this night and we were cramped into a small seating area with several other parties. The wait was a bit long but a wizard like John can only work his magic so quickly. After eating John's tasty clam chowder soup (which came with our entrees), our main courses finally arrived. It didn't take long to realize that John had brought his A game that day. The tuna was both cooked and seasoned perfectly. The beef ravioli that my daughter ordered was excellent as well, with the perfect amount of meat filling. Additionally the fettuccine alfredo was very rich and creamy. The chicken that went along with it was extremely tender and was clearly freshly prepared by John. As phenomenal as the food was, it pales in comparison to the wonderful conversations our family had with John when he came over to ask how everything was going. We will definitely be back soon!
(5)Jerry. Paul B.
Always enjoy this heart of the City spot squarely in the middle of downtown DEERFIELD
(4)Kevin L.
Friday Fish fry is awesome! All you can eat. $16.99. Cod is very delicious! The clam chowder is to die for! So good! Sub for the fries, and order the garlic steamed vegetables!
(4)Veronica M.
I'm not a big steak eater, but when I am, I'm usually disappointed, and then wait another year for another steak. Give or take. A few weeks ago, my boyfriend took me there for the second time. He's spoken very highly of the place, so I'm thinking, oh good! Good food! Totally underestimated how awesome it was going to be. They had this tear-inducing ribeye steak, that I'm pretty sure I'd sell my mother for, just to taste again. Cannot believe how awesome it was. I ordered it medium rare, and with the pasta on the side, (garlic and olive oil, with a side of the meat sauce, as suggested by the waitress, who was BRILLIANT with her suggestions! Grilled chicken breast, btw, that's totally the way to go!) I had more than enough food. I think I had enough leftovers for three meals. And I'm not a shy eater, I like my food. Cannot recommend this place enough. Go. Eat. Get fed. Then go back and do it all over again. Cannot wait to go back!
(5)Cristina D.
We ordered catering from Italian Kitchen for a baby shower. We specifically chose it because of its chicken tagliatelle dish. John was very helpful through the process and James was awesome at delivery and set up to downtown Chicago. The guests raved about the chicken tagliatelle (as I knew they would). I can't wait until the next event they can cater.
(5)Adriane P.
VAMPIRE KITCHEN! Because they don't use garlic in anything, it very old timey, and dark. Yes the food is BLAND. Theres a lack of garlic, salt, fennel in the sausage, basil, no spice, blah...I've had the cheese ravioli, cheese pizza, and the italian kitchen signature pizza. Zzz. They only have one kind of weird pizza crust like really thick, non crispy thin crust, the width and floppiness of a Vice magazine. It's cut in squares not triangle. The signature Kitchen Special pizza comes with sausage, mushroom, bacon, onions, green peppers, and Italian beef. The flavor was muted, I could barely taste the SAUCE and mushroom and bacon. The Italian beef was long sheets drapped all over the pizza. It was all very queer. The place has been open over 50 years and is family run. It has an old fashioned dated look and (cough) mature patrons who've been going their lives. Also many young whippersnappers who love it since they grew up on the place. The lunch buffet is renowned and very popular. Amongst the fusty decor there's a picture of a pretty girl above the register. I asked an employer who she was. I'm used to seeing pictures of celebrity patrons in businesses. Just like I'm sure famous people keep pictures of their bartenders and dry cleaners in their foyers. Anyhow she answered it was a "girl who knew the owner and died tragically young." awkward but sweet I guess.
(3)Donnarae H.
Love this place! Great service and food! To start off my husband had escargot and I had the Brussel sprouts. They were both excellent, the sprouts had pine nuts, goat cheese, tomatoes and caramelized onions. Wow it was unbelievable! Out entrees were veal sambucca and salmon and both were excellent. Would most definitely recommend dinning here.
(5)Robert M.
Stopped here for lunch with my daughter and tried the buffet, what a great variety for $11. Handmade Tortellini, Eggplant Parmigian, Baked Crusted Sea Bass, Fried Cod, Chicken Brest/Sausage and Peppers and some dishes I can't remember and all of it was delicious through and through. I really enjoyed the eggplant and excellant Sea Bass and my finicky daughter who doesn't usually eat fish couldn't get enough and went back for seconds on the cod. Soup or salad was included with the meal and there were some dessert items, but we opted for the tarimisu(extra charge) which is always fantastic, light and airy with just the right amount of soaking for the ladyfingers, unlike a lot of place that serve it dense and soggy. Overall a great value, with terrifc well prepared foods.
(5)Susan S.
They made me a spicy seafood pasta dish in a cream sauce. I carried out and they put the food in a turkey pan to carry out Octopus,squid,shrimp,scallops,mussels and clams over a spicy red creme fettucini. it was enough to serve 4. The staff was wonderful excellent customer service. Good bread. Excellent blue cheese crumbles. I will definitely be back.
(4)Richard B.
A chance at four stars blown by small portion of fish. We have always enjoyed Italian Kitchen and appreciate a local home cooking restaurant. All of our food was delicious and most portions were huge. The only thing knocking the Italian Kitchen down from four stars is the very tiny serving of whitefish for 16 bucks. Come on, whitefish usually is something that looks like a filet. This serving was smaller than a deck of cards. Veggies with the fish were excellent and it looked to me the large portion of them was trying to makeup for the size of the fish portion. It's too bad. Stick with the Pasta!
(3)harry b.
Heard this was "the place to go for Italian food" in Deerfield and was very disappointed. Went with another couple and our three year old child. The place was packed with families and an older crowd. The service was friendly but horribly slow. They kept telling us our food was on its way out but after 20 min of this, still nothing. The food was mediocre at best and the price was the same as a chain restaurant. I should also mention that for a place that is touted as kid friendly, they brought the kid meal out last and only after we asked twice for it. At least the bread was plentiful, though hardly memorable.
(2)Scott C.
I ate here for the first time this afternoon for a holiday lunch. The Italian Kitchen is very unassuming and casual. The decor inside is simple, not fancy at all without the Maggiano-esque black and white pictures and Frank Sinatra piped in. The Italian Kitchen had a wide array of lunch specials for $10 - which gave you a good portion of food as well as a soft drink. Not a bad deal. I went with the spaghetti Arrabieta which was excellent. There was a good amount of vegetables in the sauce - mushrooms, green peppers, red peppers, and olives which really added to the flavor of the dish. Also, you can get the dish in varying levels of spiciness. Overall, the group liked the food and commented on the taste and flavor of their dishes. The service was good. We were a large group and the waitress did a good job of being attentive and making sure we had drinks throughout lunch. I'll be back again.
(4)Brian L.
How many times have you been to an italian restaurant and the food was just exceptionally fantastic? Probably not many. My point is that an AMAZING italian restaurant is few and far between; maybe it's that it always tastes the same, maybe its that I could make it at home. Either way, Italian Kitchen falls into the majority. The dishes are what you'd expect. Standard big portioned pasta dishes for around $10 and not-very-special "Italian Specialties" go for $15. The décor is modest in a small, intimate atmosphere. I wouldn't come here to impress anybody; but it's a decent spot when you're looking for a casual, reasonably priced meal.
(3)R K.
I tried this place twice in a month and was not really impressed. I will try to keep this short and simple. Food- Food was average for us both times. Not bad but also not great. Our first visit was with about 8 people and all seemed to have the same opinion, that it was OK but not the best. What brought this review way down was the service. Both times it was awful and we waited so long for our food. The second time I went I wanted to try the buffet but it didn't look all that great so I ordered from the menu. They had one guy who seemed to be filling everyone's drinks and then a waitress. It took forever for her to come to our table and take our order. Then she seemed bothered that we ordered and didn't go the buffet. When our food came out my salad had no dressing and I couldn't find her to get me some. I ate the whole salad without dressing. I got up to find her and she was on the other side taking a order for another table. Didn't get me tea refilled either. She took our order and never came back until she put the bill down. That is unacceptable. And I didn't even see anyone to complain to. I wanted to like this place but we will never go back. I tried 2 times and I just can't get past such poor service and no one to talk to.
(2)Ryan M.
Been here twice. The individual dishes are pretty good. You can tell they make their own pastas and sauce, however, I went back to try the buffet and I was pretty disappointing in the quality of the food. Service is just ok. Try the eggplant. its the best thing I have had there.
(3)Laurin G.
I've dined at Italian Kitchen about five times in the past two years that I've worked in the Deerfield area. I have tried a variety of dishes on the menu as well as the buffet and I just don't see what all the fuss is about. There hasn't been much flavor in the dishes I have ordered and tried on the buffet . I have my doubts about whether garlic was used in any of the dishes I have tried. I am not even exaggerating when I say that I have had Lean Cuisine pasta entrees that were more flavorful than the pasta dishes at Italian Kitchen. The portion sizes are large, I will give them that. I dined here again today with several co-workers to celebrate a birthday. Service today was slow, they were out of the food that two people wanted to order and the bus boy was kinda surly and acted like we were bothering him. The menus we were handed were carry-out menus--the kind you might find stuck under your windshield wiper. The waitress was nice, but did not return to fill our drinks or ask us if we needed anything else. Blah. I won't be sad if I don't have to eat here again for another year--until the next birthday of my co-worker who loves this place.
(2)Valerie W.
Being Italian, I don't go out for Italian food (except for pizza) by choice on a regular basis. I find that I can either make or be served (yes, by my mama) better Italian food at home than I can at any restaurant. Also, people who like the Olive Garden baffle me. Back to Italian Kitchen. The interior is cute. Very homey, retro-style Italian place. Menu was standard Italian fare with some house specialties. I had the fettuccine alfredo, because the menu touted that the fettuccine was house made. More like a tagliatelle in shape (wider,) it was most definitely house made, and most definitely delicious. The other entrees on the table (spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti marinara) looked delicious, and the carbonara was authentic (pancetta) which made me smile. Next time I'm there, I'll probably try that. The service, however, was inconsistent. My wine and water glasses were never ever empty, but the rest of the service was really slow. It took an exceptionally long time for the appetizers, entrees, and check to come. Maybe it was just an off night?
(3)Bob B.
I have been coming here regularly for the $10 lunch buffet. The food is decent, very low carb friendly, just a couple of pasta dishes, mixtures of chicken, sausage, pork, fish, and pizza. Italian Waitress was very "friendly" to me, will go back for sure :)
(4)Richard R.
Wow, I'm kind of surprised Italian Kitchen doesn't have a higher rating. I guess some folks must have different expectations. For my money, this place is 4 stars because it usually exceeds my expectations. For starters, it has good authentic Italian food. Second, I don't know if it's family-run, but the service is very friendly and sure gives the impression the owner and family members are on site. Third, they have good portions and reasonable prices. Granted, this place is not fancy. (is that what other folks are basing their ratings on?), but it is a nice little place to go for a good lunch or dinner.
(4)Richard G.
Could be great, but falls short. I have lived around the corner for about 15 years. I have been there 10 times. I go out to eat about 3 days a week. That should say something. Usually the food is good and sometimes really good. Unfortunately the service is usually bad and sometimes really bad. Last week we actually got up to go looking for our food. Then I had to chase them down to pay the bill. The worst was when I took the whole family out and the waiter brought all the food except mine. Completely forgot to put my order in. The funny part (now) is he looked me straight in the face and asked if everything was ok? I kind of looked back and said dinner would be nice. At that point I said to forget the meal, as I didn't want to be eating alone. They brought it anyway after everyone was finished. I sent it back. ( I might have over reacted a touch, but I was mad). So basically good food with bellow average service. For me, I give up. There is a Rosebud down the block.
(3)Richard K.
As far as authentically good Italian food and cuisine, it does not get better than this restaurant. I have lived in the area since 1981 and have been frequenting this eatery the entire time. As a foodie surrounded by Italian heritage cooking and spoiled by it, if this restaurant has our approval, it is good! Add to that the reasonable price for what you are getting and the consistently good service. Don't expect to go here and have a fast meal, that will probably not happen unless you are at a downtime, it is more European and the pace is more relaxed. I also have to say that as far as a local establishment being supportive of its community, this place has consistently donated their fare without thought of reward. Go here and you will not be disappointed if high quality, good Italian food is your goal, with excellent service and a reasonable price! It is great from the lasagna to the pizza, and don't miss the Chicken Limon!
(5)Effie D.
Genuine Italian flavour and warm atmosphere. And the live music every week is great. Took a friend from Sicile there and she loved it.
(5)Shari S.
Great Italian restaurant. I love coming here for lunch with my son. He can get very fussy when he is hungry, so the lunch buffet is key! This is not your typical lunch buffet. All of the food is made from scratch, is fresh, and high quality. They always have a great fish option. You also have the option of soup or salad. This is a great place to go for lunch or dinner if you are craving Italian food.
(4)Brad S.
I do not understand what others see at this place. I have been more than a few times and never have I been happy. I have tried to get simple things, recommend things, expensive things & even cheep. I have found the food comparable to frozen dinners and not exceptional Italian. It is so close to home I know I will try again but I have little hope.
(1)D'Arcy K.
"Authentic" is a term bandied about loosely; make no mistake, this is American-Italian food. Delicious, abundant, cheesy, saucy, Sunday dinner at second-gen Nonna's food. More for the gourmand than the gourmet. Mmmm... definitely not a complaint in my book. Sure, the décor leaves a bit to be desired, and the side salads, which are kept in an over-chilled cooler, invariably arrive slightly frozen, but the fresh appetizers, homemade pasta dishes, eggplant parmigiana, and pizza are all quite palatable. Diners seem to enjoy the lunch buffet, but it's not a good value for vegetarians, so I only order off of the regular menu. Good wine selection. The catering options have saved me on several occasions when I simply didn't have the mental fortitude to manage an obligatory large dinner party. Tip: Always order extra sauce. My lone grievance is the European-style pace. And by "European-style pace" I mean unfathomably slow service that seems to have no correlation to the dining room capacity. The Sciarrettas are super-sweet, I just don't have that kind of time on my hands.
(4)Chris C.
Food was delicious! First came the bread basket and the garden salad with house vinaigrette. Nice way to start the meal. Had the lemon scallops. When it came to the table with only 3 scallops I was a bit disappointed, but that soon changed after I tasted them and the risotto below them. Was actually very filling. Didn't even have room for dessert. The other meal at the table was the salmon (don't remember what the specific name on the menu was) and my dining partner said it was the best salmon they had ever had. It was so good that we returned for a second helping during our business trip. I had the scallops again. One disappointment for my colleague is that they were out of the salmon the second night. He ended up having some sort of tilapia that was on that nights specials menu and he wasn't disappointed at all. Prices were about average (Lemon Scallops was $19.95, I think). Very casual crowd. Would definitely go back if I am in Deerfield again and would recommend to anyone that is in the area.
(4)James H.
Buffet! I came here for lunch one day with my buddies since it is right by my office in Deerfield. I was a bit sketchy of the place because it's in a tiny parking lot. My buddies and I decided to try out the buffet. They have a non-buffet item as well but I know we were curious about the place and wanted to give it a try. The food was actually pretty solid! They had some pasta dishes and chicken as well. I really enjoyed the lasagna, as it was thick and juicy. I also enjoyed the cannolis for dessert. Service was great and it was a good bang for your buck.
(4)michael w.
Not a bad place, but not great either. I think one can do better elsewhere without trying too hard. I had to take a couple of tries at the menu because the waitress kept coming back to me to tell me they were out of stuff. Once perhaps, more than once is an immediate turn off. I think I got the fish and it was OK, but the rest of my family are pasta heads and they were not impressed. Nothing bad to report, but for the money spent, we will most likely not return.
(2)Thomas K.
A friend and I returned to Italian Kitchen ("IK") for lunch, after an absence of about two years, after I realized that I loved everything about IK as a former LUNCHTIME diner (I worked nearby), and that we suspended our visits based on two excruciatingly slow dinnertime service experiences, which some characterized as "European dining". I respectfully reject the notion of "European dining", because I believe that it more likely involves logistics related to a conscientious chef, who blesses his patrons with his high standard, who also must cope with a kitchen too small to support IK's original dining room, AND a banquet room which was added after IK was established, through its acquisition of neighboring shop space, which it converted to its "banquet room". While IK's wonderful buffet table seems to adequately accommodate the demands of less numerous lunchtime diners, who are concerned about being in and out within and hour, the same cannot be said for more numerous dinnertime diners who don't have a time limitation and are less prone to select dining from a buffet table, which I recall was not open for dinner, likely because keeping it full and fresh and fulfilling individual meal orders would be an impossibility. So, don't deprive yourself and pass this gem, because of slow service during dinnertime. PLAN on a visit that should last about two hours, invite interesting conversationalists, have a few glasses of wine together, and appreciate that exceptional Italian American food is being prepared 'to order' for you as you enjoy your table mate's company as you wait. Anyway, we were glad to find upon our reunion with IK, that whether I dined during lunch or dinnertime, the food is just as delectable. My friend, who has a demanding palate, ordered lasagna, and received a generous portion, which she found was delicious and too large for her to finish in a single sitting. I opted for the buffet, surprisingly, a first-time-ever selection I made, though I dined there for years when I worked in the area. After I finished my very cold iceberg lettuce, carrot and tomato side salad (with my choice of creamy garlic dressing), I found that the buffet offered ravioli stuffed with hot seasoned sausage in tomato sauce; chicken tagliatelle in vodka sauce; baked sea bass; chicken cacciatore (with all ingredients but tomato sauce); sausage pizza, and cheese pizza. All of the aforementioned items, pasta included, were fresh made at IK, and tasted as though mia nonna made them herself. All entrees were refilled, were kept hot, and did not suffer in quality because they were momentarily kept in warming trays. I was delighted with the buffet, though disappointed that I could no bring myself to eat just one more 'nest' of my favorite, the sumptuous chicken tagliatelle in vodka sauce. I was tempted to smuggle two servings out in my jeans pockets, but alas, then you would have to weather yet another 'unfortunate consequence' theory in this review, which also would involve logistics!
(5)Ann S.
Poor experience and we will not be going Back. Our waitress spoke little English and had a hard time understanding us. My husband ordered an Italian Beef and they brought out Italian beef pizza! What!? Never heard of such a thing, but it was really gross. Soggy beef pieces placed on top....really ruined the concept of pizza for us. When we told the waitress about the order mistake, she got defensive. Eeek. Only plus was the live jazz ensemble playing which our kids LOVED.
(2)Luke S.
I grew up on the North Shore just minutes from here and my first time eating here was last night. It's an easy place to miss, but I was definitely missing out. The menu was not huge, but they had some really nice specials. We ended up getting a few appetizers and a large pizza. Both were really good. The pizza was ultra thin and was loaded with fresh veggies. The baked clams and portabello topped with cheese was cooked to perfection. My only complaint was that our server was inattentive. He literally disappeared for fifteen minutes before our appetizers came. I had downed my water five minutes into his disappearance. It was still a great little place that I will be coming back to.
(4)Sarah M.
I recently moved to the area and had been searching for some good places to eat. I always saw Italian Kitchen, but from the outside it didn't leave a great impression, so I never bothered to try it until a few months ago. This is my new favorite place to take out from! Everything my family has tried from here has been delicious! The cheese bread is great, the meatballs are great, the seafood pasta was great. I would have given it 5 stars but I have had to wait several minutes past when they said my order would be ready on some occassions. But it's great food, friendly service, and really not all too expensive!
(4)Rachael N.
My high school friend and I were craving Italian food, and as we both work in the big pharmas in Deerfield, we felt like trying something new. I googled Italian restaurant and found Italian Kitchen. A small restaurant nestled on the corner of Deerfield and Waukegan, it was a cute location. Lots of small shops nearby and quite the "quaint" part of town. I liked it. However, I'm not sure why the reviews raved about the food. I felt like I've had better food? Yes, the service was slow, but it's a small restaurant with a wait staff of about 3. What do you expect? I ordered the linguini with mussels and clams. My friend ordered the chicken cacciatore with mascotti, both dishes were $12 each. First, the bread was alright. I kinda wish it came out warm? It came out on a basket right when I sat down. Second, the salad we were given.... wasn't salad. It was poorly chopped lettuce with half a slice of tomato. Wheeee.... salad. :P I asked for creamy garlic dressing.. and it was way too thick. I got my linguini and mussels... but missing the baby clams. I'm not sure where it was? The dish was definitely big- I didn't finish it and the mussels were plentiful- that's why I gave this restaurant three stars. However, the pasta was a bit too salty for my taste and a tad too much olive oil.... had they held off on the oil and salt a bit and actually ADDED the baby clams, this would have been a good dish. My friend's dish was GIGANTIC. She got about half a whole chicken..but her mascotti looked sad. It just looked like pasta in a small corningware with red sauce on it. Overall, the dinner was ALRIGHT. I mean, this restaurant is DEFINITELY an Italian restaurant, as I couldn't recognize half of what was on the menu (perhaps I ordered the wrong thing?) and the wait staff, although few of them, were definitely nice, so I would go back.. but it just didn't "wow" me. Food was decent, but amazing? I'll go to Little Italy for that.....
(3)Lucy P.
Not such a great experience. The food was authenic. Yea yea. Whatever that means. The service is average at best. All my requests were met with blank stares as the servers continued doing what I asked them not to do. I wondered if maybe they did not speak english. (not the case) Plus I really dislike the strip mall atmosphere. Prices are fair enough though.
(3)David C.
In the words of Kyle Broslovsky. "[Italian Kitchen] Kill yourself." I have never eaten from a worse "Italian kitchen". Frankly, this was low grade dog food. And there is basically nothing on the menu that was Italian. This is Barilla pasta with some canned tomato sauce, some wonderful herbs to top it off. I think if I had been smoking wonderful herbs, I would still have noticed that the food was uninspired, defrosted garbage. If you actually know Deerfield's community, you would know that the restaurant appeals to the cities classiest, most middle class elements. Perhaps the waitstaff knew I was daring, having suggested the "house cheese stix" and the "Fresh N Tender grilled octopus" in the same breath. Perhaps they recommend these dishes to all of their customers. I frankly don't care, as I will never be coming to the good ole "Italian Kitchen" ever again. I give it two stars since it was really cheap and portions were plentiful, it could certainly be a viable option if science diet down the street isn't on sale and rover's ribs are showing. As we say in Turino, "E, Sti Cazzi!"
(2)B G.
Wow...has this place changed - and not in a good way. Always thought of it as a reliable local spot to grab some decent pasta but sadly no longer. Bread was cold and uninspired. At least heat it to give a crust! Salads had a couple of small pieces of cucumber and a few giant slices of carrot. Our entertainment became trying to cut the carrots into manageable size. Italian dressing had not one bit of herbs in it. Lasagna entree was meager with runny sauce. For $15.99. Really? Never thought I'd say this but Olive Garden is a much better deal...sigh.
(1)Devin O.
Pretty decent local Italian eatery. It's got a nice small atmosphere, but still seems to maintain privacy for it's occupants. I always see the same chef (assuming head chef and apparently owner) walking around the front talking with customers and giving suggestions that usually end up on the spot. Their food may seem pricey, but their portions are pretty huge. So far everything I've ordered there has been delicious and their take out holds up really well too.
(4)Carla P.
I go out of my way to make the trip to Deerfield, just to eat here. They make THE best minestrone soup I've ever had. I recommend bringing some home for later, if you can keep from eating it on the way home! I loved their home made filled pasta dishes and gnocchi. The arriabiata is excellent too. The owners are very nice people and will go out of their way to make sure you have a great meal. Fairly priced as well.
(5)Moey B.
Three of us went there on Saturday night. The place was hopping and bopping, lots of energy...a good sign so far. Once seated, we were informed that the appetizer we wanted was not available, still not too bad. The rest of the experience should be a SNL skit. Two people ordered the "all you can eat" pasta. One person ordered a salad and soup. One of the pasta people ordered spaghetti and the other one ordered linguine. The person who ordered the salad took two forksful of pasta from one of the pasta dishes to sample the sauce. We were then informed by the waitress that because someone had "sampled" two tiny bites of pasta that they would be assessing a "sharing" charge. We asked that the manager be sent over. She said that since she didn't see it, there would be no charge for "sharing." Here's where it gets over the top. The spaghetti person wanted to try the linguine from the other person's plate. In order to avoid any possible conflict, the linguine person asked the waitress if it was ok for the spaghetti person to sample the linguine without being charged. Keep in mind that they both ordered the "all you can eat" pasta and paid the same amount for each dish. The waitress gave a dirty look and said she would have to send the manager over to our table and it would need to be discussed with her!!! I believe that eating a meal at Cook County Jail involves less stress than eating here. Do they really have hidden cameras and federal food police hiding in the salt shakers? Unbelieveable experience!! Would have ordered more wine, dessert, etc. but needed to get out of there. The pasta sauce was tasty but way oversalted....probably by the little men hiding inside the salt shakers!!!. Would NOT go back!!! .
(1)d a.
plus- the value is good. It's decent for families with really young kids negatives-the food. came in, the waiter brought bread. the bread was stale. we asked for a new one. it was stale but this time warm. I don't know how you function as a restaurant and pull this but they did. then we ordered beer. they were out of the first. then out of the 2nd. we succeeded on third. they also have a charge for "sharing a bottle of beer". ordered dinner-the salad is not fresh made, they take it out of a fridge and put it on the table. not sure how long it was sitting in there but this is deerfield, not lake villa. then ordered the chicken parm. it was chicken nuggets with sauce and a piece of cheese. wanted to like the place but stale bread-twice, out of beer-this was a weekday night with lots of old people in there-not exactly a boozy crew, and chicken parm that wasn't fresh. next.
(1)Joan M.
Not very Italian. What I call an Antipasto Salad & they call Italian Salad was mediocre at best. Cubed cheddar and pepper jack cheese, cubed ham and salami were just ok, no peppers, giardinera, etc. The Italian dressing that came with it was Wish Bone-like. Ordered a plain cheese pizza and it was, again, just ok. Cracker crust not flavorful, sauce plain, cheese sparse. The servers were scattered and confused, missing our drink order several times, taking away clean plates before food came, etc. In the Chicago area, you can do a whole lot better.
(2)Crystal Aura W.
Italian Kitchen is an excellent authentic Italian restaurant, awesome food, big portions, and great prices! I've been eating here for 5 years and I have yet to be disappointed. It's family owned and very cozy, they even decorate the place every single holiday! The menu has a nice wide variety of things, not just pasta dishes, but really good sandwiches and pizzas! I especially love that they have new dinner specials every week, so there's always a variety of new things to try! Their risotto with truffles is to die for, on one special they served it with Chilean seabass, another with pan-seared scallops. Around Thanksgiving they had the most delicious, buttery pumpkin ravioli I ever had! Also the daughter-in-law of the restaurant owner makes the most wonderful deserts! Around Christmas-time she made an almond tiramisu....soooo good! I don't have any setbacks to say about this place, although if you are into a fancy atmosphere to impress a date, this may not be the place for you. (Just your typical red and white checkered tablecloths and some hand painted pic of Italy on the wall) But, if you just want awesome Italian food in a cozy setting, go now!
(5)Mr H.
The only authentic Italian restaurant in Deerfield. If you want a corporation serving you canned, pre-planned, computer generated food, then go to one of the "newer" Italian spots in town. If you want the real deal, a real Italian restaurant, owned by an Italian family, the Italian Kitchen is the authentic choice in town. You don't need high heels or a Louis Vuitton purse to be seen here, just a smile and a handshake to your neighbors. You never leave dissapointed. Favorites include : Chicken Limon over Linguini and good old fashioned spaghetti with meatballs. Big portions, full belly.
(5)Rick G.
Great food, great prices. The lunch buffet is ok, but the regular meals are much better. Salads are always fresh. Love it
(5)Annie C.
my family always comes here for our big get togethers. the portions are sooooo fulfilling and i love bringing home leftovers and eating them the next day. honestly, you can do no wrong here. i mean yes it's pricey, but it's worth it.
(5)Patty C.
Service can get a little slow as there aren't that many ppl working here. This is a family restaurant with good traditional Italian food. The portions are huge, and when you eat there you get bread and a side salad with your entree. However, if you order carry out, it is ala-carte=(. My favorite there is the tortellini with the special red sauce. They charge extra for the special red sauce, but it is so worth it. I always have to doggie bag because the portions are so huge, and I literally have enough for another meal. So, the value is there and the food is good.
(3)Alison M.
First, let me say this: I've never eaten IN the restaurant, so this review is based solely on take-out orders. Their food is wonderful to serve a group! The portions are enormous (I'd order roughly 2 entrees/3 people), and get a wide variety. Even if you have picky eaters in your group, they'll find something to love. When I got married, my parents hosted the whole affair in their backyard, and we did a lot of the work ourselves. The night before the big day, we needed something low-key to calm down after all our preparations, and something to please a small group of future in-laws and various siblings. Italian Kitchen was absolutely perfect - everyone loved the food, it was easy, and quite reasonably-priced (since we were of course over budget on the wedding!)
(4)SnapdragonI g.
They have specials several nights a week, the pizza is great there, good thin crust crust. The salads are fair to poor but the pastas are good. The desserts are very good. This is a homey italian spot for a nice but unassuming dinner.
(4)Sam C.
This is a consensus review. I've eaten here and, since I live nearby, many of my friends and neighbors have eaten here. The consensus opinion: (1) very solid food. in fact, really good food. very few complaints about the food. (2) horrible, terrible, incredibly bad service. No one I know who lives nearby eats here -- it's just too painful. try take-out, maybe?
(2)Michele B.
Our first visit here tonight. Staff was friendly, service was good. We had the Baked Rigatoni Special. It was delicious. A great tomato sauce. And to our surprise, the rigatoni was stuffed with ricotta cheese. We will definitely return.
(4)Bryce R.
Came here with a group of 18 people on a Saturday night. Made the reservation a week in advance. They offered up their private room for $100, but I declined. We didn't need the special treatment. The service: As soon as we arrived (15 minutes BEFORE we were scheduled), the table was ready and they seated us. The rest of the party hadn't even arrived yet. Very pleased. Bread was out within five minutes of everyone arriving, and they took drink orders soon after. We had already previewed the menu to save time, so everyone knew what they wanted. After an interesting game of Charades with a waitress across the table, where I told her that we would not require menus, we ordered. The food: It came about 30 minutes later, extremely fast for that number of dishes. Granted, everyone either had pasta with sauce or chicken vesuvio, but still - that was a feat with that small of a kitchen. The general consensus was that the food was hot and tasty, and that everyone wanted to come back and try something more. The only point where they could have won that extra star was with a bit more attentiveness to the table. We finished eating, and it took half an hour for me to flag down the waiter, who seemed to be over-booked with tables across the two rooms (there wasn't an empty seat), to get the check. Otherwise, a great night and a great place for families, large groups, or just a small, nice dinner!
(4)Carol L.
People are friendly, the service efficient and the food is simple but yummy. Lunch special and even dinner special on tuesday. Live music on thursday from 6-9 with 1/2 price on wine. Place is relatively small and gets crowded. Overall a good italian place! Very much a home cooking type italian place and I will definitely come back.
(4)Sue B.
Worst service, even worse food! Would NEVER EVER return.
(1)Cheryl S.
I'm not hugely familiar with Deerfield, but I imagine there are better places in the area you could go for Italian. I came here on a Sunday night with my finace and his family and they were out of several menu items. I ordered one of the specials, the grilled mahi, which was supposed to come with mushroom truffle risotto, and they served me the fish with no risotto becasue they were out of it. BOOO! I ended up filling up on bread and fried calamari (which was pretty good) because I'm sorry, one piece of fish and some veggies is not enough to satisfy me. Our waitress was nice, but since we were the only people in the restaurant (it was about 8:30 pm) I felt a little like we were being rushed out. Meh.
(2)Paul S.
Read the reviews here, and the 6 of us decided to head out for some good cooking!. We had the Bruschetta and the caprese Appetizers - Both were awesome. For the mains had one lasagna, the gnocchi (red/cream sauce), Italian salad, Chicken vesuvio. All were very good- Portions are huge! About some of the other reviews, spoke with the owners wife, and we learned that a few years ago there was a service "slowness" about the restaurant, but we experienced none of that service was fantastic and attentive. The restaurant expanded its seating area as well, so the kitchen is a little slow, but if you are really in a hurry go to olive garden - if you want very good Italian food, and don't mind waiting 20 minutes then go here! We also had their limoncello cake as well as their cheese cake - WOW on both!
(5)Melissa G.
The food is excellent. The service can be somewhat slow (there's one waiter in particular), but the pasta is homemade so obviously it will take a bit longer to prepare. If you are looking for a delicious Italian dinner in the north suburbs, this is the place to go. Decently priced as well.
(5)Becky P.
I've been here for lunch a few times and have yet to be disappointed. Great food, filling portions. Service has always been good.
(5)Rich A.
Pretty good Italian restaurant. Pastas are great, and even their fish is good. Sometimes, the Bulls players eat here as it is near the Berto Center
(4)Peter S.
I've dined in and taken out dozens of times from Italian Kitchen, and I've never walked out disappointed or hungry. The food is great, the prices are reasonable, the staff is attentive, the portions are generous, their wine list is good, their desserts are fantastic, and they often have some great specials. I also very-much enjoy their thin crust pizzas and sandwiches. This has become a regular place for my friends and I to dine.
(5)Dawn L.
Cautiously updating my review from 1 star to 3 after a recent visit. This restaurant is very close to our house and we would probably eat there several times a month but we got such inconsistent service we just took the place off our list. Went back on a desperate whim recenlty and the food and service were both great. I had the all you can eat fish fry. Huge portion, no need for seconds, and some of the best Fried fish I've had. Daughter had gnoochia -- great as well. We were seated promptly, all the food arrived at the same time, and they weren't out of anything we ordered. The service while not zippy, wasn't slow either. Was this an anomaly or has IK finally gotten their act together? Stay tuned.
(3)Elle J.
Food is GREAT - service is HORRIBLE. I've lived in Deerfield for almost 8 years and have only gone to this place three times. The food is awesome, but because of the bad experiences I've had there, I refuse to go back. When dining in, we waited over 20 minutes before a waiter showed up at our table. Mind you it was just my husband and I, and there are only about 10-12 tables in the entire place. Once we finally placed our orders, it was another 30 minutes before our food arrived. Not acceptable in my opinion. On another occasion, I placed a take-out order. I was told to pick up the order at 5:00. Knowing they always run behind, I showed up at 5:15. Even then, I had to wait ANOTHER 20 minutes for my order. When I got home, I realized they didn't pack a few of the items I ordered, but when I called I was told they would send the remainder of my order over "immediately". Well, two phone calls and 40 minutes later, my food arrived cold and soggy. When I called to complain, I was told they would give me a $2.00 credit off my next order. No thanks - there won't be a next order. It's such a shame that food this good is ruined by the extremely poor service.
(2)Steve O.
First the food is GREAT. I'm pretty generous in my ratings, so I'm reluctant to do this.. but... every time I've eaten in this place, its been a horrible experience because of the waiters. I don't know where they find these guys. Slow service every time - thats bad when you have little kids. Once I asked for more tomato bread and the waiter told me they were all out for the evening. Fine, but then a few minutes later another table got some. C'mon, lying to me about the bread? Because the food is so good we'll order in occasionally. And the owners are great. One holiday evening (Xmas or New Years, I forget) we wanted to order in and they took our order - even though they were closed (staff was there prepping for a big catering job). They just took the order like it was no big deal! The food still came out great. However, I can't stand eating in places where I feel like I can't leave a tip. Its been three years since we've eaten in their dining room.
(2)Matt S.
I used to go here all the time with my extended family. The food was always great. Always had good service, but maybe that's because my grandpa has a habit of chatting up the wait-staff and knew most by name. Great food (Love the sausage and peppers) and the price is fair.
(5)John M.
What is one of the major criteria by which an Italian restaurant is judged? The bread. Hard bread is an Italian staple, however this bread could break your teeth. The wine was vinegar-like and was subsequently sent back. Even if the entree is on par, other factors (bread, wine), while small, can ruin the meal. I foolishly went back about a year after my initial experience with my best buddy. The tip we left was a McDonalds Monopoly coupon, back when that crap was going on. A quick story with respect to this place. An acquaintance of mine who was pushing 450 pounds was dining with another acquaintance of mine in a booth. The 450 pound acquaintance, upon attempting to depart to the bathroom, realized that he was fully wedged between the table and the booth backing. He was too panic stricken to speak, so my other acquaintance summoned one of the Mexican busy boys and informed him of the problem. After 5 minutes of the 450 pound guy clinching his ass, the bus boy returned with a toolbox and socket set. While the bus boy was loosening the lug nuts holding the table to the floor, the 450 pound guys says to the bus boy..."When you are done could you bring some more bread."....Unreal.
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