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Name: Trattoria Demi
Address: 1571 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL, 60201
Telephone: (847) 332-2330
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.41

Trattoria Demi

1571 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL, 60201

(847) 332-2330
Store is closed

Trattoria Demi Menu

Antipasti - Salads & Soups

Classic Caesar Salad

Walnut-gorgonzola

Insalata Caprese

Mixed Greens

Asparagus Soup

Soup Of The Day
Antipasti - Small Plates

Grilled Octopus

House Cured Olives

Arancine

Lamb Shank

Mussels

Timbale Grilled Seasonal Vegetables
For The Table

Calamari

Bruchetta

Meatballs

Baked Goat Cheese

Cured Meat Platter

Cheese Platter
Pasta

Asiago Gnocchi

Ziti Primavera

Rigatoni And Ricotta

Linguini Marinara

Conchinglietti

Linguini Shrimp Scampi

Rigatoni Primavera

Cheese Ravioli

Linguini

Farfalle And Chicken

Lasagna

Baked Rigatoni

Tortellini Della Nona

Farfalle With Salmon

Tagtiatelle
Entrees

Grilled Flatiron Steak

Organic Petite Chicken

Lamb Shank

Veal Scallopini
Seafood

Shrimp Risotto

Pan Roasted Bronzini

Grilled Salmon

Cioppino
Sides

Broccolini

Dinner Salad

Mushroom Polenta

Grilled Asparagus

Lentil Ragout

Meatball

Grilled Chicken

Sauteed Shrimp
Specialty Pizza

Margarita

Florentine

Venetian

Sicilian

Genoa

Piedmont

Parma

Roma
Build Your Own Pizza

9" Cheese

12" Cheese

14" Cheese
Dessert

Tiramisu

Limoncello Creme Brule

Hazelnut Pear Tart

Molten Chocolate Cake

Biscotti

Assorted Gelato And Sorbetto

Healthy Meal suggestions for Trattoria Demi

Antipasti - Salads & Soups

Classic Caesar Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Walnut-gorgonzola [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Insalata Caprese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mixed Greens [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Asparagus Soup [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Soup Of The Day [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Antipasti - Small Plates

Grilled Octopus [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

House Cured Olives [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Arancine [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Lamb Shank [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mussels [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Timbale Grilled Seasonal Vegetables [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
For The Table

Calamari [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bruchetta [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Meatballs [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Baked Goat Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cured Meat Platter [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cheese Platter [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Pasta

Asiago Gnocchi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ziti Primavera [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rigatoni And Ricotta [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Linguini Marinara [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Conchinglietti [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Linguini Shrimp Scampi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rigatoni Primavera [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cheese Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Linguini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Farfalle And Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Lasagna [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Baked Rigatoni [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tortellini Della Nona [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Farfalle With Salmon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tagtiatelle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Entrees

Grilled Flatiron Steak [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Organic Petite Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Lamb Shank [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Veal Scallopini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Seafood

Shrimp Risotto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pan Roasted Bronzini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Salmon [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cioppino [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sides

Broccolini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Dinner Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mushroom Polenta [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Asparagus [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Lentil Ragout [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Meatball [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Grilled Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sauteed Shrimp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Specialty Pizza

Margarita [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Florentine [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Venetian [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sicilian [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Genoa [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Piedmont [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Parma [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roma [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Build Your Own Pizza

9" Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

12" Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

14" Cheese [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Dessert

Tiramisu [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Limoncello Creme Brule [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hazelnut Pear Tart [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Molten Chocolate Cake [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Biscotti [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Assorted Gelato And Sorbetto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

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Write An Anonymous Review

Sarah Beth B.

I have been here many times over the years, and I have been consistently pleased with eating at trattoria demi. We've been here for dates, family events, and just a quick bite. We've tried many, many things on the menu, which have all been good-to-outstanding, but the stuffed gnocchi, pizza, and baked rigatoni have been standouts. The other night, wanting something lighter and fresher than pasta, I had the daily soup-- a perfect and homemade minestrone-- and a caprese salad, and it was one of the best meals I've had in ages. Great service and reasonable prices round out this lovely little Evanston gem.
(4)
Rachel B.

You wouldn't really think this place was top-notch from the looks of it. It sort of has the feeling of a takeout pizzeria that happens to have some italian dishes. But it is so much more! The caprese salad was insanely delicious, as was the salmon entree. They can substitute any pasta for any dish, and even have gluten-free (and whole-wheat) pasta too. Service was excellent. Happy we stopped in here.
(4)
Cindy C.

I've been here twice for the lunch specials, my review is based on lunch. I like this place because it feels like a home cooked meal. The bread is baked in house the soup is hearty. The pasta is not fancy but it's good and the portions are generous.
(4)
Adam B.

Excellent service: waiters were extremely polite and the food was excellent. I ordered one of the lunch specials, penne paste with zucchini and chopped tomatoes (can't remember the exact name of the dish). The pasta dish came out just right. In other words, not too oily or cheesy, and it had just the right amount of vegetables. They also gave me plenty of bread and weren't overbearing, as is the case with the typical waiters seen on the east coast and in the Midwest. I never felt rushed and enjoyed every bite of my pasta. Highly recommended for vegie pasta.
(5)
Michelle H.

Ordered lunch here, and it took 30 minutes from when I ordered to when my sandwich and chocolate cake was sitting in my lap! The food was great, nice and light, and the chocolate cake was yummy and awesome. The delivery guy was super nice too. Great place to order lunch and have it delivered fast!
(5)
Betsy H.

My sister in law and I went here for lunch on Monday. We enjoyed the portions of pasta, tossed salad and a really nice few slices of fresh bread with butter. I had the rigatoni primavera, with broccoli, olive oil and garlic. I would've liked more broccoli and less garlic, but it was good. The noodles were el dente, but i liked them. They could have benefited from more fresh vegetables in the sauce. The waitress was very friendly and accommodating, and the lunch crowd made the place seem half full. Great, fast service, good food, and a very convenient location.
(3)
Jaye L.

It's great when businesses follow up. I tried my wife's linguini too, and was just bland. Not saying it was bad, just sort of blah. The sauce tasted like canned tomato sauce. The noodles had a texture that was fairly similar to when you overcook spaghetti. A little rubbery. And the meatballs were gross. They tasted much more like a cornbread consistency than meatball. The texture was grainy rather than meaty. We actually just pushed those aside. I'm not a chef so I can't really comment on how to fix it. It seemed strange that the lamb could be so spot on while another dish seemed so "phoned in." Perhaps someone just forgot something in the mix that night but thanks for asking for the follow up. Best wishes!
(3)
Jessica T.

I came here tonight with my man friend and it was excellent. I ordered the rigatoni ricotta and I hadn't had a dish like that in a while. The ricotta blended nicely with the Mariana sauce and the sautÃ©ed arugula was a pleasant surprise. I had some Cabernet and it was delicious as well. This place is really cute, low key and reminds me of a classic suburban Italian restaurant!
(5)
Kevin R.

Not sure why this place is rated 3 stars on here, that is definitely low. Food was fantastic.
(4)
Samantha M.

I came here with a group of friends on a weekday and found the place pretty much empty. Other than my group, there was one other family eating dinner. Usually, an empty restaurant around dinner time implies that there's something lacking about the restaurant, but it certainly wasn't the case here at all! Service was wonderful, and our waiter was friendly and accommodating. I ordered the pasta special of the day, and it was delicious! It wasn't the fanciest or the most elaborate of dishes, but it was satisfying and the portions were very generous. It's a very unassuming, quiet sort of restaurant. And even though I had been to Edzo's (right next door) plenty of times, I'd never registered that there was an Italian establishment right next to it! At the same time, the restaurant itself is very intimate and I think it would be a great date restaurant in Evanston. I had such a great first experience with Trattoria Demi that I'm definitely looking forward to visiting them again!
(4)
Prerna D.

I love their food. As authentic as it gets! Their service is kind of slow but hey, I can wait for good food! I love their vegetarian pizza... They should open the patio more often in summer. It will make a great location for dinner
(5)
Emily Y.

This restaurant is great, and one of my favorite places in Evanston. The atmosphere is really cute and romantic, the waitstaff are really nice, and there usually aren't many people there, so it's a great date night place. The Farfalle and Chicken is one of the best pastas I've ever had--it's perfectly light and lemon-y, but still savory and delicious. The pasta is always cooked to the perfect al-dente texture, and portions are generous. The only thing I don't quite like is the olive oil they serve with the bread at the beginning of your meal. It is slightly watery and fairly tasteless, as it doesn't have any spices or herbs in it to enhance the taste.
(5)
Shyam S.

My brother-in-law and I kind of stumbled upon this place because we walked into Edzos and saw a massive line and then I saw this small, intimate Italian restaurant next door and we thought, "Why not?" Trattoria Demi is one of those Italian places that are small enough to be a great spot for a date, but also low-key enough to take kids and family. We both had the lunch pasta specials, which consisted of a bowl of pasta and a salad. However the real star here was the grilled octopus with cannellini beans. It was so good, that we ordered a second plate! The octopus was grilled to perfection and the citrusy, tangy sauce with the beans was a perfect compliment.
(4)
Alain G.

Should have left when I could smell raw chicken . My chicken parmigiana was terrible. The meat was grilled and burnt and over spiced with chilly, which is not an Italian flavor! The chef never tasted Italian food.
(1)
Katharine T.

Went here with a groupon the other night and had a nice casual dinner. I wasn't sure if this place was high end based on the menu but I would say it is definitely more casual. The boyfriend and I both enjoyed pasta dishes. They were petty good but a little commercial. I'm not sure how to explain quite what I mean by that ... Perhaps it was the large portion sizes, excessive sauce and that the dishes seemed a little uninspired. All the same they weren't bad just not terrific. I had the asiago gnocchi with chicken parmesan, our waitress said it was their most popular. Ringing in at 18 bucks it used up our 20 groupon and I would say while not a bad dish is definitely not worth the price. The boyfriend had tortellini della nona which was meat filled pastas in a cream sauce, this dish was priced around 13 and was also good but not amazing. Their calamari for appetizer was very tasty, prepared with sliced pepperoncini which I had never seen paired together and which the boyfriend really enjoyed. For me the really note worthy part of the meal were the desserts. Per our waitress, who I should mention was extremely nice and sweet and was working a busy restaurant with only one other gut to help, said all the desserts are home made and they were really really good. Boyfriend had a really good coffee gelato and I had an even better limoncello creme brule. Really amazing! Also enjoyed a very good glass of a New Zealand sauv blanc. I would definitely go back but would like try their pizza on either half priced pizza Tuesdays or on half priced bottles of wine Mondays. Over all the food was good but like I said would probably pass on the pasta in the future but the environment and the waitstaff were causal, friendly and inviting.
(3)
Dennis U.

Kind of uninspired Italian in Evanston. I had read the reviews and had heard great things about the grilled octopus and beans. So thus inspired I opted for small plates with the octopus and the lamb "demi luna". The octopus was dry, the beans mushy and the demiluna kind of tasteless. Oh well. On the positive side, they have a good selection of good value wines and the staff was able to deal with our group of 14 fairly smoothly. Appetizers were fairly good but we could have used advice to order doubles for our group size. I don't think I'll be back.
(2)
Gary W.

My husband and I just got back from Europe a few weeks ago, and last nightwe had a taste for food like we had in Italy. We found that in Trattoria Demi. Everything we had was delicious. We started with the baked goat cheese appetizer. Yum. The attention to detail was great...from the pesto coated crostini to the to marinara. It was perfection. I had the salmon farfalle and my husband had a tortellini dish with an alfredo sauce and they were both wonderful. For dessert, we shared the Limoncello Creme Brulee, which was among the best I've ever had. Our server, Denise, was friendly and prompt. We were on a limited schedule when we arrived and we told her so, and she made sure everything came out of the kitchen in plenty of time. I debated whether to give Trattoria Demi 4 or 5 stars, but, in the end I save 5 stars for absolute perfection. The only thing it loses a star for was that it was a little pricey. It'd be nice if they included a small salad or something with their entrees. I'll definitely be back.
(4)
Anne S.

I had lunch here on Saturday, and this was a great choice. It was surprisingly empty in here. I'm not sure why. Lunch specials are around $7.50, and they are good! I had the soup of the day (spinach and white beans), it was delicious. I wish I had more of that! Then I had the chicken parmigiana sandwich. The bread was the best part of the sandwich. I don't know if they make their own bread, but the bread was amazing. It was perfectly crusty on the outside and soft in the center. It held up the meat and cheese very well! I wasn't crazy about the sweet potato chips, but everyone else at the table enjoyed them. The sandwich looked like drastically more food than the pasta. So if you have a big eater in your group, tell them to get the sandwich.
(4)
Daphne L.

Another never before tried local spot that will make its way into the regular rotation..I love when that happens! We had an office lunch here last month, and everything from the service to the food was impeccable. It's a fairly small place, but they were more than happy to accommodate our group of 12 people, and seemed to have no problem managing our party as well as the other diners. The restaurant is very charming, very cozy, but not so small that you feel like your suffocating. They have a nice variety of lunch specials, all under $8, which is perfect when dining with a group of our size (less negotiating when paying the bill). I had the Boccocini sandwich with mozzarella, fresh spinach, tomato, and pesto with Italian vinaigrette...so good! It was fresh, not oily, bursting with flavor, and I loved the sweet potato chips. Other people had the lentil soup that received very high marks, as did the pasta of the day. A few people came in to pick up pizza to go, and I'm anxious to try it. Definitely a great spot for lunch or dinner.
(4)
M F.

If you're looking for top-notch Italian food with family-friendly prices, this is the place. The food here continually impresses, and there are several items on the menu I still want to try. The service is always pleasant, too. I'm a vegetarian, and my husband typically orders the steak here, which he says is one of the better restaurant steaks he has eaten (and he eats at a lot of steakhouses for business). My only wish is that they would spruce up the interior decor a bit with some wood tables and chairs, but the food is so good, that's the least of my worries. They also play wonderful background music that makes you feel like you are at a cafe in Europe, and the outdoor patio in the spring and summer is very charming. This place is good with kids or for a date night.
(5)
Angela P.

A cosy spot with delicious food. The steak was mouth-watering, and the plum tart with coffee gelato was outstanding. Check their website for discounts and specials.
(5)
Dan K.

This place was terrible. The pizza was bad in large part bc the ingredients were not fresh at all and the cheese was really cheap. Like papa johns quality. The calamari was pretty good, but I basically had to get it myself bc the waitress kind of took off for about 20 mins. So the food and service were pretty bad. And it was bit that affordable for the quality we got (over 20 per person for one app, splitting a pizza, and soda). Lastly, the bill came and the waitress gave her self a 20% tip on the bill for the party of 2.
(1)
Tammy L.

My husband and I had our first date here about 10.5 years ago, so I guess I'm pretty biased. I have to say that the food has actually improved over the past few years! We have always gone there for pasta...when we were students at Northwestern, we definitely went there for the less-expensive half portions, which they seem to have taken off the menu. Last night we had a nostalgic trip through Evanston and stopped at Trattoria Demi for a late dinner. We were the last customers of the night. We shared the octopus with white beans and arugula, which was so tasty and quite a generous portion for two. I really enjoyed the char and the tender octopus. The beans were terrific too. We also ordered the tagiatelle with mushrooms and peas. The fresh pasta (not made in-house--we asked) was very good. The sauce was light and even though it said it contained truffle flavor (probably oil), we couldn't taste it. The dish needed salt too. But hey, I always prefer under salting to over salting. The third dish we split was the cheese ravioli with marinara. It was simple and well done. The ravioli are huge! I am a fan of their marinara sauce too. Our server was fine but not overly friendly, so a nicer server would have enhanced our night. But they're still making solidly good Italian-American food in a laid-back setting, so we'll continue going back.
(4)
Andy S.

Chalk this up as a solid italian restaurant in Evanston to keep in your rotation. Friendly staff and tasty food (certain items better than others - gnocchi was crazy good and clearly made fresh at the restaurant).
(4)
Steve A.

There aren't a lot of authentic Italian places in Evanston, so Trattoria Demi is probably as close as you're going to come. They make a good Caesar salad, and the pizza is serviceable. There's nothing about the place that will really fool you into thinking your in a Trattoria in Italy, but it's a perfectly fine restaurant.
(3)
Ehow C.

I've come here for lunch a number of times and have had a decent experience with the restaurant. The lunch specials are cost effective and decently sized, but nothing outrageously delicious. More recently, I came here with my roommate on a restaurant.com coupon. We ordered a plethora of appetizers, including the walnut salad, calamari, and bruschetta. The quality ranged from average to okay. Our pasta entrees were the tortellini and the gnocchi with chicken Parmesan. I really enjoyed my gnocchi and chicken, but found my roommate's dish a little underwhelming. I'd give this place 3.5 stars if I could, particularly for the service, speed, and entree, but I rounded down to 3 stars for the somewhat mediocre appetizers.
(3)
Rachel S.

WOW. Well I have to say this may be the first time in my whole life where the waitress made us feel like she was doing us a favor to wait on us. She was the only waitress in the restaurant, so I understand being stressed or whatever, but that doesn't really justify having such an attitude? I mean I work in food service, and it can be pretty high stress, but I'm always at least polite and helpful. It took a good ten minutes for anyone to even get us water, and another for her to amble over to our table and take our order, and the restaurant wasn't even very busy. The food was good, but was soured by the lack of polite customer service. I've had more polite service at cheap-o-diners. :((((
(2)
Leo S.

It's a shame when the best thing someone eats at a restaurant is the bread. I came here with a group of friends because Edzo's was closed. They had a $7.00 lunch deal, so I thought it would be worth trying something new. I was not impressed. Service was slow; there was only one guy taking everyone's order so that's fine. He was friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu. He brought out the bread and oil pretty soon after taking our orders. The bread was fresh and hot and soft with just enough crunch from the crust. When I tried the oil he brought, I didn't get any of the aromas I would associate with olive oil. When I tasted it, it kind of tasted like canola oil mixed with a little olive oil - the taste was very subtle and I only got it after I salted it. I ordered the Rigatoni Primavera, a pasta mixed with oil, parmasan, and broccolini, and it came with a salad. The salad was a normal mix of greens with an average vinaigrette The dish itself looked fairly impressive. I immediately got the aroma and flavor of olive oil I was missing from before. When I tried the broccolini, it was cooked perfectly and bursting with flavor. Unfortunately, I could hardly finish the dish after I ate all the veggies: the pasta was very under-cooked aka very chewy and doughy. My friend, who ordered the Linguini with Marinara, had overcooked pasta and what he described as a bland meatball. We both enjoyed the texture of the pasta because it was the same consistency that Asian noodles should be, but it's still wrong in this context. I know I came at lunch, so I may be a tad bit harsh, but I firmly believe place should always do the simple things, such as cooking pasta, correctly. Why should I waste my time and money giving this place another chance if it clearly doesn't care at all about the customer?
(2)
Karen G.

Showed up 30 minutes before closing - Miguel (our server) was short, curt and seemed rushed. We asked our server when the kitchen closed due to the vibes we felt and was told it closed in 30 minutes. We abbreviated our menu to be considerate, but it left a bad taste in our mouths because Miguel made no effort to make us feel welcome. Grilled octopus was tough - couldn't even cut it. The pizza had no seasonings and we left it behind Miguel did nothing to make our experience better - he simply did not care and for the first time in my life I didn't leave a tip. It's beyond us to understand how an experience could fail in both service and kitchen but we would be open to try one more time - with a different server.
(1)
Katrina R.

Trattoria Demi is a solid lunch place. In fact, "solid" just about sums it up. If you're a die-hard Italian food fan, then this place will not please you; if you want to carboload and enjoy the carbs that you're stuffing yourself with, then this place is a good place to hang. It's solid. I've been coming to Trattoria Demi for years now, but the most recent time I went I took a LivingSocial coupon with me. Service was great, and the food was--you guessed it!--solid. Nothing we ordered was particularly mind-blowing, but the flavor was good, the pasta was cooked well, and so all 'n' all-- success! I probably won't be headed back without another LivingSocial deal or a change in prices, though. Trattoria Demi is priced just like every other Italian place in Chicagoland, but offers 4 star food where I could easily get 5 star elsewhere. Whatever, if you want Italian in a pinch or money is no object to you, this place works.
(4)
Jerry M.

We were very disappointed in the quality of food here Pasta, fish, and even pizza items ordered were disgusting All of our glass wear had lip stick on it as well. Don't be deceived by the nice exterior as that is as good as it gets Cheers
(1)
professorsmarty z.

I've passed by this restaurant many times, as I used to work in Evanston. I finally went in for dinner this last Friday night, and I will not be going back, as the food is really not very good. We ordered the grilled octopus with beans. It came and had a mushy texture, and was over charred. We told the waitress, and she was happy to bring us a replacement dish. The replacement was equally mushy tasting, though less charred. We often order the exact same dish at Antica Pizzeria in Andersonville, and there the octopus is always tender and juicy. I think Trattoria Demi pre-boils all the octopus, and then grills them to order. This is a real shame, since it destroys a delicious ingredient. In fact, in all the years I've ordered grilled octopus, I've never had mushy textured octopus in any restaurant I've been to. We ate all the beans and spinach in the dish, but left the octopus on the plate. The arugula, walnut and pear salad was also not very good. The dressing tasted gritty, and the salad tasted very dry, being coated in the gritty dressing. We've had the same type of salad elsewhere to much better result. There was also a walnut shell fragment in my boyfriend's portion, which at least shows they crack their own walnuts! The meatball was way too salty. I actually got a headache later in the evening from the overly salty marinara sauce. Very mushy and salty meatball, not bouncy or tender as they should be. Lastly, we ordered the wild mushroom and peas pasta. The pasta was overcooked and watery. And the peas were tough, not tender. The mushrooms were not flavorful wild mushroom, but more just like regular button mushrooms. If you're looking for good Italian food, I really won't not recommend this restaurant. Even though the waitstaff was nice, the food was just so bland and un-authentic. Very disappointing, since Evanston has such a busy night life on the weekends.
(2)
Jennifer L.

We hosted a baby shower here for my sister-in-law. The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating with every aspect of the shower (I.e, letting us decorate, putting gifts on the bar, serving food when we wanted it to come out, helping us put the gifts in the car). They let us have as much time as we wanted for the shower and we were able to bring our own cake. We served the food family style and everything tasted very good. I would definitely host a party here again.
(5)
A. H.

Very good Italian food with great prices, an awesome set of lunch specials, and a WildCard discount.
(5)
Neha N.

BAKED GOAT CHEESE. OMG. Seriously, please get this because they serve it with pesto on their warm bread. I got a spinach, mushroom, and truffle oil pizza and thought it was alright. I mean it wasn't like out of my mind good or anything, but I liked it. I got the pear and hazelnut tart. Not good, but the coffee gelato with it was super yum. They are willing to work with you if you are vegetarian, and I hope to stop by again during lunch to try one of their yummy looking sandwiches. Our server was this older woman who was really nice and took her time explaining the specials. I felt welcomed and appreciated the customer service.
(3)
Ju L.

Had lunch here with a friend at one of the outdoor tables. It was a nice enough day that we survived being in direct sunlight the entire time. A giant sign advertising $5.99 lunch specials drew us, but the specials were meh -- 4 or 5 pasta choices with nothing "in" them (aside from the pasta + a sauce), 4 or 5 sandwich choices. And nothing very remarkable... My boccocini sandwich was an acceptable amount for the price-- just tomato, mozzarella, and spinach and a touch of pesto between bread. The ingredients were certainly fresh, but taken altogether, it was missing something in the flavor department. I like light flavors but this was just unremarkable. The tiny thing (definitely a half size, like 3" x 4") came with sweet potato chips (pretty good) and a tiny romaine salad (good vinaigrette, very fresh). All-in-all, wasn't terrible but didn't impress. My friend ended up ordering a $13 pasta dish off the dinner menu because, let's face it, the lunch special menu was kind of pathetic. I only tasted a little, and he enjoyed it well enough, but it reminded me of why I never order pasta anywhere: Unless the dish is really stunning, I can usually just make it myself. The best part of the meal was the basket of bread that came beforehand (as well as the bread used in my sandwich)-- warm and soft in the center and perfectly crusty outside.
(2)
Paul R.

I've only eaten lunch here and I find their lunch specials to be quite fresh, tasty and very reasonably priced. The pasta specials all use fresh veggies and quality olive oil, the sandwiches come on very nice baguette bread, and soups are also well executed. The service has always been friendly and attentive. It's much better than getting fast food, served quickly and much more wholesome. If you get the lunch special it's only a dollar or two more than a chain. I'm interested in trying their pizza the next time I stop in.
(4)
Jeb R.

Honestly, it's probably a 4.5, but I'm a softie for good service. I came here with a Groupon. However, I forgot to mention it until after we had ordered (lunch specials each.) The server, however, was very kind and worked to make the pricing work (you apparently can't use a Groupon for the lunch specials.) The food was good, service was fast, and the environment was very nice. No complaints here! =] Would I return again? If I was in the area, probably. If I was craving Italian? Definitely.
(5)
Chris S.

This place seems to have generally good reviews on Yelp, so feel free to chalking it up to me just not "getting it". Maybe they had an off night, who knows? When we came in at 630 on a Saturday and it was slow, we were very cautious. After we ate, it was clear. My wife and I both ordered the tortellini in cream sauce, and both didn't care for our food. The prosciutto was the only highlight of an otherwise sad meal. The portion sizes were small (10 sad little tortellinis), and we had to ask for bread, and our dinner didn't come with any sort of salad. Our drinks were Diet Rite, which I didn't even know still existed! So again, maybe this is some sort of fancy fine italian restaurant that I just don't get, but it was expensive, small portioned, not very good tasting, and we won't be going back.
(1)
Andrew H.

Definitely a fan. Is it on par with Campagnola or some of the other 4 star Italian restaurants I've rated? No. But without 1/2 stars on Yelp, we have to try our best to differentiate. More eloquent and delicate than Dave's Italian Kitchen. The service reflects this upgrade in class. Sharing an entrance with Edzo's, it's a weird entrance and quite unassuming from the outside. There's no hostess stand or anything -- when you walk in, you are in the middle of the dining room. Nevertheless, the atmosphere and ambiance is quite nice but not overly formal. No tablecloth or linen napkins. Still suitable for a date. The menu covers the full spectrum of your classic Italian fare, from antipasti to pasta to meat entrees to seafood and pizzas. In my two times here, I've gotten pastas and they have been on point. Cooked al dente and with plenty of fresh ingredients, I have no complaints. This most recent time I had the Linguini with mussels, clams, prosciutto, and white wine sauce. Portion size was good and I enjoyed every bite. I would always clamor for more mussels and clams but I really could have used more. The plentiful fresh basil garnish on top was much appreciated. Table bread is very soft and worked very well with olive oil. However, I must note that the first time I came the bread was not nearly as pleasant. Perhaps it was the off hour between lunch and dinner, but the bread was hard. Dessert was fantastic. Hazelnut pear tart with coffee gelato. Presentation was superb with a mint sprig and a couple fresh berries on the side. The bang for your buck is quite reasonable once you realize that Olive Garden isn't any cheaper. Will definitely return to try some other items on the menu.
(4)
Matt R.

I like this place. A lot. They are very understated and right across from a pita place, literally sharing the same building. It's quite small, quaint, and highly underestimated (and great deals). I had the truffle sauce pasta thing (tagliatelle) which was amazing, the baket goat cheese with fresh herbed marinara with rustic bread was fantastic. For anyone who has been in Evanston, this is one of those small gems of the town to check out. absolutely a go-to. 1 appetizer 2 entrees, 2 sides and 2 desserts = under 50$. Quite a deal.
(5)
Howard Y.

I've been working in Evanston for 2 years and for some reason, haven't made it over to Trattoria Demi for lunch...until today. I am so happy I did and annoyed that I didn't come back sooner! The atmosphere is casual but comfortable. Upon entering we were immediately told we could sit anywhere. We chose a 2-top by the brick wall and waited for the server. Only a few other tables were occupied. The waitress approached us and told us the daily specials including homemade lentil soup. I chose the special which was ziti in a red pesto sauce, made with sun-dried and fresh tomatoes. It was really good but not as good as the lentil soup. The soup was FANTASTIC!! Not as thick as many lentil soups i've tried, but it had a wonderful taste that I couldn't get enough of. I can't wait to come back when they offer this soup again. A true winner, this place serves great food, the service is pleasant and the restaurant is definitely cozy. I've only eaten here for lunch but am determined to try it for dinner in the near future.
(4)
Whitney T.

I have been there twice for dinner and I have loved the food and everyone else is my group felt the same. The flavors are great and the service is also superb. I highly recommend it for an intimate dinner experience
(5)
Linda S.

WOW - we hadn't been here for ages and stumbled upon it for lunch last week - I'm so glad our original destination was closed for the holiday. For years we ordered our pizza's from here (try the tomato and goat cheese -OMG!) - some how we got out of that habit and they fell off our radar. What a great rediscovery. The food, as I remembered, is real Italian, long, slow roasted flavors with a pop of fresh herbs or garlic - abundant, warm crusty bread, friendly service - and homemade desserts (try the Tiramisu.) Perfect for lunch with a girlfriend or dinner with a date (or your husband.) ;)
(4)
Natalie B.

I haven't dined in here, but had delivery this past weekend and it was a nice place to discover. Delivery was fast, food was fresh and tasty. We had salads and pizza. The salads were very good and the pizza was full of veggies and not greasy. I'll try dining in next time.
(4)
Jamie W.

Stopped in here for lunch on a whim a few months back with a friend while the patio was still open. It was SO lovely. The $6 lunch special had incredible options and the atmosphere was cute. The server knew about every entree and was honest when I asked his opinion. Two minor complaints - I felt like the appetizer portions were small (probably a good thing!) and the server didn't tell us there were no free refills on soda. I feel so low class saying that, but its a courteous thing to tell your guest who had four diet pepsis!
(4)
Esther A.

Found ourselves at Trattoria Demi yesterday evening after it turned out that our first choice restaurant was closed for Memorial Day. I was disappointed about that, so at first, I was inclined to be critical. When we sat down, I noted that the decor was kind of shabby/shoddy and the sound system was pumping the most cliched, crappy Italian muzak imaginable. The restrooms, clearly shared with other businesses in the building, were poorly maintained. I grudgingly ordered a glass of wine and prepared to be unimpressed with my meal. However, as soon as the food started showing up, my mood improved considerably. Bruschetta was classic, fresh and tasty, with a pleasing garlic-y kick. My entree (the salmon pasta in white wine sauce) was maybe a little bland, but once I'd given it a once over with salt and cheese, it proved to be quite delicious. Service was reasonably attuned to our needs in spite of what looked like a short holiday staff. By the time I'd worked my way through my glass of wine and a big, tasty plate of carbs, I was very much inclined to be pleased with the chance that brought us to Trattoria Demi.
(3)
Alan M.

We've eaten here a number of times, and it's always been consistently a joy. The food is wonderful, the prices are reasonable, they have a lovely outside eating area, when the weather cooperates (this is Chicago, after all)... Full disclosure: I do know the owner personally... we're not close friends, but I do know him, and like him... so I guess I have reason to say "nice things" about his place... but it's not like we're related, certainly not "financially"... The Walnut Gorgonzolla salad is excellent with a nice dressing... The calamari and the bruschetta (how do YOU spell delicious?)... The pastas are "lightly" sauced (not overwhelming), and well seasoned... truly al dente. Tagliatelle with peas was wonderful. The ziti very tasty, next I'll be back for the Cioppino. highly recommended.
(4)
Jeremy N.

Well-executed dishes with quality ingredients, especially L'Italiano sandwich, and the Limoncello crÃ¨me brÃ»lÃ©e. Great service and atmosphere.
(4)
Matthew C.

This place is awesome! I went there in January after a performance I did with a group I started and man, it was like the best thing I had put in my mouth since panchetta. Each dish was subtle but flavorful, not like typical Italian restaurants that over flavor all their dishes (did somebody say Olive Garden?). I was moderately hungry by the time I got there, which usually means I much more critical about food, but oh wow, I had to savor each bite it was so good. I got the bowtie pasta with salmon and finished off with Tiramisu with coffee, humina-humina-humina. I saw that they had a Groupon and I nearly peed my pants. I bought as many as I could and asked friends and relatives to purchase some as well. Our waitress was perfect with her timings. On us enough that our waters were always full, but not so much that we felt clobbered. What was so funny about it is that she was having dinner herself with some of her friends and still did a better job than most waitresses do when they're not distracted. Do you think she was like a waitress prodigy? Awesome AWESOME place!
(5)
Dee H.

The lunch special is amazing. The quantity is huge. Enough to take half home for lunch the next day. And the menu has a good variety. The sauces are yummy.
(5)
Maureen V.

I really like this restaurant for lunch. They have great sandwiches, homemade potato chips, and great prices. So I was hoping for a similar experience at dinner. But from the cafeteria-style lighting -- way, way too bright -- to the overdressed Cesar salad and pedestrian bread, the dinner was just meh. The pasta entrees were good, but they weren't enough to overcome all the other issues. Plus it was just too expensive for what you get. The staff are wonderful and I would highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or maybe carryout pasta, but skip it if you're looking for an intimate dinner.
(2)
Ian M.

For a restaurant that serves Green River pop on tap, you get my extra love. But aside from that, Trattoria is a nice little space that serves big. Must tries are the meatballs (heavy if you hold one in your hand, then wipe your hand of the sauce) and the conchiglietti. The bread is always warm and soft which makes you actually want to enjoy it instead of just thinking it'll fill you up before your entree. Are you still thinking what the heck Green River is? Only the best green-dyed soft drink ever! It makes this Italian restaurant a little bit irish.
(4)
Jackie L.

Great lunch experience! I had the grilled vegetable sandwich and it was the best $7.50 I've spent in a while. I can't comment on the dinner options, but the lunch menu was extensive, very reasonable and delicious. Service was friendly and attentive.
(4)
Ms G.

My husband and I used a restaurant.com gift certificate here to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. I had been here twice before, but it was a long time ago. It is a small restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating. We chose to sit outside on their sidewalk patio which reminded me of eating in Little Italy in NYC. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly, and our food came out quickly. We started with the brushetta, which was 6 pieces and a dipping sauce, and then each ordered a pasta dish for our entree. I had farfalle with chicken, tomatoes and zucchini. It was good, though it seemed to be overwhelmed with zucchini. The sauce, a white wine and lemon, was delicious. My husband had the tagliatelle with truffled mushrooms, peas, and ricotta salata. That was excellent. To end, we each got a dessert to pass back and forth- tiramisu and the molten chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. The tiramisu was wonderful, and a large portion. The chocolate cake was warm from the oven, though a bit on the small side. We enjoyed the restaurant, and we will be returning sometime soon to use our other restaurant.com certificate! The only thing we didn't like, and we don't know if it was a restaurant.com policy or Trattoria Demi's, but we had to spend at least $50 and an 18% gratuity was already charged.
(4)
Colin D.

Skip this place. Nice outdoor seating area and reasonably friendly service, but that does not make up for the food. My wife and I started out with an octopus appetizer; much of the dish was tasty, but the octopus itself was very chewy and bland. For my entree I had the stuffed pasta with prosciutto and a cream sauce. It tasted like it had just been heated up from a frozen state, and the sauce was overwhelmingly thick. The wines were served too warm, which is a big pet-peeve of mine. I enjoyed the molten chocolate cake, but that won't bring me back.
(2)
Sarah L.

The only place to get italian in evanston! Daves Italian Kitchen and Bravo are both a joke, but trattoria is delicious! Great service, cute outdoor seating, and very friendly staff. Lunch special is so cheap, too, and it applies to the weekends as well as weekdays! Warm, fresh bread is plentiful, too
(5)
Ross W.

Had dinner there on Fri 9/17. Service was great. decor was nice. Men's bathroom was GROSS! It smelled, there was trash everywhere and the whole affect was way off. It might be a shared bathroom with another restaurant because there was a door out to the bathroom area with other hallways and a lock on the door back to the restaurant. who knows. Food was good. My wife didn't like her salmon dish very much. Said the fish was cooked in oil and not at all what she was hoping for.
(3)
Lois A.

They have some really good lunch specials here and their sandwiches are very filling. I especially like the Italian panini. The gnocchi is also good. They have these addicting sweet potato chips that come with the sandwiches. I've only had take out for lunch here but it is a really cute place with friendly service.
(3)
Patrick D.

A solid performing restaurant that doesn't close early. Went there this evening [Sunday] after seeing 'The Social Network" [recommended], arrived at 8:40. The door was open, but no customers. I've been there before on many occasions so I knew the empty seats weren't because of poor food or service. When we asked if they were open, the cashier informed us they were closed. After just getting out the door, the owner ran to the window and motioned for us to come in. She explained that the cashier had misread the time and that they were open until 9:00 pm. We said we understood if business was really slow that they might close a few minutes early, but she insisted they were open. We were seated and had a delightful meal. I had Tagtiatelle with Truffled Wild Mushrooms, Sweet Peas, and Ricotta Salata, a perfectly balanced meal. David had Cheese Ravioli with Fresh Basil and Marinara, also beautifully done. Both dishes included a small crisp green nicely dressed salad - mine without tomatoes as requested [unlike MANY restaurants which include tomatoes even if they are specifically not requested]. We each had a glass of Barbera Briccotondo, Fontana Fredda and were well pleased with a delightful meal, for a very reasonable price. I'm picky about lighting. I don't enjoy "cafeteria blanket of light lighting", so that's my only complaint. If they'd change the lighting to focus on the tables individually, highlighting the table, the meal, and my dining companion, it would kick my rating up at least one star. What impressed me the most is the owner keeping the place open when there was a very good excuse to close early. That's customer service, and along withe the good food, reasonable prices, and good service, another reason I'll go back.
(3)
Anna J.

My boyfriend and I were in Evanston running errands and we wanted to stop and get dinner. Thought it would be a nice change from eating in the city. We both had a taste for some itallian food. After searching on our phones for a place we went here. It was nice that there wasn't a wait on Saturday night at 8ish. We got right in and got a table. The place is cute. We ordered a walnut gongonzola salad. It had some arugula in there which I'm not the biggest fan but the dressing was pretty good. We both got pasta dishes. Mine was only ten dollars and it tasted like a ten dollar dish. I added a little salt and pepper to it and tasted better. My bf however did not like his dish. He said it was bland and too expensive for what he got. I think he got some clam dish around 16 dollars. We passed on dessert. The bathrooms are a little scary and kind of cold. Overall it is middle of the road italian. The prices are reasonable but I'm not sure I would make a return effort to come here.
(3)
Arielle M.

Came for a quick lunch last week with my mom. Absolutely scrumptious! We shared a grilled octopus appetizer. Not sure if I just love octopus but it seemed out of this world, yum. I then got the biggest meatball sandwich I have ever seen. I couldn't even eat half and I'm a huge eater. Fresh mozzarella melted over really made the sandwich. Average bistro ambiance, but hey i love that! I think I will have to go back for dinner!
(4)
Cory A.

I went there for lunch this afternoon and was pleased to see a nice little Italian get-away in the middle of Evanston. My first impression of this place was terrific. They have some interesting art on the walls that really brings an urban detail to this small space and the tables, being black set the decor apart from the standard Italian eatery. However, the service didn't convey the message the restaurant was trying to send. We saw our server only once for the duration of the meal. Well, we did see him many times, but only yaking it up in the kitchen with the cooks and always staying out of the way so he wouldn't be bothered. The manager actually brought us our food, and everything else in the meal. I'm glad she was attentive but I feel if you're only going to staff one sever for the entire restaurant during lunch, she might want to choose one who is interested in making tips. To get away from the service for a moment, the food was pretty good. They homemade sweet potato chips were actually amazing. The turkey mona lisa was on warm fococcia bread, and although the sandwhich was nice, I feel that it should have been heated through more. The chicken parm sandwhich was a bit of a different take on what the classic would be though. It was a grilled chicken breast, sliced, then placed into some Italian bread and topped with sauce and cheese. Now, I am not opposed to grilling the chicken for the parm sandwhich, but I feel that if you're going to change a classic recipe from frying to grilling, it should be denoted on the menu. After all, no customer wants to be surprised with their food after they've already ordered it and expect something that they know. All in all, I'd return to this place, but definately not for the service. It would be nice to see they read this and that they've made a few adjustments.
(3)
Jessica V.

For the most part I do like this place. My friend ordered their baked rigatoni and I got there rigatoni with broccoli, which was very delish! On the other hand, my frien did not enjoy his meal as much as I enjoyed mine, but we did order meatballs as our app and it was yummy. So if I has the choice to come back I would definately. I gave this place three stars because it was comfy, ambiance was nice, my food was decent, and it was clean. I did take away two stars because my friend did not like his food but he should have made a better decision so I will take away his brownie points and another point I took away because there were only three tables and our food took forever.. I'm a hungry girl don't mess with me!!!
(3)
Kate S.

My only complaint is that it's very small. Three of my friends and I came here during Northwestern's Family Weekend and apparently a lot of other people had the same idea. Nevertheless, they were very quick to help us and set up a table right at the entrance so we wouldn't have to wait, even though we were partially blocking the entrance. The food is outstanding--we all ordered something different and everyone enjoyed what they had. It's not too pricey, and I would recommend it as a first date kind of place. The staff and menu is fantastic.
(4)
Danielle V.

Whenever I am convinced to go here, I am disappointed. The pizza was nothing special. The pasta dishes are large, but not very good. I typically find the sauces to be watered down. I have only visited for lunches, so I can't speak to the dinner atmosphere, but it is nothing special at lunch.
(1)
Risa P.

First of all, I love Evanston restaurants. It is so cute and fun up there--definitely a great place to grab a bite to eat. I went there on a Friday night with some friends and was immediately seated a table (away from the door) at around 7pm. The food was good, the portions were quite big. (I had enough to take home for leftovers the next day) The bread was not as warm and fresh as I would like, but it was still good. The wait staff was attentive and nice. I had a pasta dish with ricotta and arugula...more vegetables would have been nice, but it definitely hit the spot. The dÃ©cor is cute and welcoming. I agree though--getting to the bathrooms is a little tricky (my friend ended up an Enzo's burger joint in the attempt to come back from the bathroom) and I am not sure because it was January or if it always freezing back there. I guess they close at 10pm. We were still sitting there having the time of our lives and talking at 10:30pm. No one forced us to leave, which was nice, but we did notice that no one new was coming in and that the chefs suspiciously looked like they were packing up to go home. A little strange that a place would close so early on a Friday night, but it is Evanston so maybe things just close a little earlier down there. Really close to the Davis stop which is nice so you don't have to worry about parking. A great location to walk around afterwards if it is warm.
(3)
Lesley A.

I used to like this place, especially the eggplant parmigiana sandwich. But what RUINED it for me was the MOLDY bread. My friends and were about halfway through a loaf of bread when I discovered a piece of bread with mold on it. I pointed it out to the waiter and he said that the mold was "normal". He didn't apologize for it. He just brought us another basket of bread. In case you didn't know, if mold appears on a slice of bread, it means that the entire loaf has mold.
(1)
Brian I.

Trattoria Demi is an old standby that has improved over the years. It is exactly what a neighborhood restaurant should be: accessible and tasty food at reasonable cost. It's definitely worth walking down the street from the center of action in Evanston to find Trattoria Demi.
(4)
Trisha F.

As a frequent customer of Trattoria Demi, I've always had excellent service and great food. The Tortellini Della Nona and Asiago Gnocci are my favorites.
(5)
Karen L.

I would rate Trattoria Demi 2.5 stars. It was good, but not great. There are so many Italian restaurants around that if it is not that good, it probably isn't worth going back. It is a cute little restaurant in Evanston and the people were friendly. I ordered a veggie pasta with garlic and parmesan and honestly, I could have probably done a better job myself. It was a tad too garlicky for me and the pasta was a tad undercooked. But overall, it wasn't too bad. We also had bruschetta for an app and it was just ok. But they did have good bread that they brought out to the table. If I am in Evanston again, and I was craving Italian, I would probably go somewhere else.
(2)
Marion J.

So we went there without checking yelp. And I have to say now that I have checked the reviews I cannot agree with most of them. Service: ok, slightly weird, felt like the waitress/owner was eavesdropping the whole time Menu: Pretty diverse, price range ok, nothing to warn us of what was going to happen... Food: there is no word to describe the food. My pizza was obviously a frozen pizza, extremely salty, charred to the point that it made a loud cracking noise when i chewed on the burnt tomatoes, the "pancetta" was actually diced canadian bacon, and most of all the pizza was SERVED ON CARDBOARD, NO PLATE!! (for $13!) plain disgusting. Mind you it was good for my diet, i did not eat much. My husband's tortellini was edible but very small portion and really pretty bland. The "best" dish we got at the table was the marinara pasta with meatballs. (which came with ONE meatball) and as described by my husband it tasted like low quality canned tomato pasta (mr boyardee might be on staff here)...I don't remember eating such bad italian food ever. except maybe at my middle school cafeteria. But then I was not paying $14 for a dish... As you can tell by my review, I can be pretty tough critic, but this time the entire table agreed, it was simply put BAD food and noone wants to go back. I strongly regret not sending the pizza back to the kitchen. The bread was delicious though.
(1)
Eileen F.

I am updating my previous review for this place because they totally revamped their lunch menu and everything just seems to be too expensive to me now (total gentrification of Evanston?)! I liked it when it was a cute, cheap, unpretentious italian place. Now-- it is not really any of those things. Still really like their goat cheese dish, caprese salads and their bread. Mmm.
(2)
Katie C.

I can't tell you how disappointed I was with my dinner at Trattoria Demi. Not really knowing anything about the place (gosh darn it, I should have yelped it beforehand) we walked in and were greeted by a semi-upscale, faux-finished atmosphere. There were many pasta dishes on the menu, a couple meat and seafood options. I chose the grilled salmon over a bed of beans, leeks, spinach, and roma tomatoes. The boy ordered the steak with red mashed potatoes and green beans. We ordered the house pinot noir to come out with our meals, and started off by sharing the mixed greens with balsamic. The only good thing about my meal was the salad. The greens, tomatoes, and onions were fresh, and the balsamic was slightly sweet. My salmon, however, was almost inedible. When I order salmon in this type of restaurant, I expect it to be moist and soft. This salmon was dry and almost hard. The bed of spinach, leeks, beans, etc. underneath was cooked in a nice flavored au ju, but the beans were totally undercooked. Yuck. His meal was a little better--the steak was a tiny bit tough, but had good flavor. I won't be coming back here again. Just not interested. (The only reason I gave them two stars instead of one (or none) is because the salad saved the day, as well as the discovery that I like pinot noir).
(2)
Jess B.

Pretty mediocre italian food. Nothing I've had has wowed me here- the pizza, gnocchi, arancini, lasagna, and they even managed to make a bad creme brÃ»lÃ©e! Maybe I just ordered the wrong things but after two tries, I give up.
(1)
L B.

We didn't really enjoy our recent dinner here. Walked past the place a million times, but this was the first time we tried it. We waited a long time for our food. There were about 5 other small tables there when we arrived. Probably 3 or 4 off them had already ordered and were waiting for food while the others already had their entrees. So while I understand they might have gotten quite a few orders in a short space of time, it's not like they were exactly slammed. It still took about 25 minutes to get our appetizer, and then another 15 minutes to get our entrees. But I can deal with a wait if the food is good, which this wasn't. The complimentary bread was pale and tasteless, on par flavorwise with the stuff you get from the grocery store bakery but less attractive. We ordered the goat cheese appetizer, which was not terrible but not great either. Plain ball of goat cheese in a puddle of acceptable if not amazing marinara. 4 pieces of toast with some sort of herb/oil smear on it--basil? It didn't have tons of flavor to be honest. The entrees were awful. My dining companion and I both ordered small pizzas--a Genoa and a Parma. The Parma was too salty and lacked flavor. Mostly you just tasted the proscuitto. I'm fairly certain the crust was from the freezer. It had that uniform shape you only get from food service companies, and it wasn't bready or airy but rather hard and dense like a frozen Tombstone-style pizza crust. Not even a little tasty. The Genoa was downright horrible though. The salami had a weird, off taste to it that overtook the whole pizza. I normally love olives on my pizza, but here they just didn't work with the other flavors. I ate a piece and a half and that was all I could stomach. We ended up sharing the Parma and leaving the Genoa on the table. Really, I think this place deserves 2 stars, but I'm giving 3 for two reasons: 1) The service was actually decent. There was only one server and one busser/assistant, and despite the fact that they were covering the whole restaurant our waters were refilled, drink orders came promptly, and the food came out the moment it appeared at the window (I could tell because I sat facing the kitchen). 2) We didn't try any of the pastas, meat dishes, or seafood dishes. It's possible that pizzas are the one really weak spot on the menu and we may have just made poor ordering choices. Now, I think it's deplorable that a restaurant would charge $12 for a pizza made with mediocre toppings and a frozen crust and the restaurant should entirely remove them from the menu, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on the rest of the food. However, I personally won't be returning to find out if their other dishes are any better. Too many other good options to waste another meal here!
(3)
M R.

Very, very good lunch specials, although with limited options.
(4)
Scott H.

I'll admit that I continue to be amazed that this place stays open. It's a charming enough space on a busy stretch of one of Evanston's main drags, but the food lacks any real flavor and is needlessly heavy. As I said on another review site, 'I've made better Italian starting with Jewel pasta and Prego.' Go over to Dave's Italian Kitchen for a much better meal and quite possibly a smaller check.
(1)
Chris D.

This is a nice little gem for us downtown Evanston dwellers. It is a local, cozy, reasonably priced Italian restaurant with a nice al fresco set up along Sherman Avenue. I'm a little shocked by some of the negative reviews below. However, we have had times when they seemed understaffed, or they had new people working who were not quite attentive. The house salad is green & clean and I love that! Who needs all the bitter "field greens" salads you get everywhere else. The thin crust pizza is the absolute best. Beats Dave's. Beats all the local pizza houses. And the house wines are quite good and reasonably priced. Should you come up to Evanston from Chicago for this? No, but it is a great spot if you are already here.
(4)
George K.

Easy-going and comfortable, this place gets high marks in my book. I've probably visited about ten times and I've been impressed by its consistency AND its very nice wine list. Waiters are friendly and efficient (they don't stop and chat if this happens to be your gig). Back-room cooks all wear head garb, which is a key quality indicator for me. The wine glasses they use are the ones you'll find in the Tuscany hills - that's Italian. Only demerit is for lighting. I think table candles would really help the atmospherics.
(4)
Jon J.

A favorite of my friends in Evanston, I am usually happy to go there with them. It's consistent Ameri-Italian... nothing spectacular, but nothing bad either. Good, old fashioned "red sauce" Italian food. I've never had any problems with the service. Kitchen seems a bit slow at times. Prices are reasonable and the vibe is pretty relaxed. An average place to go when you're in the mood for no frills Italian.
(3)
Suchintha J.

This is not the unpretentious Italian restaurant it used to be a couple of years ago. This is the second time I'm been recently. The first time I ordered Calamari for appetizers. It was great. My friend ordered meat balls and it was as good as any I've had in the past. My Entree, Lamb Shank, was awful. It had too much mustard that tasted like a load of wasabi. At the same time, there was honey in it and had a sweet taste to it. Wasn't even seasoned. It was the worst ever. Can't remember what my friend ordered, but I don't remember him raving about it either. I gave it a try today again and didn't see any improvements. First off, I called to make a reservation. They didn't even ask for my name for the reservation. Calamari was good as last time. Our Bruscetta appetizer took over 30 minutes. My sister ordered lasagna and it had no taste. The kids and my brother-in-law ordered pizza and it was mediocre. My Tortellini was very creamy and had no taste. Tasted like a packet TV dinner. All in all the food is less than OK. It is a very nice restaurant with a lot of potential. If you are interested in authentic Italian food, this is not the place. For some good food, I'd go to Omagio next door.
(2)
Midori G.

Nothing special; nothing bad. Plus for nicely grilled veggies. Minus for not freshly grated parmesan. Plus for tons of lemon with the calamari. Minus for the bland sauce with the calamari. Conclusion; I'll leave the Italian dishes to myself as long as I'm dining in Evanston. Note: Only takes reservations for parties of 6+.
(3)
Melissa T.

Every time my family comes to visit me at school, we go to this restaurant. It's really, really cute, with candlelight, a small restaurant space, and a really homey yet sophisticated atmosphere. The food is pretty good. I always get the ravioli, but that's probably because I could eat ravioli every day of my life. Also, this place is perfect for dates. It's really low-key and romantic!!
(3)
Greg C.

A simple Italian bistro with great food. The homemade pesto is to die for and all the pasta dishes are excellent. What it lacks in intimate atmosphere it makes up for in authentic food. highly recommend!!!
(5)
Keyser S.

My Linguini with clams was great; waitress was very rude. Gave me the menus to seat myself, and was impatient and looked annoyed when we were ordering. Never quite experiences anything like it. They looked understaffed and very busy.
(3)
Sarah E.

We tried Trattoria Demi for the first time last weekend. It was okay. The pasta is really nothing to write home about (although the portions are big). Service is pretty average. A little overpriced for what you get. It's got great "date-feel" ambiance. If only they improved the food quality they could turn this into an excellent restaurant.
(3)
Gfiddy F.

Trattoria Demi has great creamy dishes.
(5)
andrew z.

I work around the corner from here, and after a dozen lunches at Subway or Potbelly, I am definitely looking for something else. Trattoria Demi will probably be incorporated into the lineup. The food is pretty good -- nothing special, but not terrible. I just always feel weird paying someone else to cook pasta for me since it is so easy. The sauce I had with my pasta was pretty fresh tasting and yummy. Since the food is fairly simple, I think most of these bad reviews hinge on bad service. I can see how that might be a problem here. The first time I went here, it was completely empty. I sat down and the waiter came by, but it definitely felt like I was interrupting him by being there. Recently, I went back, and service was MUCH better. I had people tripping over themselves to bring me bread and water and asking if things were ok, and do I need anything else. Maybe they have gotten the hint?
(4)
Ann Y.

Everyone on here has said it so well- Nothing too special. It's great for a lunch and they have a nice selection. I also love how it is small and never gets too loud.
(3)
Doris D.

Trattoria Demi is one of my favorite restaurants. Their Mona Lisa sandwich is to die for. It's got all the goods: turkey, olives, red peppers, gouda cheese and delicious italian bread! I crave this sandwich on a regular basis and it comes with crunchy homestyle potato chips. The adorable outdoor patio is perfect for a warm, sunny day hanging out with friends. Their wine is supurb; the staff is attentive and super nice. The desserts? Don't get me started...the coconut gellato is addicting. I will be back soon!
(4)
Maureen W.

Four of us went to Trattoria Demi last and we had a 3.5 star experience. Two of us really liked our food--theTagtiatelle with Mushrooms and the Tortellini della Nona were very good. The Florentine pizza was also good although I liked it more than the person who ordered it. It would have been closer to a four star review except that the Linguini Marinara with Homemade Meatballs was a real letdown. It was bland and unremarkable. If you go and you stick to the better dishes you should have a good time. The service was very good and the decor was nice.
(3)
maurice s.

Nice little restaurant. Attractive room with outdoor seating in the summer. Good pasta and appetizers. I've been here maybe a dozen times over the years and never experienced any service problems.
(4)
Anne M.

Another 3.7 stars (technically). Yelp? Can we get a better dialed-in star rating system? This was place was EMPTY @ 3PM on a Friday afternoon. What can I say, I'm in between jobs (yay!). Decent calamari appie, very good pizza with marinated beef and truffle oil and so-so house salad and eggplant linguini. Good house chianti.
(3)
Anna H.

Good italian food! I likethat it's in downtown Evanston and within walking distance of campus, the small and intimate size of the restaurant, and the food is good as well. My favorite dishes are the half chicken and the clam linguine. They recently started delivering, so as the weather gets colder, I'm sure I'll be testing the delivery service. If the food gets to me and is still warm and tasty, I'll probably come back and update the rating the 4 stars.
(3)
Jeff H.

Trattoria Demi is a small restaurant great for a date. After trying most (if not all) of the Italian restaurants in the Evanston area, this one has not only the best food, but the best bang for your buck. Everything I've had there has been delicious from the appetizers to desserts, and the portions are generous too. In fact, if you get the baked ziti, get it to share with your date and then order dessert - you'll be plenty full.
(5)
Jessica F.

What a surprise to find a perfect little pizza here--thin crust, Italian style. I had been to Trattoria Demi a handful of times over the years but only had the pizza for the first time this month. The crust was perfect--light, a little crisp but not hard or burned. I appreciate the variety of interesting vegetarian options--really tasty combinations rather than your standard fungus options. Each topping ingredient was well prepared on its own--the onions were sauteed or grilled or whatever, not just slapped on raw. And I appreciate their willingness to customize (unlike Trattoria DOC in Evanston which has a snobbish attitude and states on the menu that substitutions are not permitted). The pasta is acceptable but nothing special. I would definitely come here again for the pizza.
(4)
Ellen M.

Great place for a dinner date. Very small, romantic spot in an accessible location. In the warmer weather, they open the double doors and let the breeze in. The dishes emphasize the vegetables and sundried tomatoes, rather than the standard meatballs and marinara. Pretty substantial dinner. Deserts you will remember fondly. Excellent service, good wine list. Parking garages are nearby, but you might get a street spot.
(4)
Marissa D.

This place has officially achieved one-star status in my book. I HATE IT! I went here for like the 15th time this past Sunday and they have one server working, as usual, who acts like its an inconvenience to be serving us. Bread took forever to get to our table...my friend's risotto was bad...the entire experience filled me with the desire to write a really bad review about them on Yelp. If their service was friendlier, things would be much better. But it's not. So I say NO WAY to Trattoria Demi.
(1)
Lauren D.

Is there such a thing as "fast food Italian"? Because if there was, then this place would be ideal. But since no one wants fast food Italian, I'll simply say that it wouldn't be a bad idea to generally avoid Trattoria Demi. They serve wine in funny glasses that remind me of cups for kids. Food is whatever. Go to Piazza Bella.
(2)
Erin C.

I think this place is what it is. It's a college-town italian place with decent pasta and not-so-great service. It's not too expensive, so you don't have to wait until your parents come to town to go there. When I was a student here, I remember thinking it was a cozy, romantic little place. Now that i'm a grown-up, i still think it's cozy, but maybe not so romantic. I guess my standards have changed a bit. All in all, it's probably not worth the trip up from the city, but it's great for evanstonians, especially the college crowd.
(3)
Margo M.

Great little Italian place to get some good food and wine - and it comes with a relatively inexpensive bill to boot! The pasta dish I tried (baked rigatoni, or something like that) was fantastic! The service was very good, and the atmosphere is nice.
(4)
Jolie R.

We've been there a couple of times. Great service, yummy food and terrific atmosphere, eating both inside and outside on a warm sunny evening. Pasta, seafood - it's all good! Love it!
(5)
Eric H.

They agreed to make an off the menu request - my favorite, mushroom and artichoke heart pizza in the white and all I can say is, "wow, fantastic". One of the best pies I've had.
(4)
Beth C.

I am surprised this place has gotten such bad reviews. I agree the food is nothing too special, but who doesn't like comfort food every once in a while? Order the baked rigatoni--it's a delicious combination of pasta, marinara sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella baked until the cheese gets crispy on top. This is the perfect Italian restaurant for the college crowd. I went here at least twice a month during my time at Northwestern. It is cute (small black tables with candles) and cheap (about $11 for a pasta dish). The outdoor tables are great in the summer. Go on Mondays--the wine is half price.
(4)
Kat W.

Nice quaint atmosphere, the inside looks great. The entire staff is very professional (with uniforms/aprons) and the waitstaff is very good. The food is more Americanized that I would like. Putting beans and chick peas in minestrone is very American, and Lasagne should have meat in it; that's the case where I used to eat it a lot... in Italy/Europe.
(3)
Sarah Beth B.

I have been here many times over the years, and I have been consistently pleased with eating at trattoria demi. We've been here for dates, family events, and just a quick bite. We've tried many, many things on the menu, which have all been good-to-outstanding, but the stuffed gnocchi, pizza, and baked rigatoni have been standouts. The other night, wanting something lighter and fresher than pasta, I had the daily soup-- a perfect and homemade minestrone-- and a caprese salad, and it was one of the best meals I've had in ages. Great service and reasonable prices round out this lovely little Evanston gem.
(4)
Rachel B.

You wouldn't really think this place was top-notch from the looks of it. It sort of has the feeling of a takeout pizzeria that happens to have some italian dishes. But it is so much more! The caprese salad was insanely delicious, as was the salmon entree. They can substitute any pasta for any dish, and even have gluten-free (and whole-wheat) pasta too. Service was excellent. Happy we stopped in here.
(4)
Cindy C.

I've been here twice for the lunch specials, my review is based on lunch. I like this place because it feels like a home cooked meal. The bread is baked in house the soup is hearty. The pasta is not fancy but it's good and the portions are generous.
(4)
Adam B.

Excellent service: waiters were extremely polite and the food was excellent. I ordered one of the lunch specials, penne paste with zucchini and chopped tomatoes (can't remember the exact name of the dish). The pasta dish came out just right. In other words, not too oily or cheesy, and it had just the right amount of vegetables. They also gave me plenty of bread and weren't overbearing, as is the case with the typical waiters seen on the east coast and in the Midwest. I never felt rushed and enjoyed every bite of my pasta. Highly recommended for vegie pasta.
(5)
Michelle H.

Ordered lunch here, and it took 30 minutes from when I ordered to when my sandwich and chocolate cake was sitting in my lap! The food was great, nice and light, and the chocolate cake was yummy and awesome. The delivery guy was super nice too. Great place to order lunch and have it delivered fast!
(5)
Betsy H.

My sister in law and I went here for lunch on Monday. We enjoyed the portions of pasta, tossed salad and a really nice few slices of fresh bread with butter. I had the rigatoni primavera, with broccoli, olive oil and garlic. I would've liked more broccoli and less garlic, but it was good. The noodles were el dente, but i liked them. They could have benefited from more fresh vegetables in the sauce. The waitress was very friendly and accommodating, and the lunch crowd made the place seem half full. Great, fast service, good food, and a very convenient location.
(3)
Jaye L.

It's great when businesses follow up. I tried my wife's linguini too, and was just bland. Not saying it was bad, just sort of blah. The sauce tasted like canned tomato sauce. The noodles had a texture that was fairly similar to when you overcook spaghetti. A little rubbery. And the meatballs were gross. They tasted much more like a cornbread consistency than meatball. The texture was grainy rather than meaty. We actually just pushed those aside. I'm not a chef so I can't really comment on how to fix it. It seemed strange that the lamb could be so spot on while another dish seemed so "phoned in." Perhaps someone just forgot something in the mix that night but thanks for asking for the follow up. Best wishes!
(3)
Jessica T.

I came here tonight with my man friend and it was excellent. I ordered the rigatoni ricotta and I hadn't had a dish like that in a while. The ricotta blended nicely with the Mariana sauce and the sautÃ©ed arugula was a pleasant surprise. I had some Cabernet and it was delicious as well. This place is really cute, low key and reminds me of a classic suburban Italian restaurant!
(5)
Kevin R.

Not sure why this place is rated 3 stars on here, that is definitely low. Food was fantastic.
(4)
Samantha M.

I came here with a group of friends on a weekday and found the place pretty much empty. Other than my group, there was one other family eating dinner. Usually, an empty restaurant around dinner time implies that there's something lacking about the restaurant, but it certainly wasn't the case here at all! Service was wonderful, and our waiter was friendly and accommodating. I ordered the pasta special of the day, and it was delicious! It wasn't the fanciest or the most elaborate of dishes, but it was satisfying and the portions were very generous. It's a very unassuming, quiet sort of restaurant. And even though I had been to Edzo's (right next door) plenty of times, I'd never registered that there was an Italian establishment right next to it! At the same time, the restaurant itself is very intimate and I think it would be a great date restaurant in Evanston. I had such a great first experience with Trattoria Demi that I'm definitely looking forward to visiting them again!
(4)
Prerna D.

I love their food. As authentic as it gets! Their service is kind of slow but hey, I can wait for good food! I love their vegetarian pizza... They should open the patio more often in summer. It will make a great location for dinner
(5)
Emily Y.

This restaurant is great, and one of my favorite places in Evanston. The atmosphere is really cute and romantic, the waitstaff are really nice, and there usually aren't many people there, so it's a great date night place. The Farfalle and Chicken is one of the best pastas I've ever had--it's perfectly light and lemon-y, but still savory and delicious. The pasta is always cooked to the perfect al-dente texture, and portions are generous. The only thing I don't quite like is the olive oil they serve with the bread at the beginning of your meal. It is slightly watery and fairly tasteless, as it doesn't have any spices or herbs in it to enhance the taste.
(5)
Shyam S.

My brother-in-law and I kind of stumbled upon this place because we walked into Edzos and saw a massive line and then I saw this small, intimate Italian restaurant next door and we thought, "Why not?" Trattoria Demi is one of those Italian places that are small enough to be a great spot for a date, but also low-key enough to take kids and family. We both had the lunch pasta specials, which consisted of a bowl of pasta and a salad. However the real star here was the grilled octopus with cannellini beans. It was so good, that we ordered a second plate! The octopus was grilled to perfection and the citrusy, tangy sauce with the beans was a perfect compliment.
(4)
Alain G.

Should have left when I could smell raw chicken . My chicken parmigiana was terrible. The meat was grilled and burnt and over spiced with chilly, which is not an Italian flavor! The chef never tasted Italian food.
(1)
Katharine T.

Went here with a groupon the other night and had a nice casual dinner. I wasn't sure if this place was high end based on the menu but I would say it is definitely more casual. The boyfriend and I both enjoyed pasta dishes. They were petty good but a little commercial. I'm not sure how to explain quite what I mean by that ... Perhaps it was the large portion sizes, excessive sauce and that the dishes seemed a little uninspired. All the same they weren't bad just not terrific. I had the asiago gnocchi with chicken parmesan, our waitress said it was their most popular. Ringing in at 18 bucks it used up our 20 groupon and I would say while not a bad dish is definitely not worth the price. The boyfriend had tortellini della nona which was meat filled pastas in a cream sauce, this dish was priced around 13 and was also good but not amazing. Their calamari for appetizer was very tasty, prepared with sliced pepperoncini which I had never seen paired together and which the boyfriend really enjoyed. For me the really note worthy part of the meal were the desserts. Per our waitress, who I should mention was extremely nice and sweet and was working a busy restaurant with only one other gut to help, said all the desserts are home made and they were really really good. Boyfriend had a really good coffee gelato and I had an even better limoncello creme brule. Really amazing! Also enjoyed a very good glass of a New Zealand sauv blanc. I would definitely go back but would like try their pizza on either half priced pizza Tuesdays or on half priced bottles of wine Mondays. Over all the food was good but like I said would probably pass on the pasta in the future but the environment and the waitstaff were causal, friendly and inviting.
(3)
Dennis U.

Kind of uninspired Italian in Evanston. I had read the reviews and had heard great things about the grilled octopus and beans. So thus inspired I opted for small plates with the octopus and the lamb "demi luna". The octopus was dry, the beans mushy and the demiluna kind of tasteless. Oh well. On the positive side, they have a good selection of good value wines and the staff was able to deal with our group of 14 fairly smoothly. Appetizers were fairly good but we could have used advice to order doubles for our group size. I don't think I'll be back.
(2)
Gary W.

My husband and I just got back from Europe a few weeks ago, and last nightwe had a taste for food like we had in Italy. We found that in Trattoria Demi. Everything we had was delicious. We started with the baked goat cheese appetizer. Yum. The attention to detail was great...from the pesto coated crostini to the to marinara. It was perfection. I had the salmon farfalle and my husband had a tortellini dish with an alfredo sauce and they were both wonderful. For dessert, we shared the Limoncello Creme Brulee, which was among the best I've ever had. Our server, Denise, was friendly and prompt. We were on a limited schedule when we arrived and we told her so, and she made sure everything came out of the kitchen in plenty of time. I debated whether to give Trattoria Demi 4 or 5 stars, but, in the end I save 5 stars for absolute perfection. The only thing it loses a star for was that it was a little pricey. It'd be nice if they included a small salad or something with their entrees. I'll definitely be back.
(4)
Anne S.

I had lunch here on Saturday, and this was a great choice. It was surprisingly empty in here. I'm not sure why. Lunch specials are around $7.50, and they are good! I had the soup of the day (spinach and white beans), it was delicious. I wish I had more of that! Then I had the chicken parmigiana sandwich. The bread was the best part of the sandwich. I don't know if they make their own bread, but the bread was amazing. It was perfectly crusty on the outside and soft in the center. It held up the meat and cheese very well! I wasn't crazy about the sweet potato chips, but everyone else at the table enjoyed them. The sandwich looked like drastically more food than the pasta. So if you have a big eater in your group, tell them to get the sandwich.
(4)
Daphne L.

Another never before tried local spot that will make its way into the regular rotation..I love when that happens! We had an office lunch here last month, and everything from the service to the food was impeccable. It's a fairly small place, but they were more than happy to accommodate our group of 12 people, and seemed to have no problem managing our party as well as the other diners. The restaurant is very charming, very cozy, but not so small that you feel like your suffocating. They have a nice variety of lunch specials, all under $8, which is perfect when dining with a group of our size (less negotiating when paying the bill). I had the Boccocini sandwich with mozzarella, fresh spinach, tomato, and pesto with Italian vinaigrette...so good! It was fresh, not oily, bursting with flavor, and I loved the sweet potato chips. Other people had the lentil soup that received very high marks, as did the pasta of the day. A few people came in to pick up pizza to go, and I'm anxious to try it. Definitely a great spot for lunch or dinner.
(4)
M F.

If you're looking for top-notch Italian food with family-friendly prices, this is the place. The food here continually impresses, and there are several items on the menu I still want to try. The service is always pleasant, too. I'm a vegetarian, and my husband typically orders the steak here, which he says is one of the better restaurant steaks he has eaten (and he eats at a lot of steakhouses for business). My only wish is that they would spruce up the interior decor a bit with some wood tables and chairs, but the food is so good, that's the least of my worries. They also play wonderful background music that makes you feel like you are at a cafe in Europe, and the outdoor patio in the spring and summer is very charming. This place is good with kids or for a date night.
(5)
Angela P.

A cosy spot with delicious food. The steak was mouth-watering, and the plum tart with coffee gelato was outstanding. Check their website for discounts and specials.
(5)
Dan K.

This place was terrible. The pizza was bad in large part bc the ingredients were not fresh at all and the cheese was really cheap. Like papa johns quality. The calamari was pretty good, but I basically had to get it myself bc the waitress kind of took off for about 20 mins. So the food and service were pretty bad. And it was bit that affordable for the quality we got (over 20 per person for one app, splitting a pizza, and soda). Lastly, the bill came and the waitress gave her self a 20% tip on the bill for the party of 2.
(1)
Tammy L.

My husband and I had our first date here about 10.5 years ago, so I guess I'm pretty biased. I have to say that the food has actually improved over the past few years! We have always gone there for pasta...when we were students at Northwestern, we definitely went there for the less-expensive half portions, which they seem to have taken off the menu. Last night we had a nostalgic trip through Evanston and stopped at Trattoria Demi for a late dinner. We were the last customers of the night. We shared the octopus with white beans and arugula, which was so tasty and quite a generous portion for two. I really enjoyed the char and the tender octopus. The beans were terrific too. We also ordered the tagiatelle with mushrooms and peas. The fresh pasta (not made in-house--we asked) was very good. The sauce was light and even though it said it contained truffle flavor (probably oil), we couldn't taste it. The dish needed salt too. But hey, I always prefer under salting to over salting. The third dish we split was the cheese ravioli with marinara. It was simple and well done. The ravioli are huge! I am a fan of their marinara sauce too. Our server was fine but not overly friendly, so a nicer server would have enhanced our night. But they're still making solidly good Italian-American food in a laid-back setting, so we'll continue going back.
(4)
Andy S.

Chalk this up as a solid italian restaurant in Evanston to keep in your rotation. Friendly staff and tasty food (certain items better than others - gnocchi was crazy good and clearly made fresh at the restaurant).
(4)
Steve A.

There aren't a lot of authentic Italian places in Evanston, so Trattoria Demi is probably as close as you're going to come. They make a good Caesar salad, and the pizza is serviceable. There's nothing about the place that will really fool you into thinking your in a Trattoria in Italy, but it's a perfectly fine restaurant.
(3)
Ehow C.

I've come here for lunch a number of times and have had a decent experience with the restaurant. The lunch specials are cost effective and decently sized, but nothing outrageously delicious. More recently, I came here with my roommate on a restaurant.com coupon. We ordered a plethora of appetizers, including the walnut salad, calamari, and bruschetta. The quality ranged from average to okay. Our pasta entrees were the tortellini and the gnocchi with chicken Parmesan. I really enjoyed my gnocchi and chicken, but found my roommate's dish a little underwhelming. I'd give this place 3.5 stars if I could, particularly for the service, speed, and entree, but I rounded down to 3 stars for the somewhat mediocre appetizers.
(3)
Rachel S.

WOW. Well I have to say this may be the first time in my whole life where the waitress made us feel like she was doing us a favor to wait on us. She was the only waitress in the restaurant, so I understand being stressed or whatever, but that doesn't really justify having such an attitude? I mean I work in food service, and it can be pretty high stress, but I'm always at least polite and helpful. It took a good ten minutes for anyone to even get us water, and another for her to amble over to our table and take our order, and the restaurant wasn't even very busy. The food was good, but was soured by the lack of polite customer service. I've had more polite service at cheap-o-diners. :((((
(2)
Leo S.

It's a shame when the best thing someone eats at a restaurant is the bread. I came here with a group of friends because Edzo's was closed. They had a $7.00 lunch deal, so I thought it would be worth trying something new. I was not impressed. Service was slow; there was only one guy taking everyone's order so that's fine. He was friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu. He brought out the bread and oil pretty soon after taking our orders. The bread was fresh and hot and soft with just enough crunch from the crust. When I tried the oil he brought, I didn't get any of the aromas I would associate with olive oil. When I tasted it, it kind of tasted like canola oil mixed with a little olive oil - the taste was very subtle and I only got it after I salted it. I ordered the Rigatoni Primavera, a pasta mixed with oil, parmasan, and broccolini, and it came with a salad. The salad was a normal mix of greens with an average vinaigrette The dish itself looked fairly impressive. I immediately got the aroma and flavor of olive oil I was missing from before. When I tried the broccolini, it was cooked perfectly and bursting with flavor. Unfortunately, I could hardly finish the dish after I ate all the veggies: the pasta was very under-cooked aka very chewy and doughy. My friend, who ordered the Linguini with Marinara, had overcooked pasta and what he described as a bland meatball. We both enjoyed the texture of the pasta because it was the same consistency that Asian noodles should be, but it's still wrong in this context. I know I came at lunch, so I may be a tad bit harsh, but I firmly believe place should always do the simple things, such as cooking pasta, correctly. Why should I waste my time and money giving this place another chance if it clearly doesn't care at all about the customer?
(2)
Karen G.

Showed up 30 minutes before closing - Miguel (our server) was short, curt and seemed rushed. We asked our server when the kitchen closed due to the vibes we felt and was told it closed in 30 minutes. We abbreviated our menu to be considerate, but it left a bad taste in our mouths because Miguel made no effort to make us feel welcome. Grilled octopus was tough - couldn't even cut it. The pizza had no seasonings and we left it behind Miguel did nothing to make our experience better - he simply did not care and for the first time in my life I didn't leave a tip. It's beyond us to understand how an experience could fail in both service and kitchen but we would be open to try one more time - with a different server.
(1)
Katrina R.

Trattoria Demi is a solid lunch place. In fact, "solid" just about sums it up. If you're a die-hard Italian food fan, then this place will not please you; if you want to carboload and enjoy the carbs that you're stuffing yourself with, then this place is a good place to hang. It's solid. I've been coming to Trattoria Demi for years now, but the most recent time I went I took a LivingSocial coupon with me. Service was great, and the food was--you guessed it!--solid. Nothing we ordered was particularly mind-blowing, but the flavor was good, the pasta was cooked well, and so all 'n' all-- success! I probably won't be headed back without another LivingSocial deal or a change in prices, though. Trattoria Demi is priced just like every other Italian place in Chicagoland, but offers 4 star food where I could easily get 5 star elsewhere. Whatever, if you want Italian in a pinch or money is no object to you, this place works.
(4)
Jerry M.

We were very disappointed in the quality of food here Pasta, fish, and even pizza items ordered were disgusting All of our glass wear had lip stick on it as well. Don't be deceived by the nice exterior as that is as good as it gets Cheers
(1)
professorsmarty z.

I've passed by this restaurant many times, as I used to work in Evanston. I finally went in for dinner this last Friday night, and I will not be going back, as the food is really not very good. We ordered the grilled octopus with beans. It came and had a mushy texture, and was over charred. We told the waitress, and she was happy to bring us a replacement dish. The replacement was equally mushy tasting, though less charred. We often order the exact same dish at Antica Pizzeria in Andersonville, and there the octopus is always tender and juicy. I think Trattoria Demi pre-boils all the octopus, and then grills them to order. This is a real shame, since it destroys a delicious ingredient. In fact, in all the years I've ordered grilled octopus, I've never had mushy textured octopus in any restaurant I've been to. We ate all the beans and spinach in the dish, but left the octopus on the plate. The arugula, walnut and pear salad was also not very good. The dressing tasted gritty, and the salad tasted very dry, being coated in the gritty dressing. We've had the same type of salad elsewhere to much better result. There was also a walnut shell fragment in my boyfriend's portion, which at least shows they crack their own walnuts! The meatball was way too salty. I actually got a headache later in the evening from the overly salty marinara sauce. Very mushy and salty meatball, not bouncy or tender as they should be. Lastly, we ordered the wild mushroom and peas pasta. The pasta was overcooked and watery. And the peas were tough, not tender. The mushrooms were not flavorful wild mushroom, but more just like regular button mushrooms. If you're looking for good Italian food, I really won't not recommend this restaurant. Even though the waitstaff was nice, the food was just so bland and un-authentic. Very disappointing, since Evanston has such a busy night life on the weekends.
(2)
Jennifer L.

We hosted a baby shower here for my sister-in-law. The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating with every aspect of the shower (I.e, letting us decorate, putting gifts on the bar, serving food when we wanted it to come out, helping us put the gifts in the car). They let us have as much time as we wanted for the shower and we were able to bring our own cake. We served the food family style and everything tasted very good. I would definitely host a party here again.
(5)
A. H.

Very good Italian food with great prices, an awesome set of lunch specials, and a WildCard discount.
(5)
Neha N.

BAKED GOAT CHEESE. OMG. Seriously, please get this because they serve it with pesto on their warm bread. I got a spinach, mushroom, and truffle oil pizza and thought it was alright. I mean it wasn't like out of my mind good or anything, but I liked it. I got the pear and hazelnut tart. Not good, but the coffee gelato with it was super yum. They are willing to work with you if you are vegetarian, and I hope to stop by again during lunch to try one of their yummy looking sandwiches. Our server was this older woman who was really nice and took her time explaining the specials. I felt welcomed and appreciated the customer service.
(3)
Ju L.

Had lunch here with a friend at one of the outdoor tables. It was a nice enough day that we survived being in direct sunlight the entire time. A giant sign advertising $5.99 lunch specials drew us, but the specials were meh -- 4 or 5 pasta choices with nothing "in" them (aside from the pasta + a sauce), 4 or 5 sandwich choices. And nothing very remarkable... My boccocini sandwich was an acceptable amount for the price-- just tomato, mozzarella, and spinach and a touch of pesto between bread. The ingredients were certainly fresh, but taken altogether, it was missing something in the flavor department. I like light flavors but this was just unremarkable. The tiny thing (definitely a half size, like 3" x 4") came with sweet potato chips (pretty good) and a tiny romaine salad (good vinaigrette, very fresh). All-in-all, wasn't terrible but didn't impress. My friend ended up ordering a $13 pasta dish off the dinner menu because, let's face it, the lunch special menu was kind of pathetic. I only tasted a little, and he enjoyed it well enough, but it reminded me of why I never order pasta anywhere: Unless the dish is really stunning, I can usually just make it myself. The best part of the meal was the basket of bread that came beforehand (as well as the bread used in my sandwich)-- warm and soft in the center and perfectly crusty outside.
(2)
Paul R.

I've only eaten lunch here and I find their lunch specials to be quite fresh, tasty and very reasonably priced. The pasta specials all use fresh veggies and quality olive oil, the sandwiches come on very nice baguette bread, and soups are also well executed. The service has always been friendly and attentive. It's much better than getting fast food, served quickly and much more wholesome. If you get the lunch special it's only a dollar or two more than a chain. I'm interested in trying their pizza the next time I stop in.
(4)
Jeb R.

Honestly, it's probably a 4.5, but I'm a softie for good service. I came here with a Groupon. However, I forgot to mention it until after we had ordered (lunch specials each.) The server, however, was very kind and worked to make the pricing work (you apparently can't use a Groupon for the lunch specials.) The food was good, service was fast, and the environment was very nice. No complaints here! =] Would I return again? If I was in the area, probably. If I was craving Italian? Definitely.
(5)
Chris S.

This place seems to have generally good reviews on Yelp, so feel free to chalking it up to me just not "getting it". Maybe they had an off night, who knows? When we came in at 630 on a Saturday and it was slow, we were very cautious. After we ate, it was clear. My wife and I both ordered the tortellini in cream sauce, and both didn't care for our food. The prosciutto was the only highlight of an otherwise sad meal. The portion sizes were small (10 sad little tortellinis), and we had to ask for bread, and our dinner didn't come with any sort of salad. Our drinks were Diet Rite, which I didn't even know still existed! So again, maybe this is some sort of fancy fine italian restaurant that I just don't get, but it was expensive, small portioned, not very good tasting, and we won't be going back.
(1)
Andrew H.

Definitely a fan. Is it on par with Campagnola or some of the other 4 star Italian restaurants I've rated? No. But without 1/2 stars on Yelp, we have to try our best to differentiate. More eloquent and delicate than Dave's Italian Kitchen. The service reflects this upgrade in class. Sharing an entrance with Edzo's, it's a weird entrance and quite unassuming from the outside. There's no hostess stand or anything -- when you walk in, you are in the middle of the dining room. Nevertheless, the atmosphere and ambiance is quite nice but not overly formal. No tablecloth or linen napkins. Still suitable for a date. The menu covers the full spectrum of your classic Italian fare, from antipasti to pasta to meat entrees to seafood and pizzas. In my two times here, I've gotten pastas and they have been on point. Cooked al dente and with plenty of fresh ingredients, I have no complaints. This most recent time I had the Linguini with mussels, clams, prosciutto, and white wine sauce. Portion size was good and I enjoyed every bite. I would always clamor for more mussels and clams but I really could have used more. The plentiful fresh basil garnish on top was much appreciated. Table bread is very soft and worked very well with olive oil. However, I must note that the first time I came the bread was not nearly as pleasant. Perhaps it was the off hour between lunch and dinner, but the bread was hard. Dessert was fantastic. Hazelnut pear tart with coffee gelato. Presentation was superb with a mint sprig and a couple fresh berries on the side. The bang for your buck is quite reasonable once you realize that Olive Garden isn't any cheaper. Will definitely return to try some other items on the menu.
(4)
Matt R.

I like this place. A lot. They are very understated and right across from a pita place, literally sharing the same building. It's quite small, quaint, and highly underestimated (and great deals). I had the truffle sauce pasta thing (tagliatelle) which was amazing, the baket goat cheese with fresh herbed marinara with rustic bread was fantastic. For anyone who has been in Evanston, this is one of those small gems of the town to check out. absolutely a go-to. 1 appetizer 2 entrees, 2 sides and 2 desserts = under 50$. Quite a deal.
(5)
Howard Y.

I've been working in Evanston for 2 years and for some reason, haven't made it over to Trattoria Demi for lunch...until today. I am so happy I did and annoyed that I didn't come back sooner! The atmosphere is casual but comfortable. Upon entering we were immediately told we could sit anywhere. We chose a 2-top by the brick wall and waited for the server. Only a few other tables were occupied. The waitress approached us and told us the daily specials including homemade lentil soup. I chose the special which was ziti in a red pesto sauce, made with sun-dried and fresh tomatoes. It was really good but not as good as the lentil soup. The soup was FANTASTIC!! Not as thick as many lentil soups i've tried, but it had a wonderful taste that I couldn't get enough of. I can't wait to come back when they offer this soup again. A true winner, this place serves great food, the service is pleasant and the restaurant is definitely cozy. I've only eaten here for lunch but am determined to try it for dinner in the near future.
(4)
Whitney T.

I have been there twice for dinner and I have loved the food and everyone else is my group felt the same. The flavors are great and the service is also superb. I highly recommend it for an intimate dinner experience
(5)
Linda S.

WOW - we hadn't been here for ages and stumbled upon it for lunch last week - I'm so glad our original destination was closed for the holiday. For years we ordered our pizza's from here (try the tomato and goat cheese -OMG!) - some how we got out of that habit and they fell off our radar. What a great rediscovery. The food, as I remembered, is real Italian, long, slow roasted flavors with a pop of fresh herbs or garlic - abundant, warm crusty bread, friendly service - and homemade desserts (try the Tiramisu.) Perfect for lunch with a girlfriend or dinner with a date (or your husband.) ;)
(4)
Natalie B.

I haven't dined in here, but had delivery this past weekend and it was a nice place to discover. Delivery was fast, food was fresh and tasty. We had salads and pizza. The salads were very good and the pizza was full of veggies and not greasy. I'll try dining in next time.
(4)
Jamie W.

Stopped in here for lunch on a whim a few months back with a friend while the patio was still open. It was SO lovely. The $6 lunch special had incredible options and the atmosphere was cute. The server knew about every entree and was honest when I asked his opinion. Two minor complaints - I felt like the appetizer portions were small (probably a good thing!) and the server didn't tell us there were no free refills on soda. I feel so low class saying that, but its a courteous thing to tell your guest who had four diet pepsis!
(4)
Esther A.

Found ourselves at Trattoria Demi yesterday evening after it turned out that our first choice restaurant was closed for Memorial Day. I was disappointed about that, so at first, I was inclined to be critical. When we sat down, I noted that the decor was kind of shabby/shoddy and the sound system was pumping the most cliched, crappy Italian muzak imaginable. The restrooms, clearly shared with other businesses in the building, were poorly maintained. I grudgingly ordered a glass of wine and prepared to be unimpressed with my meal. However, as soon as the food started showing up, my mood improved considerably. Bruschetta was classic, fresh and tasty, with a pleasing garlic-y kick. My entree (the salmon pasta in white wine sauce) was maybe a little bland, but once I'd given it a once over with salt and cheese, it proved to be quite delicious. Service was reasonably attuned to our needs in spite of what looked like a short holiday staff. By the time I'd worked my way through my glass of wine and a big, tasty plate of carbs, I was very much inclined to be pleased with the chance that brought us to Trattoria Demi.
(3)
Alan M.

We've eaten here a number of times, and it's always been consistently a joy. The food is wonderful, the prices are reasonable, they have a lovely outside eating area, when the weather cooperates (this is Chicago, after all)... Full disclosure: I do know the owner personally... we're not close friends, but I do know him, and like him... so I guess I have reason to say "nice things" about his place... but it's not like we're related, certainly not "financially"... The Walnut Gorgonzolla salad is excellent with a nice dressing... The calamari and the bruschetta (how do YOU spell delicious?)... The pastas are "lightly" sauced (not overwhelming), and well seasoned... truly al dente. Tagliatelle with peas was wonderful. The ziti very tasty, next I'll be back for the Cioppino. highly recommended.
(4)
Jeremy N.

Well-executed dishes with quality ingredients, especially L'Italiano sandwich, and the Limoncello crÃ¨me brÃ»lÃ©e. Great service and atmosphere.
(4)
Matthew C.

This place is awesome! I went there in January after a performance I did with a group I started and man, it was like the best thing I had put in my mouth since panchetta. Each dish was subtle but flavorful, not like typical Italian restaurants that over flavor all their dishes (did somebody say Olive Garden?). I was moderately hungry by the time I got there, which usually means I much more critical about food, but oh wow, I had to savor each bite it was so good. I got the bowtie pasta with salmon and finished off with Tiramisu with coffee, humina-humina-humina. I saw that they had a Groupon and I nearly peed my pants. I bought as many as I could and asked friends and relatives to purchase some as well. Our waitress was perfect with her timings. On us enough that our waters were always full, but not so much that we felt clobbered. What was so funny about it is that she was having dinner herself with some of her friends and still did a better job than most waitresses do when they're not distracted. Do you think she was like a waitress prodigy? Awesome AWESOME place!
(5)
Dee H.

The lunch special is amazing. The quantity is huge. Enough to take half home for lunch the next day. And the menu has a good variety. The sauces are yummy.
(5)
Maureen V.

I really like this restaurant for lunch. They have great sandwiches, homemade potato chips, and great prices. So I was hoping for a similar experience at dinner. But from the cafeteria-style lighting -- way, way too bright -- to the overdressed Cesar salad and pedestrian bread, the dinner was just meh. The pasta entrees were good, but they weren't enough to overcome all the other issues. Plus it was just too expensive for what you get. The staff are wonderful and I would highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or maybe carryout pasta, but skip it if you're looking for an intimate dinner.
(2)
Ian M.

For a restaurant that serves Green River pop on tap, you get my extra love. But aside from that, Trattoria is a nice little space that serves big. Must tries are the meatballs (heavy if you hold one in your hand, then wipe your hand of the sauce) and the conchiglietti. The bread is always warm and soft which makes you actually want to enjoy it instead of just thinking it'll fill you up before your entree. Are you still thinking what the heck Green River is? Only the best green-dyed soft drink ever! It makes this Italian restaurant a little bit irish.
(4)
Arielle M.

Came for a quick lunch last week with my mom. Absolutely scrumptious! We shared a grilled octopus appetizer. Not sure if I just love octopus but it seemed out of this world, yum. I then got the biggest meatball sandwich I have ever seen. I couldn't even eat half and I'm a huge eater. Fresh mozzarella melted over really made the sandwich. Average bistro ambiance, but hey i love that! I think I will have to go back for dinner!
(4)
Ms G.

My husband and I used a restaurant.com gift certificate here to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. I had been here twice before, but it was a long time ago. It is a small restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating. We chose to sit outside on their sidewalk patio which reminded me of eating in Little Italy in NYC. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly, and our food came out quickly. We started with the brushetta, which was 6 pieces and a dipping sauce, and then each ordered a pasta dish for our entree. I had farfalle with chicken, tomatoes and zucchini. It was good, though it seemed to be overwhelmed with zucchini. The sauce, a white wine and lemon, was delicious. My husband had the tagliatelle with truffled mushrooms, peas, and ricotta salata. That was excellent. To end, we each got a dessert to pass back and forth- tiramisu and the molten chocolate cake with vanilla gelato. The tiramisu was wonderful, and a large portion. The chocolate cake was warm from the oven, though a bit on the small side. We enjoyed the restaurant, and we will be returning sometime soon to use our other restaurant.com certificate! The only thing we didn't like, and we don't know if it was a restaurant.com policy or Trattoria Demi's, but we had to spend at least $50 and an 18% gratuity was already charged.
(4)
Colin D.

Skip this place. Nice outdoor seating area and reasonably friendly service, but that does not make up for the food. My wife and I started out with an octopus appetizer; much of the dish was tasty, but the octopus itself was very chewy and bland. For my entree I had the stuffed pasta with prosciutto and a cream sauce. It tasted like it had just been heated up from a frozen state, and the sauce was overwhelmingly thick. The wines were served too warm, which is a big pet-peeve of mine. I enjoyed the molten chocolate cake, but that won't bring me back.
(2)
Sarah L.

The only place to get italian in evanston! Daves Italian Kitchen and Bravo are both a joke, but trattoria is delicious! Great service, cute outdoor seating, and very friendly staff. Lunch special is so cheap, too, and it applies to the weekends as well as weekdays! Warm, fresh bread is plentiful, too
(5)
Ross W.

Had dinner there on Fri 9/17. Service was great. decor was nice. Men's bathroom was GROSS! It smelled, there was trash everywhere and the whole affect was way off. It might be a shared bathroom with another restaurant because there was a door out to the bathroom area with other hallways and a lock on the door back to the restaurant. who knows. Food was good. My wife didn't like her salmon dish very much. Said the fish was cooked in oil and not at all what she was hoping for.
(3)
Lois A.

They have some really good lunch specials here and their sandwiches are very filling. I especially like the Italian panini. The gnocchi is also good. They have these addicting sweet potato chips that come with the sandwiches. I've only had take out for lunch here but it is a really cute place with friendly service.
(3)
Patrick D.

A solid performing restaurant that doesn't close early. Went there this evening [Sunday] after seeing 'The Social Network" [recommended], arrived at 8:40. The door was open, but no customers. I've been there before on many occasions so I knew the empty seats weren't because of poor food or service. When we asked if they were open, the cashier informed us they were closed. After just getting out the door, the owner ran to the window and motioned for us to come in. She explained that the cashier had misread the time and that they were open until 9:00 pm. We said we understood if business was really slow that they might close a few minutes early, but she insisted they were open. We were seated and had a delightful meal. I had Tagtiatelle with Truffled Wild Mushrooms, Sweet Peas, and Ricotta Salata, a perfectly balanced meal. David had Cheese Ravioli with Fresh Basil and Marinara, also beautifully done. Both dishes included a small crisp green nicely dressed salad - mine without tomatoes as requested [unlike MANY restaurants which include tomatoes even if they are specifically not requested]. We each had a glass of Barbera Briccotondo, Fontana Fredda and were well pleased with a delightful meal, for a very reasonable price. I'm picky about lighting. I don't enjoy "cafeteria blanket of light lighting", so that's my only complaint. If they'd change the lighting to focus on the tables individually, highlighting the table, the meal, and my dining companion, it would kick my rating up at least one star. What impressed me the most is the owner keeping the place open when there was a very good excuse to close early. That's customer service, and along withe the good food, reasonable prices, and good service, another reason I'll go back.
(3)
Anna J.

My boyfriend and I were in Evanston running errands and we wanted to stop and get dinner. Thought it would be a nice change from eating in the city. We both had a taste for some itallian food. After searching on our phones for a place we went here. It was nice that there wasn't a wait on Saturday night at 8ish. We got right in and got a table. The place is cute. We ordered a walnut gongonzola salad. It had some arugula in there which I'm not the biggest fan but the dressing was pretty good. We both got pasta dishes. Mine was only ten dollars and it tasted like a ten dollar dish. I added a little salt and pepper to it and tasted better. My bf however did not like his dish. He said it was bland and too expensive for what he got. I think he got some clam dish around 16 dollars. We passed on dessert. The bathrooms are a little scary and kind of cold. Overall it is middle of the road italian. The prices are reasonable but I'm not sure I would make a return effort to come here.
(3)
Ellen M.

Great place for a dinner date. Very small, romantic spot in an accessible location. In the warmer weather, they open the double doors and let the breeze in. The dishes emphasize the vegetables and sundried tomatoes, rather than the standard meatballs and marinara. Pretty substantial dinner. Deserts you will remember fondly. Excellent service, good wine list. Parking garages are nearby, but you might get a street spot.
(4)
Cory A.

I went there for lunch this afternoon and was pleased to see a nice little Italian get-away in the middle of Evanston. My first impression of this place was terrific. They have some interesting art on the walls that really brings an urban detail to this small space and the tables, being black set the decor apart from the standard Italian eatery. However, the service didn't convey the message the restaurant was trying to send. We saw our server only once for the duration of the meal. Well, we did see him many times, but only yaking it up in the kitchen with the cooks and always staying out of the way so he wouldn't be bothered. The manager actually brought us our food, and everything else in the meal. I'm glad she was attentive but I feel if you're only going to staff one sever for the entire restaurant during lunch, she might want to choose one who is interested in making tips. To get away from the service for a moment, the food was pretty good. They homemade sweet potato chips were actually amazing. The turkey mona lisa was on warm fococcia bread, and although the sandwhich was nice, I feel that it should have been heated through more. The chicken parm sandwhich was a bit of a different take on what the classic would be though. It was a grilled chicken breast, sliced, then placed into some Italian bread and topped with sauce and cheese. Now, I am not opposed to grilling the chicken for the parm sandwhich, but I feel that if you're going to change a classic recipe from frying to grilling, it should be denoted on the menu. After all, no customer wants to be surprised with their food after they've already ordered it and expect something that they know. All in all, I'd return to this place, but definately not for the service. It would be nice to see they read this and that they've made a few adjustments.
(3)
Jessica V.

For the most part I do like this place. My friend ordered their baked rigatoni and I got there rigatoni with broccoli, which was very delish! On the other hand, my frien did not enjoy his meal as much as I enjoyed mine, but we did order meatballs as our app and it was yummy. So if I has the choice to come back I would definately. I gave this place three stars because it was comfy, ambiance was nice, my food was decent, and it was clean. I did take away two stars because my friend did not like his food but he should have made a better decision so I will take away his brownie points and another point I took away because there were only three tables and our food took forever.. I'm a hungry girl don't mess with me!!!
(3)
Kate S.

My only complaint is that it's very small. Three of my friends and I came here during Northwestern's Family Weekend and apparently a lot of other people had the same idea. Nevertheless, they were very quick to help us and set up a table right at the entrance so we wouldn't have to wait, even though we were partially blocking the entrance. The food is outstanding--we all ordered something different and everyone enjoyed what they had. It's not too pricey, and I would recommend it as a first date kind of place. The staff and menu is fantastic.
(4)
Danielle V.

Whenever I am convinced to go here, I am disappointed. The pizza was nothing special. The pasta dishes are large, but not very good. I typically find the sauces to be watered down. I have only visited for lunches, so I can't speak to the dinner atmosphere, but it is nothing special at lunch.
(1)
Risa P.

First of all, I love Evanston restaurants. It is so cute and fun up there--definitely a great place to grab a bite to eat. I went there on a Friday night with some friends and was immediately seated a table (away from the door) at around 7pm. The food was good, the portions were quite big. (I had enough to take home for leftovers the next day) The bread was not as warm and fresh as I would like, but it was still good. The wait staff was attentive and nice. I had a pasta dish with ricotta and arugula...more vegetables would have been nice, but it definitely hit the spot. The dÃ©cor is cute and welcoming. I agree though--getting to the bathrooms is a little tricky (my friend ended up an Enzo's burger joint in the attempt to come back from the bathroom) and I am not sure because it was January or if it always freezing back there. I guess they close at 10pm. We were still sitting there having the time of our lives and talking at 10:30pm. No one forced us to leave, which was nice, but we did notice that no one new was coming in and that the chefs suspiciously looked like they were packing up to go home. A little strange that a place would close so early on a Friday night, but it is Evanston so maybe things just close a little earlier down there. Really close to the Davis stop which is nice so you don't have to worry about parking. A great location to walk around afterwards if it is warm.
(3)
Lesley A.

I used to like this place, especially the eggplant parmigiana sandwich. But what RUINED it for me was the MOLDY bread. My friends and were about halfway through a loaf of bread when I discovered a piece of bread with mold on it. I pointed it out to the waiter and he said that the mold was "normal". He didn't apologize for it. He just brought us another basket of bread. In case you didn't know, if mold appears on a slice of bread, it means that the entire loaf has mold.
(1)
Brian I.

Trattoria Demi is an old standby that has improved over the years. It is exactly what a neighborhood restaurant should be: accessible and tasty food at reasonable cost. It's definitely worth walking down the street from the center of action in Evanston to find Trattoria Demi.
(4)
Trisha F.

As a frequent customer of Trattoria Demi, I've always had excellent service and great food. The Tortellini Della Nona and Asiago Gnocci are my favorites.
(5)
Karen L.

I would rate Trattoria Demi 2.5 stars. It was good, but not great. There are so many Italian restaurants around that if it is not that good, it probably isn't worth going back. It is a cute little restaurant in Evanston and the people were friendly. I ordered a veggie pasta with garlic and parmesan and honestly, I could have probably done a better job myself. It was a tad too garlicky for me and the pasta was a tad undercooked. But overall, it wasn't too bad. We also had bruschetta for an app and it was just ok. But they did have good bread that they brought out to the table. If I am in Evanston again, and I was craving Italian, I would probably go somewhere else.
(2)
Marion J.

So we went there without checking yelp. And I have to say now that I have checked the reviews I cannot agree with most of them. Service: ok, slightly weird, felt like the waitress/owner was eavesdropping the whole time Menu: Pretty diverse, price range ok, nothing to warn us of what was going to happen... Food: there is no word to describe the food. My pizza was obviously a frozen pizza, extremely salty, charred to the point that it made a loud cracking noise when i chewed on the burnt tomatoes, the "pancetta" was actually diced canadian bacon, and most of all the pizza was SERVED ON CARDBOARD, NO PLATE!! (for $13!) plain disgusting. Mind you it was good for my diet, i did not eat much. My husband's tortellini was edible but very small portion and really pretty bland. The "best" dish we got at the table was the marinara pasta with meatballs. (which came with ONE meatball) and as described by my husband it tasted like low quality canned tomato pasta (mr boyardee might be on staff here)...I don't remember eating such bad italian food ever. except maybe at my middle school cafeteria. But then I was not paying $14 for a dish... As you can tell by my review, I can be pretty tough critic, but this time the entire table agreed, it was simply put BAD food and noone wants to go back. I strongly regret not sending the pizza back to the kitchen. The bread was delicious though.
(1)
Jackie L.

Great lunch experience! I had the grilled vegetable sandwich and it was the best $7.50 I've spent in a while. I can't comment on the dinner options, but the lunch menu was extensive, very reasonable and delicious. Service was friendly and attentive.
(4)
Eileen F.

I am updating my previous review for this place because they totally revamped their lunch menu and everything just seems to be too expensive to me now (total gentrification of Evanston?)! I liked it when it was a cute, cheap, unpretentious italian place. Now-- it is not really any of those things. Still really like their goat cheese dish, caprese salads and their bread. Mmm.
(2)
Jeff H.

Trattoria Demi is a small restaurant great for a date. After trying most (if not all) of the Italian restaurants in the Evanston area, this one has not only the best food, but the best bang for your buck. Everything I've had there has been delicious from the appetizers to desserts, and the portions are generous too. In fact, if you get the baked ziti, get it to share with your date and then order dessert - you'll be plenty full.
(5)
Jessica F.

What a surprise to find a perfect little pizza here--thin crust, Italian style. I had been to Trattoria Demi a handful of times over the years but only had the pizza for the first time this month. The crust was perfect--light, a little crisp but not hard or burned. I appreciate the variety of interesting vegetarian options--really tasty combinations rather than your standard fungus options. Each topping ingredient was well prepared on its own--the onions were sauteed or grilled or whatever, not just slapped on raw. And I appreciate their willingness to customize (unlike Trattoria DOC in Evanston which has a snobbish attitude and states on the menu that substitutions are not permitted). The pasta is acceptable but nothing special. I would definitely come here again for the pizza.
(4)
L B.

We didn't really enjoy our recent dinner here. Walked past the place a million times, but this was the first time we tried it. We waited a long time for our food. There were about 5 other small tables there when we arrived. Probably 3 or 4 off them had already ordered and were waiting for food while the others already had their entrees. So while I understand they might have gotten quite a few orders in a short space of time, it's not like they were exactly slammed. It still took about 25 minutes to get our appetizer, and then another 15 minutes to get our entrees. But I can deal with a wait if the food is good, which this wasn't. The complimentary bread was pale and tasteless, on par flavorwise with the stuff you get from the grocery store bakery but less attractive. We ordered the goat cheese appetizer, which was not terrible but not great either. Plain ball of goat cheese in a puddle of acceptable if not amazing marinara. 4 pieces of toast with some sort of herb/oil smear on it--basil? It didn't have tons of flavor to be honest. The entrees were awful. My dining companion and I both ordered small pizzas--a Genoa and a Parma. The Parma was too salty and lacked flavor. Mostly you just tasted the proscuitto. I'm fairly certain the crust was from the freezer. It had that uniform shape you only get from food service companies, and it wasn't bready or airy but rather hard and dense like a frozen Tombstone-style pizza crust. Not even a little tasty. The Genoa was downright horrible though. The salami had a weird, off taste to it that overtook the whole pizza. I normally love olives on my pizza, but here they just didn't work with the other flavors. I ate a piece and a half and that was all I could stomach. We ended up sharing the Parma and leaving the Genoa on the table. Really, I think this place deserves 2 stars, but I'm giving 3 for two reasons: 1) The service was actually decent. There was only one server and one busser/assistant, and despite the fact that they were covering the whole restaurant our waters were refilled, drink orders came promptly, and the food came out the moment it appeared at the window (I could tell because I sat facing the kitchen). 2) We didn't try any of the pastas, meat dishes, or seafood dishes. It's possible that pizzas are the one really weak spot on the menu and we may have just made poor ordering choices. Now, I think it's deplorable that a restaurant would charge $12 for a pizza made with mediocre toppings and a frozen crust and the restaurant should entirely remove them from the menu, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on the rest of the food. However, I personally won't be returning to find out if their other dishes are any better. Too many other good options to waste another meal here!
(3)
Y A.

Absolutely the best place for gnocchi! My boyfriend and I have tried gnocchi at several restaurants in the city and suburbs, and nothing compares to the Asiago Gnocchi in vodka sauce at Trattoria Demi.
(5)
M R.

Very, very good lunch specials, although with limited options.
(4)
Scott H.

I'll admit that I continue to be amazed that this place stays open. It's a charming enough space on a busy stretch of one of Evanston's main drags, but the food lacks any real flavor and is needlessly heavy. As I said on another review site, 'I've made better Italian starting with Jewel pasta and Prego.' Go over to Dave's Italian Kitchen for a much better meal and quite possibly a smaller check.
(1)
Katie C.

I can't tell you how disappointed I was with my dinner at Trattoria Demi. Not really knowing anything about the place (gosh darn it, I should have yelped it beforehand) we walked in and were greeted by a semi-upscale, faux-finished atmosphere. There were many pasta dishes on the menu, a couple meat and seafood options. I chose the grilled salmon over a bed of beans, leeks, spinach, and roma tomatoes. The boy ordered the steak with red mashed potatoes and green beans. We ordered the house pinot noir to come out with our meals, and started off by sharing the mixed greens with balsamic. The only good thing about my meal was the salad. The greens, tomatoes, and onions were fresh, and the balsamic was slightly sweet. My salmon, however, was almost inedible. When I order salmon in this type of restaurant, I expect it to be moist and soft. This salmon was dry and almost hard. The bed of spinach, leeks, beans, etc. underneath was cooked in a nice flavored au ju, but the beans were totally undercooked. Yuck. His meal was a little better--the steak was a tiny bit tough, but had good flavor. I won't be coming back here again. Just not interested. (The only reason I gave them two stars instead of one (or none) is because the salad saved the day, as well as the discovery that I like pinot noir).
(2)
Jess B.

Pretty mediocre italian food. Nothing I've had has wowed me here- the pizza, gnocchi, arancini, lasagna, and they even managed to make a bad creme brÃ»lÃ©e! Maybe I just ordered the wrong things but after two tries, I give up.
(1)
Chris D.

This is a nice little gem for us downtown Evanston dwellers. It is a local, cozy, reasonably priced Italian restaurant with a nice al fresco set up along Sherman Avenue. I'm a little shocked by some of the negative reviews below. However, we have had times when they seemed understaffed, or they had new people working who were not quite attentive. The house salad is green & clean and I love that! Who needs all the bitter "field greens" salads you get everywhere else. The thin crust pizza is the absolute best. Beats Dave's. Beats all the local pizza houses. And the house wines are quite good and reasonably priced. Should you come up to Evanston from Chicago for this? No, but it is a great spot if you are already here.
(4)
George K.

Easy-going and comfortable, this place gets high marks in my book. I've probably visited about ten times and I've been impressed by its consistency AND its very nice wine list. Waiters are friendly and efficient (they don't stop and chat if this happens to be your gig). Back-room cooks all wear head garb, which is a key quality indicator for me. The wine glasses they use are the ones you'll find in the Tuscany hills - that's Italian. Only demerit is for lighting. I think table candles would really help the atmospherics.
(4)
Jon J.

A favorite of my friends in Evanston, I am usually happy to go there with them. It's consistent Ameri-Italian... nothing spectacular, but nothing bad either. Good, old fashioned "red sauce" Italian food. I've never had any problems with the service. Kitchen seems a bit slow at times. Prices are reasonable and the vibe is pretty relaxed. An average place to go when you're in the mood for no frills Italian.
(3)
Suchintha J.

This is not the unpretentious Italian restaurant it used to be a couple of years ago. This is the second time I'm been recently. The first time I ordered Calamari for appetizers. It was great. My friend ordered meat balls and it was as good as any I've had in the past. My Entree, Lamb Shank, was awful. It had too much mustard that tasted like a load of wasabi. At the same time, there was honey in it and had a sweet taste to it. Wasn't even seasoned. It was the worst ever. Can't remember what my friend ordered, but I don't remember him raving about it either. I gave it a try today again and didn't see any improvements. First off, I called to make a reservation. They didn't even ask for my name for the reservation. Calamari was good as last time. Our Bruscetta appetizer took over 30 minutes. My sister ordered lasagna and it had no taste. The kids and my brother-in-law ordered pizza and it was mediocre. My Tortellini was very creamy and had no taste. Tasted like a packet TV dinner. All in all the food is less than OK. It is a very nice restaurant with a lot of potential. If you are interested in authentic Italian food, this is not the place. For some good food, I'd go to Omagio next door.
(2)
Midori G.

Nothing special; nothing bad. Plus for nicely grilled veggies. Minus for not freshly grated parmesan. Plus for tons of lemon with the calamari. Minus for the bland sauce with the calamari. Conclusion; I'll leave the Italian dishes to myself as long as I'm dining in Evanston. Note: Only takes reservations for parties of 6+.
(3)
Melissa T.

Every time my family comes to visit me at school, we go to this restaurant. It's really, really cute, with candlelight, a small restaurant space, and a really homey yet sophisticated atmosphere. The food is pretty good. I always get the ravioli, but that's probably because I could eat ravioli every day of my life. Also, this place is perfect for dates. It's really low-key and romantic!!
(3)
Greg C.

A simple Italian bistro with great food. The homemade pesto is to die for and all the pasta dishes are excellent. What it lacks in intimate atmosphere it makes up for in authentic food. highly recommend!!!
(5)
Keyser S.

My Linguini with clams was great; waitress was very rude. Gave me the menus to seat myself, and was impatient and looked annoyed when we were ordering. Never quite experiences anything like it. They looked understaffed and very busy.
(3)
Sarah E.

We tried Trattoria Demi for the first time last weekend. It was okay. The pasta is really nothing to write home about (although the portions are big). Service is pretty average. A little overpriced for what you get. It's got great "date-feel" ambiance. If only they improved the food quality they could turn this into an excellent restaurant.
(3)
Gfiddy F.

Trattoria Demi has great creamy dishes.
(5)
andrew z.

I work around the corner from here, and after a dozen lunches at Subway or Potbelly, I am definitely looking for something else. Trattoria Demi will probably be incorporated into the lineup. The food is pretty good -- nothing special, but not terrible. I just always feel weird paying someone else to cook pasta for me since it is so easy. The sauce I had with my pasta was pretty fresh tasting and yummy. Since the food is fairly simple, I think most of these bad reviews hinge on bad service. I can see how that might be a problem here. The first time I went here, it was completely empty. I sat down and the waiter came by, but it definitely felt like I was interrupting him by being there. Recently, I went back, and service was MUCH better. I had people tripping over themselves to bring me bread and water and asking if things were ok, and do I need anything else. Maybe they have gotten the hint?
(4)
Ann Y.

Everyone on here has said it so well- Nothing too special. It's great for a lunch and they have a nice selection. I also love how it is small and never gets too loud.
(3)
Doris D.

Trattoria Demi is one of my favorite restaurants. Their Mona Lisa sandwich is to die for. It's got all the goods: turkey, olives, red peppers, gouda cheese and delicious italian bread! I crave this sandwich on a regular basis and it comes with crunchy homestyle potato chips. The adorable outdoor patio is perfect for a warm, sunny day hanging out with friends. Their wine is supurb; the staff is attentive and super nice. The desserts? Don't get me started...the coconut gellato is addicting. I will be back soon!
(4)
Maureen W.

Four of us went to Trattoria Demi last and we had a 3.5 star experience. Two of us really liked our food--theTagtiatelle with Mushrooms and the Tortellini della Nona were very good. The Florentine pizza was also good although I liked it more than the person who ordered it. It would have been closer to a four star review except that the Linguini Marinara with Homemade Meatballs was a real letdown. It was bland and unremarkable. If you go and you stick to the better dishes you should have a good time. The service was very good and the decor was nice.
(3)
maurice s.

Nice little restaurant. Attractive room with outdoor seating in the summer. Good pasta and appetizers. I've been here maybe a dozen times over the years and never experienced any service problems.
(4)
Anne M.

Another 3.7 stars (technically). Yelp? Can we get a better dialed-in star rating system? This was place was EMPTY @ 3PM on a Friday afternoon. What can I say, I'm in between jobs (yay!). Decent calamari appie, very good pizza with marinated beef and truffle oil and so-so house salad and eggplant linguini. Good house chianti.
(3)
Anna H.

Good italian food! I likethat it's in downtown Evanston and within walking distance of campus, the small and intimate size of the restaurant, and the food is good as well. My favorite dishes are the half chicken and the clam linguine. They recently started delivering, so as the weather gets colder, I'm sure I'll be testing the delivery service. If the food gets to me and is still warm and tasty, I'll probably come back and update the rating the 4 stars.
(3)
Marissa D.

This place has officially achieved one-star status in my book. I HATE IT! I went here for like the 15th time this past Sunday and they have one server working, as usual, who acts like its an inconvenience to be serving us. Bread took forever to get to our table...my friend's risotto was bad...the entire experience filled me with the desire to write a really bad review about them on Yelp. If their service was friendlier, things would be much better. But it's not. So I say NO WAY to Trattoria Demi.
(1)
Lauren D.

Is there such a thing as "fast food Italian"? Because if there was, then this place would be ideal. But since no one wants fast food Italian, I'll simply say that it wouldn't be a bad idea to generally avoid Trattoria Demi. They serve wine in funny glasses that remind me of cups for kids. Food is whatever. Go to Piazza Bella.
(2)
Erin C.

I think this place is what it is. It's a college-town italian place with decent pasta and not-so-great service. It's not too expensive, so you don't have to wait until your parents come to town to go there. When I was a student here, I remember thinking it was a cozy, romantic little place. Now that i'm a grown-up, i still think it's cozy, but maybe not so romantic. I guess my standards have changed a bit. All in all, it's probably not worth the trip up from the city, but it's great for evanstonians, especially the college crowd.
(3)
Margo M.

Great little Italian place to get some good food and wine - and it comes with a relatively inexpensive bill to boot! The pasta dish I tried (baked rigatoni, or something like that) was fantastic! The service was very good, and the atmosphere is nice.
(4)
Jolie R.

We've been there a couple of times. Great service, yummy food and terrific atmosphere, eating both inside and outside on a warm sunny evening. Pasta, seafood - it's all good! Love it!
(5)
Eric H.

They agreed to make an off the menu request - my favorite, mushroom and artichoke heart pizza in the white and all I can say is, "wow, fantastic". One of the best pies I've had.
(4)
Beth C.

I am surprised this place has gotten such bad reviews. I agree the food is nothing too special, but who doesn't like comfort food every once in a while? Order the baked rigatoni--it's a delicious combination of pasta, marinara sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella baked until the cheese gets crispy on top. This is the perfect Italian restaurant for the college crowd. I went here at least twice a month during my time at Northwestern. It is cute (small black tables with candles) and cheap (about $11 for a pasta dish). The outdoor tables are great in the summer. Go on Mondays--the wine is half price.
(4)
Kat W.

Nice quaint atmosphere, the inside looks great. The entire staff is very professional (with uniforms/aprons) and the waitstaff is very good. The food is more Americanized that I would like. Putting beans and chick peas in minestrone is very American, and Lasagne should have meat in it; that's the case where I used to eat it a lot... in Italy/Europe.
(3)

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Address : 1571 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL, 60201
Phone (847) 332-2330
Website https://trattoriademi.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
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 : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

Claim Restaurant

Italian Cuisine

The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.

Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.

If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.

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Trattoria Demi

1571 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL, 60201

Trattoria Demi Menu

Antipasti - Salads & Soups

Antipasti - Small Plates

For The Table

Pasta

Entrees

Seafood

Sides

Specialty Pizza

Build Your Own Pizza

Dessert

Healthy Meal suggestions for Trattoria Demi

Antipasti - Salads & Soups

Antipasti - Small Plates

For The Table

Pasta

Entrees

Seafood

Sides

Specialty Pizza

Build Your Own Pizza

Dessert

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