Love love love this place My mom and I stopped by yesterday for lunch. I had the Romano-Crusted Chicken Salad and she had the grilled salmon. We also had the strawberry sangaria each and enjoyed our lunch on the patio on a beautiful May Saturday. We had lovely time.
(5)
B R Hungry X.
After our first visit, my husband had contacted Bravo through their website to give them some insight on our experience. We had hope our observation and comment would help them better themselves as a team. We received an email immediately from the General Manager with his sincere apology regarding the poor experience we had during our first visit to the restaurant. He also took ownership of their faults and invited us to give them a try again. With that being said, we gave them (3) stars for taking immediate action and during our visit, the restaurant ran very well. Now, the question would be, if they could keep that momentum going and continue to build off that. Everyone deserves a second chance if the apology was sincere and they took ownership of their faults.
(3)
Hannah H.
About a 1-1.5: My friend and I came to check out BRAVO! for lunch. They have an extensive menu, offering brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, a bar menu, as well as gluten-free options. I tried their Pasta BRAVO!, which happen to be their signature dish - this was comprised of rigatoni, tossed with wood-grilled chicken and mushrooms, all in a roasted red pepper cream sauce. The chicken was undercooked (!), which had to be sent back to be cooked longer. The rigatoni actually was over cooked and mushy, and I was a little sad as we were in an Italian restaurant. There was also pasta water that happened to be added to the sauce, which watered it down, making it not as thick as it was intended to be T___T We were a little disappointed with the service as well, as while we were the only patrons dining in, our order was not taken until about a half an hour later! It seems as if some other pasta dishes could have been really tasty, but I am not sure how much you can customize in terms of the consistency of the sauce as well as the request for al dente pasta (!). I'm glad I was able to check out BRAVO!, but I will most likely not come back! +undercooked chicken (!) +watered-down sauce T___T +overcooked pasta T___T +located in the Glen
(2)
MQ Q.
Just consistently bad experiences at this Bravo. Everytime I come back, and it's usually because we like to take the kids to the park afterward, I wonder why we don't come here. Tonight, slow as usual, but compounded by them getting both mine and my wife's orders completely wrong, my steak being completely overdone and resulting in me not even eating my meal. Manager threw in some coupons but we probably won't be back and just go to Jamesons across the street. Avoid!
(2)
Lauren G.
This place is pretty average. It's not great but it's also not awful. The peach Bellini was delicious I had the pasta BRAVO! Which is their signature dish. Rigatoni with chicken smothered in a spicy tomato sauce. GOOD but very thin and minimal amount of chicken slices. Between the drink and the dish it was 35.00 with tip. Then again, much better than the amount you would pay at Olive Garden. I suggest this place for a day with the family or a nice brunch.
(3)
Gin G.
Second visit to Bravo in 5 years. Now I know why we hadn't been back in so long. Great service isn't something I require if the food and price live up to my expectations. Service wasn't great so the food better be phenomenal, right? Not! Decided on an early din before the 4th of July fireworks yesterday. Got there at 6pm n kids were hungry. They were able to seat us right away. The place was almost empty...at 6pm...on 4th of July...n fireworks are right across the street. Sign?? No place settings at the table. Just menus. Maybe they bring place settings out with your food?? Ordered drinks. Peach Bellini for me but not great!! Apps: calamari=rubbery n quite greasy Still no place setting, app plates, napkins... So I had to request them. I guess place settings are optional here. Dinner: 5 pastas n grilled salmons Salmon was nothing special. $18 gives u a piece of 4-5oz chard salmon, 3 stalks of asparagus n some sprinkled medley of other veggies on top. Pastas were awful!! An Italian restaurant that can't do pasta right? All 5 pasta dishes we ordered were so bland (n I usually eat my food bland) but these were tasteless, soupy n served luke warm we only ate half our plates. I could eat plain buttered noodles if the pasta is cooked properly. I like my pasta al dente!! But these were so mushy n over cooked. For the prices that were attached to these pastas you would think they were fresh/handcut, but not the case here. I can see one or two pastas being messed up but all 5? Is it possible we ordered 5 of the worst pastas out of the 8 listed? Dessert: warm chocolate cake with ice cream on top Kids liked it so this review gets a star for that. But how can kids not like chocolate anything with ice cream on it, right? Won't be going back. Not even in another 5 years.
(1)
michelle k.
We have celebrated birthdays, baby showers, as well as had casual dining here for dinner or brunch/lunch. They have a fabulous kids menu, and the food is really good. Staff is always pleasant to deal with.
(5)
Felix K.
The decor is a 5 for this place. However, the food is on par with Olive Garden at best. I had the lasagna: he sauce was whatever, however, they used fettucini for the pasta and it didn't sit well with me. Definitely a first and last visit for me to this place. I must admit though, the calamari was pretty good but not worth the trip back.
(1)
Alex J.
I guess if customers have never had authentic Italian cuisine from any region in Italy then Bravo may be considered to be decent Italian food. Food was blah at best. Young man serving us was fabulous. Restaurant seemed off. This was our fourth time at Bravo, as guests. Cheesy decor for basically an upscale Olive Garden. Need creative management to recreate the scene. Boring at best. The whole restaurant seems sad and depressing. Generally I find management to set the attitude of a restaurant.
(1)
Chris L.
My family had a chicken milanese. The chicken was not cooked well, so my daughter & I had a diahrrhea for two days. We were waiting the order for 15 min and complained to the server. I think the server forgot our order, so they just cooked quickly. Just don't go this restaurant.
Solid choice for a dinner after a few hours at Kohl Children's Museum. It was the first time for us so I made reservations via Yelp. Friday at 5pm the place was filling up fast so I was glad we made the reso's. Service was super sweet and friendly from start to finish. Because it was our first time there our server brought out a complimentary taste of their fried ravioli with two different sauces--the pomodoro and the horseradish. Both were good and the fried raviolis was pretty much like a crispy mozzarella bite. Each table gets a basket of herbed bread and a plate of olive oil for dipping. Unfortunately most of our bread was hard, which was confusing as it was still warm too. Old bread? not sure. The menu is huge--apps, salads, soups, pastas and entrees. My cousin opted for the Pasta Fra Diavolo with shrimp. I got to try a bite and it was very tasty. The pasta was cooked well and the sauce was a flavorful tomato base with a spicy note. This would have been my first choice but decided to go pesto instead. I wish I stuck with the Diavolo. I opted for the chicken and pesto spaghettini. The pasta, spinach and chicken were cooked perfectly but I wish the dish had more pesto "oomph". It was a pesto cream sauce and it needed more of the basil pesto element. I ordered the cheese pizza off the menu for my son and it was HUGE! Along with my salad, I could have had a couple of slices of the pizza and called it a meal. The server said the kids pizza is basically the same as the regular menu pizza, just offered with less toppings. The pasta portions were huge too and both of us took home leftovers. My cousin and I opted for coffee instead of dessert and it was a delicious dark rich blend--a nice ending.
(3)
Ashley S.
I have never had such a bad experience in my life. 1. They lost my reservation I made a reservation using their online system, and even called an hour ahead of time to confirm with "Matt" and to ask if we could sit outside. Once we got there, they did not have our reservation so we ended up waiting 30 minutes to be seated. 2. They charged me an extra $50 To pay, I used a $50 gift card and put the rest of the bill on my credit card. When I looked at my credit card statement, they had charged the FULL amount on my credit card. 3. They charged me ANOTHER extra $50 ... $100 extra total! I called and talked to the manager about the incorrect charge on my credit card and was told I would be refunded the incorrect $50 charge. Instead, they charged ANOTHER $50 to my card. I now have paid $100 extra to this awful restaurant. I will be reporting this to the better business bureau if it does not get fixed in a timely fashion.
(1)
Jacob J.
A smidgen or a "scosh' better than the Olive Garden. Much like a quality sit-down; they offer the essentials like a front door host, valet service, door people, etc so that put them above the run-of-the-mill chain like OG. However, that's where the buck ended for me. (For those that don't cook much at home, you would enjoy their food. But for those of us that enjoy cooking at home, you'd wager doing it better.) Joining friends for dinner, this was the decided meeting place. I opted to eat light choosing a Bravo salad that came with a lemon vinaigrette. That day was the first time I've passed on devouring a salad, due to drowning in dressing. Next course was the grilled mahi mahi which they killed a second time, rendering it as rubber. (Note: there are two reasons as to why fish would be "rubbery." 1. Frozen 2. overcooked, I would wager it was a combination of both. Further evidence, the darkened grill marks) Mahi mahi is a beautiful fish as an entree. It should be light and flaky when using a fork. For it to be rubbery is a monumental waste of the fish. (At somewhere over $16 a plate, I have had better & fresher quality in the city for a lesser cost.) Moving on. My main sources of sustenance was the meager amount of sauteed vegetables with couscous which were decent and my single house cocktail. My date got a seafood pasta dish with miniscule scallops over linguini in a spicy red sauce. Although the scallops were probably the tiniest we've ever seen they gave plenty, the flavors were popping and an enjoyment to devour. Our waiter was a nice enough person but inept at gauging adequate time periods to check on our needs. Hence, I would have ordered more but with the gross waiting times, didn't. For a Saturday night seating for dinner at 7 pm, the place was probably at 60% capacity. I agree with the other reviewer that commented about them having far too many seats / large tables, that it's hard to navigate around them. In my periphery view, other diners and their conversations were closer than necessary.
(3)
Chris D.
I don't understand all the negative reviews here. The service and food were very good. I had the Penne Mediterranean, which the waiter recommended adding lemon and garlic. The portion was large enough to take home. The bread was amazing. I picked up a carryout menu and definitely will return.
(4)
Genevieve L.
There's nothing more irritating than the infamous Italian restaurants that pack you in like sardines leaving you elbow to elbow with the couple right next to you. Luckily, this place give you plenty of room to enjoy your meal. We came here with a group of about 100. It was kind of a last minute thing but they were able to put the party within the 2 days notice we gave them. They can serve individual or family style. We chose the family style and they gave very generous servings of whatever protein we ordered. We ordered a few dishes. First was the tilapia filets which were nice and flaky. Then we moved on to the spicy shrimp pasta which probably could've had more of a kick. There's also a side of potatoes that are served piping hot and crispy. If you're a fan of potatoes, you MUST order this! For dessert, they gave us a tray of tiramisu on the house since our party was so large. The tiramisu was good. Not terrible but nothing out of this world either. Overall, everyone had a great time and the prices were pretty decent.
(4)
Diane C.
I have been here a few times. I've enjoyed it. I like the ambience and love the Glen. The one thing that I cannot forget is the warm molten chocolate cake with ice cream. Out of this world. Can't wait to go back. I asked for linguine with garlic and olive oil and it was nicely done, al dente. The salads are great.
(4)
Jessica D.
Came in for a project closing get together after work. Delicious appetizers in a well appointed Italian-American space. My favorite was the mushroom bruschetta. They also have amazing fried ravioli with a cream sauce or marinara for dipping. Great Arnold Palmers and my colleagues enjoyed the vino selections. Great outside seating if the weather cooperates. Valet parking. Can't wait to go back for a full meal.
(4)
Ed R.
Great food and exceptional service from their staff (Allison & Annie). The steak was very good for a place that is geared to pasta. Was packed but the service was outstanding!!
(5)
Sonia B.
I've been to Bravo a few times and have always had a good experience. The food is always good, the service is good, and the ambiance is lovely. I've read some reviews stating that Bravo is in line with Olive Garden, but I beg to differ. I think Bravo is definitely a step up! We enjoyed the Crispy Shrimp Napoli, Italian Wedding Soup, Lobster Bisque, and all the pastas we have tried! I loved that I was able to order the chicken and pesto spaghettini, but request a vodka sauce instead of the pesto! My husband loves the lobster ravioli and the eggplant parm. Our server was awesome...she was friendly, gave good suggestions, she made a great peach Arnold Palmer, and was the right amount of attentive!
(4)
Shayna Y.
Solid choice for the suburbs! What I love is that they have a gluten free menu and a light menu with calories. Win win! I split the caprese salad (290 cals) for my app. Then got the 5oz filet with asparagus, sweet potato, and tomatoes (365 cals). I love it when I can eat out and be healthy!
(3)
Amra P.
The bread is the main reason my son whines to go there. We also love catching their happy hour and little bar many. Food is delicious and price is good . We are there regular !
(5)
L H.
Went after a business meeting. Hostess had no idea where to seat us in the empty restaurant. She needed help from another woman who literally said " heck if I know" Finally seated... Took 15 minutes for a waiter to offer a beverage and that was only because I found a server from another section and asked to find our server Ordered beverages. One of four arrived to the table. The other three took ten minutes Server came and took a small order that our party could share. Fried shrimp and a small pizza. The shrimp was delivered but the waiter said I can't serve your pizza, it was burned. He put the shrimp dish on the table and neglected to provide utensils or plates. I went and got both from behind the server area for the whole table Stayed another 45 minutes and no sign of our waiter. We went to the bar and asked for beverages and were told our waiter would handle it. Needless to say... He was STILL MIA so we had to stop the next server we saw to request beverages. FINALLY it was time to leave and we waited for a bill. Our server was still MIA and we had to ask a different server for the bill, which we paid immediately. THATS when our server showed up and asked if we wanted our bill, we thanked him and said it was already taken care of. NEVER will any of us go to that poor excuse for a restaurant. Don't waste your time. Service is terrible, and as we only received one item we ordered (which was pretty tasteless) this is not a review about the food For a restaurant to be good, the atmosphere, service and attention to detail must be equally as enjoyable as the food. There is no way that will happen in this place.
(1)
Rich P.
I had lunch here today with a couple friends and thoroughly enjoyed it. The fact that it was the first 80 degree day this year and there was outdoor seating made for the start of a good lunch. They start you out with some herb bread and oil which is standard Italian and it was warm and tasty. Next I had a Caesar salad which was perfectly fine without an over abundance of dressing that some places provide. We asked for some recommendations and the waitress gave us several including the Salmon which is what I had. The plate arrived with a colorful array of vegetables including tomatoes, sweet potato cubes, spinach and asparagus. There was also a sauce that appeared like Italian dressing but wasn't and added a nice complement to the veggies. The salmon wasn't spectacular as far as that goes but it was still tasty and enjoyable. I'll likely visit for lunch again.
(4)
Tricia D.
Honestly, when I think of carbs around the north burbs, Bravo comes to mind. Maybe because I totally ate everything in sight here after I ran the Chicago marathon. Really, how can you go wrong with ordering the signature Pasta Bravo! dish? Mushrooms, grilled chicken, and red pepper sauce are the perfect combination. And in case anyone asks, yes, chocolate chip bread pudding does count as carb loading. I was also told to tell yelp that the bread oil and lemon butter sauce with that one pasta dish are good. So good that you need to mop it up with the bread and/or try to avoid splashing it all over your shirt.
(4)
Ben W.
I've seen a range of reviews for Bravo! After our experience, we had to add our praise for the food and especially the staff. We will be back! I'll lead with the kudus: Tabatha (our server) and her support staff on the floor and in the kitchen went over and above to make sure we had a terrific experience. Thank you! Allow me to first describe the food. Then, I'll tell you why we will be back. Our family of five valeted the family SUV (easy and convenient) and checked in at the host desk. We had made an open table reservation and we looked forward to the venue. They were ready for us. We arrived at our table and our server (Tabatha) greeted and took care of us. We ordered: Salmon Pasta - nicely grilled on a bed of greens. Tasted great. Bolognese fettuccine - great flavor for the sauce and a kid pleaser. Kids Raviolis - our son could have eaten twice as many. Other than a bit more on the portion, he liked them all. Scallop over angel hair - it normally comes with some spiciness. We ordered it without the heat and it was delicious. The service was great. We were expected and seated promptly. We were greeted in a timely manner and engaged with our server. She made suggestions and knew when to leave us alone when our kids were undecided. The support staff kept waters full and brought out more bread. So, here is the part that puts them to 5 stars. Our teenager uses a retainer. She placed it on a bread plate then left the table for a restroom break. The efficient support staff whisked away the plate with the retainer. When she arrived back at the table, she was stunned. She couldn't find her retainer. Then, it dawned on her what had happened. We quickly informed our server and she and her team went into action. We witnessed a bustle of activity and within 10 minutes or so, our server arrived with the retainer! Both my wife and I have been servers and understand the craziness of a busy Easter afternoon with the kitchen buzzing and plates flying. The extra effort to help us recover a misplaced item was much appreciated and the food and table service was great. We stayed and ordered dessert and coffee and shared a relived laugh with our server. Thank you Bravo! Well done! See you next time.
(5)
Tina G.
Came to this location for a bridal shower back in April. The amount of food with the package was insane and delicious! The peach bellinis are phenomenal! I would love to come back to try it for a dinner!
(4)
Garrett V.
Sat outside at first, eaten alive by bugs so moved in. Bad start to the night We had to ask for refills, even for the water The pasta BRAVO was pretty good, 3.5/5. Tasty sauce Finished with gelato, nothing special and only two flavors (vanilla and mocha) Would be a 3 if it weren't for the Mosquitos that wreaked havoc on the patio, we happened to be the only table affected by it. If you had a choice between here and Yardhouse, go to Yardhouse. Bravo is very close though to becoming something great.
(2)
Diana P.
So very average and staff could definitely use more training. Our waiter was very friendly just not attentive. We had a party of 5 & when the food came out, not one single person had their correct dish in front of them so we had to pass the dishes around. Food is OK, nothing great like I remember it being a few years back.
(2)
Tina T.
I had been to this Bravo and the one in Evanston several times in the past. As an Italian cook, I was not overly impressed by the food (especially for its upscale positioning), but found the experience enjoyable enough each time. This past Sunday, May 18th was a complete disaster! A friend and I were celebrating our mutual birthdays, so we opted for a late lunch arriving around 2:15. The restaurant was strangely busy and noisy; as it turns out, there were at least 3 large parties (birthday and bridal shower) going on, taking up the majority of the space. Apparently they segregate parts of the restaurant for parties all afternoon, with new parties starting just shortly after the previous ones end (a flurry of activity removing table cloths and reconfiguring furniture about 10 feet from where we were sitting...and the guests were mostly standing and mingling.) We were given a table along the window wall that was hurriedly prepared by the hostess. She threw new white paper sheets over a dirty tablecloth with tomato sauce stains on my side. As I sat down, my foot slipped right out from under me, only to find a huge salmon fillet on the floor that I had just stepped on. A gentleman came to clean the floor quickly. I explained that there was salmon stuck in the "waffle pattern" on the soles of my new sandals and asked if he could bring some paper towels. After assuring me he would be right back, I never saw him again and never got to clean my shoe. We had a pleasant waitress, who was clearly handling a big load of most of the non-party tables inside. The service was slow, but understandable given the under-staffing....so I don't blame her at all. When the entrees arrived, we were disappointed by several things: 1) I had ordered a Margarita stuffed flatbread and received a pepperoni one....which I could only tell after eating a portion of it because it was sort of like a quesadilla. 2) The salad that came with it was described as mixed greens with a balsamic vinaigrette. It made no mention of the blue cheese that would coat every leaf...and I absolutely despise blue cheese. 3) My friend never received his Caesar side salad, so we canceled it when the entrees arrived. The server checked with the kitchen and determined they had messed up my order, and informed me that they were making me the Margarita flatbread. After about 20 minutes with no new entree...and my friend pretty much done eating...I was informed the kitchen had lost the order and was just starting to make the new entree. When it finally arrived, the server apologized for the delay again and offered us complimentary desserts to make up for the debacle that our lunch had become. When I began to eat the margarita flatbread, the tomatoes had a slight ammonia taste, similar to how they start to taste when going bad. I did not have the wherewithall to send it back again. The complimentary dessert, while much appreciated, was only mediocre and I was glad not to have paid for it. I would like to believe this was just an off day for them. Not sure if I would go back.
(2)
Michael D.
Been waiting 20+ minutes for breakfast order! Not a fan. Ordered brunch...now its a late lunch!
(2)
Anna S.
We had a family celebration here and because of the larger group reserved a week ahead. When we got there in time they said it would take on other 10 minutes later. Half an hour after the reserved time we still didn't have a table, but the manager, after some discussion finally arranged something for us. We sat down, and it took them another 20 minutes to take our drink orders. Again talked to the manager, and we got another server assigned. Eventually we got some drinks and food (silver ware still missing though) but did not expect such poor service. The food was good but not worth that wait. Actually only one person on the table was truly satisfied with the food. The deserts however were good (granted by the time we finally got to order them some were out). The manager worked with us and cut down our bill significantly, which was the right thing to do and I appreciate that. It will however be the last time we went there.
I've been here a bunch of times in the restaurant and have always had good service and food. If your going for the drink and appetizer special after work don't bother. 3 times I have gone and they are always unprepared for the demand. You spend so much time waiting for your weak drink and food. The last time was the last time as it was awful! I was meeting 4 co workers there and arrived first. I literally waited for over 20 minutes until I complained. I watched servers and hostess's chat and no one came over. When I brought this to their attention how long I was waiting there their not sorry attitude was even ruder. Can you imagine making someone wait that long and than not even apologizing or offering a complimentary drink? I worked in restaurants for years and find their management style 3rd rate at best!
(1)
Michael S.
We loved the Bravo in Evanston and thought this would be as good. We went for an earlier dinner thinking it would mean better service. nOt We waited 30 minutes for the Waiter to even ask for drinks. We ordered our full meal instead. 10 minutes later we find out they didn't have the Lobster Bisque. A good kitchen would have let the staff know what is not available from the menu. We eventually got the Bravo pasta and flatbread. The sauce was just basic and lacked flavor. The flatbread was burnt. I guess they also forgot about the food. It was nothing amazing and likely will never go back. Will just wait and go to Evanston.
(1)
Yury D.
The only reason this place gets any stars is because the food is pretty good. Their shrimp appetizer is fantastic, the chopped salad is great, roast chicken is very good, and so is the skirt steak. The wait staff is very, very good, but the odds are really stacked against them. The front desk is an absolute disaster. The worst I've ever seen. G-d help you if you made a reservation for more than 4 people. The girls there are way too young and are constantly changing. It's no wonder NONE of them has a clue, other than to say that your table is being cleared now and will be ready in just a couple minutes. Rest assured your table is not being cleared, nor will it be ready anytime soon. I made a reservation several weeks in advance for Mother's Day at 6:30pm. They called me three times during the week to confirm, which I did each time. At 6:13pm, as we were walking out the door, they called again asking where we were, kind of rudely. I said we were on our way. They questioned why we were late, claiming the resrvation was for 6pm. No, I told them, it's 6:30pm, so the gal said fine. We waited OVER AN HOUR to get seated. Saw other frustrated people, including a friend that said his evening was ruined due to their hour+ wait. The manager comped us the appetizers, which is nice, but I'd rather pay full price and not wait. We must've been one of the last parties to get seated, because our food came-out relatively quickly. Last weekend we went with friends for a 7:15pm reservation. Same deal. Several young girls at the front desk said there was no reservation. I made one of them go down the list and, sure enough, there it was! We still wound-up waiting for almost 30 minutes to get seated. After we got seated the wait staff was running around as frantically as I've ever seen wait staff run. Really. Long story short, we waited -- at the table this time -- for about an hour for our food to arrive. The same manager took off a healthy amount from our tab, but that isn't the point. Here's the deal: someone over there does not understand the concept of resource constraints. We saw Costo plastic folding tables get taken-down after groups left. This is exactly the reason why we had to wait in front and why our food took so long to arrive. The wait staff was really fruststrated, but will still tipped the full fare. Why does this place let so many large parties come and still take walk-ins, etc.!? I will definitely not come here in a group anytime soon.
(2)
Ksenia P.
Made a reservation for 5 last Sunday . Was my brothers graduation and we decided to celebrate it here. The atmosphere is really nice and not loud. We ordered shrimps and calamari for appetizers and those were just good. Must say the entrees were delicious, pasta , tilapia and chicken tasty . My chicken came with a side of risotto which was the best I have ever tried! Service was good. Nice place to come with familia :)
(4)
J P.
Pasta Bravo and Pasta Woozie are excellent!
(4)
Katherine L.
Consistent and tasty food. They start you off with warm bread and dipping oil and I've tried many things on the menu...calamari, flatbread, salads, spaghetti and meatballs..while very simple, very well done with a flavorful pomodoro sauce. Their desserts...tiramisu, berry cake, and creme brule are a wonderful way to end the meal. And of course, grab a few minty chocolates on the way out. Great for families, lunch date or date night
(4)
Dee W.
I'm typically a fan of Bravo! I've hosted many luncheons/dinners and also ordered catering through Bravo - although majority of my experience is working with the Bravo down in Evanston. When my husband recommended dinner in the Glen with the family, I agreed to Bravo since I thought that we could depend on a good family experience. From the very beginning of the meal to the end, it was disappointing. After taking our drink order, our waiter forgot our son's lemonade since that came out a good 15 minutes after everyone else's drinks came out and it took a friendly reminder. Even though we requested chicken tenders and fruit, the plate came out with fries. I ended up reminding the waiter about the fruit and he brought a side of it out which I ended up getting charged extra for. My kids actually didn't touch the fries (the husband ate a handful) but demolished the fruit. I think that I know my kids' eating habits better. The actual meal was mediocre at best - my husband wasn't a fan of his food and I enjoyed my soup (the only highlight of this meal was a minestrone soup) but the salad had some wilted lettuce in there. Since the kids polished off their chicken and fruit, they were allowed to order an ice cream sundae which took a good 20 minutes to get there. In fact, our waiter forgot about it and brought us our check until we reminded him that we still needed our ice cream. Clearly, tables aren't well marked either because we were served someone else's food and we had to tell them that it was for the table next to us. I'll be back to Bravo in Evanston but never to The Glen again.
(1)
Stephanie R.
Great food, nice staff, but food takes way too long. There's maybe 2 other tables right now so it's not that busy.
(3)
Neema P.
Came here for DRINKS ONLY. They have an awesome drink and happy hour special, try the sangrias. They are good!
(5)
Lauren K.
Went here for lunch with my mother. She enjoyed the lobster bisque and a salad. I had a lunch special - pasta yandolino - it was very light and delicious. The service was pretty good, although my drink order was forgotten. The place was very busy for lunch, which is always good, too. Nice warm atmosphere, clean restaurant. Will definitely be back some time.
(4)
Song Y.
The soup and dessert were great. Fillet Mignon was way over-cooked, dry and bitter.
(2)
Bryan R.
If you like American Italian food come here. If you want more authentic Italian I would not recommend. The food is ok but definitely little expensive for what you get. Service however was good and received food quickly . The happy hour is really good and cheap. I like the laid back atmosphere. Overall it was a good experience.
(3)
Brett P.
I really don't expect much from this place due to past experience. Through a history of wanting it to be a good restaurant we have persevered through multiple visits. However, after last night's debacle I am done with it. Disinterested staff that look worn out even at quiet times. We were left to sit for 20 min on this occasion before we finally had to ask someone to take our order. Salad was quite good, flat bread appetizer bland and Luke warm. In an attempt to not over complicate the lives of the poor dears, I ordered veal Parmesan. Shouldn't be that hard right? What was served was half cooked conglomeration f slop that needs no more description. The whole exercise became a running joke with adjacent tables that were having their own issues. At least we weren't alone. Bye bye Bravo, that was simply disgraceful.
(1)
Martina M.
We went for a late brunch and unfortunately we didn't enjoy it. It was not a good meal for my husband and myself. I think that because it was so busy we were neglected, as customers. My husband said his garden omelette was awful, as in frozen vegetables inside of it....yikes and it was bland. I had eggs too and they were pretty bland. I can't believe how poor the service was?! That was our experience there and so unfortunately we won't be returning there.
(2)
Alison G.
Had a lunch there in a hot summer afternoon last year. Food was average. The best part is we enjoyed eating at the patio and having nice chat there. Yes but it was hot. Latte was so good I think it was lavazza if I remember right and I end up had two or three cups.
(3)
Heather A.
Food was great. My husband and I both enjoyed our dinners and the dessert we shared. The restaurant also has a nice atmosphere. I read a review where it said the wait staff had trouble figuring out where to seat them in a nearly empty restaurant, I'd say this is true. We were taken right away but were brought to a dirty table. The hostess got flustered and left us standing by the table. We ended up seating our selves and then the staff bussed the tables. The situation was just a little awkward but nothing that would keep me from going back.
(4)
Kristina B.
I am so happy with this holiday redo. Fathers Day at Bravo was delicious, comfortable and relaxing. We're thrilled that the last visit seems to have been a fluke. We will continue to view Bravo as a go-to place in The Glen.
(5)
Theresa U.
I had lunch here yesterday. I live in GA, eat here during a business trip. It was great! The people were very friendly. This was the best Tomato Bisque I've had. Great place, worth visiting!
(5)
Robert B.
We've been going here since it's been open, and really love the place, most all of the time. I'd never review a restaurant just going once--not fair. Nice ambiance, great decor, soft music--nice. Their bread is good, b/c as my wife says, if she doesn't like the bread--she doesn't like the restaurant. On to the food. The salmon over the asparagus, feta etc salad, -is her favorite-orders it everytime. I really love 2 of their chicken dinners, and the eggplant parm is another favorite. Spaghetti bolognese--outstanding. Portions on the lesser side. The desserts are ALL good. I have to laugh when I hear others complain about a ''holiday'' dinner, like Mothers day--and the poor service etc. Then DON"T GO on on of those days-- Have you ever heard of the 'night or day before'?? What do people expect? Those days are crazy EVERY where. It's a day when the once a year-ers go and expect it all. I don't ask for alot, good food, good service, but perfection? No. No such thing. Mistakes happen. From where I stand, when there was a mistake, we were taken care of in other ways. We Always leave happy. ie: IF- I wait a little tooooo long for a second plate of bread, (or whatever) I'll get up and look for my waiter, and re-ask. No anger, just a polite reminder. We all love this place, and hope it remains the popular place it seems to be. Go, eat there, and behave --you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Kathy G.
Recently hosted a work event at Bravo; called ahead, requested private diining room and signed a contract. Surprise - we arrived and were told someone else had the private dining room. They had a table (too small) against the wall where we were squeezed between other tables. Food was great, but I wouldn't bother planning ahead there. Catering manager said "sorry i didn't see your emails but I only work one day a week." Chalk it up to experience. After that difficulty, the food was great and so was the service. The boss chose the restaurant and he was happy.
(4)
O.M. R.
Been here a couple of times. Everything's great, except... Soups:-| i'm a huge soup lover, and their soups aren't that great:( Everything else... Awesome!
(4)
Ramena A.
The food is always amazing and so if the staff. I hate pasta, but I will gladly eat theirs.
(4)
Beth M.
Not worth it on any level. Server was more focused on turning the table than on serving my meal. She never did bring my second glass of wine and she tossed the portion that my mom was going to take home. I had another $15 gift certificate for this place. I gave it back to them and told them to give it to someone else. I won't be back. One star because I can't post 0 stars.
(1)
Nicole K.
Had my daughter's baptism here. We also eat here regularly. Usually the staff is hit or miss. Leo is the best if you can request him. Excellent food and very kid friendly. Our special party was fantastic. Great prices and we were really treated very well and they catered to our guest's special allergy request. The manager stopped by to make sure everything was okay. Valets were amazing.
(5)
Elliott D.
I have to agree with a number of the other reviewers, I'm not entirely sure why there is so much negativity about this place. I've been here several times since I moved into the area and have always had a good experience. The decor is kind of kitschy in that it's a Roman ruins kind of theme with painted grape leaves and lots of fake stucco with these strange and random columns but the service is good and the food better than decent. The waiters are attentive and I've never had to wait long either for more bread, water, or refills. If I have one complaint it's that sometimes the waitstaff can make you feel rushed. I don't think this is their intention but it is the case that their attentiveness and desire to be helpful can cross the line into annoying. As to the food, I've never had a bad meal. This definitely isn't your home cooked Italian but then again, I don't expect it to be either. For means of comparison, I'd say that it's a step up from Olive Garden. However, you're not paying an incredible amount for a meal so why complain? The lobster bisque is good, the lobster ravioli better, and the sandwiches are a great lunch option. It's a solid three stars and that's exactly what I expected the moment I walked in; maybe others were expecting more, but it's not trying to be Charlie Trotters.
(3)
amanda g.
Good food! Nothing special but good execution and nice presentation. FOH sucks! Really bad service. The Bussboy give us better service versus the server.
(3)
Jennifer T.
This restaurant is hit or miss. The hits are usually big hits - great service from the bartender, outstanding mahi mahi dish, good sized portions and the misses are not huge so really I'd say 3 1/2 stars if it would let me. The misses are slow carry-out and/or missing food on occasion, too loud in the restaurant when it's busy and some servers are not as knowledgeable and/or accommodating as others, which you probably find in most restaurants anyway.
(3)
Susan B.
I've been going here for years now, and I go b/c it's been delicious. Nice help too. The place is designed in an exotic Italian style, and there's usually some very soft music playing in the backround- a nice touch.Very relaxing-or romantic. Open kitchen, I love that. Prices aren't cheap. The bread is great and the presentation of their dishes is near stunning. Wedding soup along with lobster bisque. YUM. great soups! Eggplant is so excellent, and the desserts are to die for. Their huge salad with the charred salmon on top is the best I have ever had --like Las Vegas good.The bottom line is that you will either like or love it there. Don't wear any ripped or dirty jeans please. Let's keep at least one place classy-ha ha
(5)
Irene A.
Wish I could give negative stars. I took my sons here for lunch while I was working from home one day and lunch took almost an hour to get our food and the place was empty. Turns out that the kitchen lost our order and we were informed if this after a half hour of waiting. After we were told, it didn't seem like they were in a rush to get our food to us. We waited another half hour and no good so we just left. This annoyed mom and these hungry kids are never coming back.
(1)
Eric T.
We have been to Bravo at least 3-4 times, and while the place is nice and servers are good, I feel like they make way too many amateur mistakes when they are busy, and I feel like they will lose customers. Example: there was a HUGE party (~40 guests) by us (8 adults + 1 infant), and it seemed like no other table existed or mattered except the HUGE party one. Our appetizers took 40+min to arrive; the meals were "following" about 40 min after that. One of our friends ordered the apple orchard salad, and the apples were brown when they arrived. When we complained to the wait staff, they seemed to be confused by our complaint that apples in the APPLE orchard salad should be FRESH and not wilted...8-| So to rectify this, they brought the SAME salad with brown apples back to the table, along with a small plate of fresh sliced apples!!!! Our friend thought this was insulting, and vowed NEVER to return. I cannot blame him (and no I do not think he is a snob) - there is just too much competition in this type of restaurant space to make such careless mistakes. The manager did wind up taking about 50% off the bill (the remainder of the meals had issues as well), but the damage to their reputation was done. I still give this place a 3 out of 5 star rating because I have had better experiences there, and hope they train their entire staff on how to handle things when there is a rush. P.S. Here is a suggestion: for large parties offer family-style packages. This eases the pressure off the kitchen staff to deliver everyone's meals at once, and allows other guests to be served in a timely manner as well.
(3)
Jasmine L.
My husband and I went to BRAVO! (for the 1st time) for my birthday on Jan 30th. Our waitress was Kristy and all I can say is that SHE IS AMAZING!! VERY personable towards adults, VERY accommodating and engaging with children (she got our son some pizza dough to play with as "magic playdough") and has great suggestions with food menu items for 1st-timers! On Kristy's suggestion, we went with the "Portobello&Boursin Bruschetta" as our appetizer. Not at all your normal bruschetta, but it was one word....AMAZING! I HIGHLY recommend this appetizer! Also on Kristy's suggestion, I got the "Insalata Rustica" as my salad and that was great! a very different salad unlike anything else I have every had but very fresh, light, had a GREAT crunch with the fresh crispy panchetta and the dried cherries added amazing flavor! Definitely a MUST TRY! We got our son the mac-n-cheese, which was amazing (of course I had to try it...yummy), and my husband got the nightly special which was a Grilled Salmon Pasta. The salmon was light and flavorful and even though the dish had alot of ingredients, it was very light and airy! They need to add this one on the menu all the time! On Kristy's recommendation, I got the "Balsamic Glazed Chicken". SO yummy! The chicken is split and grilled on a bed of orzo and veggies! A MUST TRY! The ambiance was very nice, classy and quiet even thought there were alot of families dining out that evening. The wine selection is GREAT too. There was also live music in the bar area which was nice in the background. And the best part is that the valet is FREE!! I HIGHLY recommend not only BRAVO! Cuciana Italiana but Kristy as a waitress!
(5)
Adam H.
Ouch. We walked in and sat at the bar, where I ordered 2 peach bellinis (which were ok but not much a of 'bellini') while my lady-friend used the restroom. I was asked if we were eating dinner but I said no and that we would be eating appetizers (on special). Unfortunately, we did not get a menu or even a glance for about 10 minutes before I had to ask for one, then received a full dinner menu which we did not require. Although we werent in much of an eating mood anymore (after 15 more minutes) we glanced at the correct menu, when it eventually came, then were reminded that we had 30 minutes for the appetizer special to still apply. We finally ordered a tasty flatbread that earned BRAVO! their star otherwise I'd have to give zero (if it were possible). We're both 25 years old and noticed that every person in the bar area was older (60+) and got much more attention and service than we did. Several people came in long after we were seated at the bar and they got served drinks, appetizers, and ordered their second round before we got the right menu. I may be younger but I tip appropriately, if the age-ism we experienced was because they figured we were cheap then thats terrible. And for the record it wasn't even busy, I could certainly cut some slack if it was crowded or if there were large parties but there was nothing of the sort. The only reason I'd go back is to take advantage of the appetizer special. If I decide to go back I'll wait for the summer because if we get the same treatment as we did this time we'll walk somewhere else that will offer better service. I'm a reasonable person and very polite especially when it comes to food service; I also rarely give negative reviews on Yelp or elsewhere, but BRAVO! earned this negative review for sure.
(1)
Mike A.
Our second time here in 5 years. We came as a party of 11 on Father's day. Salads and soups are not included, so once you price that in the meal; this place is pricey. I had the veal Marsala and it was probably the lowest quality veal I have had in a long time. My wife had the scallops with gnocchi, that were very good. The other entrees did not set off any fireworks with the rest of the family. My brother in law's veal Marsala was somehow lost in the kitchen and he did not get it until all of us were pretty much done with our meals. Overall not too bad of a place, but if I am driving to Glenview for Italian, then I would rather go to Cafe Lucci on Milwaukee.
(3)
Jacqueline S.
Ravioli appetizer and desserts. Entrees are good but for the price I think a-ok.
(3)
Don F.
We did not have a very good experience here. The waitstaff was very slow and did not come to table for almost 10 min after we arrived and were seated. The menu looked good, but the taste of the dishes was below average. We will not go back.
(2)
Mahsa T.
Bravo for being possibly one of the worst restaurants in the Glen. I've given this place two tries and will not make the mistake a third time. Is it just too much to ask to offer good food and service? The food is worse than Olive Garden. Pastas have no taste or flavor and seem like they were nuked in back and brought out. Even the wine tasted stale. First time here, we sat outside in their small outdoor area and received so-so service. Second time, we sat inside and received so-so service with a side of attitude. What annoys me most are the teenagers they've put in charge of seating people, they have no clue and make people wait unnecessarily when almost the entire restaurant is empty. No need to pay good money to eat bad food and receive amateur service. There are far better restaurants in the Glen.
(2)
Amy A.
I come here for lunch because it is near my work. There are a couple things I always like to get. Bread = A+ (so soft and tasty...try with their special oil and parmesan). Italian wedding soup = A+ (really super tasty). Caprese = B+ (good and fresh, but portion a bit small and it's really hard to mess this up). Molten chocolate cake = A+ (who doesn't like molten cake???). I've had different chicken dishes and they've all been very unmemorable and dry. If they can fix their chicken dishes, it would definitely be 5-stars.
(4)
Matthew B.
Food was good. Service was good. Prices were good. Only complaint is that there was a slight mis-match between the menu and the ambiance. Upscale decor and presentation, but the menu was pretty classic italian like I'd expect to find in a place with red and white checkered table cloth. There was definately some fine cuisine on the menu, and the appetizer we had was great, but the menu seemed to be dominated by the same items you'd find at Olive Garden (better than Olive Garden, though, when you taste it). We will go again. Location is great. Restaurant is kid friendly. Free valet is nice. And, like I wrote above: Food was good. Service was good. Prices were good.
(4)
Matthew S.
This is an Olive-Garden clone. It's like every other Olive-Garden clone. The food is decent, the service is decent, everything here is decent. Nothing here is special. There isn't anything here that will make you say "WOW that was awesome". There isn't any signature dish. There isn't anything special in the dining area (which is huge). It just is. On a night when you're bored and cannot think of anything better, this is your place. There is definitely nothing wrong here....but nothing special either.
(3)
Ermelinda C.
What part of "There is sauce on the floor and I almost broke my neck did you not understand?!" Seriously, and this was just the beginning - the wait staff barely communicated with each other, hence we got several drinks we did not order and ended up drinking each others coffee drinks just to get the fix - I really do not think that it would have mattered, if we had waited longer. The food has gone downhill through the years and it is just Meh...
(3)
Jp N.
Food was very good, kid friendly, and great service. I would go back !!
(4)
Anthony C.
Went with 2 other couples on a Staurday night. Being firmly ensconced in the Glen, the area and restaurant itself was packed to capacity. The ambiance and lighting was cozy and open, although they have packed a lot of tables into the space so there's not alot of space between you and your neighbor. We had reservations and were seated right away at a nice big round table. Our waiter was very good and patient as we spent close to an hour catching up with the others in our group since we had not seen them in a while. We all ordered some cocktails and beers and passed around the bread with a nice olive oil dipping sauce. The downside of the place is they have 1 beer on tap which is Blue Moon. If you enjoy Blue Moon this is good. If you don't, this is not good. However, they had a decent selection of bottled beers. Everyone had a salad and all were quite good. Entrees ranged from pizza to talapia to spagetti & meatballs. All were good and well prepared. They also have a menu featuring smaller portions which was a plus. Prices were reasonable and we were not rushed at any time. I would definitely go back - especially in the summer to check out their nice patio for a meal outside on a warm evening.
(4)
Scott W.
Over-priced Olive Garden. The gazpacho was delicious. The insalada rustica arrived without dressing and was tiny. The waitress was better at keeping the kids entertained than taking our order (and making sure that's what arrived at the table). Probably won't go back.
(2)
Elaine M.
We decided to try this place on the recommendation of a friend. What they touted though was the "bar bites." Unfortunately we were unable to take advantage of this deal because of the hour of our arrival. This was disappointing. We arrived about 7:00pm and the place was very crowded. We were lucky and were able to find two seats at the bar. I ordered a glass of Chianti and my husband a beer. The Chianti was good and the bartender very friendly. This was the best part of the meal. It did take forever for us to be seated and the place was almost empty by the time we did actually get a table. Go figure. We were seated in back along the outside wall. Didn't really feel like we weren't part of the main dining room. On top of that, one of the waiters kept going in and out the side door and a very cold breeze would blow on us. I really don't think there was any need for him to go outside. There wasn't any outdoor seating at this time of year. What the heck? The bartender had recommended the grilled salmon and said that people come from all over just for the dish. So on that, I ordered the salmon. My husband ordered one of the specials for the evening - the baked ziti with grilled eggplant. We also decided to split a cup of lobster bisque. The bisque came quickly and was nice and hot. It tasted very good but was really, really rich. Good thing we split it. The entrees however are where things went badly. My salmon was fine, but nothing that was crave-able as would have been believed from the bartender's comments. The ziti dish was horrendous. Dried out and almost burned. My husband couldn't eat it. I ended up giving him my salmon and taking the ziti. I asked the waitress for a small dish of tomato sauce to battle the dryness of the dish. After a long wait for the sauce, it did help. We ended up bringing most of the dish home with a boat load of extra sauce poured on top. All in all, there are so many restaurants in "The Glen" that I would look elsewhere for dinner in the future.
(2)
Joann K.
There is nothing BRAVO! about this restaurant. It was my third time coming here today and it will be my last. Once we were seated our waitress, Jen L., came by asking what we would like to drink. She brought us our drinks and asked if we were ready but we needed another minute. That minute turned into 15 minutes. We tried waving her down... we tried grabbing the attention of other works... we were pretty much invisible. I was ready to leave but my friend finally got Jen's attention. Immediately, Jen admitted that she forgot about us because she was having problems with another table. After being neglected for 15 minutes... it took about another 30 minutes for our food to come out. What did Jen have to say this time? "Sorry but the kitchen is backed up because we're the only restaurant open in the area due to the power outage". So is BRAVO never busy unless all the other restaurant are closed? Aside from the horrible service, the food was just as bad. Pasta Pomodoro wtih Chicken - This dish is not restaurant quality and it seemed like i was eating something off a kid's menu. Angel hair pasta with bland tomato sauce and 3 DRY thinly sliced chicken. I ate about half of it before I couldn't eat it anymore. I wished I ate more bread which was the only decent thing they served. Pasta Bravo! - This is their signature dish and its disgusting. The dish looks like a bunch of rigatoni noodles swimming in a pool of cream sauce. The dish is bland and so creamy that it leaves you feeling nauseous. Rigatoni Melanzana - The best dish out of the three but nothing special. Probably the worst restaurant in The Glen. Don't waste your time and/or hard earned money here.
(2)
Agnes F.
I must admit i didn't have great expectation of Bravo! Cucina Italiana before i visited... thinking that its a chain restaurant and in a mall but i must say i was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food served since we came with a large group, we ordered a bunch of appetizers: calamari fritti, portobello flatbread, crispy shrimp napoli and all of them tasted good I had the potato gnocci with scallops and that was only ok, the scallops was small and tasteless, the gnocci was a bit tough but the sauce that came with was good my boyfriend had the Pasta Bravo and that was much better than my entree the others ordered a variety of plates and they seemed to be happy with them service was friendly despite a bit of immature all in all a good family restaurant and definitely suitable for large groups
(3)
Elina S.
I went here for a bridal shower and although I'm not a huge italian fan, i think it was a success. We had a private room and the food was overall very tasty. The house and cobb salads were both fresh and light so great as starters. They had a spicy red sauce pasta dish with shrimp which was my personal favorite so I can definitely see myself coming back just for that dish and all the other italian dishes such as their chicken, their pasta w/ spinach was all very yummy. If I'm in the glen, it's a yay for me :) Also, the service at the shower was very good, so I can see that they always want to make their customers feel welcome and satisfied when leaving. It isn't the best italian I've ever had in my life, which was prolly in Florence, but it's pretty darn good for the suburbs.
(4)
Chris V.
Bravo is a pretty good restaurant. There's plenty of variety in menu options here, and mostly everything is good. The complimentary bread is the bomb, and you can't really go wrong with any of the appetizers (especially the Lobster Bisque, which is just phenomenal!). The service has always been pretty good, and the atmosphere is very trendy and upscale. I've only had one odd experience here, and it involved sorbet and chopped onions. My sister and aunt both ordered a sorbet to split, and in their sorbet they discovered a great amount of chopped onion pieces. We spoke with the manager, as it seemed like it was done intentionally, and he insisted that it wasn't. Either way, it was just a minor flaw in an otherwise good dinner. This is a good place for Italian, and I recommend it!
(4)
Krystal M.
this place is amazing! great customer service and great food! the manager knew it was my mine and my boyfriends first time and he gave us a free sample of one of their appetizers. they also have great serving portions.
(5)
Dan L.
I have had some of their catered food. Their presentation is terrible. The pasta was soggy. It looked like it was leftover from lunch. I hope the next order from here is better.
(2)
Richard O.
As much as I like coming here for lunch I'm afraid I cannot say the same for dinner. The dinner menu is significantly more expensive. The surprising part is that the service really declines around dinner time. Maybe just a bad server but he didn't have a clue and showed little respect. Service was very displeasing. I hope they hire some pro's I'm tired of these amateur servers in what are supposed to be higher end restaurants. The food was displeasing too. The scallops were so small and they were overcooked. Having entrees over $20 per I expect much better. The lunch is 4 stars the dinner is two stars which leaves Bravo as a lunch only option.
(3)
Dan G.
Despite being a chain, this place was very good when it was first opened. But something got lost over the years and food quality is just O.K. now. Located in the "Glen"; the place is nicely decorated with high ceiling. It can get little noisy when busy. If you like hot bread with rosemary olive oil and Parmesan Cheese, this is your place. The bread size seems getting smaller over the years, but you can always ask for more. The entrees is hit and miss, some are decent and some are non-eventful, but the portion definitely gotten smaller over the years. There are lots of competition in the Glen area, try it out for lunch first and see if this is your cup of tea.
(3)
Brandon K.
It was very surprising to see such a nice decored italian restaurant inside the Glen. Foods were even more impressive. will go back for more!
(4)
John L.
I went here for lunch with coworkers today. Actually, the boss picked up the tab, which was nice. As I test out new Thai places with their Khee Mao and Japanese with Yakisoba, I have a habit of testing traditional Italian restaurants by trying their spaghetti and meatballs. I know...why order something you can whip up at home in a flash? But, if the sauce is great and the meatballs are tender and full of flavor, you're most likely going to find lots of good options for return visits. I figure that if they can't get the simple down, then why come back? I'll definitely be back to Bravo! for lunch again. The pasta they use is thin spaghetti, not vermicelli, thin spaghetti. The meatballs were good and meaty and I liked that you could see (and taste) the bread crumbs in them. They were super tender and the sauce was great, not too tangy, not too sweet. Juuuuust right! For $11.99, it's easily enough to feed two people with an appetizer. I didn't try it, but my coworker's chicken in a balsomic sauce with veggies looked great too and she said she enjoyed it a lot. I'll definietly go back. BRAVO!
(4)
Alexis B.
I work in Glenview, and my regular lunch buddies and I frequent Bravo quite often. The interior is beautiful, and while I can see how it would make for a wonderful dinner atmosphere, I generally arrive with 4 hungry guys just looking for a good meal in the middle of a disgruntled workday. They serve a very good rosemary bread with an herb olive oil blend on the side, but they are slightly stingy with the portions and we always end up asking for two or three baskets before the meal. Since I gave up meat (not just beef, all meat) for Lent every meal I've eaten at Bravo has been vegetarian. They have a decently good pomodoro sauce and I usually enjoy it over angel hair. It's not on par with something I'd find in the city, but it's decent for the suburbs. I switched things up my last visit and tried a tomato, basil, mozzarella panini with pesto spread and was pretty satisfied for having had a sandwich without meat. One of my lunch companions lives by the talapia salad and I'm sure it is what drives him to suggest this as our lunch time destination weekly. One huge gripe is that the service is SLOW. We try to take our lunches a bit later when we want to come here to avoid the rush. Each time, we have informed our server upon greeting that we are on lunch and that we will be ready to order within 2 minutes. In each of our 5 visits, we have had to ask for the bill prior to our food arriving and scarf down our food because it has taken almost the entire hour to arrive. My food isn't piping hot, nor is it cold so I'm not sure if it is service or the kitchen. We haven't explored pre ordering yet, but it has been mentioned for the next visit. If I had time to enjoy my meal here, it might be worthy of a fourth star.
(3)
Tracey M.
I LOVE this place! Anytime I'm out that way for dinner with my family this is where I request we go. They have a great Chicken Parmigiana amongst many other dishes. Oh, and their Martini's are outstanding! My mom and I especially love their Pomegranate Martini. Not on the drink menu most of the time - if at all - they will make it if you request one. We've never had them say no. If you plan to go their on a weekend night I would suggest making reservations just to be on the safe side. Good food, nice environment and good service. . . All in all, I highly recommend you try Bravo Cucina.
(5)
Sheila X.
Ahhh the Glen... A whole street of nothing but eateries... Being that there is so much competition, a restaurant has to be good to get those repeat customers. I, at one point, was one of those customers, until I learned not to be such a suburbanite, and started to venture into the city for food.... anyways... Bravo has a few tables outside for dining if the weather permits. Inside, you are taken away into this white-columned, high-ceilinged, low-lit, well decorated, huge dining area. Before you get seated have a drink or two at their bar... On weekend nights they have live music, which is an enjoyable treat. From the bar, I especially enjoy their Bellinis. The mix of champagne and peach puree is always delicious! Though, depending on the bartender they can be packed with ice sometimes. After you are seated, they bring out some warm bread for you. The rosemary bread is served with oil only, no cheese. I wouldn't suggest eating too much of it, as it is OK, but I would save my appetite for the good stuff. For an appetizer, order the Cheese Ravioli Al Forno... wow... it is cheese ravioli covered with Alfredo sauce then garnished with tasty basil-pine nut pesto and tomato sauces. This starter could without a doubt be eaten as a meal. Don't miss out.... I go to Bravo to order one thing on their dinner menu, and that would be their signature pasta dish: aptly named the Pasta Bravo! This dish consists of large amounts of rigatoni mixed in with a good amount of real wood-grilled chicken! You can definitely taste the wood-grilledness... Then its mixed in with mushrooms and a perfect amount of smooth roasted red pepper cream sauce.... Dee-lish! This pasta is always consistently good. The service here is a bit hit or miss. . . But the cooks know what they are doing. . .
(3)
Marilee w.
Meh, been to better places. Ambience, prices, and decor give you the intial impression it's an authentic, classy Italian place. Not really. Food is so-so, nothing special, waiters were ok.
(2)
Jessica O.
Bravo is a beautiful restaurant. I can't believe this is the first review! It is a chain, that originate in Ohio, and now we are lucky enough to have a location in Glen in Glenview. So understanding that this is a chain restaurant, the food and restaurant is really great. The restaurant itself has really high ceilings, they feature live jazz a few nights a week, they have huge plants, and outdoor seating when the weather is right. The wine list is fairly extensive, but reasonably priced. I don't really feel like I'm being completely ripped off when I'm paying a little over 20 bucks for a bottle of wine. There is also a private room in the back that can be reserved for parties. I recommend the Chicken Marsala, as well as the pizzas, and the bruschetta with mushrooms and goat cheese is REALLY good. The bread the bring to the table is sun-dried tomato focaccia, and it is served with a sun-dried tomato oil. Yummy. The only concern that I have with this place is that the service is inconsistent. I have been here a few different times, and the service has either been great or we have waited over 10 minutes for a bill and been passed off from waitperson to waitperson. but the food and the atmosphere will have me coming back.
(4)
DR. S.
Bravo is the restaurant that give you the real taste of the Italian foods such as their calamari, grilled salmon, spaghetti, linguine, and pizza. I think that it would worth to try if you want to have a fine Italian meal. Yum !!!
(4)
Katie C.
I am reluctantly a fan of Bravo Cucina Italiana. My reluctance comes from nothing except the fact that it's in the suburbs and it's a chain. Usually, I have problems with chains, and they inevitably screw something serious up. But Bravo didn't do that, and actually, we had a fairly nice dinner there. ::Big sighhhhhh of reluctance:: Meeting up with my momma in the burbs, we originally planned on Wildfire (in my opinion, a much better restaurant/chain) but the wait was, um, an hour at 6:30. Can you even believe that? Okay, sorry, irrelevant. We journeyed further into the depths of The Glen (formally Glenview Naval Air Station) and found Bravo, so we went. No wait, thankyouverymuch, and were seated right away in the humongo dining room. The place is gigantic--think Cheesecake Factory enormity--but it has a nice side bar where people can sip cocktails and listen to a lounge singer do 40s and 50s standards. They've got gazpacho, chopped salad, linguine with shrimp, pizzas, steaks, all the stuff you expect to be on the average American-Italian menu. I chose the salmon, drizzled in garlic and pesto with capers, crispy potatoes, and pan roasted green beans. Our young waiter was kind enough to knock off the taters and fill up my plate with greens instead (gotta stay svelte, you know). My mom ordered the tilapia which came smothered in crab. She was pleased, and so was I. If I had one complaint, it would be that the green beans were super salty--don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed them. I'm just fishing now... So anyhoo, perhaps the next time I'm willing to make the short trip up there, and Wildfire is still chock full of blue-haired specials at 6:30pm, we'll make our way back to Bravo. Hopefully then I'll find something REALLY wrong with it to report.
(4)
Shugz F.
This place was way more hype then anything. We went as a big group (10 ppl) on a Friday night. The wait staff seemed so confused: first they lost our reservation, then didn't give us silverware, messed up the grilled calamari order, and again one of the entrees. The food took FOREVER to come and it didn't even taste THAT good. I've had better Italian dishes a cheaper places. Overall, not worth the time or money. Would not go back.
(2)
doug c.
I can't remember why we stopped coming here years ago, now I do. BAD FOOD. The veal Marsala was 1/8" thick and was so overcooked it tasted like chicken fried steak, the chicken Marsala was so dry and overcooked, it wan't edible. The only good thing was the service.Sad, such a well designed interior has such bad food.
(1)
Mrs N.
PROS: Our waitress could not have been more attentive and personable. Bread and water were promptly and frequently refilled. The house salad, unlike a previous reviewer's salad, was fresh, crisp and dressed perfectly. The balsamic glazed chicken was tastier and healthier than than other chain food. CONS: The host station was unmanned when we arrived and it took a while to get someone's attention. The chicken was tough and a bit dry--either overcooked or frozen one too many times. I suspect the latter. Overall a very average experience but certainly not what you'd call authentic Italian unless you believe that Olive Garden is authentic.
(2)
Kathleen B.
Myself and three friends needed a night out. There in the group had gone to Bravo and suggest it. While I will give them four stars on the food, poor does not begin to explain the service. I don't beleive it is fair to give a poor rating to the staff without some explanation: 1- We were seated without an explanation of the "special seating" in order to take advantage of special drink and appetizer pricing. Our table was changed. 2. One appetizer we ordered clearly required a spoon to avoid "double dipping". Lengthy wait for the spoon. 3. I ordered Gazpach, again no spoon. Glad I ordered a cold soup. 4. After the appetizers, salads and soup, several guests were out of silverware and need to wiat again for silverware in order to eat their dinner. 5. At this point a manager began appearing. He brought water and, rather than refilling the pitcher when he heard it near the end, he continued to try to eek out the last drop of water and spilled ice cubes on the table, then reached across the face of my friend and over her plate to pick them up off the table by hand. 6. Coffee and dessert had the same slow and sloppy service with no spoons for the coffee and the servers not knowing the difference between regular and decaf. We reminded our server about our desserts twice, the bus boy, and the manager. After a tediously long wait for the desserts, the manager brought out the plates and again, no forks to eat tiramisu and berry whatever. He asked "don't you want to use your spoons." Really! 7. While all these incidents were negative and uncomfortable the worst is yet to come. We went to get our car fro the vallet, there were two men on duty. When one went to get our car, the other asked if we were going to tip the vallet and, of course we were. He asked if we would be willing to place a ten dollar bill, which he handed us, in with the tip as he was trying to track some recent "inconsistencies" in the vallet tipping pool. What a great impression to give a customer. That's just plain stupid! All in all, the staff is untrained, inefficient, borderline rude and finally stupid. I would not go there again based on this experience.
(1)
Laura G.
Came to Bravo for the first time a few nights ago and had one of the most considerate restaurant experiences that I've ever had. When the server informed the chef that my partner and I were vegan, the chef came out to help us customize our order. He was very friendly and helpful. We will be back.
(5)
Carol C.
I would like to give a minus one star. I will never understand why people would return to this horribly mediocre place! The calamari was rubbery and tasteless. The presentation of the food looked like something from McDonalds. No creativitiy in the menu. Really really bad! I went to Mitchell's across the street the night before and it was equally bad! It makes the Cheesecake factory look like La Francaies. And on top of that, they measure drinks like they are gold! The drinks are expensive and they put no alcohol in them. He then asked if we wanted a double. We said no, just a fair pour. We live in glenview and will never return to this horrible place. Almost any other place in Glenview is better and a bargain in comparison. Save your money!!
(1)
Crystal K.
We're from the city, but upon venturing out to the burbs for some recliner-searching, we decided to visit Bravo. We've been to a Bravo before when we lived in Ohio and enjoyed them well enough, so we thought we'd give it another shot. And, for a suburban chain, it's not bad. FYI and for planning purposes, we walked in at around 2:30 on a Monday afternoon. Starting off with the good stuff... The Pomodoro sauce is tasty, whether it's with the penne or on the Chicken Parm (which I had). The Lasagna is pretty good and you get quite a hefty piece with the full order. The olive oil concoction that you get with your bread is incredibly tasty too. BUT, you can definitely tell that it's a commercialized version of Italian food. Our waiter was nice enough - he got us refills and some extra Pomodoro sauce (I'm an anti-Italian in that I LOVE tons of sauce. Warning, the chicken parm comes with hardly any). My main complaints? The second we walked in the door we were greeted (rather UN-greeted) by the host talking on the phone for about 3 or 4 minutes...without even looking at us with a smile. Nothing. Not a glance. Just ignored us. Minus a star. Once he got off the phone, it was a brief hello. That's it. No smile. No "welcome." Nothing. Upon letting him know that we preferred a booth, he looked over some highlighted paper work for a least 30 seconds and walked slowly to the only open booth. He then proceeded to plop some menus down on our table and walk away. Considering the host is the FIRST person that the customers meet, doncha think the manager would make sure that he/she was at least friendly? Hmph. My other complaint... The salad I ordered (house with Italian) was probably the WORST salad I have ever had. In my life. Truly. Minus one star. The iceberg lettuce was wilted and brown, as if it had been sitting in the dressing for a couple of hours. Speaking of the dressing, the entire salad was drenched in it. Ridiculously drenched. Nothing tasted fresh at all. If a restaurant can't make a simple salad, I question the overall quality. In conclusion, not a bad place for the 'burbs, I would guess. BUT, if you live in the city, I would suggest Fiorentino's or La Gondola instead.
(3)
Susan K.
Good salads, pizzas and salads. A chain with good atmosphere and outdoor dining in good weather. Their breakfast/brunch menu isn't great. Good rosemary bread arrives at the table when you sit down. Fine service.
(4)
E M.
Nice spacious decor, moderately priced and good food. I like their calamari, spaghetti and meatballs and fettucine alfredo. Service was great and the warm bread they give you w tomato sauce to start is really good. One of the better restaurants in the area for sure.
(4)
Karen H.
Enjoyed the low lighting, high ceilings, Italian decor and traditionally simple menu. Shared a salad, entree and dessert and the waiter could not have been any more accommodating. Everything was fresh and portioned well. Rich and heavy in flavor made sharing a good decision. Great place for the range of dining needs: families, kids, dates and large groups.
(5)
Raymond H.
Had dinner at this restaurant located on the old naval base in Glenview on a Sunday night and thought the service was very good along with Mike our server who took the time to explain everything on the menu. I'd recommend to anyone to visit for italian cuisine. Also would order the Sope de Mar if you like seafood.
(4)
Patricia K.
Bravo is probably one of my favorite sit-down lunch locations. I have serious cravings for their chicken chopped salad. I love that the chicken is sliced so thin. It gives it this illusion that it is more apart of the salad than just the protein thrown on top. It becomes more like the lettuce in how it lays and intertwines with the rest of the ingredients. Very nice. The ambiance is nice. I have only been there during the day. There are a lot of tall windows that let in natural light. Parking can be harsh with all the shoppers from The Glen competing for space. You may need to walk to one of the parking garages within a block.
(4)
Dana M.
It was a Thursday night when I dined here, so without reservations at 6:30, we were seated right away and the waiter came by immediately. The bread was fresh out of the oven and was delicious. They give you two types; I like the crunchy seasoned one over what looked like sourdough with their own olive oil concoction. They have a large menu and I didn't get to look through everything. I settled on the Pasta Bravo! which was recommended by a friend I was dining with. It's their signature dish, rigatoni tossed with wood-grilled chicken and mushrooms in roasted red pepper cream sauce. For the price, the portion was just right and I ate it all. The sauce was good but maybe there wasn't enough of it because the pasta was a little dry. The chicken was very tender though. I also got to taste the Pesto Tortelloni: fresh cheese and spinach stuffed pasta tossed in housemade basil-pine nut pesto sauce and topped with sun dried tomatoes, red onions and pine nuts. Those are all my favorite ingredients and it was very good; better than my own dish! Too bad chicken is another $1.99. This place had several good items on their menu and I would definitely return to try some other dishes.
(4)
Andrew C.
After reading the reviews of other yelpers, maybe it was just my table, but the service was horrendous. We first waited a couple minutes just to get seated when there was obviously plenty of open tables. Once seated, we waited over 5 minutes (no exaggeration) for the waiter to come over. All night, the service was slow, and we were always waiting around and looking for the server to come back. It's funny because the bus boys that night were extra prompt, almost to a point where they were bothersome while me and my party tried to eat our dinner. I did like their food and their portion sizes are spot on. Would I go back? If I were in the area and other people wanted to go, I guess I would, but I wouldn't actively push to stop by this place again...
(2)
Susan L.
Bravo is a chain restaurant firmly planted in the burbs. If that's your bag, keep reading. If not, head somewhere else (you probably would never head up to Glenview anyway). What can I say? It's a suburban Italian eatery with good food, good service, and a generic reproduced feeling (like Starbucks). Go to Gusto Italiano (also in Glenview) if you'd rather have a more homey atmosphere.
(4)
Just Me E.
Bravo to bravo? I'd say that's kind of a stretch, but the pasta bravo, their proclaimed signature dish, was pretty tasty. The dish is advertised as rigatoni with chicken and mushroom sauce. The sauce was smoky and flavorful, but they were kinda stingy with the chicken. The pre-dinner bread and dipping sauce was good, and the house salad was excellent. Service was just OK, and the ambiance is faux Umbria trattoria. The clientele was that bored suburban housewife type that longs to be a sophisticated boulevardier, but doesn't quite pull it off. Very Stepford-ish too. I dunno...I've been here only once so your mileage may vary. I'd definitely go back if I ever found myself in "The Glen", but I would never make a special trip there. Speaking of "The Glen", that whole set-up kinda creeped me out. I felt like I was on some movie set. It's like they tried to create a hip urban environment in the middle of the 'burbs. So, yeah, if you find yourself up there for any reason, check it out just so you can say you have. Otherwise, save the gas money and time and go to the plethora of Italian eateries in a real city neighborhood.
(3)
Wendy H.
Food and service good consistently. Good wines by the glass, great bread, extremely accommodating in terms of altering a dish to suit your preferences or dietary restrictions. Never disappointed with a meal there.
(4)
Lucy Z.
I adore this restaurant and can hardly go a month without visiting. Simple italian done well. Their pizzas are always light and crisp, pastas are generous, and appetizers always interesting (though I was very disappointed when they changed their bruschetta recipe a few years ago--it used to be my favorite, but now they don't use other veggies, just tomatoes drenched in sauce, which stings my mouth too much). Their salads are not so great either. Portions tend to be a little large in general, but I always love taking home the extra food! This is absolutely my favorite place to get pasta as well, and the bread they serve is delicious too.
(4)
Zahra A.
Rather generic and dull the restaurant is romantic and well lit, but on a scale a true food-lover has seen before. The dishes are fresh and unoriginal. The wait is relatively decent and the waitresses seem faker than usual though this may have been only a partial view of the customer service they offer. The bread tasted oven-fresh and the olive oil concotion given as the appetizer was pleasing but did not make up for the lackluster entrees and desserts.
(3)
Judy L.
Bravo is a "safe" Italian restaurant where you can't really go wrong with their dishes no matter how many times you dine there. In a way, it reminds me of Cheesecake Factory in terms of the stability of the food and the interior design. I prefer to eat at the bar instead of their main dining area because you receive their full service menu, don't need to wait, and their bartenders are quite generous because they refill your glass complimentary if they are trying to finish an almost empty bottle. The wine list is sufficient with the Santa Ema as one of my favorite bottles to order. Pairs nicely with marinara sauce. Service can be shaky at times and I noticed their staff turnaround is pretty high. If you encounter a "newbie" you can tell they aren't as confident and may need a few reminders.
(4)
Pat P.
At a recent birthday lunch here, and it was truly awful. I ordered a parmesan crusted chicken salad and the chicken was inedible, tough and with a weird taste. The salad part was so drench in dressing it was also horrible. I ate almost nothing. My friend had the same chicken on a sandwich and agreed. We told the waiter and the manager came over and apologized, removed my salad from the bill (not the sandwich), and gave us some explanation about the chicken being prepared wrong and the wrong tray got thrown away??? I appreciated him coming to talk to us, but the meal was bad enough that I won't try it again. Too bad because the ambiance is awesome, the bread delicious, and the wait staff always nice.
(1)
Andrea R.
I have never handed out a 1-star rating, but this place is horrible. The food is below sub-par, and is a far cry from being homemade. The Caesar salad dressing might as well have been mayonnaise, and the Lasagna (who can mess up this classic dish?!) tasted as if it was flash frozen then thawed. If you are looking for Italian food, please don't frequent this chain. If you must, go to Macaroni Grill or even Olive Garden. This place blows.
(1)
Doris D.
My friend and I threw a baby shower at Bravo in The Glen and it was just perfect. The service was excellent, the waiters were attentive and the prices were totally reasonable. The interior of the restaurant was gorgeous, and though it did have a bit of a Cheesecake Factory- chain type feel to it, it was a lot less noisy and the food was generous in size and tasted a lot better. Although this place is not quite what you would consider "traditional Italian food", the dishes were delicious, the drinks pretty damn strong (ahem, yes, we had alcohol at a baby shower). Everyone at the shower said it was a beautiful party.
(5)
Vick C.
From what I heard this place is good for lunch, I never tried the dinner but I think their lunch is pretty good! This place located in The Glen, Nice decor, good service, upscale place! I had a grilled turkey with bacon sandwish with lobster bisque, taste was very good! It's gonna be a favorite place for lunch if I go there!
(4)
Steven M.
I can't tell how glad I was that I didn't go to Wildfire. That would have been a smack in the face. I was here more than 2 years ago, but I completely forgot about it. How Rude. The food is fantastic. When I walked in the door it smelled like my aunts house in Italy. The wood buring oven was the culprit. They gave us a loaf of homemade bread and a plate of olive oil and red sauce. I could have made a meal out of it with a salad on the side. We started out with the Calamari. They were incredibly fresh and not greasy or rubbery which is the norm for the burbs. Everyone complemented them. I had the Lobster Bisque. The bread came in handy for mopping up the bowl. It was the best thing to warm me up on a cold day. We also had the Italian Wedding soup. Yum! for the main course I had the Lasagna. It came on a serving platter and was as fresh as could be. I have had enough frozen brick'ets to know the difference. The melted mozzarella and the lightly spicy sauce were perfect. My friend had the Chicken chopped salad with gorgonzola, spicy pecans and mixed greens. It again was in a hubcap sized bowl and he said it was very good. We also had the Chicken Rosemary Panini. The provolone looked a little over done but I heard no complaints form who was eating it. The fries were thin cut with a light coating on them. The food and the service were right on the ball. More than I expected. The atmosphere is great also. With the white columns and the frescos on the walls. But the best thing about this place is the price. For a couple of bucks more than fast food this is an outstanding value. I wish they had one on the southside.
(5)
Nathan M.
Sub-standard Italian fare, lacking in taste and freshness. I had a drink at the bar prior to dinner, I felt the pour was fair and the bartender was very friendly, the wine selection was fair for a restaurant at this level. My one irritation was that I could not transfer my check from the bar to the table. The host was friendly and took our wine to the table for us. Our waiter was friendly and quick. When the appetizer arrived, this where my experience crashed in the ground. The food tasted frozen and oily, I had a seafood pasta for dinner, the food again not fresh, very frozen taste. Due to the lack of freshness in the food and the unimaginative menu, I will not be going back.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Moni K.
Love love love this place My mom and I stopped by yesterday for lunch. I had the Romano-Crusted Chicken Salad and she had the grilled salmon. We also had the strawberry sangaria each and enjoyed our lunch on the patio on a beautiful May Saturday. We had lovely time.
(5)B R Hungry X.
After our first visit, my husband had contacted Bravo through their website to give them some insight on our experience. We had hope our observation and comment would help them better themselves as a team. We received an email immediately from the General Manager with his sincere apology regarding the poor experience we had during our first visit to the restaurant. He also took ownership of their faults and invited us to give them a try again. With that being said, we gave them (3) stars for taking immediate action and during our visit, the restaurant ran very well. Now, the question would be, if they could keep that momentum going and continue to build off that. Everyone deserves a second chance if the apology was sincere and they took ownership of their faults.
(3)Hannah H.
About a 1-1.5: My friend and I came to check out BRAVO! for lunch. They have an extensive menu, offering brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, a bar menu, as well as gluten-free options. I tried their Pasta BRAVO!, which happen to be their signature dish - this was comprised of rigatoni, tossed with wood-grilled chicken and mushrooms, all in a roasted red pepper cream sauce. The chicken was undercooked (!), which had to be sent back to be cooked longer. The rigatoni actually was over cooked and mushy, and I was a little sad as we were in an Italian restaurant. There was also pasta water that happened to be added to the sauce, which watered it down, making it not as thick as it was intended to be T___T We were a little disappointed with the service as well, as while we were the only patrons dining in, our order was not taken until about a half an hour later! It seems as if some other pasta dishes could have been really tasty, but I am not sure how much you can customize in terms of the consistency of the sauce as well as the request for al dente pasta (!). I'm glad I was able to check out BRAVO!, but I will most likely not come back! +undercooked chicken (!) +watered-down sauce T___T +overcooked pasta T___T +located in the Glen
(2)MQ Q.
Just consistently bad experiences at this Bravo. Everytime I come back, and it's usually because we like to take the kids to the park afterward, I wonder why we don't come here. Tonight, slow as usual, but compounded by them getting both mine and my wife's orders completely wrong, my steak being completely overdone and resulting in me not even eating my meal. Manager threw in some coupons but we probably won't be back and just go to Jamesons across the street. Avoid!
(2)Lauren G.
This place is pretty average. It's not great but it's also not awful. The peach Bellini was delicious I had the pasta BRAVO! Which is their signature dish. Rigatoni with chicken smothered in a spicy tomato sauce. GOOD but very thin and minimal amount of chicken slices. Between the drink and the dish it was 35.00 with tip. Then again, much better than the amount you would pay at Olive Garden. I suggest this place for a day with the family or a nice brunch.
(3)Gin G.
Second visit to Bravo in 5 years. Now I know why we hadn't been back in so long. Great service isn't something I require if the food and price live up to my expectations. Service wasn't great so the food better be phenomenal, right? Not! Decided on an early din before the 4th of July fireworks yesterday. Got there at 6pm n kids were hungry. They were able to seat us right away. The place was almost empty...at 6pm...on 4th of July...n fireworks are right across the street. Sign?? No place settings at the table. Just menus. Maybe they bring place settings out with your food?? Ordered drinks. Peach Bellini for me but not great!! Apps: calamari=rubbery n quite greasy Still no place setting, app plates, napkins... So I had to request them. I guess place settings are optional here. Dinner: 5 pastas n grilled salmons Salmon was nothing special. $18 gives u a piece of 4-5oz chard salmon, 3 stalks of asparagus n some sprinkled medley of other veggies on top. Pastas were awful!! An Italian restaurant that can't do pasta right? All 5 pasta dishes we ordered were so bland (n I usually eat my food bland) but these were tasteless, soupy n served luke warm we only ate half our plates. I could eat plain buttered noodles if the pasta is cooked properly. I like my pasta al dente!! But these were so mushy n over cooked. For the prices that were attached to these pastas you would think they were fresh/handcut, but not the case here. I can see one or two pastas being messed up but all 5? Is it possible we ordered 5 of the worst pastas out of the 8 listed? Dessert: warm chocolate cake with ice cream on top Kids liked it so this review gets a star for that. But how can kids not like chocolate anything with ice cream on it, right? Won't be going back. Not even in another 5 years.
(1)michelle k.
We have celebrated birthdays, baby showers, as well as had casual dining here for dinner or brunch/lunch. They have a fabulous kids menu, and the food is really good. Staff is always pleasant to deal with.
(5)Felix K.
The decor is a 5 for this place. However, the food is on par with Olive Garden at best. I had the lasagna: he sauce was whatever, however, they used fettucini for the pasta and it didn't sit well with me. Definitely a first and last visit for me to this place. I must admit though, the calamari was pretty good but not worth the trip back.
(1)Alex J.
I guess if customers have never had authentic Italian cuisine from any region in Italy then Bravo may be considered to be decent Italian food. Food was blah at best. Young man serving us was fabulous. Restaurant seemed off. This was our fourth time at Bravo, as guests. Cheesy decor for basically an upscale Olive Garden. Need creative management to recreate the scene. Boring at best. The whole restaurant seems sad and depressing. Generally I find management to set the attitude of a restaurant.
(1)Chris L.
My family had a chicken milanese. The chicken was not cooked well, so my daughter & I had a diahrrhea for two days. We were waiting the order for 15 min and complained to the server. I think the server forgot our order, so they just cooked quickly. Just don't go this restaurant.
(1)Betty C.
Several years ago we came here for lunch with a large group and I was underwhelmed at the size of the portions for the value - did not think it was a very well priced. Since then we have been here twice. Once during a weekday when they offered a special dinner price, something like two for $20, the second time just a few days ago. We started with excellent calamari that were adorned with two sauces - a very creamy garlic - they claim horseradish - sauce, but it seemed more like a thin aïoli sauce and then the customary marinara. The calamari were tender and crispy and a decent portion for the price. The manicotti with pepperoni and meatballs came with a creamy and spicy tomato sauce. We were surprised to see that the manicotti were actually sheets of pasta that were homemade. The manicotti were stuffed with ricotta and the meets. My Fra Diavolo shrimp and pasta was good but here's where I had the same feeling of bad value. It was $17.99 and was barely a cup and a half of pasta with some small shrimp. Given that they have several other pasta dishes for $11.99 that already have protein included I will try those next time for a better value. The chicken scallopini had a nice creamy sauce with sautéed mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and red peppers and had a perfectly cooked herbed linguini side dish. The warm chocolate lava cake one scoop of ice cream was a perfect way to end the meal. Highly recommended. The restaurant itself is enormous with three separate dining areas adorned with fake ancient ruins-like looking columns and large round curved light fixtures that are made to look like they are made out of granite or marble. It is a pleasant looking room. The kitchen is open on one end and they have a large pizza oven as well. They have outdoor seating both on the north and east sides of the building.
(4)Aimee M.
Solid choice for a dinner after a few hours at Kohl Children's Museum. It was the first time for us so I made reservations via Yelp. Friday at 5pm the place was filling up fast so I was glad we made the reso's. Service was super sweet and friendly from start to finish. Because it was our first time there our server brought out a complimentary taste of their fried ravioli with two different sauces--the pomodoro and the horseradish. Both were good and the fried raviolis was pretty much like a crispy mozzarella bite. Each table gets a basket of herbed bread and a plate of olive oil for dipping. Unfortunately most of our bread was hard, which was confusing as it was still warm too. Old bread? not sure. The menu is huge--apps, salads, soups, pastas and entrees. My cousin opted for the Pasta Fra Diavolo with shrimp. I got to try a bite and it was very tasty. The pasta was cooked well and the sauce was a flavorful tomato base with a spicy note. This would have been my first choice but decided to go pesto instead. I wish I stuck with the Diavolo. I opted for the chicken and pesto spaghettini. The pasta, spinach and chicken were cooked perfectly but I wish the dish had more pesto "oomph". It was a pesto cream sauce and it needed more of the basil pesto element. I ordered the cheese pizza off the menu for my son and it was HUGE! Along with my salad, I could have had a couple of slices of the pizza and called it a meal. The server said the kids pizza is basically the same as the regular menu pizza, just offered with less toppings. The pasta portions were huge too and both of us took home leftovers. My cousin and I opted for coffee instead of dessert and it was a delicious dark rich blend--a nice ending.
(3)Ashley S.
I have never had such a bad experience in my life. 1. They lost my reservation I made a reservation using their online system, and even called an hour ahead of time to confirm with "Matt" and to ask if we could sit outside. Once we got there, they did not have our reservation so we ended up waiting 30 minutes to be seated. 2. They charged me an extra $50 To pay, I used a $50 gift card and put the rest of the bill on my credit card. When I looked at my credit card statement, they had charged the FULL amount on my credit card. 3. They charged me ANOTHER extra $50 ... $100 extra total! I called and talked to the manager about the incorrect charge on my credit card and was told I would be refunded the incorrect $50 charge. Instead, they charged ANOTHER $50 to my card. I now have paid $100 extra to this awful restaurant. I will be reporting this to the better business bureau if it does not get fixed in a timely fashion.
(1)Jacob J.
A smidgen or a "scosh' better than the Olive Garden. Much like a quality sit-down; they offer the essentials like a front door host, valet service, door people, etc so that put them above the run-of-the-mill chain like OG. However, that's where the buck ended for me. (For those that don't cook much at home, you would enjoy their food. But for those of us that enjoy cooking at home, you'd wager doing it better.) Joining friends for dinner, this was the decided meeting place. I opted to eat light choosing a Bravo salad that came with a lemon vinaigrette. That day was the first time I've passed on devouring a salad, due to drowning in dressing. Next course was the grilled mahi mahi which they killed a second time, rendering it as rubber. (Note: there are two reasons as to why fish would be "rubbery." 1. Frozen 2. overcooked, I would wager it was a combination of both. Further evidence, the darkened grill marks) Mahi mahi is a beautiful fish as an entree. It should be light and flaky when using a fork. For it to be rubbery is a monumental waste of the fish. (At somewhere over $16 a plate, I have had better & fresher quality in the city for a lesser cost.) Moving on. My main sources of sustenance was the meager amount of sauteed vegetables with couscous which were decent and my single house cocktail. My date got a seafood pasta dish with miniscule scallops over linguini in a spicy red sauce. Although the scallops were probably the tiniest we've ever seen they gave plenty, the flavors were popping and an enjoyment to devour. Our waiter was a nice enough person but inept at gauging adequate time periods to check on our needs. Hence, I would have ordered more but with the gross waiting times, didn't. For a Saturday night seating for dinner at 7 pm, the place was probably at 60% capacity. I agree with the other reviewer that commented about them having far too many seats / large tables, that it's hard to navigate around them. In my periphery view, other diners and their conversations were closer than necessary.
(3)Chris D.
I don't understand all the negative reviews here. The service and food were very good. I had the Penne Mediterranean, which the waiter recommended adding lemon and garlic. The portion was large enough to take home. The bread was amazing. I picked up a carryout menu and definitely will return.
(4)Genevieve L.
There's nothing more irritating than the infamous Italian restaurants that pack you in like sardines leaving you elbow to elbow with the couple right next to you. Luckily, this place give you plenty of room to enjoy your meal. We came here with a group of about 100. It was kind of a last minute thing but they were able to put the party within the 2 days notice we gave them. They can serve individual or family style. We chose the family style and they gave very generous servings of whatever protein we ordered. We ordered a few dishes. First was the tilapia filets which were nice and flaky. Then we moved on to the spicy shrimp pasta which probably could've had more of a kick. There's also a side of potatoes that are served piping hot and crispy. If you're a fan of potatoes, you MUST order this! For dessert, they gave us a tray of tiramisu on the house since our party was so large. The tiramisu was good. Not terrible but nothing out of this world either. Overall, everyone had a great time and the prices were pretty decent.
(4)Diane C.
I have been here a few times. I've enjoyed it. I like the ambience and love the Glen. The one thing that I cannot forget is the warm molten chocolate cake with ice cream. Out of this world. Can't wait to go back. I asked for linguine with garlic and olive oil and it was nicely done, al dente. The salads are great.
(4)Jessica D.
Came in for a project closing get together after work. Delicious appetizers in a well appointed Italian-American space. My favorite was the mushroom bruschetta. They also have amazing fried ravioli with a cream sauce or marinara for dipping. Great Arnold Palmers and my colleagues enjoyed the vino selections. Great outside seating if the weather cooperates. Valet parking. Can't wait to go back for a full meal.
(4)Ed R.
Great food and exceptional service from their staff (Allison & Annie). The steak was very good for a place that is geared to pasta. Was packed but the service was outstanding!!
(5)Sonia B.
I've been to Bravo a few times and have always had a good experience. The food is always good, the service is good, and the ambiance is lovely. I've read some reviews stating that Bravo is in line with Olive Garden, but I beg to differ. I think Bravo is definitely a step up! We enjoyed the Crispy Shrimp Napoli, Italian Wedding Soup, Lobster Bisque, and all the pastas we have tried! I loved that I was able to order the chicken and pesto spaghettini, but request a vodka sauce instead of the pesto! My husband loves the lobster ravioli and the eggplant parm. Our server was awesome...she was friendly, gave good suggestions, she made a great peach Arnold Palmer, and was the right amount of attentive!
(4)Shayna Y.
Solid choice for the suburbs! What I love is that they have a gluten free menu and a light menu with calories. Win win! I split the caprese salad (290 cals) for my app. Then got the 5oz filet with asparagus, sweet potato, and tomatoes (365 cals). I love it when I can eat out and be healthy!
(3)Amra P.
The bread is the main reason my son whines to go there. We also love catching their happy hour and little bar many. Food is delicious and price is good . We are there regular !
(5)L H.
Went after a business meeting. Hostess had no idea where to seat us in the empty restaurant. She needed help from another woman who literally said " heck if I know" Finally seated... Took 15 minutes for a waiter to offer a beverage and that was only because I found a server from another section and asked to find our server Ordered beverages. One of four arrived to the table. The other three took ten minutes Server came and took a small order that our party could share. Fried shrimp and a small pizza. The shrimp was delivered but the waiter said I can't serve your pizza, it was burned. He put the shrimp dish on the table and neglected to provide utensils or plates. I went and got both from behind the server area for the whole table Stayed another 45 minutes and no sign of our waiter. We went to the bar and asked for beverages and were told our waiter would handle it. Needless to say... He was STILL MIA so we had to stop the next server we saw to request beverages. FINALLY it was time to leave and we waited for a bill. Our server was still MIA and we had to ask a different server for the bill, which we paid immediately. THATS when our server showed up and asked if we wanted our bill, we thanked him and said it was already taken care of. NEVER will any of us go to that poor excuse for a restaurant. Don't waste your time. Service is terrible, and as we only received one item we ordered (which was pretty tasteless) this is not a review about the food For a restaurant to be good, the atmosphere, service and attention to detail must be equally as enjoyable as the food. There is no way that will happen in this place.
(1)Rich P.
I had lunch here today with a couple friends and thoroughly enjoyed it. The fact that it was the first 80 degree day this year and there was outdoor seating made for the start of a good lunch. They start you out with some herb bread and oil which is standard Italian and it was warm and tasty. Next I had a Caesar salad which was perfectly fine without an over abundance of dressing that some places provide. We asked for some recommendations and the waitress gave us several including the Salmon which is what I had. The plate arrived with a colorful array of vegetables including tomatoes, sweet potato cubes, spinach and asparagus. There was also a sauce that appeared like Italian dressing but wasn't and added a nice complement to the veggies. The salmon wasn't spectacular as far as that goes but it was still tasty and enjoyable. I'll likely visit for lunch again.
(4)Tricia D.
Honestly, when I think of carbs around the north burbs, Bravo comes to mind. Maybe because I totally ate everything in sight here after I ran the Chicago marathon. Really, how can you go wrong with ordering the signature Pasta Bravo! dish? Mushrooms, grilled chicken, and red pepper sauce are the perfect combination. And in case anyone asks, yes, chocolate chip bread pudding does count as carb loading. I was also told to tell yelp that the bread oil and lemon butter sauce with that one pasta dish are good. So good that you need to mop it up with the bread and/or try to avoid splashing it all over your shirt.
(4)Ben W.
I've seen a range of reviews for Bravo! After our experience, we had to add our praise for the food and especially the staff. We will be back! I'll lead with the kudus: Tabatha (our server) and her support staff on the floor and in the kitchen went over and above to make sure we had a terrific experience. Thank you! Allow me to first describe the food. Then, I'll tell you why we will be back. Our family of five valeted the family SUV (easy and convenient) and checked in at the host desk. We had made an open table reservation and we looked forward to the venue. They were ready for us. We arrived at our table and our server (Tabatha) greeted and took care of us. We ordered: Salmon Pasta - nicely grilled on a bed of greens. Tasted great. Bolognese fettuccine - great flavor for the sauce and a kid pleaser. Kids Raviolis - our son could have eaten twice as many. Other than a bit more on the portion, he liked them all. Scallop over angel hair - it normally comes with some spiciness. We ordered it without the heat and it was delicious. The service was great. We were expected and seated promptly. We were greeted in a timely manner and engaged with our server. She made suggestions and knew when to leave us alone when our kids were undecided. The support staff kept waters full and brought out more bread. So, here is the part that puts them to 5 stars. Our teenager uses a retainer. She placed it on a bread plate then left the table for a restroom break. The efficient support staff whisked away the plate with the retainer. When she arrived back at the table, she was stunned. She couldn't find her retainer. Then, it dawned on her what had happened. We quickly informed our server and she and her team went into action. We witnessed a bustle of activity and within 10 minutes or so, our server arrived with the retainer! Both my wife and I have been servers and understand the craziness of a busy Easter afternoon with the kitchen buzzing and plates flying. The extra effort to help us recover a misplaced item was much appreciated and the food and table service was great. We stayed and ordered dessert and coffee and shared a relived laugh with our server. Thank you Bravo! Well done! See you next time.
(5)Tina G.
Came to this location for a bridal shower back in April. The amount of food with the package was insane and delicious! The peach bellinis are phenomenal! I would love to come back to try it for a dinner!
(4)Garrett V.
Sat outside at first, eaten alive by bugs so moved in. Bad start to the night We had to ask for refills, even for the water The pasta BRAVO was pretty good, 3.5/5. Tasty sauce Finished with gelato, nothing special and only two flavors (vanilla and mocha) Would be a 3 if it weren't for the Mosquitos that wreaked havoc on the patio, we happened to be the only table affected by it. If you had a choice between here and Yardhouse, go to Yardhouse. Bravo is very close though to becoming something great.
(2)Diana P.
So very average and staff could definitely use more training. Our waiter was very friendly just not attentive. We had a party of 5 & when the food came out, not one single person had their correct dish in front of them so we had to pass the dishes around. Food is OK, nothing great like I remember it being a few years back.
(2)Tina T.
I had been to this Bravo and the one in Evanston several times in the past. As an Italian cook, I was not overly impressed by the food (especially for its upscale positioning), but found the experience enjoyable enough each time. This past Sunday, May 18th was a complete disaster! A friend and I were celebrating our mutual birthdays, so we opted for a late lunch arriving around 2:15. The restaurant was strangely busy and noisy; as it turns out, there were at least 3 large parties (birthday and bridal shower) going on, taking up the majority of the space. Apparently they segregate parts of the restaurant for parties all afternoon, with new parties starting just shortly after the previous ones end (a flurry of activity removing table cloths and reconfiguring furniture about 10 feet from where we were sitting...and the guests were mostly standing and mingling.) We were given a table along the window wall that was hurriedly prepared by the hostess. She threw new white paper sheets over a dirty tablecloth with tomato sauce stains on my side. As I sat down, my foot slipped right out from under me, only to find a huge salmon fillet on the floor that I had just stepped on. A gentleman came to clean the floor quickly. I explained that there was salmon stuck in the "waffle pattern" on the soles of my new sandals and asked if he could bring some paper towels. After assuring me he would be right back, I never saw him again and never got to clean my shoe. We had a pleasant waitress, who was clearly handling a big load of most of the non-party tables inside. The service was slow, but understandable given the under-staffing....so I don't blame her at all. When the entrees arrived, we were disappointed by several things: 1) I had ordered a Margarita stuffed flatbread and received a pepperoni one....which I could only tell after eating a portion of it because it was sort of like a quesadilla. 2) The salad that came with it was described as mixed greens with a balsamic vinaigrette. It made no mention of the blue cheese that would coat every leaf...and I absolutely despise blue cheese. 3) My friend never received his Caesar side salad, so we canceled it when the entrees arrived. The server checked with the kitchen and determined they had messed up my order, and informed me that they were making me the Margarita flatbread. After about 20 minutes with no new entree...and my friend pretty much done eating...I was informed the kitchen had lost the order and was just starting to make the new entree. When it finally arrived, the server apologized for the delay again and offered us complimentary desserts to make up for the debacle that our lunch had become. When I began to eat the margarita flatbread, the tomatoes had a slight ammonia taste, similar to how they start to taste when going bad. I did not have the wherewithall to send it back again. The complimentary dessert, while much appreciated, was only mediocre and I was glad not to have paid for it. I would like to believe this was just an off day for them. Not sure if I would go back.
(2)Michael D.
Been waiting 20+ minutes for breakfast order! Not a fan. Ordered brunch...now its a late lunch!
(2)Anna S.
We had a family celebration here and because of the larger group reserved a week ahead. When we got there in time they said it would take on other 10 minutes later. Half an hour after the reserved time we still didn't have a table, but the manager, after some discussion finally arranged something for us. We sat down, and it took them another 20 minutes to take our drink orders. Again talked to the manager, and we got another server assigned. Eventually we got some drinks and food (silver ware still missing though) but did not expect such poor service. The food was good but not worth that wait. Actually only one person on the table was truly satisfied with the food. The deserts however were good (granted by the time we finally got to order them some were out). The manager worked with us and cut down our bill significantly, which was the right thing to do and I appreciate that. It will however be the last time we went there.
(2)Tony M.
Service was great! No waiting to be seated for dinner on a Saturday night surprisingly! I had the lobster ravioli which was a generous portion for the price. The taste was great, very flavorful. You can actually taste the lobster in every bite of the ravioli. No complaints of the food and customer service. The dessert was picked from the assortment as shown on the picture. Fantastic taste and generous portions of the desserts. Great value! I had the trio which included creme brûlée, raspberry cheesecake, and chocolate mousse. Excellent trio was enough to share for two! I will come back and try something else. It was a relaxing Saturday night here.
(5)Tina Marie K.
I've been here a bunch of times in the restaurant and have always had good service and food. If your going for the drink and appetizer special after work don't bother. 3 times I have gone and they are always unprepared for the demand. You spend so much time waiting for your weak drink and food. The last time was the last time as it was awful! I was meeting 4 co workers there and arrived first. I literally waited for over 20 minutes until I complained. I watched servers and hostess's chat and no one came over. When I brought this to their attention how long I was waiting there their not sorry attitude was even ruder. Can you imagine making someone wait that long and than not even apologizing or offering a complimentary drink? I worked in restaurants for years and find their management style 3rd rate at best!
(1)Michael S.
We loved the Bravo in Evanston and thought this would be as good. We went for an earlier dinner thinking it would mean better service. nOt We waited 30 minutes for the Waiter to even ask for drinks. We ordered our full meal instead. 10 minutes later we find out they didn't have the Lobster Bisque. A good kitchen would have let the staff know what is not available from the menu. We eventually got the Bravo pasta and flatbread. The sauce was just basic and lacked flavor. The flatbread was burnt. I guess they also forgot about the food. It was nothing amazing and likely will never go back. Will just wait and go to Evanston.
(1)Yury D.
The only reason this place gets any stars is because the food is pretty good. Their shrimp appetizer is fantastic, the chopped salad is great, roast chicken is very good, and so is the skirt steak. The wait staff is very, very good, but the odds are really stacked against them. The front desk is an absolute disaster. The worst I've ever seen. G-d help you if you made a reservation for more than 4 people. The girls there are way too young and are constantly changing. It's no wonder NONE of them has a clue, other than to say that your table is being cleared now and will be ready in just a couple minutes. Rest assured your table is not being cleared, nor will it be ready anytime soon. I made a reservation several weeks in advance for Mother's Day at 6:30pm. They called me three times during the week to confirm, which I did each time. At 6:13pm, as we were walking out the door, they called again asking where we were, kind of rudely. I said we were on our way. They questioned why we were late, claiming the resrvation was for 6pm. No, I told them, it's 6:30pm, so the gal said fine. We waited OVER AN HOUR to get seated. Saw other frustrated people, including a friend that said his evening was ruined due to their hour+ wait. The manager comped us the appetizers, which is nice, but I'd rather pay full price and not wait. We must've been one of the last parties to get seated, because our food came-out relatively quickly. Last weekend we went with friends for a 7:15pm reservation. Same deal. Several young girls at the front desk said there was no reservation. I made one of them go down the list and, sure enough, there it was! We still wound-up waiting for almost 30 minutes to get seated. After we got seated the wait staff was running around as frantically as I've ever seen wait staff run. Really. Long story short, we waited -- at the table this time -- for about an hour for our food to arrive. The same manager took off a healthy amount from our tab, but that isn't the point. Here's the deal: someone over there does not understand the concept of resource constraints. We saw Costo plastic folding tables get taken-down after groups left. This is exactly the reason why we had to wait in front and why our food took so long to arrive. The wait staff was really fruststrated, but will still tipped the full fare. Why does this place let so many large parties come and still take walk-ins, etc.!? I will definitely not come here in a group anytime soon.
(2)Ksenia P.
Made a reservation for 5 last Sunday . Was my brothers graduation and we decided to celebrate it here. The atmosphere is really nice and not loud. We ordered shrimps and calamari for appetizers and those were just good. Must say the entrees were delicious, pasta , tilapia and chicken tasty . My chicken came with a side of risotto which was the best I have ever tried! Service was good. Nice place to come with familia :)
(4)J P.
Pasta Bravo and Pasta Woozie are excellent!
(4)Katherine L.
Consistent and tasty food. They start you off with warm bread and dipping oil and I've tried many things on the menu...calamari, flatbread, salads, spaghetti and meatballs..while very simple, very well done with a flavorful pomodoro sauce. Their desserts...tiramisu, berry cake, and creme brule are a wonderful way to end the meal. And of course, grab a few minty chocolates on the way out. Great for families, lunch date or date night
(4)Dee W.
I'm typically a fan of Bravo! I've hosted many luncheons/dinners and also ordered catering through Bravo - although majority of my experience is working with the Bravo down in Evanston. When my husband recommended dinner in the Glen with the family, I agreed to Bravo since I thought that we could depend on a good family experience. From the very beginning of the meal to the end, it was disappointing. After taking our drink order, our waiter forgot our son's lemonade since that came out a good 15 minutes after everyone else's drinks came out and it took a friendly reminder. Even though we requested chicken tenders and fruit, the plate came out with fries. I ended up reminding the waiter about the fruit and he brought a side of it out which I ended up getting charged extra for. My kids actually didn't touch the fries (the husband ate a handful) but demolished the fruit. I think that I know my kids' eating habits better. The actual meal was mediocre at best - my husband wasn't a fan of his food and I enjoyed my soup (the only highlight of this meal was a minestrone soup) but the salad had some wilted lettuce in there. Since the kids polished off their chicken and fruit, they were allowed to order an ice cream sundae which took a good 20 minutes to get there. In fact, our waiter forgot about it and brought us our check until we reminded him that we still needed our ice cream. Clearly, tables aren't well marked either because we were served someone else's food and we had to tell them that it was for the table next to us. I'll be back to Bravo in Evanston but never to The Glen again.
(1)Stephanie R.
Great food, nice staff, but food takes way too long. There's maybe 2 other tables right now so it's not that busy.
(3)Neema P.
Came here for DRINKS ONLY. They have an awesome drink and happy hour special, try the sangrias. They are good!
(5)Lauren K.
Went here for lunch with my mother. She enjoyed the lobster bisque and a salad. I had a lunch special - pasta yandolino - it was very light and delicious. The service was pretty good, although my drink order was forgotten. The place was very busy for lunch, which is always good, too. Nice warm atmosphere, clean restaurant. Will definitely be back some time.
(4)Song Y.
The soup and dessert were great. Fillet Mignon was way over-cooked, dry and bitter.
(2)Bryan R.
If you like American Italian food come here. If you want more authentic Italian I would not recommend. The food is ok but definitely little expensive for what you get. Service however was good and received food quickly . The happy hour is really good and cheap. I like the laid back atmosphere. Overall it was a good experience.
(3)Brett P.
I really don't expect much from this place due to past experience. Through a history of wanting it to be a good restaurant we have persevered through multiple visits. However, after last night's debacle I am done with it. Disinterested staff that look worn out even at quiet times. We were left to sit for 20 min on this occasion before we finally had to ask someone to take our order. Salad was quite good, flat bread appetizer bland and Luke warm. In an attempt to not over complicate the lives of the poor dears, I ordered veal Parmesan. Shouldn't be that hard right? What was served was half cooked conglomeration f slop that needs no more description. The whole exercise became a running joke with adjacent tables that were having their own issues. At least we weren't alone. Bye bye Bravo, that was simply disgraceful.
(1)Martina M.
We went for a late brunch and unfortunately we didn't enjoy it. It was not a good meal for my husband and myself. I think that because it was so busy we were neglected, as customers. My husband said his garden omelette was awful, as in frozen vegetables inside of it....yikes and it was bland. I had eggs too and they were pretty bland. I can't believe how poor the service was?! That was our experience there and so unfortunately we won't be returning there.
(2)Alison G.
Had a lunch there in a hot summer afternoon last year. Food was average. The best part is we enjoyed eating at the patio and having nice chat there. Yes but it was hot. Latte was so good I think it was lavazza if I remember right and I end up had two or three cups.
(3)Heather A.
Food was great. My husband and I both enjoyed our dinners and the dessert we shared. The restaurant also has a nice atmosphere. I read a review where it said the wait staff had trouble figuring out where to seat them in a nearly empty restaurant, I'd say this is true. We were taken right away but were brought to a dirty table. The hostess got flustered and left us standing by the table. We ended up seating our selves and then the staff bussed the tables. The situation was just a little awkward but nothing that would keep me from going back.
(4)Kristina B.
I am so happy with this holiday redo. Fathers Day at Bravo was delicious, comfortable and relaxing. We're thrilled that the last visit seems to have been a fluke. We will continue to view Bravo as a go-to place in The Glen.
(5)Theresa U.
I had lunch here yesterday. I live in GA, eat here during a business trip. It was great! The people were very friendly. This was the best Tomato Bisque I've had. Great place, worth visiting!
(5)Robert B.
We've been going here since it's been open, and really love the place, most all of the time. I'd never review a restaurant just going once--not fair. Nice ambiance, great decor, soft music--nice. Their bread is good, b/c as my wife says, if she doesn't like the bread--she doesn't like the restaurant. On to the food. The salmon over the asparagus, feta etc salad, -is her favorite-orders it everytime. I really love 2 of their chicken dinners, and the eggplant parm is another favorite. Spaghetti bolognese--outstanding. Portions on the lesser side. The desserts are ALL good. I have to laugh when I hear others complain about a ''holiday'' dinner, like Mothers day--and the poor service etc. Then DON"T GO on on of those days-- Have you ever heard of the 'night or day before'?? What do people expect? Those days are crazy EVERY where. It's a day when the once a year-ers go and expect it all. I don't ask for alot, good food, good service, but perfection? No. No such thing. Mistakes happen. From where I stand, when there was a mistake, we were taken care of in other ways. We Always leave happy. ie: IF- I wait a little tooooo long for a second plate of bread, (or whatever) I'll get up and look for my waiter, and re-ask. No anger, just a polite reminder. We all love this place, and hope it remains the popular place it seems to be. Go, eat there, and behave --you won't be disappointed.
(4)Kathy G.
Recently hosted a work event at Bravo; called ahead, requested private diining room and signed a contract. Surprise - we arrived and were told someone else had the private dining room. They had a table (too small) against the wall where we were squeezed between other tables. Food was great, but I wouldn't bother planning ahead there. Catering manager said "sorry i didn't see your emails but I only work one day a week." Chalk it up to experience. After that difficulty, the food was great and so was the service. The boss chose the restaurant and he was happy.
(4)O.M. R.
Been here a couple of times. Everything's great, except... Soups:-| i'm a huge soup lover, and their soups aren't that great:( Everything else... Awesome!
(4)Ramena A.
The food is always amazing and so if the staff. I hate pasta, but I will gladly eat theirs.
(4)Beth M.
Not worth it on any level. Server was more focused on turning the table than on serving my meal. She never did bring my second glass of wine and she tossed the portion that my mom was going to take home. I had another $15 gift certificate for this place. I gave it back to them and told them to give it to someone else. I won't be back. One star because I can't post 0 stars.
(1)Nicole K.
Had my daughter's baptism here. We also eat here regularly. Usually the staff is hit or miss. Leo is the best if you can request him. Excellent food and very kid friendly. Our special party was fantastic. Great prices and we were really treated very well and they catered to our guest's special allergy request. The manager stopped by to make sure everything was okay. Valets were amazing.
(5)Elliott D.
I have to agree with a number of the other reviewers, I'm not entirely sure why there is so much negativity about this place. I've been here several times since I moved into the area and have always had a good experience. The decor is kind of kitschy in that it's a Roman ruins kind of theme with painted grape leaves and lots of fake stucco with these strange and random columns but the service is good and the food better than decent. The waiters are attentive and I've never had to wait long either for more bread, water, or refills. If I have one complaint it's that sometimes the waitstaff can make you feel rushed. I don't think this is their intention but it is the case that their attentiveness and desire to be helpful can cross the line into annoying. As to the food, I've never had a bad meal. This definitely isn't your home cooked Italian but then again, I don't expect it to be either. For means of comparison, I'd say that it's a step up from Olive Garden. However, you're not paying an incredible amount for a meal so why complain? The lobster bisque is good, the lobster ravioli better, and the sandwiches are a great lunch option. It's a solid three stars and that's exactly what I expected the moment I walked in; maybe others were expecting more, but it's not trying to be Charlie Trotters.
(3)amanda g.
Good food! Nothing special but good execution and nice presentation. FOH sucks! Really bad service. The Bussboy give us better service versus the server.
(3)Jennifer T.
This restaurant is hit or miss. The hits are usually big hits - great service from the bartender, outstanding mahi mahi dish, good sized portions and the misses are not huge so really I'd say 3 1/2 stars if it would let me. The misses are slow carry-out and/or missing food on occasion, too loud in the restaurant when it's busy and some servers are not as knowledgeable and/or accommodating as others, which you probably find in most restaurants anyway.
(3)Susan B.
I've been going here for years now, and I go b/c it's been delicious. Nice help too. The place is designed in an exotic Italian style, and there's usually some very soft music playing in the backround- a nice touch.Very relaxing-or romantic. Open kitchen, I love that. Prices aren't cheap. The bread is great and the presentation of their dishes is near stunning. Wedding soup along with lobster bisque. YUM. great soups! Eggplant is so excellent, and the desserts are to die for. Their huge salad with the charred salmon on top is the best I have ever had --like Las Vegas good.The bottom line is that you will either like or love it there. Don't wear any ripped or dirty jeans please. Let's keep at least one place classy-ha ha
(5)Irene A.
Wish I could give negative stars. I took my sons here for lunch while I was working from home one day and lunch took almost an hour to get our food and the place was empty. Turns out that the kitchen lost our order and we were informed if this after a half hour of waiting. After we were told, it didn't seem like they were in a rush to get our food to us. We waited another half hour and no good so we just left. This annoyed mom and these hungry kids are never coming back.
(1)Eric T.
We have been to Bravo at least 3-4 times, and while the place is nice and servers are good, I feel like they make way too many amateur mistakes when they are busy, and I feel like they will lose customers. Example: there was a HUGE party (~40 guests) by us (8 adults + 1 infant), and it seemed like no other table existed or mattered except the HUGE party one. Our appetizers took 40+min to arrive; the meals were "following" about 40 min after that. One of our friends ordered the apple orchard salad, and the apples were brown when they arrived. When we complained to the wait staff, they seemed to be confused by our complaint that apples in the APPLE orchard salad should be FRESH and not wilted...8-| So to rectify this, they brought the SAME salad with brown apples back to the table, along with a small plate of fresh sliced apples!!!! Our friend thought this was insulting, and vowed NEVER to return. I cannot blame him (and no I do not think he is a snob) - there is just too much competition in this type of restaurant space to make such careless mistakes. The manager did wind up taking about 50% off the bill (the remainder of the meals had issues as well), but the damage to their reputation was done. I still give this place a 3 out of 5 star rating because I have had better experiences there, and hope they train their entire staff on how to handle things when there is a rush. P.S. Here is a suggestion: for large parties offer family-style packages. This eases the pressure off the kitchen staff to deliver everyone's meals at once, and allows other guests to be served in a timely manner as well.
(3)Jasmine L.
My husband and I went to BRAVO! (for the 1st time) for my birthday on Jan 30th. Our waitress was Kristy and all I can say is that SHE IS AMAZING!! VERY personable towards adults, VERY accommodating and engaging with children (she got our son some pizza dough to play with as "magic playdough") and has great suggestions with food menu items for 1st-timers! On Kristy's suggestion, we went with the "Portobello&Boursin Bruschetta" as our appetizer. Not at all your normal bruschetta, but it was one word....AMAZING! I HIGHLY recommend this appetizer! Also on Kristy's suggestion, I got the "Insalata Rustica" as my salad and that was great! a very different salad unlike anything else I have every had but very fresh, light, had a GREAT crunch with the fresh crispy panchetta and the dried cherries added amazing flavor! Definitely a MUST TRY! We got our son the mac-n-cheese, which was amazing (of course I had to try it...yummy), and my husband got the nightly special which was a Grilled Salmon Pasta. The salmon was light and flavorful and even though the dish had alot of ingredients, it was very light and airy! They need to add this one on the menu all the time! On Kristy's recommendation, I got the "Balsamic Glazed Chicken". SO yummy! The chicken is split and grilled on a bed of orzo and veggies! A MUST TRY! The ambiance was very nice, classy and quiet even thought there were alot of families dining out that evening. The wine selection is GREAT too. There was also live music in the bar area which was nice in the background. And the best part is that the valet is FREE!! I HIGHLY recommend not only BRAVO! Cuciana Italiana but Kristy as a waitress!
(5)Adam H.
Ouch. We walked in and sat at the bar, where I ordered 2 peach bellinis (which were ok but not much a of 'bellini') while my lady-friend used the restroom. I was asked if we were eating dinner but I said no and that we would be eating appetizers (on special). Unfortunately, we did not get a menu or even a glance for about 10 minutes before I had to ask for one, then received a full dinner menu which we did not require. Although we werent in much of an eating mood anymore (after 15 more minutes) we glanced at the correct menu, when it eventually came, then were reminded that we had 30 minutes for the appetizer special to still apply. We finally ordered a tasty flatbread that earned BRAVO! their star otherwise I'd have to give zero (if it were possible). We're both 25 years old and noticed that every person in the bar area was older (60+) and got much more attention and service than we did. Several people came in long after we were seated at the bar and they got served drinks, appetizers, and ordered their second round before we got the right menu. I may be younger but I tip appropriately, if the age-ism we experienced was because they figured we were cheap then thats terrible. And for the record it wasn't even busy, I could certainly cut some slack if it was crowded or if there were large parties but there was nothing of the sort. The only reason I'd go back is to take advantage of the appetizer special. If I decide to go back I'll wait for the summer because if we get the same treatment as we did this time we'll walk somewhere else that will offer better service. I'm a reasonable person and very polite especially when it comes to food service; I also rarely give negative reviews on Yelp or elsewhere, but BRAVO! earned this negative review for sure.
(1)Mike A.
Our second time here in 5 years. We came as a party of 11 on Father's day. Salads and soups are not included, so once you price that in the meal; this place is pricey. I had the veal Marsala and it was probably the lowest quality veal I have had in a long time. My wife had the scallops with gnocchi, that were very good. The other entrees did not set off any fireworks with the rest of the family. My brother in law's veal Marsala was somehow lost in the kitchen and he did not get it until all of us were pretty much done with our meals. Overall not too bad of a place, but if I am driving to Glenview for Italian, then I would rather go to Cafe Lucci on Milwaukee.
(3)Jacqueline S.
Ravioli appetizer and desserts. Entrees are good but for the price I think a-ok.
(3)Don F.
We did not have a very good experience here. The waitstaff was very slow and did not come to table for almost 10 min after we arrived and were seated. The menu looked good, but the taste of the dishes was below average. We will not go back.
(2)Mahsa T.
Bravo for being possibly one of the worst restaurants in the Glen. I've given this place two tries and will not make the mistake a third time. Is it just too much to ask to offer good food and service? The food is worse than Olive Garden. Pastas have no taste or flavor and seem like they were nuked in back and brought out. Even the wine tasted stale. First time here, we sat outside in their small outdoor area and received so-so service. Second time, we sat inside and received so-so service with a side of attitude. What annoys me most are the teenagers they've put in charge of seating people, they have no clue and make people wait unnecessarily when almost the entire restaurant is empty. No need to pay good money to eat bad food and receive amateur service. There are far better restaurants in the Glen.
(2)Amy A.
I come here for lunch because it is near my work. There are a couple things I always like to get. Bread = A+ (so soft and tasty...try with their special oil and parmesan). Italian wedding soup = A+ (really super tasty). Caprese = B+ (good and fresh, but portion a bit small and it's really hard to mess this up). Molten chocolate cake = A+ (who doesn't like molten cake???). I've had different chicken dishes and they've all been very unmemorable and dry. If they can fix their chicken dishes, it would definitely be 5-stars.
(4)Matthew B.
Food was good. Service was good. Prices were good. Only complaint is that there was a slight mis-match between the menu and the ambiance. Upscale decor and presentation, but the menu was pretty classic italian like I'd expect to find in a place with red and white checkered table cloth. There was definately some fine cuisine on the menu, and the appetizer we had was great, but the menu seemed to be dominated by the same items you'd find at Olive Garden (better than Olive Garden, though, when you taste it). We will go again. Location is great. Restaurant is kid friendly. Free valet is nice. And, like I wrote above: Food was good. Service was good. Prices were good.
(4)Matthew S.
This is an Olive-Garden clone. It's like every other Olive-Garden clone. The food is decent, the service is decent, everything here is decent. Nothing here is special. There isn't anything here that will make you say "WOW that was awesome". There isn't any signature dish. There isn't anything special in the dining area (which is huge). It just is. On a night when you're bored and cannot think of anything better, this is your place. There is definitely nothing wrong here....but nothing special either.
(3)Ermelinda C.
What part of "There is sauce on the floor and I almost broke my neck did you not understand?!" Seriously, and this was just the beginning - the wait staff barely communicated with each other, hence we got several drinks we did not order and ended up drinking each others coffee drinks just to get the fix - I really do not think that it would have mattered, if we had waited longer. The food has gone downhill through the years and it is just Meh...
(3)Jp N.
Food was very good, kid friendly, and great service. I would go back !!
(4)Anthony C.
Went with 2 other couples on a Staurday night. Being firmly ensconced in the Glen, the area and restaurant itself was packed to capacity. The ambiance and lighting was cozy and open, although they have packed a lot of tables into the space so there's not alot of space between you and your neighbor. We had reservations and were seated right away at a nice big round table. Our waiter was very good and patient as we spent close to an hour catching up with the others in our group since we had not seen them in a while. We all ordered some cocktails and beers and passed around the bread with a nice olive oil dipping sauce. The downside of the place is they have 1 beer on tap which is Blue Moon. If you enjoy Blue Moon this is good. If you don't, this is not good. However, they had a decent selection of bottled beers. Everyone had a salad and all were quite good. Entrees ranged from pizza to talapia to spagetti & meatballs. All were good and well prepared. They also have a menu featuring smaller portions which was a plus. Prices were reasonable and we were not rushed at any time. I would definitely go back - especially in the summer to check out their nice patio for a meal outside on a warm evening.
(4)Scott W.
Over-priced Olive Garden. The gazpacho was delicious. The insalada rustica arrived without dressing and was tiny. The waitress was better at keeping the kids entertained than taking our order (and making sure that's what arrived at the table). Probably won't go back.
(2)Elaine M.
We decided to try this place on the recommendation of a friend. What they touted though was the "bar bites." Unfortunately we were unable to take advantage of this deal because of the hour of our arrival. This was disappointing. We arrived about 7:00pm and the place was very crowded. We were lucky and were able to find two seats at the bar. I ordered a glass of Chianti and my husband a beer. The Chianti was good and the bartender very friendly. This was the best part of the meal. It did take forever for us to be seated and the place was almost empty by the time we did actually get a table. Go figure. We were seated in back along the outside wall. Didn't really feel like we weren't part of the main dining room. On top of that, one of the waiters kept going in and out the side door and a very cold breeze would blow on us. I really don't think there was any need for him to go outside. There wasn't any outdoor seating at this time of year. What the heck? The bartender had recommended the grilled salmon and said that people come from all over just for the dish. So on that, I ordered the salmon. My husband ordered one of the specials for the evening - the baked ziti with grilled eggplant. We also decided to split a cup of lobster bisque. The bisque came quickly and was nice and hot. It tasted very good but was really, really rich. Good thing we split it. The entrees however are where things went badly. My salmon was fine, but nothing that was crave-able as would have been believed from the bartender's comments. The ziti dish was horrendous. Dried out and almost burned. My husband couldn't eat it. I ended up giving him my salmon and taking the ziti. I asked the waitress for a small dish of tomato sauce to battle the dryness of the dish. After a long wait for the sauce, it did help. We ended up bringing most of the dish home with a boat load of extra sauce poured on top. All in all, there are so many restaurants in "The Glen" that I would look elsewhere for dinner in the future.
(2)Joann K.
There is nothing BRAVO! about this restaurant. It was my third time coming here today and it will be my last. Once we were seated our waitress, Jen L., came by asking what we would like to drink. She brought us our drinks and asked if we were ready but we needed another minute. That minute turned into 15 minutes. We tried waving her down... we tried grabbing the attention of other works... we were pretty much invisible. I was ready to leave but my friend finally got Jen's attention. Immediately, Jen admitted that she forgot about us because she was having problems with another table. After being neglected for 15 minutes... it took about another 30 minutes for our food to come out. What did Jen have to say this time? "Sorry but the kitchen is backed up because we're the only restaurant open in the area due to the power outage". So is BRAVO never busy unless all the other restaurant are closed? Aside from the horrible service, the food was just as bad. Pasta Pomodoro wtih Chicken - This dish is not restaurant quality and it seemed like i was eating something off a kid's menu. Angel hair pasta with bland tomato sauce and 3 DRY thinly sliced chicken. I ate about half of it before I couldn't eat it anymore. I wished I ate more bread which was the only decent thing they served. Pasta Bravo! - This is their signature dish and its disgusting. The dish looks like a bunch of rigatoni noodles swimming in a pool of cream sauce. The dish is bland and so creamy that it leaves you feeling nauseous. Rigatoni Melanzana - The best dish out of the three but nothing special. Probably the worst restaurant in The Glen. Don't waste your time and/or hard earned money here.
(2)Agnes F.
I must admit i didn't have great expectation of Bravo! Cucina Italiana before i visited... thinking that its a chain restaurant and in a mall but i must say i was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food served since we came with a large group, we ordered a bunch of appetizers: calamari fritti, portobello flatbread, crispy shrimp napoli and all of them tasted good I had the potato gnocci with scallops and that was only ok, the scallops was small and tasteless, the gnocci was a bit tough but the sauce that came with was good my boyfriend had the Pasta Bravo and that was much better than my entree the others ordered a variety of plates and they seemed to be happy with them service was friendly despite a bit of immature all in all a good family restaurant and definitely suitable for large groups
(3)Elina S.
I went here for a bridal shower and although I'm not a huge italian fan, i think it was a success. We had a private room and the food was overall very tasty. The house and cobb salads were both fresh and light so great as starters. They had a spicy red sauce pasta dish with shrimp which was my personal favorite so I can definitely see myself coming back just for that dish and all the other italian dishes such as their chicken, their pasta w/ spinach was all very yummy. If I'm in the glen, it's a yay for me :) Also, the service at the shower was very good, so I can see that they always want to make their customers feel welcome and satisfied when leaving. It isn't the best italian I've ever had in my life, which was prolly in Florence, but it's pretty darn good for the suburbs.
(4)Chris V.
Bravo is a pretty good restaurant. There's plenty of variety in menu options here, and mostly everything is good. The complimentary bread is the bomb, and you can't really go wrong with any of the appetizers (especially the Lobster Bisque, which is just phenomenal!). The service has always been pretty good, and the atmosphere is very trendy and upscale. I've only had one odd experience here, and it involved sorbet and chopped onions. My sister and aunt both ordered a sorbet to split, and in their sorbet they discovered a great amount of chopped onion pieces. We spoke with the manager, as it seemed like it was done intentionally, and he insisted that it wasn't. Either way, it was just a minor flaw in an otherwise good dinner. This is a good place for Italian, and I recommend it!
(4)Krystal M.
this place is amazing! great customer service and great food! the manager knew it was my mine and my boyfriends first time and he gave us a free sample of one of their appetizers. they also have great serving portions.
(5)Dan L.
I have had some of their catered food. Their presentation is terrible. The pasta was soggy. It looked like it was leftover from lunch. I hope the next order from here is better.
(2)Richard O.
As much as I like coming here for lunch I'm afraid I cannot say the same for dinner. The dinner menu is significantly more expensive. The surprising part is that the service really declines around dinner time. Maybe just a bad server but he didn't have a clue and showed little respect. Service was very displeasing. I hope they hire some pro's I'm tired of these amateur servers in what are supposed to be higher end restaurants. The food was displeasing too. The scallops were so small and they were overcooked. Having entrees over $20 per I expect much better. The lunch is 4 stars the dinner is two stars which leaves Bravo as a lunch only option.
(3)Dan G.
Despite being a chain, this place was very good when it was first opened. But something got lost over the years and food quality is just O.K. now. Located in the "Glen"; the place is nicely decorated with high ceiling. It can get little noisy when busy. If you like hot bread with rosemary olive oil and Parmesan Cheese, this is your place. The bread size seems getting smaller over the years, but you can always ask for more. The entrees is hit and miss, some are decent and some are non-eventful, but the portion definitely gotten smaller over the years. There are lots of competition in the Glen area, try it out for lunch first and see if this is your cup of tea.
(3)Brandon K.
It was very surprising to see such a nice decored italian restaurant inside the Glen. Foods were even more impressive. will go back for more!
(4)John L.
I went here for lunch with coworkers today. Actually, the boss picked up the tab, which was nice. As I test out new Thai places with their Khee Mao and Japanese with Yakisoba, I have a habit of testing traditional Italian restaurants by trying their spaghetti and meatballs. I know...why order something you can whip up at home in a flash? But, if the sauce is great and the meatballs are tender and full of flavor, you're most likely going to find lots of good options for return visits. I figure that if they can't get the simple down, then why come back? I'll definitely be back to Bravo! for lunch again. The pasta they use is thin spaghetti, not vermicelli, thin spaghetti. The meatballs were good and meaty and I liked that you could see (and taste) the bread crumbs in them. They were super tender and the sauce was great, not too tangy, not too sweet. Juuuuust right! For $11.99, it's easily enough to feed two people with an appetizer. I didn't try it, but my coworker's chicken in a balsomic sauce with veggies looked great too and she said she enjoyed it a lot. I'll definietly go back. BRAVO!
(4)Alexis B.
I work in Glenview, and my regular lunch buddies and I frequent Bravo quite often. The interior is beautiful, and while I can see how it would make for a wonderful dinner atmosphere, I generally arrive with 4 hungry guys just looking for a good meal in the middle of a disgruntled workday. They serve a very good rosemary bread with an herb olive oil blend on the side, but they are slightly stingy with the portions and we always end up asking for two or three baskets before the meal. Since I gave up meat (not just beef, all meat) for Lent every meal I've eaten at Bravo has been vegetarian. They have a decently good pomodoro sauce and I usually enjoy it over angel hair. It's not on par with something I'd find in the city, but it's decent for the suburbs. I switched things up my last visit and tried a tomato, basil, mozzarella panini with pesto spread and was pretty satisfied for having had a sandwich without meat. One of my lunch companions lives by the talapia salad and I'm sure it is what drives him to suggest this as our lunch time destination weekly. One huge gripe is that the service is SLOW. We try to take our lunches a bit later when we want to come here to avoid the rush. Each time, we have informed our server upon greeting that we are on lunch and that we will be ready to order within 2 minutes. In each of our 5 visits, we have had to ask for the bill prior to our food arriving and scarf down our food because it has taken almost the entire hour to arrive. My food isn't piping hot, nor is it cold so I'm not sure if it is service or the kitchen. We haven't explored pre ordering yet, but it has been mentioned for the next visit. If I had time to enjoy my meal here, it might be worthy of a fourth star.
(3)Tracey M.
I LOVE this place! Anytime I'm out that way for dinner with my family this is where I request we go. They have a great Chicken Parmigiana amongst many other dishes. Oh, and their Martini's are outstanding! My mom and I especially love their Pomegranate Martini. Not on the drink menu most of the time - if at all - they will make it if you request one. We've never had them say no. If you plan to go their on a weekend night I would suggest making reservations just to be on the safe side. Good food, nice environment and good service. . . All in all, I highly recommend you try Bravo Cucina.
(5)Sheila X.
Ahhh the Glen... A whole street of nothing but eateries... Being that there is so much competition, a restaurant has to be good to get those repeat customers. I, at one point, was one of those customers, until I learned not to be such a suburbanite, and started to venture into the city for food.... anyways... Bravo has a few tables outside for dining if the weather permits. Inside, you are taken away into this white-columned, high-ceilinged, low-lit, well decorated, huge dining area. Before you get seated have a drink or two at their bar... On weekend nights they have live music, which is an enjoyable treat. From the bar, I especially enjoy their Bellinis. The mix of champagne and peach puree is always delicious! Though, depending on the bartender they can be packed with ice sometimes. After you are seated, they bring out some warm bread for you. The rosemary bread is served with oil only, no cheese. I wouldn't suggest eating too much of it, as it is OK, but I would save my appetite for the good stuff. For an appetizer, order the Cheese Ravioli Al Forno... wow... it is cheese ravioli covered with Alfredo sauce then garnished with tasty basil-pine nut pesto and tomato sauces. This starter could without a doubt be eaten as a meal. Don't miss out.... I go to Bravo to order one thing on their dinner menu, and that would be their signature pasta dish: aptly named the Pasta Bravo! This dish consists of large amounts of rigatoni mixed in with a good amount of real wood-grilled chicken! You can definitely taste the wood-grilledness... Then its mixed in with mushrooms and a perfect amount of smooth roasted red pepper cream sauce.... Dee-lish! This pasta is always consistently good. The service here is a bit hit or miss. . . But the cooks know what they are doing. . .
(3)Marilee w.
Meh, been to better places. Ambience, prices, and decor give you the intial impression it's an authentic, classy Italian place. Not really. Food is so-so, nothing special, waiters were ok.
(2)Jessica O.
Bravo is a beautiful restaurant. I can't believe this is the first review! It is a chain, that originate in Ohio, and now we are lucky enough to have a location in Glen in Glenview. So understanding that this is a chain restaurant, the food and restaurant is really great. The restaurant itself has really high ceilings, they feature live jazz a few nights a week, they have huge plants, and outdoor seating when the weather is right. The wine list is fairly extensive, but reasonably priced. I don't really feel like I'm being completely ripped off when I'm paying a little over 20 bucks for a bottle of wine. There is also a private room in the back that can be reserved for parties. I recommend the Chicken Marsala, as well as the pizzas, and the bruschetta with mushrooms and goat cheese is REALLY good. The bread the bring to the table is sun-dried tomato focaccia, and it is served with a sun-dried tomato oil. Yummy. The only concern that I have with this place is that the service is inconsistent. I have been here a few different times, and the service has either been great or we have waited over 10 minutes for a bill and been passed off from waitperson to waitperson. but the food and the atmosphere will have me coming back.
(4)DR. S.
Bravo is the restaurant that give you the real taste of the Italian foods such as their calamari, grilled salmon, spaghetti, linguine, and pizza. I think that it would worth to try if you want to have a fine Italian meal. Yum !!!
(4)Katie C.
I am reluctantly a fan of Bravo Cucina Italiana. My reluctance comes from nothing except the fact that it's in the suburbs and it's a chain. Usually, I have problems with chains, and they inevitably screw something serious up. But Bravo didn't do that, and actually, we had a fairly nice dinner there. ::Big sighhhhhh of reluctance:: Meeting up with my momma in the burbs, we originally planned on Wildfire (in my opinion, a much better restaurant/chain) but the wait was, um, an hour at 6:30. Can you even believe that? Okay, sorry, irrelevant. We journeyed further into the depths of The Glen (formally Glenview Naval Air Station) and found Bravo, so we went. No wait, thankyouverymuch, and were seated right away in the humongo dining room. The place is gigantic--think Cheesecake Factory enormity--but it has a nice side bar where people can sip cocktails and listen to a lounge singer do 40s and 50s standards. They've got gazpacho, chopped salad, linguine with shrimp, pizzas, steaks, all the stuff you expect to be on the average American-Italian menu. I chose the salmon, drizzled in garlic and pesto with capers, crispy potatoes, and pan roasted green beans. Our young waiter was kind enough to knock off the taters and fill up my plate with greens instead (gotta stay svelte, you know). My mom ordered the tilapia which came smothered in crab. She was pleased, and so was I. If I had one complaint, it would be that the green beans were super salty--don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed them. I'm just fishing now... So anyhoo, perhaps the next time I'm willing to make the short trip up there, and Wildfire is still chock full of blue-haired specials at 6:30pm, we'll make our way back to Bravo. Hopefully then I'll find something REALLY wrong with it to report.
(4)Shugz F.
This place was way more hype then anything. We went as a big group (10 ppl) on a Friday night. The wait staff seemed so confused: first they lost our reservation, then didn't give us silverware, messed up the grilled calamari order, and again one of the entrees. The food took FOREVER to come and it didn't even taste THAT good. I've had better Italian dishes a cheaper places. Overall, not worth the time or money. Would not go back.
(2)doug c.
I can't remember why we stopped coming here years ago, now I do. BAD FOOD. The veal Marsala was 1/8" thick and was so overcooked it tasted like chicken fried steak, the chicken Marsala was so dry and overcooked, it wan't edible. The only good thing was the service.Sad, such a well designed interior has such bad food.
(1)Mrs N.
PROS: Our waitress could not have been more attentive and personable. Bread and water were promptly and frequently refilled. The house salad, unlike a previous reviewer's salad, was fresh, crisp and dressed perfectly. The balsamic glazed chicken was tastier and healthier than than other chain food. CONS: The host station was unmanned when we arrived and it took a while to get someone's attention. The chicken was tough and a bit dry--either overcooked or frozen one too many times. I suspect the latter. Overall a very average experience but certainly not what you'd call authentic Italian unless you believe that Olive Garden is authentic.
(2)Kathleen B.
Myself and three friends needed a night out. There in the group had gone to Bravo and suggest it. While I will give them four stars on the food, poor does not begin to explain the service. I don't beleive it is fair to give a poor rating to the staff without some explanation: 1- We were seated without an explanation of the "special seating" in order to take advantage of special drink and appetizer pricing. Our table was changed. 2. One appetizer we ordered clearly required a spoon to avoid "double dipping". Lengthy wait for the spoon. 3. I ordered Gazpach, again no spoon. Glad I ordered a cold soup. 4. After the appetizers, salads and soup, several guests were out of silverware and need to wiat again for silverware in order to eat their dinner. 5. At this point a manager began appearing. He brought water and, rather than refilling the pitcher when he heard it near the end, he continued to try to eek out the last drop of water and spilled ice cubes on the table, then reached across the face of my friend and over her plate to pick them up off the table by hand. 6. Coffee and dessert had the same slow and sloppy service with no spoons for the coffee and the servers not knowing the difference between regular and decaf. We reminded our server about our desserts twice, the bus boy, and the manager. After a tediously long wait for the desserts, the manager brought out the plates and again, no forks to eat tiramisu and berry whatever. He asked "don't you want to use your spoons." Really! 7. While all these incidents were negative and uncomfortable the worst is yet to come. We went to get our car fro the vallet, there were two men on duty. When one went to get our car, the other asked if we were going to tip the vallet and, of course we were. He asked if we would be willing to place a ten dollar bill, which he handed us, in with the tip as he was trying to track some recent "inconsistencies" in the vallet tipping pool. What a great impression to give a customer. That's just plain stupid! All in all, the staff is untrained, inefficient, borderline rude and finally stupid. I would not go there again based on this experience.
(1)Laura G.
Came to Bravo for the first time a few nights ago and had one of the most considerate restaurant experiences that I've ever had. When the server informed the chef that my partner and I were vegan, the chef came out to help us customize our order. He was very friendly and helpful. We will be back.
(5)Carol C.
I would like to give a minus one star. I will never understand why people would return to this horribly mediocre place! The calamari was rubbery and tasteless. The presentation of the food looked like something from McDonalds. No creativitiy in the menu. Really really bad! I went to Mitchell's across the street the night before and it was equally bad! It makes the Cheesecake factory look like La Francaies. And on top of that, they measure drinks like they are gold! The drinks are expensive and they put no alcohol in them. He then asked if we wanted a double. We said no, just a fair pour. We live in glenview and will never return to this horrible place. Almost any other place in Glenview is better and a bargain in comparison. Save your money!!
(1)Crystal K.
We're from the city, but upon venturing out to the burbs for some recliner-searching, we decided to visit Bravo. We've been to a Bravo before when we lived in Ohio and enjoyed them well enough, so we thought we'd give it another shot. And, for a suburban chain, it's not bad. FYI and for planning purposes, we walked in at around 2:30 on a Monday afternoon. Starting off with the good stuff... The Pomodoro sauce is tasty, whether it's with the penne or on the Chicken Parm (which I had). The Lasagna is pretty good and you get quite a hefty piece with the full order. The olive oil concoction that you get with your bread is incredibly tasty too. BUT, you can definitely tell that it's a commercialized version of Italian food. Our waiter was nice enough - he got us refills and some extra Pomodoro sauce (I'm an anti-Italian in that I LOVE tons of sauce. Warning, the chicken parm comes with hardly any). My main complaints? The second we walked in the door we were greeted (rather UN-greeted) by the host talking on the phone for about 3 or 4 minutes...without even looking at us with a smile. Nothing. Not a glance. Just ignored us. Minus a star. Once he got off the phone, it was a brief hello. That's it. No smile. No "welcome." Nothing. Upon letting him know that we preferred a booth, he looked over some highlighted paper work for a least 30 seconds and walked slowly to the only open booth. He then proceeded to plop some menus down on our table and walk away. Considering the host is the FIRST person that the customers meet, doncha think the manager would make sure that he/she was at least friendly? Hmph. My other complaint... The salad I ordered (house with Italian) was probably the WORST salad I have ever had. In my life. Truly. Minus one star. The iceberg lettuce was wilted and brown, as if it had been sitting in the dressing for a couple of hours. Speaking of the dressing, the entire salad was drenched in it. Ridiculously drenched. Nothing tasted fresh at all. If a restaurant can't make a simple salad, I question the overall quality. In conclusion, not a bad place for the 'burbs, I would guess. BUT, if you live in the city, I would suggest Fiorentino's or La Gondola instead.
(3)Susan K.
Good salads, pizzas and salads. A chain with good atmosphere and outdoor dining in good weather. Their breakfast/brunch menu isn't great. Good rosemary bread arrives at the table when you sit down. Fine service.
(4)E M.
Nice spacious decor, moderately priced and good food. I like their calamari, spaghetti and meatballs and fettucine alfredo. Service was great and the warm bread they give you w tomato sauce to start is really good. One of the better restaurants in the area for sure.
(4)Karen H.
Enjoyed the low lighting, high ceilings, Italian decor and traditionally simple menu. Shared a salad, entree and dessert and the waiter could not have been any more accommodating. Everything was fresh and portioned well. Rich and heavy in flavor made sharing a good decision. Great place for the range of dining needs: families, kids, dates and large groups.
(5)Raymond H.
Had dinner at this restaurant located on the old naval base in Glenview on a Sunday night and thought the service was very good along with Mike our server who took the time to explain everything on the menu. I'd recommend to anyone to visit for italian cuisine. Also would order the Sope de Mar if you like seafood.
(4)Patricia K.
Bravo is probably one of my favorite sit-down lunch locations. I have serious cravings for their chicken chopped salad. I love that the chicken is sliced so thin. It gives it this illusion that it is more apart of the salad than just the protein thrown on top. It becomes more like the lettuce in how it lays and intertwines with the rest of the ingredients. Very nice. The ambiance is nice. I have only been there during the day. There are a lot of tall windows that let in natural light. Parking can be harsh with all the shoppers from The Glen competing for space. You may need to walk to one of the parking garages within a block.
(4)Dana M.
It was a Thursday night when I dined here, so without reservations at 6:30, we were seated right away and the waiter came by immediately. The bread was fresh out of the oven and was delicious. They give you two types; I like the crunchy seasoned one over what looked like sourdough with their own olive oil concoction. They have a large menu and I didn't get to look through everything. I settled on the Pasta Bravo! which was recommended by a friend I was dining with. It's their signature dish, rigatoni tossed with wood-grilled chicken and mushrooms in roasted red pepper cream sauce. For the price, the portion was just right and I ate it all. The sauce was good but maybe there wasn't enough of it because the pasta was a little dry. The chicken was very tender though. I also got to taste the Pesto Tortelloni: fresh cheese and spinach stuffed pasta tossed in housemade basil-pine nut pesto sauce and topped with sun dried tomatoes, red onions and pine nuts. Those are all my favorite ingredients and it was very good; better than my own dish! Too bad chicken is another $1.99. This place had several good items on their menu and I would definitely return to try some other dishes.
(4)Andrew C.
After reading the reviews of other yelpers, maybe it was just my table, but the service was horrendous. We first waited a couple minutes just to get seated when there was obviously plenty of open tables. Once seated, we waited over 5 minutes (no exaggeration) for the waiter to come over. All night, the service was slow, and we were always waiting around and looking for the server to come back. It's funny because the bus boys that night were extra prompt, almost to a point where they were bothersome while me and my party tried to eat our dinner. I did like their food and their portion sizes are spot on. Would I go back? If I were in the area and other people wanted to go, I guess I would, but I wouldn't actively push to stop by this place again...
(2)Susan L.
Bravo is a chain restaurant firmly planted in the burbs. If that's your bag, keep reading. If not, head somewhere else (you probably would never head up to Glenview anyway). What can I say? It's a suburban Italian eatery with good food, good service, and a generic reproduced feeling (like Starbucks). Go to Gusto Italiano (also in Glenview) if you'd rather have a more homey atmosphere.
(4)Just Me E.
Bravo to bravo? I'd say that's kind of a stretch, but the pasta bravo, their proclaimed signature dish, was pretty tasty. The dish is advertised as rigatoni with chicken and mushroom sauce. The sauce was smoky and flavorful, but they were kinda stingy with the chicken. The pre-dinner bread and dipping sauce was good, and the house salad was excellent. Service was just OK, and the ambiance is faux Umbria trattoria. The clientele was that bored suburban housewife type that longs to be a sophisticated boulevardier, but doesn't quite pull it off. Very Stepford-ish too. I dunno...I've been here only once so your mileage may vary. I'd definitely go back if I ever found myself in "The Glen", but I would never make a special trip there. Speaking of "The Glen", that whole set-up kinda creeped me out. I felt like I was on some movie set. It's like they tried to create a hip urban environment in the middle of the 'burbs. So, yeah, if you find yourself up there for any reason, check it out just so you can say you have. Otherwise, save the gas money and time and go to the plethora of Italian eateries in a real city neighborhood.
(3)Wendy H.
Food and service good consistently. Good wines by the glass, great bread, extremely accommodating in terms of altering a dish to suit your preferences or dietary restrictions. Never disappointed with a meal there.
(4)Lucy Z.
I adore this restaurant and can hardly go a month without visiting. Simple italian done well. Their pizzas are always light and crisp, pastas are generous, and appetizers always interesting (though I was very disappointed when they changed their bruschetta recipe a few years ago--it used to be my favorite, but now they don't use other veggies, just tomatoes drenched in sauce, which stings my mouth too much). Their salads are not so great either. Portions tend to be a little large in general, but I always love taking home the extra food! This is absolutely my favorite place to get pasta as well, and the bread they serve is delicious too.
(4)Zahra A.
Rather generic and dull the restaurant is romantic and well lit, but on a scale a true food-lover has seen before. The dishes are fresh and unoriginal. The wait is relatively decent and the waitresses seem faker than usual though this may have been only a partial view of the customer service they offer. The bread tasted oven-fresh and the olive oil concotion given as the appetizer was pleasing but did not make up for the lackluster entrees and desserts.
(3)Judy L.
Bravo is a "safe" Italian restaurant where you can't really go wrong with their dishes no matter how many times you dine there. In a way, it reminds me of Cheesecake Factory in terms of the stability of the food and the interior design. I prefer to eat at the bar instead of their main dining area because you receive their full service menu, don't need to wait, and their bartenders are quite generous because they refill your glass complimentary if they are trying to finish an almost empty bottle. The wine list is sufficient with the Santa Ema as one of my favorite bottles to order. Pairs nicely with marinara sauce. Service can be shaky at times and I noticed their staff turnaround is pretty high. If you encounter a "newbie" you can tell they aren't as confident and may need a few reminders.
(4)Pat P.
At a recent birthday lunch here, and it was truly awful. I ordered a parmesan crusted chicken salad and the chicken was inedible, tough and with a weird taste. The salad part was so drench in dressing it was also horrible. I ate almost nothing. My friend had the same chicken on a sandwich and agreed. We told the waiter and the manager came over and apologized, removed my salad from the bill (not the sandwich), and gave us some explanation about the chicken being prepared wrong and the wrong tray got thrown away??? I appreciated him coming to talk to us, but the meal was bad enough that I won't try it again. Too bad because the ambiance is awesome, the bread delicious, and the wait staff always nice.
(1)Andrea R.
I have never handed out a 1-star rating, but this place is horrible. The food is below sub-par, and is a far cry from being homemade. The Caesar salad dressing might as well have been mayonnaise, and the Lasagna (who can mess up this classic dish?!) tasted as if it was flash frozen then thawed. If you are looking for Italian food, please don't frequent this chain. If you must, go to Macaroni Grill or even Olive Garden. This place blows.
(1)Doris D.
My friend and I threw a baby shower at Bravo in The Glen and it was just perfect. The service was excellent, the waiters were attentive and the prices were totally reasonable. The interior of the restaurant was gorgeous, and though it did have a bit of a Cheesecake Factory- chain type feel to it, it was a lot less noisy and the food was generous in size and tasted a lot better. Although this place is not quite what you would consider "traditional Italian food", the dishes were delicious, the drinks pretty damn strong (ahem, yes, we had alcohol at a baby shower). Everyone at the shower said it was a beautiful party.
(5)Vick C.
From what I heard this place is good for lunch, I never tried the dinner but I think their lunch is pretty good! This place located in The Glen, Nice decor, good service, upscale place! I had a grilled turkey with bacon sandwish with lobster bisque, taste was very good! It's gonna be a favorite place for lunch if I go there!
(4)Steven M.
I can't tell how glad I was that I didn't go to Wildfire. That would have been a smack in the face. I was here more than 2 years ago, but I completely forgot about it. How Rude. The food is fantastic. When I walked in the door it smelled like my aunts house in Italy. The wood buring oven was the culprit. They gave us a loaf of homemade bread and a plate of olive oil and red sauce. I could have made a meal out of it with a salad on the side. We started out with the Calamari. They were incredibly fresh and not greasy or rubbery which is the norm for the burbs. Everyone complemented them. I had the Lobster Bisque. The bread came in handy for mopping up the bowl. It was the best thing to warm me up on a cold day. We also had the Italian Wedding soup. Yum! for the main course I had the Lasagna. It came on a serving platter and was as fresh as could be. I have had enough frozen brick'ets to know the difference. The melted mozzarella and the lightly spicy sauce were perfect. My friend had the Chicken chopped salad with gorgonzola, spicy pecans and mixed greens. It again was in a hubcap sized bowl and he said it was very good. We also had the Chicken Rosemary Panini. The provolone looked a little over done but I heard no complaints form who was eating it. The fries were thin cut with a light coating on them. The food and the service were right on the ball. More than I expected. The atmosphere is great also. With the white columns and the frescos on the walls. But the best thing about this place is the price. For a couple of bucks more than fast food this is an outstanding value. I wish they had one on the southside.
(5)Nathan M.
Sub-standard Italian fare, lacking in taste and freshness. I had a drink at the bar prior to dinner, I felt the pour was fair and the bartender was very friendly, the wine selection was fair for a restaurant at this level. My one irritation was that I could not transfer my check from the bar to the table. The host was friendly and took our wine to the table for us. Our waiter was friendly and quick. When the appetizer arrived, this where my experience crashed in the ground. The food tasted frozen and oily, I had a seafood pasta for dinner, the food again not fresh, very frozen taste. Due to the lack of freshness in the food and the unimaginative menu, I will not be going back.
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