Friends in town visiting, met at my fav place their treat. Frutti de Mare. Yum Yum. Everything is great here and you could never go wrong. Great food, friendly and fantastic service and fun atmosphere. Best place to come for an enjoyable experience that you will be sure to tell others about. Like I said, the Frutti de Mare is delicious and worth every enjoyable bite. See for yourself.
(5)
Sue S.
Went there with family last week owner who seated us was arrogant and unfriendly. Waitress was very slow didnt ask once if we needed anything or how our meal was. Well, the meal was not good, sauce too sweet my sister's pasta was undercooked and they rudely turned off the music while we were still there. wont reccomend it and will never go back!
(1)
Mary Jo T.
Excellent service. Great food. Extensive Italian menu. Huge portions. Vito was extremely welcoming. Danny was a great waiter. Stuffed artichoke hearts were yummy. Vito also let us try the neck bones pro bomo. We will be back!
(4)
Yvonne O.
Headed over this time with my mom in tow and tried the Italian sausage burger again - just as good as I remembered. Mom had the eggplant parm sandwich on special which came with soup. We both had the escarole -literally the best I have tasted. I'm excited to have an event here in a couple of months - the food is incredible and the service is top notch.
(5)
Annette B.
This weekend we took our 93 year old sister to Danny's for their neckbones! She thoroughly enjoyed them, as it took her back a few years to when she used to cook them. My husband had the Caesar Salad with chicken breast and he couldn't have been more satisfied. Loved the dressing. Their balsamic dressing is equally as delicious. One of the highlights of the meal was the broccoli appetizer. Kudos to the chef. Only complaint was the al dente pasta...some of us like our pasta cooked a little more. The other highlight of the meal was our server, Danielle!! She was attentive, friendly, and efficient. She's a keeper!! Thank you, Danielle!
(4)
Allison V.
Another successful lunch date with my man. Can't wait to come back and try something else.
(5)
Rick R.
Always enjoy the varied cuisine and service. Terrific neckbone.
(4)
Paul R.
We just left Danny's as we celebrated our Godson's christening. We want to thank Danny's for their great service (ask for Susie) and Vito for checking in. The party room seats 50 comfortably and the larger room 100+. My family is still raving about the service, family style food and warm reception. This place honors authentic Italian food. We had linguine agli e olio, rigatoni w/ vodka sauce, killer meatballs, chicken parm and their house salad with salad dressing u dream about. Thanks to the entire team for making our event so special and affordable. GO DANNY'S
(5)
Meg P.
I grew up in Melrose Park.. Danny's has the best Italian food in town. I usually get the Chicken Piemonte, Pork Chop Vesuvio, or Giambotta. And to start, fried calamari and a salad with creamy garlic. The meals are delicious! They've updated the atmosphere over the years. Friendly, fast service... Cheap dinner specials every 1st Friday of the month. Highly recommend to all of my family and friends.
(5)
Cassy B.
I've been to Danny's more times than I can count on my fingers and toes - every time I leave full and happy! My favorite is the rigatoni w. Vodka sauce and crumbled sausage. Huuuuuuuuuge portions - enough for dinner and lunch the next day. Vito, the owner, is a sweet man. Suggested the pasta primavera (blondie style) and again I was pleased! They do have a party room available which I used for a holiday party and their family style package worked out nicely! Id recommend this place to anyone looking for delicious, authentic Italian food!
(5)
Thomas C.
Oh wow, we saw this place on Chicago's best and it's as fantastic as advertised. DO get the fried meatball sandwich ... actually the sausage burger is phenomenal as well, and can't say enough about the homemade chips. Did not have the kids but would absolutely take them there, service was exceptional, obviously a place that has "regulars" but we were made to feel right at home.
(4)
Mike L.
I'm really sorry, but I was just not impressed at all - I hate leaving bad reviews and I do not want to be mean - I'm just being honest. The service was great and friendly, but the food was not that great at all. The Chicken Piemonte was swimming in a thick sauce like substance that had no hint of white wine at all - the side of spinach was so overly cooked and also swimming beside the chicken on the same plate - the chicken was sad, it was grilled (fried), and topped with what I would bet were canned flavorless blond mushrooms. The Vodka sauce was so so - the eggplant parm was thick and a little greasy - again, almost everything is fried at this place which really turns me off. I realize that most people batter and fry their eggplant then stack it and bake it - the problem with that is you often end up tasting the grease more than the eggplant - there is a trick when making egglant Parm and lasagna and tasting grease is not one of the tricks. The neck bones were ok, however, they lacked flavor - sorry, just judging them against my Mom's and Aunt's neck bones I ate when I was growing up. They need to add something like some hot Italian sausage or some hot giardinera when cooking neck bones to give them some flavor. These were very bland. Yes they were tender, but when you cook anything in gravy for hours it will become tender. The best parts of the meal were; the cup of marinara they gave with the bread - very good gravy, and the Escarole and beans - the 3rd best part of the meal was the balsamic salad dressing. Other than that, I think this is just another large portioned NON authentic Americanized (Chicagoized) Italian Restaurant where patrons are more impressed by the huge portions than they are excellent or authentic Italian or CHICAGO Italian flavors.
(2)
Elizabeth R.
Do you want great taste without a high price? This is your place. A very simple interior gives way to amazing food. They have a private room which is great for big dinners. I was a guest of a rehearsal dinner and they did a fantastic job. My only complaint? Your wine. It is not that good and it was $5.99 a glass. You could have knocked off a dollar or two. After tax and a tip, my glass of wine was almost $8. I feel bad when I do not tip well. And I hated my wine. Now enough of that negativity. The food...fantastic. The house salad is simple and delicious. Peppers, olives, fresh tomatoes and the perfect amount of dressing. We also had bruschetta. They were so generous with the tomatoes. Normally that is the first thing that runs out. The bread was crunchy, the presentation was beautiful. Then we had a pasta course. Vodka sauce. They served it hot and delicious. The sauce was creamy without being too watery. Dinner itself was broasted potatoes with lemon chicken. I can not get over how delicious this was. Such a simple meal and they brought it to such a new level. Simple ingredients, amazing flavor. Just go there and try it for yourself. Parking is tricky. There is a lot next door, one across the street and you can park on the side streets as well.
(4)
Kevin H.
What a great place. The service, hospitality and food was fantastic. This is a very casual simple restaurant offering great food at reasonable prices. I loved the charm of this place Will be back for sure.
1st time there because we came upon a groupon. There's a few restaurants nestled in a residential area which is different. Service was very good, our waitress did keep an eye on us. Difficult to settle on a decision for lunch, everything sounds great. I had the giambotta which was full of chicken,Italian sausage, chicken, peppers, onion, potatoes and mushrooms swimming in a superb red sauce. Loved it. My husband had the chicken parm. Huge serving of the best parm I ever tasted. The chicken was pounded thin but double deckered with more cheese in between. WOW!! Soup and salad were very good too. This is now our go to place for wonderful Italian food. The interior is nothing fancy but I think a re-do would hamper the coziness of this neighborhood restaurant.
(5)
Bob H.
Enjoyed a nice lunch last week (mid-week) at Danny's. Was a nice aftenroon and was able to sit at the tables out on the sidewalk. 4 of us, ordered a calamari to start (generous portion) and were stuffed when we got the sandwiches (3 different chicken sandwiches, and one ordered the Chicken salad). Efficient service, friendly staff (owner stopped out to say hello) and reasonable prices. Will stop back in next time i'm in town.
(5)
Mary Ann C.
Yummmmm.....We were in the area and were thrilled to finally try this place! There was a decent crowd there around 2 pm on a Monday. The server was so nice and eager to make our meal amazing. We ordered the meatball sandwich and chicken caprese sandwich, with chips! Both were high quality sandwiches, but I would give the edge to the near perfect meatball sandwich. The chips are made in house and cannot be missed. I am not a chip person, and these were delicious!!! Cannoli were also stellar! Yummm!!! One star is taken off for the interior! Not the fanciest place around, and I do think they could update it a bit!
(4)
Brandon P.
Just amazing found it on yelp and decided to try it me and my friends were blown away, must try the vesuvio chicken sandwich !
(5)
Jeff N.
True Italian food has to be made by real Italians with love. Here is the place for genuine people and food. The restaurant is in a residential area of Melrose Park. Very casual seating on tile floor. They do have beer and wine. They have daily specials that are tough to decide on because they are all yummy. Try the grilled meat ball sandwich! My chicken lemone was superb. Portions are huge. Doggie bags are a staple. Good service and very reasonable prices for the incredible quality.
(5)
Gemma K.
Danny's can definitely find the way to an Italian girl's heart. Whether I have come here for the Monday "Chef's Surprise Choice" special or one of their weekly staples, rarely am I disappointed. I mean, from where I come from the pressure is definitely on them. This is a cute spot, casual, where you can grab a table and take your time or do a grab n go. What they also have going for them is their service; friendly and fabulous. But let's get to the most important thing: the food! Their "thing of things" and most talked about are the neck bones, as well as their fried meatballs. And they are good, and that is what my guy usually gets. But they have a few other things to offer that truly entice me. Five generations of Italians just rolled over in their graves at Mt Carmel cemetery as those words were written. I love their Asparagus and Feta salad. It's totally worth the 5 or 6 bucks. And as far as my favorite meals at Danny's: it's a toss up -- their eggplant dishes vs. their handmade pasta rotini which I have gotten with spinach and romaine. Today, it was the eggplant for me; a good sized serving, too. My guy ordered their tilapia with the fried greens and pasta, also very good. He also likes Danny's Bacala -- but refrains from ordering it, not because it isn't great, it's because it brings back childhood trauma for me of cod fish heads floating in a bowl. But I digress. The wine and beer and beverage options at Danny's are pretty standard, but the food is the thing, so what they offer does work. They would get a complete and total 5 stars from me if they increased their meatless options, but, I have also found them open to altering a dish when my veggie side counterattacks my meat eating side. Another nice thing that I confess to when I have been in a bind and that is ordering a gallon of their gravy/sauce for when company is imminent and I haven't made it from scratch. Hey, I'm a realist, and they do decent catering. And, yes, those same five generations just rolled back the other way. Nice job, Danny's --- remember your humble roots and keep doing what you're doing!
(4)
Marc R.
This place is cheap and super yummy. The real deal Italian American food in an area where nearly everyone used to be or still is Italian ancestry. Just love this place. Meatballs to die for. To die for. Really they are that good.
(4)
Mark G.
Eyy, youse guys like Italian food? Youse guys gotta check out dis Danny's place over by dere on 15th n Division. Gettchurself a meatball sammich, or neckbones whichdeyserf on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I could eat dere TREE times a week at least. I grew up practically acrost da street. You're not a legitimate foodie unless you disparagingly eat meals that other cultures at one point in time ate out of sheer necessity and desperation to elude starvation. That's cute and exotic to us. Therefore, I recommend the neckbones. Mmm. Neckbones. Not just a good name for the heavy metal band I never started in high school. But a damn fine meal. Tender, fall-off-the-bone morsels covered in classic Italian red sauce. Whenever I order them to go, they literally give me a box of food. A 12 X 10 tray of neckbones, a side of pasta, soup, and bread all for just a tad over $15. Neckbones. Not just the lost member of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, but a great value. If pigs neck isn't your thing, I would also recommend their other top seller: the meatball sandwich. Get a side of their homemade potato chips too. That's not a suggestion. Do what I say. Jieetyet? (tr: Did you eat yet?) Where youse goin'. Youse better say Danny's. I don't care if youse was just dere da udder night!
(5)
Jen K.
When we first arrived at Danny's, I was disappointed. Yelp.com said they were wheelchair accessible & there was a step at the entrance. So I sent my husband inside to find out if there was another entrance that was accessible. They sent us to another door & laid out a portable ramp. I was so happy & impressed that they were so friendly & welcoming to the disabled community. Once we were inside, the owner or manager (not sure) came to check on me, to make sure I got in ok. I specifically came into Danny's to try the Fried Meatball Sandwich that I saw on Check, Please! And because I had a groupon. The sandwich was every bit as good as the reviewer on the show said. Additionally, we tried the Eggplant Parmigiana, which was amazing & the Cheese Ravioli with Vodka Sauce. Also very good. We will be back!!! I just bought a larger denomination groupon, to bring friends to Danny's next time. The food was very authentic & had great flavor. I posted pictures of our meals to show the huge portions & how good everything looked, even before tasting it all.
(5)
John T.
We went last night for the first time with another couple. Wasn't sure what to expect. This place is awesome! We loved it. Food is outstanding, perfect service and you can't beat the price for all the food you get. The owner Vito is a terrific guy with great stories. I can't wait to go back.
(5)
Pam D.
Dem bones, dem bones dem neck bones.... This place has wonderful Italian food in huge portions. Christopher had some really good pasta. I came here for the neck bones. They gave me a huge bib. I needed it. So delightfully yummy. I made 3 meals out of what i got. We will be back. I will make sure I come on a night where they don't serve neck bones, so I will have to try something else. I love this place!!!
(5)
Derrick L.
Went here with my cousin , aunt and mother. I had the four cheese lasagna which was excellent. All the food that we had was delicious my cousin had the pepper and egg sandwich and my mother had the rigatoni with vodka sauce I tried each of them and they were all very good. The portions are huge.
(4)
Michael B.
Was having a low key family party for 30, looking for a nice place, good for kids with good food and decided to give Danny's a try. Could not have worked out better, food was great, service was great with special kudos to Kathy who took care of us from the moment i inquired about the party till we left. Will definitely be back for myself and will not hesitate to have a party at Danny's in the future.
(5)
Teresa D.
What an amazing place!!! Yesterday we had my gradson's, Christian, christening luncheon at Danny's and it was wonderful. The food & service , as always, were outstanding. True Italian home cooking. The meatballs and rigatoni in vodka sauce were out of this world. Thank you so much Vito and Susie for making our event so special. Teresa Delgado
(5)
Jacob J.
Kudos to my often dining partner Allison V. for sharing this trek with me, I'd neither heard about its fame on local television shows or about its mention on Check Please. Who hasn't had a good meatball sandwich right? Meatballs slathered in a zesty marinara sauce, occasionally topped with mozzarella or other white cheeses and hot peppers or giardinera served on a French roll, right? Here at Danny's they've created a game changer. Flattened meatball sandwiches. WHAT? & Why? Maybe they wanted to do something different and be known for it. But really, who cares. It is different and it's superb for it. Each of their meatballs are packed with flavor. Now I'm a self admitted sauce fiend. Think Smeagol sulking in a corner of the room getting all handsy with a tub of marinara sauce..."my precious" I love sauce and with a meatball sandwich I ask for extra sauce over the top. While marinara is an option, it's almost unnecessary. These meatballs have so much flavor, then say you have it topped with cheese and giardinera and it's served on fresh, oven toasted bread and you have yourself a fantastic sandwich. I wouldn't say "to die for" only because I wouldn't want to die for just one. I want to live so I can have many of 'em! Meatball sandwiches are served with your choice of house made chips, thin or thick. I like both of them, the chips are thin like a potato chip is and straight out of the fryer some are still soft and soggy while others are crisp. The thicker chips are of the fry variety, thick enough to dip into ketchup and get a nice textured bite. Two additional menu items I will share with you which I found tasty. The calamari was perfectly fried and the cocktail sauce they offer pairs with it well, it's of the zesty variety, sometimes called "spicy". Also, I was ecstatic to find tartuffo offered as a dessert. Usually found as an Italian dessert. Two soft ice creams tossed together to form a ball. Inside of it can be a creamy, soft chocolate, chocolate sauce, etc. It's then coated in a dark cocoa powder and topped with a bit of fresh whip cream and other sweet condiments. Here it's got a covering of chocolate sauce, white and chocolate chips served in a chilled martini glass. Perfect for sharing but loved even more, solo. The restaurant is nice enough for a meal. If it's warm you may like to sit outside. The inside is kind of strange. It suffers from an identity crisis. Is it a sports lounge? A cafeteria? Family sit down? There is restaurant decoration & signage which seem out of place. Their business is thriving. We hit it during a late weekday afternoon. A few tables were occupied when we entered. By the time "old people dinner time" came around ( 4 - 5 pm) the place was starting to fill with older couples and some families. Parking is easy to find since it's not Chicago and parking is free. I suggested to management to pick up on the local beer trend. Offer micro brews from some of the Midwest's finest. Currently they offer the regular domestic and import brands and one beer from a local brand. If management is reading, please please offer a decent IPA. Soon. On another note, a few days after having these fantastic sandwiches I noticed a billboard with advertising about the meatball Panini now available at Corner Bakery. It weirded me out a little because of the proximity of the sign to where I stay. Like real life "cookies" adding local spam advertisement in my hood. I realize that might be a bit too geek talk for some of you to understand. We can chalk it up to wild timing.
(5)
Norah R.
Just went there tonight to use our groupon. And I must say: amazing!! My mother had a tiny sausage soup and ranch chicken salad.. Which I'm not a ranch person at all but I kept sneaking bites :) my boyfriend had the Italian sausage sandwich which he enjoyed and I had the eggplant lasagna. My lasagna was everything I love and more!! Meatless which I personally enjoy with my lasagna and the marinara was so yyummy and fresh tasting. I will def be returning to try more from here. Awesome service, fast and very helpful. I came from the beach so I was so thirsty and our waitress had to problem refilling our glasses over and over (even though I felt horrible lol) Def a place to bring the whole family or just for date night!
(5)
Brian T.
I have eaten here a few times and in most cases I would give it a four to five stars. On my last visit I can't say the same. I bragged to a friend, who now lives out of town, about the meatball sandwich. So we planned a day to go. It's was busy as usual. Got our seats and waited fifteen minutes for our waitress. Waited another 20 to order and then waited another 30 for the food. It was crazy, and then the meatball wasn't as good as I've had from th em before. If this was my first visit I'd probably give it a 1 star. But I've had a few good meals here, so I know they do better. maybe it was an off night.
(3)
Lana M.
i attended Danny's a few weeks ago, with my parents, kids and close friends. the service was on point, even with a huge party in the same room, we had the server's attention. the fried calamari, vodka sauce, giambotta and special fish dish were excellent and authentic. there are just some dishes you don't expect to find on some Italian restaurant menus and Danny's features every one of them. i appreciate that i can head out and find neck bones and meatballs that rival my gram's. Danny's features feel good food at amazing prices and works for everyone from my folks to my kids. Thank you, Danny's!
(5)
Chris J.
Been to Danny's a few times. Its not fine dinning, but it is good simple food. Large servings at a good price. The service is good but not too fast, hate feeling like I am rushed at a place. They are known for their meatball sandwich for good reason, its very good. Again this is not top shelf high end Italian food, its more like the kind your friend's Italian Nonna has cooking everytime you step in their home, morning noon or late night.
(3)
Gerry D.
HORRIBLE!!!! Lets start with the fact that there was NO soap in the damn rest room! Given that this place was empty when I walked in you'd think that at some point that waitress would've checked the rest room earlier. She appeared to be clueless when I mentioned it to her! And why the hell does this place only have two single occupancy rest rooms for a place that clearly holds over 100 people? Maybe no one actually comes here. The decor looks like a grade school lunch room not an Italian restaurant!! This is another place with horrible patrons. Twice people entered and started coughing and not covering their damn mouths. One idiot was so bad that he coughed multiple times. I thought it was hilarious. My mom was less than thrilled! Now on to the god awful food! I had the rigatoni with vodka sauce and crumbled Italian Sausage and pasta faglio soup. The soup was the best thing I had. After waiting for 20 minutes for the food to come, you'd think that the noodles would be tender. HELL NO!! They were half cooked! Why have noodles this big if: A. They take over 15 minutes to cook. B. You arent gonna attempt to cook them all the way. Next the vodka sauce was nasty. Very reminiscent to vomit. The Italian sausage tasted freezer burned and had NO flavor! The waitress asked if I wanted her to wrap it to go. HELL NO bitch! Get this crap from in front of me. When a 275 lb man doesn't even finish half of his food and doesn't bother to take it home, you know your food is crap!!! To make matters even worse, they had the nerve to charge an additional 20% gratuity for groupon users. REALLY? REALLY?? REALLY??? It wasn't stated on the voucher nor was it posted anywhere reasonable so that diners could see it. But yet they had photos with the guy from Chicago's Best and Pat Bruno quotes plastered all over the hell hole! Called Groupon and they gave me my money back. Go to hell Danny and take your cooks and recipes with you! And when you get there, take your recipes and shine em up real nice, turn them sons of bitches sideways and stick em straight up YOUR CANDY ASS!!!!!
(1)
Angela R.
Took the kids and the Mr. there for First Friday usually a great meal. Don't know what's going on with the place but the food and service were not great. Ordered the baked clams which are usually big-o-clams with a nice crusty topping. These were tiny clams in some gloppy sauce. (that ain't right). The M r had the Caesar salad and requested shrimp. For an extra $5 he got 4 very sad little shrimp.Not a good value. The kid's meals were missing ingredients and my meal was OK. They have lost there liquor license. How's that happen? Our server was not as fantastic as we have had in the past. Will give them another shot but my confidence is shaken.
(2)
Dave P.
Food is outstanding & a great atmosphere!! So many items are a must try!! We tried the catering also, the food was a huge success at our party! Everyone asked where we got it!! We'll be back!
(5)
Carol B.
First, the service is excellent. The wait staff was genuinely friendly, nice, attentive and engaging. Rigatoni in vodka sauce with sausage crumbles was very tasty, just the right amount of sauce and wonderful sausage. Enough in the doggy bag for two more meals. The giambotta had good sausage, chicken, and vegetables in good red gravy. Okay, for the deserts, get the ricotta cheesecake AND the carrot cake. Both delicious and nice portions (will finish the carrot cake at breakfast...). Plus the owner checks in to make sure you enjoyed the meal. Nice touch.
(5)
Darice H.
AWFUL...AWFUL...AWFUL! Lets start out by saying I will never ever eat at or tell people to come to this so called "Authentic Italian Restaurant"! The service and food was dog shit! Went to Danny's Saturday, April 27, 2013 with at least 60 people. When my uncle received the quote per plate they promised $15.00 a plate then when he was trying to settle the bill...it came out to $20.00 a plate! WTF! We where treated with no respect as customers, the service was terrible their prices are insanely expensive. They only had two bathrooms (each with room for one person) for a establishment that holds 100 people. When they served the food there wasn't enough for the amount of people in the group, we ran out of salad, pasta and chicken! How does a restaurant run out of food? $20 a plate for chicken and potatoes, and crappy pasta and they run out? If you can't handle large crowds, turn them away). The pasta was overcooked the sauce tasted like Ragu (GROSS), the bread was stale and tasted like cardboard, the potatoes tasted starchy. The water glasses had dishwasher detergent caked on it! Rinse you damn glasses! Not one polite employee, must have been the owners family that works there which wouldn't be a surprise since the owner himself was screaming at all of us to sit down so he could get a head count. Rude! that whole family is rude and no respect for patrons! Assholes! It was such a rip off and not worth to ever go back this place needs to be shutdown!
(1)
William B.
Walking into Danny's for lunch, I felt a little out of place. I felt like I was getting odd looks from all the little, old italian men, like I was walking in on a closed meeting straight out of Goodfellas. I'm sure its just because its a local hangout that I was new to. I figured I'd try the famous fried meatball sandwich. Added provolone and hot peppers. Darn tasty sandwich. However, gave me the worst heartburn ever. It took days to recover. If I get back, I'd likely have to order something else. I'm sure there are plenty of excellent, home-cooked choices. But I'm not sure I will go out of my way to get to Danny's again.
(3)
Chris A.
I took my cousin here after careful consideration: 1) What represented the spirit of Chicago small business ownership? 2) What had a neighborhood feel to it? 3) What would taste good!? Danny's passed all three of my criteria of course. Outstanding food, great service, the spirit of quality mom and pop dining without a "greasy spoon" feel and a casual, relaxed atmosphere. I will definitely be coming back for more! I recommend their eggplant ANYTHING (i.e eggplant parmesan sandwich, parmesan pasta, etc..
(4)
Pam F.
There were 15 of us in our group when we went to Danny's on New Year's Eve. Not only was the service excellent, the food was amazing and the prices were wonderful!! I can't wait to go there again!
(5)
Terri D.
We've had two groupons for Danny's Cafe and had a mixed experiences with the customer service, but the food is awesome! First time we tried Danny's the place was empty except for two other tables. The food was amazing. HUGE portions which is why it took us some time to even attempt to put a dent into the meal. Fiance had the Fried Meatball Sandwich and I had the Breaded Steak Italiano. The waitress was rushing us to order, finish our meal, and to pay. It was to the point that I told her to chill out and give us a damn minute to enjoy our meals and talk. I think the glare and tone of voice conveyed to leave us the fuck alone if she wanted any semblance of a tip.... which she got a dollar and rightfully so. Second time we had the lasagna and chicken alfredo. Holy shit, HUGE portions again. We took most of it home. It was sooooo delicious, I could drink that fucking alfredo sauce. Anyway, waitress was friendly and gave us our space without us wanting for anything. We even had a nice chat with the busboy about KMFDM who saw my fiance wearing the band's shirt. We will definitely come back, with or without a groupon.
(4)
Rob W.
Realistically, 3.5 stars, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. I went to Danny's Cafe & Deli expecting a bit more of a "deli" element to the establishment. I had a $30 Groupon and was picking up lunch for two, which I was anticipating as some kind of sandwich (ala Alpine of Elmwood Park or the like) and then using the remainder of the Groupon for deli meats, cheese and or salads. Well, no sign of such food around there so I had to improvise and go with the flow. So I got a Chicken Piemonte (did Al the car dealer pay them off for that entree name???) and a Rigatoni ala Vodka sauce with crumbled sausage. These were recommendations of the server who started to assist me and I have to say that overall, they were pretty good. Two large flattened chicken breasts with mushrooms and sauteed spinach tasted pretty good. The pasta was interesting - rigatoni on steroids, though the sauce lacked the advertised "crumbled sausage" - at least I didn't detect any. Kind of too bad because the dish was good, though somewhat bland. Got the pasta faglio with it as well - pretty good, though one order was fairly "soupy" and the other was more like eating a meal. I also ordered two Italian meatballs that were fairly tasty. Processing the Groupon was a bit tedious, though when it was all said and done, I got a lot of food for about $18.44 after the $15 discount. Danny's is a nice, friendly place, pretty laid back and family owned. These types of restaurants are a dying breed, but in Chicago they are a compelling reason NOT to go to Olive Garden in this town - why do a chain restaurant when the real thing is sooooo accessible??? There are better Italian places in the area (Jimmy's Place in FP comes to mind), but the food was pretty good and the staff was nice, so I do plan on coming back. Give it a shot - you'll not be disappointed.
(4)
Jillian H.
I'm going to give Danny's a 4 but would really like to give it a 3 1/2. We started with the polenta with marinara sauce. The portion was large. I would have liked a little more sauce other than that it was okay. We order a house salad and two huge sandwiches. The salad was large enough to split my only issue was the cucumber had an extremely bitter taste and I couldn't eat them. The fried steak sandwich was a disappointment. It needed more seasoning. The potato chip were good but lacked salt. The fried meatball sandwich was outstanding! We went on a Saturday afternoon and when we arrived we were the only ones in the restaurant. The service was just okay. She never came part way into the meal to ask how everything was and she never refilled our water. I expected more since we were her only customers. Danny's is a good value for your money.
(4)
Ellen M.
ITALIAN BEEF with PARMESAN COTTAGE FRIES, BABY. This is a spot I enjoy for lunch when I'm working nearby. It's a straight-up deli with good food. Good sandwiches, good salads. Fast, clean and friendly, just like some other stuff I enjoy. The strawberries romanoff is yummy. I haven't had dinner here yet but one of these days I'll skip lunch and then try it. Lots of "Philly style" things on the menu.
(4)
John M.
I went again last Friday with my sister. I've been perhaps 6 times. I have never been disappointed here. The waitstaff are very friendly and though the place was packed, on first Fridays all main courses are $10, I never felt rushed and the service is very personal. We split a Anti Pasto Salad which comes with a nice balsamic vinaigrette dressing and is really far too big for one for an appetizer. You could probably make a main course out of it. I have previously ha the fried escarole and it's really tasty stuff! Dinner comes with soup, so I had the escarole and my sister had the pasta fagioli. Both were excellent. My sister had the Pork Chops Vesuvio with vesuvio potatoes... a mash with garlic and stuff very nice. The Pork chops are huge by the way. I had the Giambotta, which I have had before. It's black olives, peppers, onions and mushrooms in a marinara with Italian sausage, pork and chicken. Skipped dessert as this is both wonderful and plentiful! I would eat there every day if I could,
(5)
Dorotka K.
Danny's was okay, I guess. I wasn't impressed by the decor and almost left, but the restaurant was pretty full on a random weeknight and people kept trickling in. I figured, if they're all here, the food must be good. The service was okay and the food was decent. It took a while, though, and our appetizer arrived with our dinner. I recommend the calamari - it tasted light and fresh. Their marinara sauce is also very good. We got steak sandwiches and while they were big, there wasn't much flavor. To be honest, the smell in the restaurant was kind of weird and I had a hard time enjoying myself there. I give Danny's 3 stars. The food was alright, but Danny's isn't the whole package for me.
(3)
Bob K.
Having grown up in the area and eating home cooked meals made by my friends mothers I never thought I would tatste this type of food again until Danny's arrived. My wife and I love this food, my favorite is Giambotta (Italian stew) Chicken, pork, sausage with peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives and potatoes in a Marinara sauce. It's the BEST!!!, you can't find this dish at every Italian resturant and when you do find it there's none that comes close to Danny's. You need to be hungry or ready to take a doggie bag, the portions are large and the prices are fair. Don't pass this place up. Bob K. 11-27-13
(5)
Elle M.
I did not want to write a review for this place because It truly is a hidden gem, but I can't let my own selfish motives deprive Danny's Cafe the recognition that it deserves. Staff....soooo nice, accommodating, and right on the spot with recommendations. Food....delish!!! huge portions, and the fresh potato chips, WOW!!! Price....very affordable, especially coming for someone like me who happens to watch every nickle and dime that comes out of my pocket.
(4)
Barbara M.
We have been there before and each time the experience seems to get worse. We had a Groupon and used it late this afternoon. After we sat ourselves, we looked at the board for the specials. I had a difficult time finding the restroom to wash my hands. The room was dark and only ONE restroom for an entire restaurant! I had a difficult time finding the toilet paper which was on a post located on the floor. It was almost out. UGH! We decided to start with the stuffed artichoke. I asked the waitress how much it was. It was not stated on the board or in the menu. She got an attitude, picked up the menu and said, " it is in the menu." She looked and couldn't find it. Then she quoted a price, but came back to the table with another price. First of all a waitress should know the prices, especially the specials on the board. The waitress and the cook were the only 2 staff that I saw, I wonder which one was in charge? When we received the artichoke, it was difficult to see if it was truly an artichoke. At first we didn't know what it was. It was a mound of smashed breading. We found the artichoke and it was good. Then we both ordered the lasagne special with 2 meatballs and the salad. The salad was swimming in the dressing, that had too much vinegar. When the lasagne came it was a huge mound of red. You could not tell what was on the plate. You couldn't see the meatballs or the lasagna. We each ate only one meatball and took the rest home. I hope there is lasagne under the red sauce! My husband is a bread lover. He slowly ate one slice during dinner. He did not care for the bread. I wondered if it had been at another table. The dining area is depressing! It looks awful with it's oilcloth table cloths and tacky signs posted here and there. There is no decor except for a few pictures of " local famous people" like Al Piemonte LOL! The portions are big, but big isn't always better. We will NOT return.
(1)
Danielle P.
Dad and I have been dying to try this place for awhile and finally got there last night...yum!!! It's no frills old school Italian that nonni would serve. The arancini was delicious and the portion sizes were insane. Mom got chicken vesuvio and the chicken cutlets were the size my hands put together! I got the asparagus and feta salad which was crisp and fresh. We finished with ricotta cheesecake and spumoni which were both to die for. My only gripe was only two waitresses and ours was the grumpier of the two. Slow to the table, refills, and we had to ask to order dessert. She sure was quick to bring the check though ;) overall it's a great Italian place that you'll miss if you blink. Worth a try!!
(4)
Frank C.
This place is great for their different items they have: 1. Fried meatball sandwich 2, Breaded steak sandwich 3. neckbones 4. Homemade rigatoni Go there, order anything, its all good at this place. Frank Campeglia (the Food Club)
(4)
Jose G.
This was the 2nd time we'd been to Danny's. The first time was pretty good! Good food, service was great, atmosphere was average. We went there tonight since it's close to home and wanted something local. There were probably 4-5 other tables seated, and it looked like 2-3 servers, so not too busy if you ask me. Anyway, here's the lowdown: Service: TERRIBLE. We had to ask for water 3 times. After staring down our server and finally flagging her down, we were able to place our order (probably 10-12 minutes after she initially stopped by. Not personable at all. Didn't really make eye contact with us, just generally seemed distracted. My thought was, I'm going to be extra nice to her, I saw it as a challenge to get her to change her tone - I lost. Our food came, brought out by the other server, who was very friendly and personable. Our server stopped by about 2 minutes later, before we'd had the chance to try to food, and we never saw her again. Well, we did see her, just not in the vicinity of our table. I almost felt like we had a sign on our table that said "be as cold and inattentive to this table as possible." Food: our appetizer, 1/2 order of fried calamari was a good sized portion, but it was overdone/slightly crisp. Our sandwiches were a good size, nice and hot, but the peppers that I'd asked for with mine were MIA, kind of like our server, so I never got them. Atmosphere: probably the best part of the night. The family at the table next to ours struck up a small conversation with us, so that was a pleasant surprise. The temperature in the restaurant was W-A-R-M! It was probably around 68-70 outside, and significantly warmer when we walked in. There were at least 3, maybe 4, new, shiny ceiling fans, but they weren't on. Overall, we might or might not be back anytime soon. I think eventually we'll give it another shot, but hopefully we either get a different server, or if we get the same one, she's in a better mood. I usually am a good tipper, but given this experience, I left one of the smaller tips I have left in a while. If I would've had a pen, I might've left her a note explaining the reason for the below-average tip. Who knows, maybe she'll read this??
(2)
Scott S.
My Daughters and I went for a birthday celebration and had the best food in a long time. We each had pork different pork dishes and each one was absolutely wonderful. Kathy our server was amazing and Paula and Carl came by to talk and where the best hosts. This was our first visit to Danny's. The wine was great and the Limoncello was chilled just right.
(5)
Cristina T.
Went again for a delicious Sunday night dinner. Service as usual was amazing & I finally got to try the rigatoni alla vodka. To die for! The pasta is more like soft manicotti shells and the sauce is decadent and rich. The sausage just tops everything off. Still in love with Danny's.
(5)
Cristina Z.
This place is amazing!!! The food is out of this world!! You have to try their ricotta cheese cake it's to die for!
(5)
Mary P.
A group of friends meet up for dinner once a month and Danny's Cafe and Deli was the chosen place. This was my first time at Danny's, others had been there before. Let me say, they do not skimp on food portions. You get plenty to eat and everyone at our table had leftovers to take home. I had their Lemon Chicken with potatoes and brocolli. It was chicken lightly breaded and had good flavoring. Servings was 2 big pieces (I had leftovers). The others ordered Eggplant Parmesan and Homemade Lasagna and raved about the food. Atmosphere is casual. Shorts, jeans, dress clothes, whatever you want to wear. Its one big room with tables and large windows. Servers were pleasant and the owner stopped by the table to see how everyone was. Great for large groups. There were 10 of us and we sat at a round table and had a great conversation. Good place to take family or friends. Amazing food with large portions. I'll definitely return and bring other friends.
(5)
Patricia M.
Friend had recommended Danny's so when I saw a Groupon. Why not. Great place. Homemade, huge portions of excellent Italian food. The sausage was excellent with out rotini pasta dish. Ricotta cheesecake desert. Yum. Plan to return with a larger group. Have our own family style meal.
(5)
Ali V.
I love Danny's too, I really do. I'm just not ready to give it five stars. We come here lots, we live very close and I've tried a lot on the menu. It's probably best I don't come here more often or I'd be big as a house. Lately I've had the vodka sauce rigatoni with sausage - delicious, maybe a little ...bland? the Lasagna is excellent, the polenta is great, the soups are yum... The chicken sandwiches are huge and great with those yummy potato chips. We bring family and out of towners all the time, everyone we bring here loves it. My only complaint, sometimes it's a little too casual, and you hear the owners yelling at the staff. As a former waitress and bartender, things like that get to me. Otherwise, I'm a big fan, and I'll come back here and again and again.
(4)
Roseann V.
Danny's is a gem of a food lover's find. They have large portions, great prices a great variety of food and excellent customer service! On special occasions I will always go to Danny's for my guests to enjoy the superb food. THe owners are wonderful and always stop over to make sure you are enjoying your dining experience. Thank you Danny's for a flavorful and family experience!!!!!
(5)
Vivian P.
Danny's is a perfect neighborhood friendly Italian place. The food is wonderful! We ordered the calamari, clams, chips and then our plates. The calamari was very good, it melted it your mouth and if I was left alone with that plate well I would have been able to finish it! The clams were topped with cheese and were so tender (I didn't eat them, but my father loved them). The chips were made right there, fried potatoes and wow just amazing. My plate finally arrived and I ordered the rigatoni with sausage in vodka tomato sauce. Can I just say YUM, the pasta is homemade, soft and the sauce was great! The plate is big so I had leftovers which I am eating as I write this. My father and brother both loved their food, but since we ordered so much we had a lot of left overs. I would return for the food and wonderful service, it is so worth it!
(5)
Cativa C.
I guess I'm the only Yelper that didn't like Danny's. When the waitress finally got off the phone (10 -12 minutes) she explained to us she had a "family emergency". Really?? I don't want to hear about it! The polenta/sausage appetizer needed salt....polenta sans salt is......how shall I say, BLAH! The meatball sandwich, their "specialty" was a huge disappointment. Too much garlic, over fried and thin as a White Castle burger. Meat - bread.....that's it! Sauce was served on the side. No garni nadda....overfried "meatball" (where's the street wheel roller that ran over my meatball) The homemade fries were very good and the ricotta cheese cake was good, too. Waitress needed an attitude adjustment. I know...I know, two women and a Groupon....what did we expect! HA!
(2)
Danyelle D.
I love Danny's I come here all the time. Everything you get is cooked well and the place is always busy no matter what time you come. Not everyone loves an excess of garlic & oil & cheese, but I'm Italian and that's how my mom cooks, so Danny's is just like home cooking without me having to do all the dishes. So far I have yet to find a person that I have introduced to Danny's and not been amazed. Top Menu items include Fried Meatball Sandwich, The Italian Sausage Burger (which is just like the fried meatball but using sausage instead), Homemade Rigatoni in Vodka Sauce with Crumbled Sausage. I keep telling myself that I'm going to try something different but once I get there I crave my usual order. One day I'm going to order the neck bones, which I have never seen on a menu before, I can't believe they have gotten so many people wanting neck bones. Not to mention they have great specials everyday & the cost is nothing compared to what I have paid in the past.
(5)
Max R.
Why did it take me so long to try Danny's? Probably because of the location - drive by every now and then, but never really think of it when it's time to eat. We had a Groupon and am now a huge fan! Will be a frequent diner here. The meatballs are awesome, the homemade pasta and sausage is unreal. Can't wait till next time when I try the Giambotta! Paula loves food and she loves her customers - she made us feel like regulars from the moment we walked in. Great lady. Great food. Lots of it!
(4)
carmen s.
The Meatball Sandwich is a MUST try nuff said!
(5)
Marie N.
We chose Danny's Cafe and Deli based on the Check Please! episode. The service was very attentive. We loved the marinara sauce that came with the bread at the beginning of our meal. I had the sausage burger sandwich on ciabatta bread with provolone cheese. It was good. Very mild. It came with a small cup of the good marinara sauce to dip it in. Hubby had the rigatoni with vodka sauce. The rigatoni pasta was homemade. It arrived at our table piping hot and we both liked it. Again, very mild so he spiced it up with black pepper. We enjoyed the nice, comfortable, neighborhood atmosphere. I will go back to Danny's Cafe and Deli.
(3)
Michael C.
If you are looking for a restaurant that allows you to walk in stand in the door for an awkward amount of time wondering if you are suppose to seat yourself or wait for an employee to show up and seat you; then this is your place. If you are looking for a restaurant that has servers ignore you and your family after being seated for 25 minutes; this is your place. Foolishly, my family arrived at 6pm on a Sunday night ready to try Danny's Cafe due to a Groupon purchase. We were given water and a bread basket and menus by the busboy and then 10 minutes later told by a waitress "Be there in a minute". 15 more minutes pass without anyone coming to our table. We stand up to leave, put our coats on etc. Still no one comes by and says a thing. Crazy. Not a full restaurant either mind you. If you do choose to go to Danny's Cafe don't bother with a Groupon because I highly doubt you will even get a check delivered. I'd highly recommend this place though if you ever wanted to try to Dine and Dash, although the Dash part won't be necessary. I imagine you could stand on your chair and announce that you are leaving without paying and it would still take a server 10 minutes to stop by your table.
(1)
Jennifer I.
Ironically, I am writing this on the day there is a somewhat negative article about the owner in the Scum Times. Considering that the Times is getting more and more like the National Enquirer every day, it does not sway my opinion. At least not my opinion of a place that serves piping hot, homemade marinara with the bread. Hello! So... I finally made it to Danny's after multiple rave reviews from my sister and her husband, who I think come here 3-5 times per month. I have to say, it lived up to the hype. If I lived closer I could easily be here just as often. This really is just an awesome, casual Italian place. I had the lasagna and meatballs and was not disappointed at all. So. Much. Food. I actually wish the entrees were a little smaller, to have room for appetizers or dessert. You just get the feeling that everything is good and you want to try it. The service was so friendly...I felt more like I was a guest in someone's home than a restaurant. For as busy as it was, our waitress was so on top of everything. Never had to even ask for a drink refill, it just showed up right when you wanted it. She even remembered what my sister ordered last time. We showed up right before it started to get packed (about 6pm on a Saturday). This might be the kind of place you go to at off-times to avoid the wait. Big fat sigh for the Check Please curse. I did see a mullet. Come on dude, I'm trying to eat.
(5)
Paul M.
I have to acknowledge my bias for this place since it reminds me of a neighborhood restaurant in Buffalo, near where my dad grew up. That said, the fried meatball sandwich is fantastic! Don't know why I order anything else, because it never disappoints. We've had almost everything on the menu. The wife will not have anything other than the neckbones special. Hard to describe, but let's just say the heaping plate would feed a starving 16 year old without a problem. Calamari is great, so is the vodka, sausage pasta. Good prices and so-so, but friendly service. A gem in Melrose Park.
(4)
Jennifer Q.
Wow...what a hidden gem. My coworkers took me out to this place -which I heard about on Check Please. Initially, we couldn't find it because 15th was under construction. But when I'm determined, I find a way! I mapped it out and we came in from the west -25th Ave to Division and east on Division. It was worth the effort. The waitstaff was really friendly and the food was out of this world! I ordered the "Eggplant Lasagna" which was basically a cross between Eggplant Parmigiana and Lasagna....fabulous! Everyone's dishes looked great! Everyone was super happy and loved the place. I would recommend this place to anyone. HUGE portions for about $10-$15. Great value and quality food. A cute Italian restaurant meets a deli vibe. It felt very When Harry Met Sally meets the Sopranos...I dunno why -that's just what comes to mind!
(5)
A D.
In the middle of no where in Melrose Park, but worth the small effort to find! Pasta, sauce, eggplant, chicken, neck bones, soups, calamari...everything tastes authentic & flavorful. You have to order the fried romaine! Sounds crazy but it's one of the best things on the menu!
(4)
Russ T.
GREAT! I was told not to go to Danny's by a person I worked with who had been there in years gone by, and was far from impressed. After my first trip there less than a year ago, Danny's is now our regular lunchtime joint; her included. Great food, nicer servers, family owned feel. Try the Chicken Vesuvio!
(4)
Emily Y.
I'm basing this review on one weekday lunchtime meal. I ordered the meatball sandwich with a side of vesuvio potatoes (wedges) and my friend ordered their special which was some kind of spinach and ricotta pasta dish. The meatball sandwich was really good. I think it might've blown my mind if I hadn't already come in with such high expectations. I was prepared for two or three meatballs on my sandwich, but it came out as a meatball molded into a patty that perfectly fit the bun. More of a meatslab sandwich, but it did the trick and was easy to handle. The vesuvio potatoes were mediocre, I wouldn't order them again - I can't think of a way to describe them - bland, maybe? Not crispy at all, which is my preference. (They have vesuvio wedges and mashed vesuvio potatoes, maybe I'll try mashed the next time.) My boyfriend warmed up half my sandwich and the potatoes later and he thought they were both really good. My friend really enjoyed her spinach and ricotta pasta. She let me try it, but I hate ricotta so my disappointment was tastebud-biased. The amount of food they give you is obscene and the sandwiches are really inexpensive ($6?), so it can be a bargain (my friend stretched her pasta for three meals). On the other hand, the sandwiches come with nothing except a slice of melon. The sides of pasta listed were around 3 dollars, so I may have to try one of those the next time I'm in. This is probably more of a 3.5 than 4 star, but I think some of the reviews were overly critical and it's family owned, so I'm happy to give them a 4. (Except for the vesuvio potatoes, I'd give those a 1 - for vesuvio potatoes go to Luca's in La Grange - just behind the train station!)
(4)
Carrie M.
Went for dinner at 4:30pm on a groupon. Big place with little atmosphere. One table had 3 ladies at it, the remainder of the restaurant was empty. The waitress said sit anywhere. When my husband and I sat at a 4 top round table she said, "Oh, could you sit at a different table as we may get a rush of the dinner crowd. WTF she just told us to sit anywhere!! One little old man came in during the hour we were there.Where was the rush? Now to the not very good food.... The caprese salad with balsamic dressing was great. The bread they served when sitting down was stale and not really sure they had olive oil in the bottle as it had no flavor and was looking like vegetable oil. I had the "famous" fried meatball sandwich with chips and a drink (9.95) Nothing to come back for...ever. The homemade potato chips were good. There really is not ball to the meat as it is a flattened piece of meatloaf on ciabatta bread. Way to much bread to meat ratio! Comes with tomato sauce for dipping which was good. My husband had penne pasta with peas, sausage and mushrooms in a vodka sauce. A little spicy but overcooked pasta. Very large portions. The waitress had an attitude. Kind of passive aggressive. Nice enough but not genuine. Much better places to go than here. They may have tv personalities in pictures on the walls but I don't think they have eaten here.
(1)
Nick D.
This place is a gem!! The waitresses are great the food unbelievable!! We had the palenta as an appetizer then for our entree I had the four cheese lasagna and my mom had the pasta olive oil. It was all so good! Real Italian decor inside super cute. Next time I'll try the deep fried meatball sand which, I hear that's what they're famous for.
(5)
Lori L.
When my mom's friend mentioned we should go to Danny's, I wasn't aware it was the Danny's that was just reviewed on Check Please. Once we entered, is when it dawned on me this was the place. I took a look around and the place was crowded. Then the fear began to sink in. The fear of the Check Please "curse." The "curse" being a place becomes instantly popular after being on the show, which in some cases, can lead to shaky service. Well, my fears weren't fully realized, and they weren't unfounded either. Our waitress seemed a bit frazzled with how busy it was. The owner was shouting out orders to his staff, and directing waitresses to tables. We placed our orders, received our dinner salads, and then waited, and waited for our entrees. It was a good 45 minutes for them to arrive. Luckily, my dinner companions, including myself, were in a good mood and had nowhere to be. The owner was kind enough to stop by our table and apologize for the delay. I had the linguine with olive oil, garlic, and flakes of red pepper. The portion size was plenty big. Now, I'm a fan of garlic. A big fan. The seasoning on my dish topped the garlicky scale at 10.2. Thank goodness I was out to dinner with my mom and her friend, because there is no way I was kissing anyone after dinner that night. Fugetaboutit. The atmosphere is very casual. It is definitely a neighborhood joint as it seemed the staff knew many of the patrons. There were several Melrose Park cops milling around, a big round table in the corner with 5-7 older gentlemen grabbing some dinner, and numerous families. I'm not Italian, but I sure felt a little more like I was after leaving.
(3)
megan s.
Danny's is really good. I'm partial to the chicken vesuvio dinner and sandwich....I love it actually. I'm trying to get other things there...but it's hard not to crave the vesuvio! The fried meatball sandwich is great and so is the homemade rigatoni w/ sausage. People go crazy for the neck bones here.....it get super busy on Wed/Sat - neck bone special days. The service is good when they aren't too crazy busy, nice people.
(5)
Margaret S.
I love this place!! Don't be fooled when you walk in to this nondescript "joint", with banquet table and chairs and the menu on the chalkboard. The food is wonderful. Delicious baked artichoke, marinara, meatballs and oh, yea the neckbones. You heard me.....neckbones! The servers are great and the house chianti is decent! Trust me, bring a friend, they will thank you!
(5)
Donald R.
After seeing Danny's Cafe profiled on Check, Please, we decided to stop by for lunch. As a meatball fan, I couldn't wait to try the Fried Meatball Sandwich. It did not disappoint! I loved everything about the sandwich. Mine was served with home made chips, which were also excellent. My partner had angel hair pasta and meatballs and didn't care much for it. But he's super-picky. He thought the meatballs were too soft. I thought they were just right. Service was very friendly. We'll go back for sure...
(4)
Nicole W.
This is the place we take out of town guests for our idea of a real Chicago place. The special fried meatball sandwich with cottage fries is great (and moist) every time. If you are going for lunch, they won't get you out quickly, but the food more than makes up for it. Also a deli, you can pick up an array of meats and cheeses for the road. The owner, Carl, is great about accommodating large parties in their side room, especially if you reserve it ahead of time. We even planned our quarterly meeting location just such as to allow lunch at Danny's.
(5)
Billy B.
Danny's is absolutely fantastic! I went there for the first time about a month ago, and when I first walked in I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. The first thing we had there was the baked clams which are unbelievably good! They come in a nice, thick, citrusy sauce. Very addictive. For my entree I got neckbones. This is something I never thought I would eat. Apparently they use them to make their marinara sauce and have them 2 days a week. Such an unusual but great dish. Anyway, I've been back twice since and really love this place.
(5)
Bridgette K.
Walked in here while a tornado was going on outside. Service was friendly and the people eating here were friendly as well. My mom and I shared a stuffed artichoke that was mmmm mmm mmm delicious. My marinara breaded steak was on point. My mom's egg plant parm was great. The portions were HUGE. If you know me and how I am with service, it was super friendly and were there to meet our every needs. I will be back.
(5)
Jasper D.
My wife and I have been frequent visitors to Danny's, having eaten here at least a half dozen times the past two years. Unfortunately, the past two experiences have been less than ideal. In fact, we both swore that last night's visit was down right awful and we will likely not return for awhile. The food was, as usual, very good. This has never been a disappointment. On the other hand, the service was horrendous. We brought another couple and their four year old child with us, and we were embarassed by the service (or lack of). They must have been short-handed in order to explain why the service was so erratic. Our order was not taken for awhile, and then the appetizers were not brought out for at least an hour after we placed it. The other couple asked for milk for their child, and it was not brought to the table until the entree was delivered. The hostess did bring her a meatball to keep the child busy but this was not until numerous requests were made for some assistance. Furthermore, when we did attempt to flag down some service, it was met with complete disregard. Finally, I don't normally expect some sort of complimentery dessert to soothe our feelings, but nothing was offered to at least make one want to return. We also noticed that the other diners were equally perturbed by their long waits. Our penultimate visit was marred with weak service, only to find our appetizers and entrees coming out simultaneously and having to wait a considerable amount of time for the bill. It is too bad; we really did like Danny's but we will have to wait some time before we return.
(1)
David O.
Been there plenty of times in the past few years... They have changed owners a couple of times, but kept the same concept. The food is great! The fried meatball sandwich is great with giardiniera.
(5)
Maddie G.
The food was really good! I had the Chicken Maliense (sp?) it was very moist and well breaded. I didnt understand the romaine lettuce bed it was put on top of, but it was a great HUGE portion of chicken. The starter was a cup of soup. It was a nice ministrone with the short tube pasta. It reminded me of my favorite place to eat growing up in the city. It was a pretty bright place, casual, and comfortable. The staff was friendly and all of the other customers seemed to be having a good time.
(4)
Donna P.
Wow! Some friends and I went to Danny's for dinner on Tuesday night. It was such a great experience. One dish was better than the next and the service cannot be beat. The owner, whom was leaving at the time- came over to the table and when we told her that we were first timers- she actually took her coat off and brought over a plate of meatballs and a plate of grilled romaine with sausage for us to try. Mama Mia! One of my friends who is Italian and by far the best cook that I know- was in heaven - all the taste's reminded him of his grandma's cooking. We were all so happy and so happy to have found our new "favorite" place to meet.
(5)
Jeff M.
Wow. The fried meatball sandwich here should be tried by everyone at least once in a lifetime. The taste stays with you for a couple of days. I will be back whenever I'm in the area.
(5)
Scuba G.
Saw Dannys on Check Please years ago and both my husband and I thought we should go. Well we should have! My girlfriend bought a Groupon and we went a couple weeks ago. Loved it! I had the neck bones and they were awesome. My girlfriend had the four cheese lasagna special with meatballs and loved it. I tasted both and liked both the lasagna and meatballs (which I an very hard to please with meatballs - they were almost as good as my own). Homemade cheesecake for dessert was wonderful. Service was great and friendly. We were there kind of late but the place was still half full with what seemed like regulars. I highly recommend Dannys. Not fancy but wonderful service and great food. Can't wait to go back and try the meatball sandwich and smelts for appetizer!
(5)
Kim A.
I haven't eaten at the restaurant, but I did have them cater my mom's birthday party and everything was delicious! I come from a family of food lovers, and they loved this place. The chicken vesuvio was the biggest hit, rigatoni in vodka sauce and the italian sausage were a big hit also. The only thing that wasn't great was the stuffed artichokes that got too mushy from steaming in the trays on the way here, but they were eaten anyway. Everyone wanted to take home the leftovers - and there was a lot of food leftover even though I had 23 people and only ordered for 20. The delivery guy set everything up for me and was very friendly. Good food, good value and good service. I will definitly use them again for catering!
(5)
Jessica L.
This place is really excellent. Lots of great Italian food and inexpensive. The menu is smaller, but makes up for it with great offerings. I send everyone here and they are never disappointed.
(4)
Patty V.
I had friends that lived above this place. She had her bridal shower here and we had more than a few meals here. Nice menu,good food and good service. I need to make a trip here. I forgot about the place now that our friends no longer live there.
(4)
Jason c.
Great alternative to Subway and all the greasy fast food in the area! Highly recommended!
(4)
shamrock B.
First, I'd like to say I really really wanted to like the place but i won't be going back. First, we got there on a Friday about 715pm not too busy only half full at most and clearing out. We ordered an appetizer calamari (very good) The service was just plain bad it was probably some of the worst service Ive had top 3! We didn't get our appetizer for 30 mins with salad and soup. We ordered 3 entrees and they were just okay below average and for the expensive money... ehhhhh not really worth the drive. We finally got our food at 820pm 1 hour and 5 mins. later. We had to go so we just boxed our food up to go we couldnt even eat it would of taken 2 hours. They had a table with locals and just ignored us like we were dirt. (Sorry, this isn't the old days and those guys don't have any clout) Sorry, I just wont ever come back our bill was $75 with tip to be ignored is kinda rid ridiculous. The owner lady was nice to us but it was just a bad experience and the food let me down. The brigole was over cooked and tough like a hockey puck, the Alfredo with prosciutto was cubed like ham not even shaved the peas were actually hard? never had hard peas. The 4 cheese lasagna was just average. Tiramisu felt generic dry not even juicy. I feel disappointed because, I wanted to like this place because I saw it on TV and it was just a bad experience with below average food much better Italian restaurants around.
(1)
Marisol M.
They have a great assortment of sandwiches at reasonable prices. I love their eggplant sandwich. They have very good pasta dishes and my friend swears by their ox tails. I have also catered from here for a party and the owner was super nice. I placed my order the day before which with most places this is a big NO, but danny's was real accommodating. Everyone loved the Lemon chicken, vodka sauce pasta & vesuvio potatoes I ordered. I would recommend this place for both lunch and dinner. They are very good. Oh staff, is hit or miss. I have had waitress' that are super attentive and others who actually sit and chat with friends and forget they have cust. to tend to. (but the food makes up for that). 04-21-13 After returning a few times since my original review I have to say I'm not terribly impressed. The food has so much potential. However, they seem to be becoming very frugal with their sauces both on their pastas and sandwiches. The last sandwich I had there was the Cubbie sandwich. I was very disappointed when it arrived and only had a "squirt" of buffalo sauce. Just disappointed that now with a stronger clientele they would stray from the basics of consistency. I Still order their fool proof eggplant sandwich regularly though.
(3)
Michael D.
Great Italian. Check it out!!
(4)
Laura S.
Felt at home! We trekked from the northside to Melrose Park for the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. It is so cute and neighborhoody! However, it was about 9000 degrees and not good for the babe. Starving, and not getting our fill of Italian fair, we headed to Danny's. We started with the half order of calamari which was still huge. It was light, tender and flavorful. Incredibly fresh product for $5.95?!?! Husband had their classic fried meatball sandwich with provolone! INSANE! I had their special homemade rotini with ricotta, spinach, oil and garlic. OMG! I was in heaven. They DO NOT skimp on ingredients. After being incredibly full from lunch, we took a canoli and a slice of their homemade ricotta cheesecake home. HOLY MOLY! The cheesecake was outstanding. The crust had a carmel flavor that made me think there must be brown sugar in it because it seemed to ooze a carmely juice. The cheesecake was creamy and light. I am a real judge of such things being an avid baker. Danny's is so good and reasonably priced for what you get. Also, if you were worried that being reviewed on Check Please would cause their service and food to deteriorate as other Check Please victims have, rest assured. This place is still for the neighborhood, providing delicious fresh, bountiful plates of homestyle Italian that makes you feel happy! Also, a shout out to our waitress who was so kind (wish I knew your name)!
(4)
Brian q.
I had the special which was rigatoni with crumbled sausage in a vodka sauce . It was okay. My wife had the same and the kids had beef sandwiches. Everyone was fairly pleaesed with their meal. Nice atmosphere good wait staff.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only 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.
Tom V.
Friends in town visiting, met at my fav place their treat. Frutti de Mare. Yum Yum. Everything is great here and you could never go wrong. Great food, friendly and fantastic service and fun atmosphere. Best place to come for an enjoyable experience that you will be sure to tell others about. Like I said, the Frutti de Mare is delicious and worth every enjoyable bite. See for yourself.
(5)Sue S.
Went there with family last week owner who seated us was arrogant and unfriendly. Waitress was very slow didnt ask once if we needed anything or how our meal was. Well, the meal was not good, sauce too sweet my sister's pasta was undercooked and they rudely turned off the music while we were still there. wont reccomend it and will never go back!
(1)Mary Jo T.
Excellent service. Great food. Extensive Italian menu. Huge portions. Vito was extremely welcoming. Danny was a great waiter. Stuffed artichoke hearts were yummy. Vito also let us try the neck bones pro bomo. We will be back!
(4)Yvonne O.
Headed over this time with my mom in tow and tried the Italian sausage burger again - just as good as I remembered. Mom had the eggplant parm sandwich on special which came with soup. We both had the escarole -literally the best I have tasted. I'm excited to have an event here in a couple of months - the food is incredible and the service is top notch.
(5)Annette B.
This weekend we took our 93 year old sister to Danny's for their neckbones! She thoroughly enjoyed them, as it took her back a few years to when she used to cook them. My husband had the Caesar Salad with chicken breast and he couldn't have been more satisfied. Loved the dressing. Their balsamic dressing is equally as delicious. One of the highlights of the meal was the broccoli appetizer. Kudos to the chef. Only complaint was the al dente pasta...some of us like our pasta cooked a little more. The other highlight of the meal was our server, Danielle!! She was attentive, friendly, and efficient. She's a keeper!! Thank you, Danielle!
(4)Allison V.
Another successful lunch date with my man. Can't wait to come back and try something else.
(5)Rick R.
Always enjoy the varied cuisine and service. Terrific neckbone.
(4)Paul R.
We just left Danny's as we celebrated our Godson's christening. We want to thank Danny's for their great service (ask for Susie) and Vito for checking in. The party room seats 50 comfortably and the larger room 100+. My family is still raving about the service, family style food and warm reception. This place honors authentic Italian food. We had linguine agli e olio, rigatoni w/ vodka sauce, killer meatballs, chicken parm and their house salad with salad dressing u dream about. Thanks to the entire team for making our event so special and affordable. GO DANNY'S
(5)Meg P.
I grew up in Melrose Park.. Danny's has the best Italian food in town. I usually get the Chicken Piemonte, Pork Chop Vesuvio, or Giambotta. And to start, fried calamari and a salad with creamy garlic. The meals are delicious! They've updated the atmosphere over the years. Friendly, fast service... Cheap dinner specials every 1st Friday of the month. Highly recommend to all of my family and friends.
(5)Cassy B.
I've been to Danny's more times than I can count on my fingers and toes - every time I leave full and happy! My favorite is the rigatoni w. Vodka sauce and crumbled sausage. Huuuuuuuuuge portions - enough for dinner and lunch the next day. Vito, the owner, is a sweet man. Suggested the pasta primavera (blondie style) and again I was pleased! They do have a party room available which I used for a holiday party and their family style package worked out nicely! Id recommend this place to anyone looking for delicious, authentic Italian food!
(5)Thomas C.
Oh wow, we saw this place on Chicago's best and it's as fantastic as advertised. DO get the fried meatball sandwich ... actually the sausage burger is phenomenal as well, and can't say enough about the homemade chips. Did not have the kids but would absolutely take them there, service was exceptional, obviously a place that has "regulars" but we were made to feel right at home.
(4)Mike L.
I'm really sorry, but I was just not impressed at all - I hate leaving bad reviews and I do not want to be mean - I'm just being honest. The service was great and friendly, but the food was not that great at all. The Chicken Piemonte was swimming in a thick sauce like substance that had no hint of white wine at all - the side of spinach was so overly cooked and also swimming beside the chicken on the same plate - the chicken was sad, it was grilled (fried), and topped with what I would bet were canned flavorless blond mushrooms. The Vodka sauce was so so - the eggplant parm was thick and a little greasy - again, almost everything is fried at this place which really turns me off. I realize that most people batter and fry their eggplant then stack it and bake it - the problem with that is you often end up tasting the grease more than the eggplant - there is a trick when making egglant Parm and lasagna and tasting grease is not one of the tricks. The neck bones were ok, however, they lacked flavor - sorry, just judging them against my Mom's and Aunt's neck bones I ate when I was growing up. They need to add something like some hot Italian sausage or some hot giardinera when cooking neck bones to give them some flavor. These were very bland. Yes they were tender, but when you cook anything in gravy for hours it will become tender. The best parts of the meal were; the cup of marinara they gave with the bread - very good gravy, and the Escarole and beans - the 3rd best part of the meal was the balsamic salad dressing. Other than that, I think this is just another large portioned NON authentic Americanized (Chicagoized) Italian Restaurant where patrons are more impressed by the huge portions than they are excellent or authentic Italian or CHICAGO Italian flavors.
(2)Elizabeth R.
Do you want great taste without a high price? This is your place. A very simple interior gives way to amazing food. They have a private room which is great for big dinners. I was a guest of a rehearsal dinner and they did a fantastic job. My only complaint? Your wine. It is not that good and it was $5.99 a glass. You could have knocked off a dollar or two. After tax and a tip, my glass of wine was almost $8. I feel bad when I do not tip well. And I hated my wine. Now enough of that negativity. The food...fantastic. The house salad is simple and delicious. Peppers, olives, fresh tomatoes and the perfect amount of dressing. We also had bruschetta. They were so generous with the tomatoes. Normally that is the first thing that runs out. The bread was crunchy, the presentation was beautiful. Then we had a pasta course. Vodka sauce. They served it hot and delicious. The sauce was creamy without being too watery. Dinner itself was broasted potatoes with lemon chicken. I can not get over how delicious this was. Such a simple meal and they brought it to such a new level. Simple ingredients, amazing flavor. Just go there and try it for yourself. Parking is tricky. There is a lot next door, one across the street and you can park on the side streets as well.
(4)Kevin H.
What a great place. The service, hospitality and food was fantastic. This is a very casual simple restaurant offering great food at reasonable prices. I loved the charm of this place Will be back for sure.
(5)Tony D.
Best Meatball sandwich around
(5)Kerry T.
Danny's has been one of my all-time favorite Italian restaurants for several years! The Fried meatball sandwich , (it's actually grilled ) is delicious! Every time I go, no matter what I order, I get a side order of the sautéed spinach. It is fresh and garlicky and unbelievable! They also have some of the best calamari around. The first Friday of every month all entrées $10:95 a deal considering the amount of food that you get!
(5)Rita K.
1st time there because we came upon a groupon. There's a few restaurants nestled in a residential area which is different. Service was very good, our waitress did keep an eye on us. Difficult to settle on a decision for lunch, everything sounds great. I had the giambotta which was full of chicken,Italian sausage, chicken, peppers, onion, potatoes and mushrooms swimming in a superb red sauce. Loved it. My husband had the chicken parm. Huge serving of the best parm I ever tasted. The chicken was pounded thin but double deckered with more cheese in between. WOW!! Soup and salad were very good too. This is now our go to place for wonderful Italian food. The interior is nothing fancy but I think a re-do would hamper the coziness of this neighborhood restaurant.
(5)Bob H.
Enjoyed a nice lunch last week (mid-week) at Danny's. Was a nice aftenroon and was able to sit at the tables out on the sidewalk. 4 of us, ordered a calamari to start (generous portion) and were stuffed when we got the sandwiches (3 different chicken sandwiches, and one ordered the Chicken salad). Efficient service, friendly staff (owner stopped out to say hello) and reasonable prices. Will stop back in next time i'm in town.
(5)Mary Ann C.
Yummmmm.....We were in the area and were thrilled to finally try this place! There was a decent crowd there around 2 pm on a Monday. The server was so nice and eager to make our meal amazing. We ordered the meatball sandwich and chicken caprese sandwich, with chips! Both were high quality sandwiches, but I would give the edge to the near perfect meatball sandwich. The chips are made in house and cannot be missed. I am not a chip person, and these were delicious!!! Cannoli were also stellar! Yummm!!! One star is taken off for the interior! Not the fanciest place around, and I do think they could update it a bit!
(4)Brandon P.
Just amazing found it on yelp and decided to try it me and my friends were blown away, must try the vesuvio chicken sandwich !
(5)Jeff N.
True Italian food has to be made by real Italians with love. Here is the place for genuine people and food. The restaurant is in a residential area of Melrose Park. Very casual seating on tile floor. They do have beer and wine. They have daily specials that are tough to decide on because they are all yummy. Try the grilled meat ball sandwich! My chicken lemone was superb. Portions are huge. Doggie bags are a staple. Good service and very reasonable prices for the incredible quality.
(5)Gemma K.
Danny's can definitely find the way to an Italian girl's heart. Whether I have come here for the Monday "Chef's Surprise Choice" special or one of their weekly staples, rarely am I disappointed. I mean, from where I come from the pressure is definitely on them. This is a cute spot, casual, where you can grab a table and take your time or do a grab n go. What they also have going for them is their service; friendly and fabulous. But let's get to the most important thing: the food! Their "thing of things" and most talked about are the neck bones, as well as their fried meatballs. And they are good, and that is what my guy usually gets. But they have a few other things to offer that truly entice me. Five generations of Italians just rolled over in their graves at Mt Carmel cemetery as those words were written. I love their Asparagus and Feta salad. It's totally worth the 5 or 6 bucks. And as far as my favorite meals at Danny's: it's a toss up -- their eggplant dishes vs. their handmade pasta rotini which I have gotten with spinach and romaine. Today, it was the eggplant for me; a good sized serving, too. My guy ordered their tilapia with the fried greens and pasta, also very good. He also likes Danny's Bacala -- but refrains from ordering it, not because it isn't great, it's because it brings back childhood trauma for me of cod fish heads floating in a bowl. But I digress. The wine and beer and beverage options at Danny's are pretty standard, but the food is the thing, so what they offer does work. They would get a complete and total 5 stars from me if they increased their meatless options, but, I have also found them open to altering a dish when my veggie side counterattacks my meat eating side. Another nice thing that I confess to when I have been in a bind and that is ordering a gallon of their gravy/sauce for when company is imminent and I haven't made it from scratch. Hey, I'm a realist, and they do decent catering. And, yes, those same five generations just rolled back the other way. Nice job, Danny's --- remember your humble roots and keep doing what you're doing!
(4)Marc R.
This place is cheap and super yummy. The real deal Italian American food in an area where nearly everyone used to be or still is Italian ancestry. Just love this place. Meatballs to die for. To die for. Really they are that good.
(4)Mark G.
Eyy, youse guys like Italian food? Youse guys gotta check out dis Danny's place over by dere on 15th n Division. Gettchurself a meatball sammich, or neckbones whichdeyserf on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I could eat dere TREE times a week at least. I grew up practically acrost da street. You're not a legitimate foodie unless you disparagingly eat meals that other cultures at one point in time ate out of sheer necessity and desperation to elude starvation. That's cute and exotic to us. Therefore, I recommend the neckbones. Mmm. Neckbones. Not just a good name for the heavy metal band I never started in high school. But a damn fine meal. Tender, fall-off-the-bone morsels covered in classic Italian red sauce. Whenever I order them to go, they literally give me a box of food. A 12 X 10 tray of neckbones, a side of pasta, soup, and bread all for just a tad over $15. Neckbones. Not just the lost member of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, but a great value. If pigs neck isn't your thing, I would also recommend their other top seller: the meatball sandwich. Get a side of their homemade potato chips too. That's not a suggestion. Do what I say. Jieetyet? (tr: Did you eat yet?) Where youse goin'. Youse better say Danny's. I don't care if youse was just dere da udder night!
(5)Jen K.
When we first arrived at Danny's, I was disappointed. Yelp.com said they were wheelchair accessible & there was a step at the entrance. So I sent my husband inside to find out if there was another entrance that was accessible. They sent us to another door & laid out a portable ramp. I was so happy & impressed that they were so friendly & welcoming to the disabled community. Once we were inside, the owner or manager (not sure) came to check on me, to make sure I got in ok. I specifically came into Danny's to try the Fried Meatball Sandwich that I saw on Check, Please! And because I had a groupon. The sandwich was every bit as good as the reviewer on the show said. Additionally, we tried the Eggplant Parmigiana, which was amazing & the Cheese Ravioli with Vodka Sauce. Also very good. We will be back!!! I just bought a larger denomination groupon, to bring friends to Danny's next time. The food was very authentic & had great flavor. I posted pictures of our meals to show the huge portions & how good everything looked, even before tasting it all.
(5)John T.
We went last night for the first time with another couple. Wasn't sure what to expect. This place is awesome! We loved it. Food is outstanding, perfect service and you can't beat the price for all the food you get. The owner Vito is a terrific guy with great stories. I can't wait to go back.
(5)Pam D.
Dem bones, dem bones dem neck bones.... This place has wonderful Italian food in huge portions. Christopher had some really good pasta. I came here for the neck bones. They gave me a huge bib. I needed it. So delightfully yummy. I made 3 meals out of what i got. We will be back. I will make sure I come on a night where they don't serve neck bones, so I will have to try something else. I love this place!!!
(5)Derrick L.
Went here with my cousin , aunt and mother. I had the four cheese lasagna which was excellent. All the food that we had was delicious my cousin had the pepper and egg sandwich and my mother had the rigatoni with vodka sauce I tried each of them and they were all very good. The portions are huge.
(4)Michael B.
Was having a low key family party for 30, looking for a nice place, good for kids with good food and decided to give Danny's a try. Could not have worked out better, food was great, service was great with special kudos to Kathy who took care of us from the moment i inquired about the party till we left. Will definitely be back for myself and will not hesitate to have a party at Danny's in the future.
(5)Teresa D.
What an amazing place!!! Yesterday we had my gradson's, Christian, christening luncheon at Danny's and it was wonderful. The food & service , as always, were outstanding. True Italian home cooking. The meatballs and rigatoni in vodka sauce were out of this world. Thank you so much Vito and Susie for making our event so special. Teresa Delgado
(5)Jacob J.
Kudos to my often dining partner Allison V. for sharing this trek with me, I'd neither heard about its fame on local television shows or about its mention on Check Please. Who hasn't had a good meatball sandwich right? Meatballs slathered in a zesty marinara sauce, occasionally topped with mozzarella or other white cheeses and hot peppers or giardinera served on a French roll, right? Here at Danny's they've created a game changer. Flattened meatball sandwiches. WHAT? & Why? Maybe they wanted to do something different and be known for it. But really, who cares. It is different and it's superb for it. Each of their meatballs are packed with flavor. Now I'm a self admitted sauce fiend. Think Smeagol sulking in a corner of the room getting all handsy with a tub of marinara sauce..."my precious" I love sauce and with a meatball sandwich I ask for extra sauce over the top. While marinara is an option, it's almost unnecessary. These meatballs have so much flavor, then say you have it topped with cheese and giardinera and it's served on fresh, oven toasted bread and you have yourself a fantastic sandwich. I wouldn't say "to die for" only because I wouldn't want to die for just one. I want to live so I can have many of 'em! Meatball sandwiches are served with your choice of house made chips, thin or thick. I like both of them, the chips are thin like a potato chip is and straight out of the fryer some are still soft and soggy while others are crisp. The thicker chips are of the fry variety, thick enough to dip into ketchup and get a nice textured bite. Two additional menu items I will share with you which I found tasty. The calamari was perfectly fried and the cocktail sauce they offer pairs with it well, it's of the zesty variety, sometimes called "spicy". Also, I was ecstatic to find tartuffo offered as a dessert. Usually found as an Italian dessert. Two soft ice creams tossed together to form a ball. Inside of it can be a creamy, soft chocolate, chocolate sauce, etc. It's then coated in a dark cocoa powder and topped with a bit of fresh whip cream and other sweet condiments. Here it's got a covering of chocolate sauce, white and chocolate chips served in a chilled martini glass. Perfect for sharing but loved even more, solo. The restaurant is nice enough for a meal. If it's warm you may like to sit outside. The inside is kind of strange. It suffers from an identity crisis. Is it a sports lounge? A cafeteria? Family sit down? There is restaurant decoration & signage which seem out of place. Their business is thriving. We hit it during a late weekday afternoon. A few tables were occupied when we entered. By the time "old people dinner time" came around ( 4 - 5 pm) the place was starting to fill with older couples and some families. Parking is easy to find since it's not Chicago and parking is free. I suggested to management to pick up on the local beer trend. Offer micro brews from some of the Midwest's finest. Currently they offer the regular domestic and import brands and one beer from a local brand. If management is reading, please please offer a decent IPA. Soon. On another note, a few days after having these fantastic sandwiches I noticed a billboard with advertising about the meatball Panini now available at Corner Bakery. It weirded me out a little because of the proximity of the sign to where I stay. Like real life "cookies" adding local spam advertisement in my hood. I realize that might be a bit too geek talk for some of you to understand. We can chalk it up to wild timing.
(5)Norah R.
Just went there tonight to use our groupon. And I must say: amazing!! My mother had a tiny sausage soup and ranch chicken salad.. Which I'm not a ranch person at all but I kept sneaking bites :) my boyfriend had the Italian sausage sandwich which he enjoyed and I had the eggplant lasagna. My lasagna was everything I love and more!! Meatless which I personally enjoy with my lasagna and the marinara was so yyummy and fresh tasting. I will def be returning to try more from here. Awesome service, fast and very helpful. I came from the beach so I was so thirsty and our waitress had to problem refilling our glasses over and over (even though I felt horrible lol) Def a place to bring the whole family or just for date night!
(5)Brian T.
I have eaten here a few times and in most cases I would give it a four to five stars. On my last visit I can't say the same. I bragged to a friend, who now lives out of town, about the meatball sandwich. So we planned a day to go. It's was busy as usual. Got our seats and waited fifteen minutes for our waitress. Waited another 20 to order and then waited another 30 for the food. It was crazy, and then the meatball wasn't as good as I've had from th em before. If this was my first visit I'd probably give it a 1 star. But I've had a few good meals here, so I know they do better. maybe it was an off night.
(3)Lana M.
i attended Danny's a few weeks ago, with my parents, kids and close friends. the service was on point, even with a huge party in the same room, we had the server's attention. the fried calamari, vodka sauce, giambotta and special fish dish were excellent and authentic. there are just some dishes you don't expect to find on some Italian restaurant menus and Danny's features every one of them. i appreciate that i can head out and find neck bones and meatballs that rival my gram's. Danny's features feel good food at amazing prices and works for everyone from my folks to my kids. Thank you, Danny's!
(5)Chris J.
Been to Danny's a few times. Its not fine dinning, but it is good simple food. Large servings at a good price. The service is good but not too fast, hate feeling like I am rushed at a place. They are known for their meatball sandwich for good reason, its very good. Again this is not top shelf high end Italian food, its more like the kind your friend's Italian Nonna has cooking everytime you step in their home, morning noon or late night.
(3)Gerry D.
HORRIBLE!!!! Lets start with the fact that there was NO soap in the damn rest room! Given that this place was empty when I walked in you'd think that at some point that waitress would've checked the rest room earlier. She appeared to be clueless when I mentioned it to her! And why the hell does this place only have two single occupancy rest rooms for a place that clearly holds over 100 people? Maybe no one actually comes here. The decor looks like a grade school lunch room not an Italian restaurant!! This is another place with horrible patrons. Twice people entered and started coughing and not covering their damn mouths. One idiot was so bad that he coughed multiple times. I thought it was hilarious. My mom was less than thrilled! Now on to the god awful food! I had the rigatoni with vodka sauce and crumbled Italian Sausage and pasta faglio soup. The soup was the best thing I had. After waiting for 20 minutes for the food to come, you'd think that the noodles would be tender. HELL NO!! They were half cooked! Why have noodles this big if: A. They take over 15 minutes to cook. B. You arent gonna attempt to cook them all the way. Next the vodka sauce was nasty. Very reminiscent to vomit. The Italian sausage tasted freezer burned and had NO flavor! The waitress asked if I wanted her to wrap it to go. HELL NO bitch! Get this crap from in front of me. When a 275 lb man doesn't even finish half of his food and doesn't bother to take it home, you know your food is crap!!! To make matters even worse, they had the nerve to charge an additional 20% gratuity for groupon users. REALLY? REALLY?? REALLY??? It wasn't stated on the voucher nor was it posted anywhere reasonable so that diners could see it. But yet they had photos with the guy from Chicago's Best and Pat Bruno quotes plastered all over the hell hole! Called Groupon and they gave me my money back. Go to hell Danny and take your cooks and recipes with you! And when you get there, take your recipes and shine em up real nice, turn them sons of bitches sideways and stick em straight up YOUR CANDY ASS!!!!!
(1)Angela R.
Took the kids and the Mr. there for First Friday usually a great meal. Don't know what's going on with the place but the food and service were not great. Ordered the baked clams which are usually big-o-clams with a nice crusty topping. These were tiny clams in some gloppy sauce. (that ain't right). The M r had the Caesar salad and requested shrimp. For an extra $5 he got 4 very sad little shrimp.Not a good value. The kid's meals were missing ingredients and my meal was OK. They have lost there liquor license. How's that happen? Our server was not as fantastic as we have had in the past. Will give them another shot but my confidence is shaken.
(2)Dave P.
Food is outstanding & a great atmosphere!! So many items are a must try!! We tried the catering also, the food was a huge success at our party! Everyone asked where we got it!! We'll be back!
(5)Carol B.
First, the service is excellent. The wait staff was genuinely friendly, nice, attentive and engaging. Rigatoni in vodka sauce with sausage crumbles was very tasty, just the right amount of sauce and wonderful sausage. Enough in the doggy bag for two more meals. The giambotta had good sausage, chicken, and vegetables in good red gravy. Okay, for the deserts, get the ricotta cheesecake AND the carrot cake. Both delicious and nice portions (will finish the carrot cake at breakfast...). Plus the owner checks in to make sure you enjoyed the meal. Nice touch.
(5)Darice H.
AWFUL...AWFUL...AWFUL! Lets start out by saying I will never ever eat at or tell people to come to this so called "Authentic Italian Restaurant"! The service and food was dog shit! Went to Danny's Saturday, April 27, 2013 with at least 60 people. When my uncle received the quote per plate they promised $15.00 a plate then when he was trying to settle the bill...it came out to $20.00 a plate! WTF! We where treated with no respect as customers, the service was terrible their prices are insanely expensive. They only had two bathrooms (each with room for one person) for a establishment that holds 100 people. When they served the food there wasn't enough for the amount of people in the group, we ran out of salad, pasta and chicken! How does a restaurant run out of food? $20 a plate for chicken and potatoes, and crappy pasta and they run out? If you can't handle large crowds, turn them away). The pasta was overcooked the sauce tasted like Ragu (GROSS), the bread was stale and tasted like cardboard, the potatoes tasted starchy. The water glasses had dishwasher detergent caked on it! Rinse you damn glasses! Not one polite employee, must have been the owners family that works there which wouldn't be a surprise since the owner himself was screaming at all of us to sit down so he could get a head count. Rude! that whole family is rude and no respect for patrons! Assholes! It was such a rip off and not worth to ever go back this place needs to be shutdown!
(1)William B.
Walking into Danny's for lunch, I felt a little out of place. I felt like I was getting odd looks from all the little, old italian men, like I was walking in on a closed meeting straight out of Goodfellas. I'm sure its just because its a local hangout that I was new to. I figured I'd try the famous fried meatball sandwich. Added provolone and hot peppers. Darn tasty sandwich. However, gave me the worst heartburn ever. It took days to recover. If I get back, I'd likely have to order something else. I'm sure there are plenty of excellent, home-cooked choices. But I'm not sure I will go out of my way to get to Danny's again.
(3)Chris A.
I took my cousin here after careful consideration: 1) What represented the spirit of Chicago small business ownership? 2) What had a neighborhood feel to it? 3) What would taste good!? Danny's passed all three of my criteria of course. Outstanding food, great service, the spirit of quality mom and pop dining without a "greasy spoon" feel and a casual, relaxed atmosphere. I will definitely be coming back for more! I recommend their eggplant ANYTHING (i.e eggplant parmesan sandwich, parmesan pasta, etc..
(4)Pam F.
There were 15 of us in our group when we went to Danny's on New Year's Eve. Not only was the service excellent, the food was amazing and the prices were wonderful!! I can't wait to go there again!
(5)Terri D.
We've had two groupons for Danny's Cafe and had a mixed experiences with the customer service, but the food is awesome! First time we tried Danny's the place was empty except for two other tables. The food was amazing. HUGE portions which is why it took us some time to even attempt to put a dent into the meal. Fiance had the Fried Meatball Sandwich and I had the Breaded Steak Italiano. The waitress was rushing us to order, finish our meal, and to pay. It was to the point that I told her to chill out and give us a damn minute to enjoy our meals and talk. I think the glare and tone of voice conveyed to leave us the fuck alone if she wanted any semblance of a tip.... which she got a dollar and rightfully so. Second time we had the lasagna and chicken alfredo. Holy shit, HUGE portions again. We took most of it home. It was sooooo delicious, I could drink that fucking alfredo sauce. Anyway, waitress was friendly and gave us our space without us wanting for anything. We even had a nice chat with the busboy about KMFDM who saw my fiance wearing the band's shirt. We will definitely come back, with or without a groupon.
(4)Rob W.
Realistically, 3.5 stars, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. I went to Danny's Cafe & Deli expecting a bit more of a "deli" element to the establishment. I had a $30 Groupon and was picking up lunch for two, which I was anticipating as some kind of sandwich (ala Alpine of Elmwood Park or the like) and then using the remainder of the Groupon for deli meats, cheese and or salads. Well, no sign of such food around there so I had to improvise and go with the flow. So I got a Chicken Piemonte (did Al the car dealer pay them off for that entree name???) and a Rigatoni ala Vodka sauce with crumbled sausage. These were recommendations of the server who started to assist me and I have to say that overall, they were pretty good. Two large flattened chicken breasts with mushrooms and sauteed spinach tasted pretty good. The pasta was interesting - rigatoni on steroids, though the sauce lacked the advertised "crumbled sausage" - at least I didn't detect any. Kind of too bad because the dish was good, though somewhat bland. Got the pasta faglio with it as well - pretty good, though one order was fairly "soupy" and the other was more like eating a meal. I also ordered two Italian meatballs that were fairly tasty. Processing the Groupon was a bit tedious, though when it was all said and done, I got a lot of food for about $18.44 after the $15 discount. Danny's is a nice, friendly place, pretty laid back and family owned. These types of restaurants are a dying breed, but in Chicago they are a compelling reason NOT to go to Olive Garden in this town - why do a chain restaurant when the real thing is sooooo accessible??? There are better Italian places in the area (Jimmy's Place in FP comes to mind), but the food was pretty good and the staff was nice, so I do plan on coming back. Give it a shot - you'll not be disappointed.
(4)Jillian H.
I'm going to give Danny's a 4 but would really like to give it a 3 1/2. We started with the polenta with marinara sauce. The portion was large. I would have liked a little more sauce other than that it was okay. We order a house salad and two huge sandwiches. The salad was large enough to split my only issue was the cucumber had an extremely bitter taste and I couldn't eat them. The fried steak sandwich was a disappointment. It needed more seasoning. The potato chip were good but lacked salt. The fried meatball sandwich was outstanding! We went on a Saturday afternoon and when we arrived we were the only ones in the restaurant. The service was just okay. She never came part way into the meal to ask how everything was and she never refilled our water. I expected more since we were her only customers. Danny's is a good value for your money.
(4)Ellen M.
ITALIAN BEEF with PARMESAN COTTAGE FRIES, BABY. This is a spot I enjoy for lunch when I'm working nearby. It's a straight-up deli with good food. Good sandwiches, good salads. Fast, clean and friendly, just like some other stuff I enjoy. The strawberries romanoff is yummy. I haven't had dinner here yet but one of these days I'll skip lunch and then try it. Lots of "Philly style" things on the menu.
(4)John M.
I went again last Friday with my sister. I've been perhaps 6 times. I have never been disappointed here. The waitstaff are very friendly and though the place was packed, on first Fridays all main courses are $10, I never felt rushed and the service is very personal. We split a Anti Pasto Salad which comes with a nice balsamic vinaigrette dressing and is really far too big for one for an appetizer. You could probably make a main course out of it. I have previously ha the fried escarole and it's really tasty stuff! Dinner comes with soup, so I had the escarole and my sister had the pasta fagioli. Both were excellent. My sister had the Pork Chops Vesuvio with vesuvio potatoes... a mash with garlic and stuff very nice. The Pork chops are huge by the way. I had the Giambotta, which I have had before. It's black olives, peppers, onions and mushrooms in a marinara with Italian sausage, pork and chicken. Skipped dessert as this is both wonderful and plentiful! I would eat there every day if I could,
(5)Dorotka K.
Danny's was okay, I guess. I wasn't impressed by the decor and almost left, but the restaurant was pretty full on a random weeknight and people kept trickling in. I figured, if they're all here, the food must be good. The service was okay and the food was decent. It took a while, though, and our appetizer arrived with our dinner. I recommend the calamari - it tasted light and fresh. Their marinara sauce is also very good. We got steak sandwiches and while they were big, there wasn't much flavor. To be honest, the smell in the restaurant was kind of weird and I had a hard time enjoying myself there. I give Danny's 3 stars. The food was alright, but Danny's isn't the whole package for me.
(3)Bob K.
Having grown up in the area and eating home cooked meals made by my friends mothers I never thought I would tatste this type of food again until Danny's arrived. My wife and I love this food, my favorite is Giambotta (Italian stew) Chicken, pork, sausage with peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives and potatoes in a Marinara sauce. It's the BEST!!!, you can't find this dish at every Italian resturant and when you do find it there's none that comes close to Danny's. You need to be hungry or ready to take a doggie bag, the portions are large and the prices are fair. Don't pass this place up. Bob K. 11-27-13
(5)Elle M.
I did not want to write a review for this place because It truly is a hidden gem, but I can't let my own selfish motives deprive Danny's Cafe the recognition that it deserves. Staff....soooo nice, accommodating, and right on the spot with recommendations. Food....delish!!! huge portions, and the fresh potato chips, WOW!!! Price....very affordable, especially coming for someone like me who happens to watch every nickle and dime that comes out of my pocket.
(4)Barbara M.
We have been there before and each time the experience seems to get worse. We had a Groupon and used it late this afternoon. After we sat ourselves, we looked at the board for the specials. I had a difficult time finding the restroom to wash my hands. The room was dark and only ONE restroom for an entire restaurant! I had a difficult time finding the toilet paper which was on a post located on the floor. It was almost out. UGH! We decided to start with the stuffed artichoke. I asked the waitress how much it was. It was not stated on the board or in the menu. She got an attitude, picked up the menu and said, " it is in the menu." She looked and couldn't find it. Then she quoted a price, but came back to the table with another price. First of all a waitress should know the prices, especially the specials on the board. The waitress and the cook were the only 2 staff that I saw, I wonder which one was in charge? When we received the artichoke, it was difficult to see if it was truly an artichoke. At first we didn't know what it was. It was a mound of smashed breading. We found the artichoke and it was good. Then we both ordered the lasagne special with 2 meatballs and the salad. The salad was swimming in the dressing, that had too much vinegar. When the lasagne came it was a huge mound of red. You could not tell what was on the plate. You couldn't see the meatballs or the lasagna. We each ate only one meatball and took the rest home. I hope there is lasagne under the red sauce! My husband is a bread lover. He slowly ate one slice during dinner. He did not care for the bread. I wondered if it had been at another table. The dining area is depressing! It looks awful with it's oilcloth table cloths and tacky signs posted here and there. There is no decor except for a few pictures of " local famous people" like Al Piemonte LOL! The portions are big, but big isn't always better. We will NOT return.
(1)Danielle P.
Dad and I have been dying to try this place for awhile and finally got there last night...yum!!! It's no frills old school Italian that nonni would serve. The arancini was delicious and the portion sizes were insane. Mom got chicken vesuvio and the chicken cutlets were the size my hands put together! I got the asparagus and feta salad which was crisp and fresh. We finished with ricotta cheesecake and spumoni which were both to die for. My only gripe was only two waitresses and ours was the grumpier of the two. Slow to the table, refills, and we had to ask to order dessert. She sure was quick to bring the check though ;) overall it's a great Italian place that you'll miss if you blink. Worth a try!!
(4)Frank C.
This place is great for their different items they have: 1. Fried meatball sandwich 2, Breaded steak sandwich 3. neckbones 4. Homemade rigatoni Go there, order anything, its all good at this place. Frank Campeglia (the Food Club)
(4)Jose G.
This was the 2nd time we'd been to Danny's. The first time was pretty good! Good food, service was great, atmosphere was average. We went there tonight since it's close to home and wanted something local. There were probably 4-5 other tables seated, and it looked like 2-3 servers, so not too busy if you ask me. Anyway, here's the lowdown: Service: TERRIBLE. We had to ask for water 3 times. After staring down our server and finally flagging her down, we were able to place our order (probably 10-12 minutes after she initially stopped by. Not personable at all. Didn't really make eye contact with us, just generally seemed distracted. My thought was, I'm going to be extra nice to her, I saw it as a challenge to get her to change her tone - I lost. Our food came, brought out by the other server, who was very friendly and personable. Our server stopped by about 2 minutes later, before we'd had the chance to try to food, and we never saw her again. Well, we did see her, just not in the vicinity of our table. I almost felt like we had a sign on our table that said "be as cold and inattentive to this table as possible." Food: our appetizer, 1/2 order of fried calamari was a good sized portion, but it was overdone/slightly crisp. Our sandwiches were a good size, nice and hot, but the peppers that I'd asked for with mine were MIA, kind of like our server, so I never got them. Atmosphere: probably the best part of the night. The family at the table next to ours struck up a small conversation with us, so that was a pleasant surprise. The temperature in the restaurant was W-A-R-M! It was probably around 68-70 outside, and significantly warmer when we walked in. There were at least 3, maybe 4, new, shiny ceiling fans, but they weren't on. Overall, we might or might not be back anytime soon. I think eventually we'll give it another shot, but hopefully we either get a different server, or if we get the same one, she's in a better mood. I usually am a good tipper, but given this experience, I left one of the smaller tips I have left in a while. If I would've had a pen, I might've left her a note explaining the reason for the below-average tip. Who knows, maybe she'll read this??
(2)Scott S.
My Daughters and I went for a birthday celebration and had the best food in a long time. We each had pork different pork dishes and each one was absolutely wonderful. Kathy our server was amazing and Paula and Carl came by to talk and where the best hosts. This was our first visit to Danny's. The wine was great and the Limoncello was chilled just right.
(5)Cristina T.
Went again for a delicious Sunday night dinner. Service as usual was amazing & I finally got to try the rigatoni alla vodka. To die for! The pasta is more like soft manicotti shells and the sauce is decadent and rich. The sausage just tops everything off. Still in love with Danny's.
(5)Cristina Z.
This place is amazing!!! The food is out of this world!! You have to try their ricotta cheese cake it's to die for!
(5)Mary P.
A group of friends meet up for dinner once a month and Danny's Cafe and Deli was the chosen place. This was my first time at Danny's, others had been there before. Let me say, they do not skimp on food portions. You get plenty to eat and everyone at our table had leftovers to take home. I had their Lemon Chicken with potatoes and brocolli. It was chicken lightly breaded and had good flavoring. Servings was 2 big pieces (I had leftovers). The others ordered Eggplant Parmesan and Homemade Lasagna and raved about the food. Atmosphere is casual. Shorts, jeans, dress clothes, whatever you want to wear. Its one big room with tables and large windows. Servers were pleasant and the owner stopped by the table to see how everyone was. Great for large groups. There were 10 of us and we sat at a round table and had a great conversation. Good place to take family or friends. Amazing food with large portions. I'll definitely return and bring other friends.
(5)Patricia M.
Friend had recommended Danny's so when I saw a Groupon. Why not. Great place. Homemade, huge portions of excellent Italian food. The sausage was excellent with out rotini pasta dish. Ricotta cheesecake desert. Yum. Plan to return with a larger group. Have our own family style meal.
(5)Ali V.
I love Danny's too, I really do. I'm just not ready to give it five stars. We come here lots, we live very close and I've tried a lot on the menu. It's probably best I don't come here more often or I'd be big as a house. Lately I've had the vodka sauce rigatoni with sausage - delicious, maybe a little ...bland? the Lasagna is excellent, the polenta is great, the soups are yum... The chicken sandwiches are huge and great with those yummy potato chips. We bring family and out of towners all the time, everyone we bring here loves it. My only complaint, sometimes it's a little too casual, and you hear the owners yelling at the staff. As a former waitress and bartender, things like that get to me. Otherwise, I'm a big fan, and I'll come back here and again and again.
(4)Roseann V.
Danny's is a gem of a food lover's find. They have large portions, great prices a great variety of food and excellent customer service! On special occasions I will always go to Danny's for my guests to enjoy the superb food. THe owners are wonderful and always stop over to make sure you are enjoying your dining experience. Thank you Danny's for a flavorful and family experience!!!!!
(5)Vivian P.
Danny's is a perfect neighborhood friendly Italian place. The food is wonderful! We ordered the calamari, clams, chips and then our plates. The calamari was very good, it melted it your mouth and if I was left alone with that plate well I would have been able to finish it! The clams were topped with cheese and were so tender (I didn't eat them, but my father loved them). The chips were made right there, fried potatoes and wow just amazing. My plate finally arrived and I ordered the rigatoni with sausage in vodka tomato sauce. Can I just say YUM, the pasta is homemade, soft and the sauce was great! The plate is big so I had leftovers which I am eating as I write this. My father and brother both loved their food, but since we ordered so much we had a lot of left overs. I would return for the food and wonderful service, it is so worth it!
(5)Cativa C.
I guess I'm the only Yelper that didn't like Danny's. When the waitress finally got off the phone (10 -12 minutes) she explained to us she had a "family emergency". Really?? I don't want to hear about it! The polenta/sausage appetizer needed salt....polenta sans salt is......how shall I say, BLAH! The meatball sandwich, their "specialty" was a huge disappointment. Too much garlic, over fried and thin as a White Castle burger. Meat - bread.....that's it! Sauce was served on the side. No garni nadda....overfried "meatball" (where's the street wheel roller that ran over my meatball) The homemade fries were very good and the ricotta cheese cake was good, too. Waitress needed an attitude adjustment. I know...I know, two women and a Groupon....what did we expect! HA!
(2)Danyelle D.
I love Danny's I come here all the time. Everything you get is cooked well and the place is always busy no matter what time you come. Not everyone loves an excess of garlic & oil & cheese, but I'm Italian and that's how my mom cooks, so Danny's is just like home cooking without me having to do all the dishes. So far I have yet to find a person that I have introduced to Danny's and not been amazed. Top Menu items include Fried Meatball Sandwich, The Italian Sausage Burger (which is just like the fried meatball but using sausage instead), Homemade Rigatoni in Vodka Sauce with Crumbled Sausage. I keep telling myself that I'm going to try something different but once I get there I crave my usual order. One day I'm going to order the neck bones, which I have never seen on a menu before, I can't believe they have gotten so many people wanting neck bones. Not to mention they have great specials everyday & the cost is nothing compared to what I have paid in the past.
(5)Max R.
Why did it take me so long to try Danny's? Probably because of the location - drive by every now and then, but never really think of it when it's time to eat. We had a Groupon and am now a huge fan! Will be a frequent diner here. The meatballs are awesome, the homemade pasta and sausage is unreal. Can't wait till next time when I try the Giambotta! Paula loves food and she loves her customers - she made us feel like regulars from the moment we walked in. Great lady. Great food. Lots of it!
(4)carmen s.
The Meatball Sandwich is a MUST try nuff said!
(5)Marie N.
We chose Danny's Cafe and Deli based on the Check Please! episode. The service was very attentive. We loved the marinara sauce that came with the bread at the beginning of our meal. I had the sausage burger sandwich on ciabatta bread with provolone cheese. It was good. Very mild. It came with a small cup of the good marinara sauce to dip it in. Hubby had the rigatoni with vodka sauce. The rigatoni pasta was homemade. It arrived at our table piping hot and we both liked it. Again, very mild so he spiced it up with black pepper. We enjoyed the nice, comfortable, neighborhood atmosphere. I will go back to Danny's Cafe and Deli.
(3)Michael C.
If you are looking for a restaurant that allows you to walk in stand in the door for an awkward amount of time wondering if you are suppose to seat yourself or wait for an employee to show up and seat you; then this is your place. If you are looking for a restaurant that has servers ignore you and your family after being seated for 25 minutes; this is your place. Foolishly, my family arrived at 6pm on a Sunday night ready to try Danny's Cafe due to a Groupon purchase. We were given water and a bread basket and menus by the busboy and then 10 minutes later told by a waitress "Be there in a minute". 15 more minutes pass without anyone coming to our table. We stand up to leave, put our coats on etc. Still no one comes by and says a thing. Crazy. Not a full restaurant either mind you. If you do choose to go to Danny's Cafe don't bother with a Groupon because I highly doubt you will even get a check delivered. I'd highly recommend this place though if you ever wanted to try to Dine and Dash, although the Dash part won't be necessary. I imagine you could stand on your chair and announce that you are leaving without paying and it would still take a server 10 minutes to stop by your table.
(1)Jennifer I.
Ironically, I am writing this on the day there is a somewhat negative article about the owner in the Scum Times. Considering that the Times is getting more and more like the National Enquirer every day, it does not sway my opinion. At least not my opinion of a place that serves piping hot, homemade marinara with the bread. Hello! So... I finally made it to Danny's after multiple rave reviews from my sister and her husband, who I think come here 3-5 times per month. I have to say, it lived up to the hype. If I lived closer I could easily be here just as often. This really is just an awesome, casual Italian place. I had the lasagna and meatballs and was not disappointed at all. So. Much. Food. I actually wish the entrees were a little smaller, to have room for appetizers or dessert. You just get the feeling that everything is good and you want to try it. The service was so friendly...I felt more like I was a guest in someone's home than a restaurant. For as busy as it was, our waitress was so on top of everything. Never had to even ask for a drink refill, it just showed up right when you wanted it. She even remembered what my sister ordered last time. We showed up right before it started to get packed (about 6pm on a Saturday). This might be the kind of place you go to at off-times to avoid the wait. Big fat sigh for the Check Please curse. I did see a mullet. Come on dude, I'm trying to eat.
(5)Paul M.
I have to acknowledge my bias for this place since it reminds me of a neighborhood restaurant in Buffalo, near where my dad grew up. That said, the fried meatball sandwich is fantastic! Don't know why I order anything else, because it never disappoints. We've had almost everything on the menu. The wife will not have anything other than the neckbones special. Hard to describe, but let's just say the heaping plate would feed a starving 16 year old without a problem. Calamari is great, so is the vodka, sausage pasta. Good prices and so-so, but friendly service. A gem in Melrose Park.
(4)Jennifer Q.
Wow...what a hidden gem. My coworkers took me out to this place -which I heard about on Check Please. Initially, we couldn't find it because 15th was under construction. But when I'm determined, I find a way! I mapped it out and we came in from the west -25th Ave to Division and east on Division. It was worth the effort. The waitstaff was really friendly and the food was out of this world! I ordered the "Eggplant Lasagna" which was basically a cross between Eggplant Parmigiana and Lasagna....fabulous! Everyone's dishes looked great! Everyone was super happy and loved the place. I would recommend this place to anyone. HUGE portions for about $10-$15. Great value and quality food. A cute Italian restaurant meets a deli vibe. It felt very When Harry Met Sally meets the Sopranos...I dunno why -that's just what comes to mind!
(5)A D.
In the middle of no where in Melrose Park, but worth the small effort to find! Pasta, sauce, eggplant, chicken, neck bones, soups, calamari...everything tastes authentic & flavorful. You have to order the fried romaine! Sounds crazy but it's one of the best things on the menu!
(4)Russ T.
GREAT! I was told not to go to Danny's by a person I worked with who had been there in years gone by, and was far from impressed. After my first trip there less than a year ago, Danny's is now our regular lunchtime joint; her included. Great food, nicer servers, family owned feel. Try the Chicken Vesuvio!
(4)Emily Y.
I'm basing this review on one weekday lunchtime meal. I ordered the meatball sandwich with a side of vesuvio potatoes (wedges) and my friend ordered their special which was some kind of spinach and ricotta pasta dish. The meatball sandwich was really good. I think it might've blown my mind if I hadn't already come in with such high expectations. I was prepared for two or three meatballs on my sandwich, but it came out as a meatball molded into a patty that perfectly fit the bun. More of a meatslab sandwich, but it did the trick and was easy to handle. The vesuvio potatoes were mediocre, I wouldn't order them again - I can't think of a way to describe them - bland, maybe? Not crispy at all, which is my preference. (They have vesuvio wedges and mashed vesuvio potatoes, maybe I'll try mashed the next time.) My boyfriend warmed up half my sandwich and the potatoes later and he thought they were both really good. My friend really enjoyed her spinach and ricotta pasta. She let me try it, but I hate ricotta so my disappointment was tastebud-biased. The amount of food they give you is obscene and the sandwiches are really inexpensive ($6?), so it can be a bargain (my friend stretched her pasta for three meals). On the other hand, the sandwiches come with nothing except a slice of melon. The sides of pasta listed were around 3 dollars, so I may have to try one of those the next time I'm in. This is probably more of a 3.5 than 4 star, but I think some of the reviews were overly critical and it's family owned, so I'm happy to give them a 4. (Except for the vesuvio potatoes, I'd give those a 1 - for vesuvio potatoes go to Luca's in La Grange - just behind the train station!)
(4)Carrie M.
Went for dinner at 4:30pm on a groupon. Big place with little atmosphere. One table had 3 ladies at it, the remainder of the restaurant was empty. The waitress said sit anywhere. When my husband and I sat at a 4 top round table she said, "Oh, could you sit at a different table as we may get a rush of the dinner crowd. WTF she just told us to sit anywhere!! One little old man came in during the hour we were there.Where was the rush? Now to the not very good food.... The caprese salad with balsamic dressing was great. The bread they served when sitting down was stale and not really sure they had olive oil in the bottle as it had no flavor and was looking like vegetable oil. I had the "famous" fried meatball sandwich with chips and a drink (9.95) Nothing to come back for...ever. The homemade potato chips were good. There really is not ball to the meat as it is a flattened piece of meatloaf on ciabatta bread. Way to much bread to meat ratio! Comes with tomato sauce for dipping which was good. My husband had penne pasta with peas, sausage and mushrooms in a vodka sauce. A little spicy but overcooked pasta. Very large portions. The waitress had an attitude. Kind of passive aggressive. Nice enough but not genuine. Much better places to go than here. They may have tv personalities in pictures on the walls but I don't think they have eaten here.
(1)Nick D.
This place is a gem!! The waitresses are great the food unbelievable!! We had the palenta as an appetizer then for our entree I had the four cheese lasagna and my mom had the pasta olive oil. It was all so good! Real Italian decor inside super cute. Next time I'll try the deep fried meatball sand which, I hear that's what they're famous for.
(5)Lori L.
When my mom's friend mentioned we should go to Danny's, I wasn't aware it was the Danny's that was just reviewed on Check Please. Once we entered, is when it dawned on me this was the place. I took a look around and the place was crowded. Then the fear began to sink in. The fear of the Check Please "curse." The "curse" being a place becomes instantly popular after being on the show, which in some cases, can lead to shaky service. Well, my fears weren't fully realized, and they weren't unfounded either. Our waitress seemed a bit frazzled with how busy it was. The owner was shouting out orders to his staff, and directing waitresses to tables. We placed our orders, received our dinner salads, and then waited, and waited for our entrees. It was a good 45 minutes for them to arrive. Luckily, my dinner companions, including myself, were in a good mood and had nowhere to be. The owner was kind enough to stop by our table and apologize for the delay. I had the linguine with olive oil, garlic, and flakes of red pepper. The portion size was plenty big. Now, I'm a fan of garlic. A big fan. The seasoning on my dish topped the garlicky scale at 10.2. Thank goodness I was out to dinner with my mom and her friend, because there is no way I was kissing anyone after dinner that night. Fugetaboutit. The atmosphere is very casual. It is definitely a neighborhood joint as it seemed the staff knew many of the patrons. There were several Melrose Park cops milling around, a big round table in the corner with 5-7 older gentlemen grabbing some dinner, and numerous families. I'm not Italian, but I sure felt a little more like I was after leaving.
(3)megan s.
Danny's is really good. I'm partial to the chicken vesuvio dinner and sandwich....I love it actually. I'm trying to get other things there...but it's hard not to crave the vesuvio! The fried meatball sandwich is great and so is the homemade rigatoni w/ sausage. People go crazy for the neck bones here.....it get super busy on Wed/Sat - neck bone special days. The service is good when they aren't too crazy busy, nice people.
(5)Margaret S.
I love this place!! Don't be fooled when you walk in to this nondescript "joint", with banquet table and chairs and the menu on the chalkboard. The food is wonderful. Delicious baked artichoke, marinara, meatballs and oh, yea the neckbones. You heard me.....neckbones! The servers are great and the house chianti is decent! Trust me, bring a friend, they will thank you!
(5)Donald R.
After seeing Danny's Cafe profiled on Check, Please, we decided to stop by for lunch. As a meatball fan, I couldn't wait to try the Fried Meatball Sandwich. It did not disappoint! I loved everything about the sandwich. Mine was served with home made chips, which were also excellent. My partner had angel hair pasta and meatballs and didn't care much for it. But he's super-picky. He thought the meatballs were too soft. I thought they were just right. Service was very friendly. We'll go back for sure...
(4)Nicole W.
This is the place we take out of town guests for our idea of a real Chicago place. The special fried meatball sandwich with cottage fries is great (and moist) every time. If you are going for lunch, they won't get you out quickly, but the food more than makes up for it. Also a deli, you can pick up an array of meats and cheeses for the road. The owner, Carl, is great about accommodating large parties in their side room, especially if you reserve it ahead of time. We even planned our quarterly meeting location just such as to allow lunch at Danny's.
(5)Billy B.
Danny's is absolutely fantastic! I went there for the first time about a month ago, and when I first walked in I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. The first thing we had there was the baked clams which are unbelievably good! They come in a nice, thick, citrusy sauce. Very addictive. For my entree I got neckbones. This is something I never thought I would eat. Apparently they use them to make their marinara sauce and have them 2 days a week. Such an unusual but great dish. Anyway, I've been back twice since and really love this place.
(5)Bridgette K.
Walked in here while a tornado was going on outside. Service was friendly and the people eating here were friendly as well. My mom and I shared a stuffed artichoke that was mmmm mmm mmm delicious. My marinara breaded steak was on point. My mom's egg plant parm was great. The portions were HUGE. If you know me and how I am with service, it was super friendly and were there to meet our every needs. I will be back.
(5)Jasper D.
My wife and I have been frequent visitors to Danny's, having eaten here at least a half dozen times the past two years. Unfortunately, the past two experiences have been less than ideal. In fact, we both swore that last night's visit was down right awful and we will likely not return for awhile. The food was, as usual, very good. This has never been a disappointment. On the other hand, the service was horrendous. We brought another couple and their four year old child with us, and we were embarassed by the service (or lack of). They must have been short-handed in order to explain why the service was so erratic. Our order was not taken for awhile, and then the appetizers were not brought out for at least an hour after we placed it. The other couple asked for milk for their child, and it was not brought to the table until the entree was delivered. The hostess did bring her a meatball to keep the child busy but this was not until numerous requests were made for some assistance. Furthermore, when we did attempt to flag down some service, it was met with complete disregard. Finally, I don't normally expect some sort of complimentery dessert to soothe our feelings, but nothing was offered to at least make one want to return. We also noticed that the other diners were equally perturbed by their long waits. Our penultimate visit was marred with weak service, only to find our appetizers and entrees coming out simultaneously and having to wait a considerable amount of time for the bill. It is too bad; we really did like Danny's but we will have to wait some time before we return.
(1)David O.
Been there plenty of times in the past few years... They have changed owners a couple of times, but kept the same concept. The food is great! The fried meatball sandwich is great with giardiniera.
(5)Maddie G.
The food was really good! I had the Chicken Maliense (sp?) it was very moist and well breaded. I didnt understand the romaine lettuce bed it was put on top of, but it was a great HUGE portion of chicken. The starter was a cup of soup. It was a nice ministrone with the short tube pasta. It reminded me of my favorite place to eat growing up in the city. It was a pretty bright place, casual, and comfortable. The staff was friendly and all of the other customers seemed to be having a good time.
(4)Donna P.
Wow! Some friends and I went to Danny's for dinner on Tuesday night. It was such a great experience. One dish was better than the next and the service cannot be beat. The owner, whom was leaving at the time- came over to the table and when we told her that we were first timers- she actually took her coat off and brought over a plate of meatballs and a plate of grilled romaine with sausage for us to try. Mama Mia! One of my friends who is Italian and by far the best cook that I know- was in heaven - all the taste's reminded him of his grandma's cooking. We were all so happy and so happy to have found our new "favorite" place to meet.
(5)Jeff M.
Wow. The fried meatball sandwich here should be tried by everyone at least once in a lifetime. The taste stays with you for a couple of days. I will be back whenever I'm in the area.
(5)Scuba G.
Saw Dannys on Check Please years ago and both my husband and I thought we should go. Well we should have! My girlfriend bought a Groupon and we went a couple weeks ago. Loved it! I had the neck bones and they were awesome. My girlfriend had the four cheese lasagna special with meatballs and loved it. I tasted both and liked both the lasagna and meatballs (which I an very hard to please with meatballs - they were almost as good as my own). Homemade cheesecake for dessert was wonderful. Service was great and friendly. We were there kind of late but the place was still half full with what seemed like regulars. I highly recommend Dannys. Not fancy but wonderful service and great food. Can't wait to go back and try the meatball sandwich and smelts for appetizer!
(5)Kim A.
I haven't eaten at the restaurant, but I did have them cater my mom's birthday party and everything was delicious! I come from a family of food lovers, and they loved this place. The chicken vesuvio was the biggest hit, rigatoni in vodka sauce and the italian sausage were a big hit also. The only thing that wasn't great was the stuffed artichokes that got too mushy from steaming in the trays on the way here, but they were eaten anyway. Everyone wanted to take home the leftovers - and there was a lot of food leftover even though I had 23 people and only ordered for 20. The delivery guy set everything up for me and was very friendly. Good food, good value and good service. I will definitly use them again for catering!
(5)Jessica L.
This place is really excellent. Lots of great Italian food and inexpensive. The menu is smaller, but makes up for it with great offerings. I send everyone here and they are never disappointed.
(4)Patty V.
I had friends that lived above this place. She had her bridal shower here and we had more than a few meals here. Nice menu,good food and good service. I need to make a trip here. I forgot about the place now that our friends no longer live there.
(4)Jason c.
Great alternative to Subway and all the greasy fast food in the area! Highly recommended!
(4)shamrock B.
First, I'd like to say I really really wanted to like the place but i won't be going back. First, we got there on a Friday about 715pm not too busy only half full at most and clearing out. We ordered an appetizer calamari (very good) The service was just plain bad it was probably some of the worst service Ive had top 3! We didn't get our appetizer for 30 mins with salad and soup. We ordered 3 entrees and they were just okay below average and for the expensive money... ehhhhh not really worth the drive. We finally got our food at 820pm 1 hour and 5 mins. later. We had to go so we just boxed our food up to go we couldnt even eat it would of taken 2 hours. They had a table with locals and just ignored us like we were dirt. (Sorry, this isn't the old days and those guys don't have any clout) Sorry, I just wont ever come back our bill was $75 with tip to be ignored is kinda rid ridiculous. The owner lady was nice to us but it was just a bad experience and the food let me down. The brigole was over cooked and tough like a hockey puck, the Alfredo with prosciutto was cubed like ham not even shaved the peas were actually hard? never had hard peas. The 4 cheese lasagna was just average. Tiramisu felt generic dry not even juicy. I feel disappointed because, I wanted to like this place because I saw it on TV and it was just a bad experience with below average food much better Italian restaurants around.
(1)Marisol M.
They have a great assortment of sandwiches at reasonable prices. I love their eggplant sandwich. They have very good pasta dishes and my friend swears by their ox tails. I have also catered from here for a party and the owner was super nice. I placed my order the day before which with most places this is a big NO, but danny's was real accommodating. Everyone loved the Lemon chicken, vodka sauce pasta & vesuvio potatoes I ordered. I would recommend this place for both lunch and dinner. They are very good. Oh staff, is hit or miss. I have had waitress' that are super attentive and others who actually sit and chat with friends and forget they have cust. to tend to. (but the food makes up for that). 04-21-13 After returning a few times since my original review I have to say I'm not terribly impressed. The food has so much potential. However, they seem to be becoming very frugal with their sauces both on their pastas and sandwiches. The last sandwich I had there was the Cubbie sandwich. I was very disappointed when it arrived and only had a "squirt" of buffalo sauce. Just disappointed that now with a stronger clientele they would stray from the basics of consistency. I Still order their fool proof eggplant sandwich regularly though.
(3)Michael D.
Great Italian. Check it out!!
(4)Laura S.
Felt at home! We trekked from the northside to Melrose Park for the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. It is so cute and neighborhoody! However, it was about 9000 degrees and not good for the babe. Starving, and not getting our fill of Italian fair, we headed to Danny's. We started with the half order of calamari which was still huge. It was light, tender and flavorful. Incredibly fresh product for $5.95?!?! Husband had their classic fried meatball sandwich with provolone! INSANE! I had their special homemade rotini with ricotta, spinach, oil and garlic. OMG! I was in heaven. They DO NOT skimp on ingredients. After being incredibly full from lunch, we took a canoli and a slice of their homemade ricotta cheesecake home. HOLY MOLY! The cheesecake was outstanding. The crust had a carmel flavor that made me think there must be brown sugar in it because it seemed to ooze a carmely juice. The cheesecake was creamy and light. I am a real judge of such things being an avid baker. Danny's is so good and reasonably priced for what you get. Also, if you were worried that being reviewed on Check Please would cause their service and food to deteriorate as other Check Please victims have, rest assured. This place is still for the neighborhood, providing delicious fresh, bountiful plates of homestyle Italian that makes you feel happy! Also, a shout out to our waitress who was so kind (wish I knew your name)!
(4)Brian q.
I had the special which was rigatoni with crumbled sausage in a vodka sauce . It was okay. My wife had the same and the kids had beef sandwiches. Everyone was fairly pleaesed with their meal. Nice atmosphere good wait staff.
(3)