My review is soley based on the fact that I was trying to book an event in the party room, and I have yet to get a response back. I've sent 3 emails and I got a 2 word response back to my first email asking how many people does the room accomodate. I got the number and when I asked if a certain date was available I got no response. I later sent another email and still no response back. I guess they don't want my business or they never check their emails. I guess I will be looking elsewhere for my 60+ people.
(1)
Mercie D.
I have been wanting to try this place. It's near home and looked to be a little more upscale than the rest of the neighborhood. I bought a Groupon to check it out. We made reservations for a Saturday night at about 7P. We wanted to sit outside since it was a beautiful summer evening. We got there and they seated us immediately in the courtyard. They even set the table so that we are both looking into the courtyard and not onto 103rd St traffic. The only mood breaker was when a pick up truck of rowdy kids shouting and screaming went by (probably on their way to Friendship Fest...). A reminder that we are in Palos Hills and not Hinsdale.. The food was very good. We had fried calamari as the appetizer. It was tender and not greasy in the least. The Cocktail sauce was good with a hint of horseradish. We had a chicken cilantro soup which I highly recommend. I had the chicken Vesuvius with Artichoke hearts. Many restaurants that mention artichokes will pulverize them so that they are barely noticeable, not here. The artichoke hearts were quartered, well seasoned and were quite good. The chicken, which consisted of 3 4 ounce pieces. This is great for leftovers. The seasoning was good and tasted just as good the next day when I used the rest in my salad. Finally we went for the chocolate lava cake (we picked it because it was the smallest as we were both close to being stuffed). It was rich and paired very well with the Lohr Cabernet that I had sipping through dinner. Here is one thing that few people know about this place. As we were sitting in the courtyard, we noticed that the planters didn't contain roses or petunias. One had tomatoes, another had eggplants, some had herbs. All the planters contained edible plants. We commented on them as we were impressed by it. They told us that they do use these veggies and herbs in their cooking. Yes folks, some of the produce they use is grown on the premises. Is that cool or what??
(5)
Anthony P.
We had an enjoyable meal here. The dining room is just big enough. It looks like it held 2 large parties and multiple couples well enough, and there is a patio area with a few tables as well. Like any decent Italian place, there was oil with cheese for the bread; no crushed spices came with, but the bread itself arrived warm and had a good texture and taste. As an appetizer, the mussels with "spicy" marinara were good. I know that spicy is a relative term; it had a little kick, but definitely not too hot. The wine list is just fine. I've seen shorter lists and longer lists; I'm not a wine connoisseur but I enjoyed my $5 glass of Pinot Grigio. My Pollo Maria entree was delicious. Our server was pleasant, too.
(4)
Debbie G.
Very disappointed though the food was exceptional and our waitress Awesome did not verify our group on up front if it was a dinner or lunch one so gave us the lunch menu...when we went to use our group on the owner refused to honor it she was very argumentative and would not do anything for me ...I am very disappointed we have gave ciao lots of business in the past family parties location in matteson and I owned a business in palos hills and use to order food to go all the time.It saddens me that customer service with the owner of a small business is so horrible.
(1)
Marryann S.
Went to dinner at Ciao's tonite and was very pleased they had great Martinis and had a red pepper soup that was awesone...I had the Gnocchi which was okay I have had better it was kind of chewy and I did not like there marinara sauce tasted like it came out of a can..Did not have any dessert so I can't comment on that.. But I would definitely go back to try other items on the menu..
(4)
SmartShopper R.
One of our favs...great calamari frittati app...and I just LOVE their white linguini clam meal...omg...orgasim on a plate!
(5)
Becky S.
This is more of a review of Ciao's catering and party services. My family and I were very happy and impressed. My sister's wedding shower was held in the party room at Ciao. After enjoying their food and service, she decided to go with them as wedding caterers. I hope she gets around to review them as well, because they really went above and beyond. The food served at the wedding included: delicious chicken, stuffed shells, sausage and peppers, and roasted potatoes. Like I said, I can only speak to their catering and party services. But both dining in their party room and having them come to and cater my sister's wedding have been great experiences. Food has been good and service outstanding.
(5)
Colleen B.
For Christmas, my boyfriend and I got $50 in gift certificates. So my review and first visit here was on the in-laws. I had been at this location under a different name previous to Ciao..... at least I think it had a different name the first time I visited. It's near the bridgeview courthouse and in an okay spot. It looks like a little strip mall, which doesn't exactly scream fine dining. My mother-in-law insisted that we make reservations. So in our usually style, we call about 10 minutes before we planned to get there and made a reservation. The place was far from full, so the reservation wasn't necessary, but one phone call isn't like the end of the world. We were seated at a nice table with a view of the patio where some people sat and had wine (looked like a manager or friends/family of the owner or something like that). The patio view was nice except that beyond it was big metal power structures or something. We ordered two entrees and two desserts as well as a bottle of wine. We were trying to spend all $50 that night and they had a deal where you got a free bottle of wine if you spend over $40. That was a great little special and I was excited that the waitress told us. The food here was really good. I had a chicken pasta with mushrooms and a creamy red sauce. I really loved my meal and was excited to have the leftovers the next day. Dan had the stuffed shells. I was lucky enough to get a little bit and they were pretty good. Now the desserts..... these were both wonderful. We ordered the tiramisu and the chocolate lava cake. So we brought home leftovers of dinner and dessert because we couldn't eat it all. Here's what gets me..... the bill for this whole thing was about $55 (two entrees and two desserts and a FREE bottle of wine). At the end of the day, the food was good and we had gift certificates.... but it cost too much. In this economy, people shouldn't blow money on overpriced food you can make at home (I do actually make my own stuffed shells). If you like to spend a lot of food, that's great. But I personally can't really afford this even for special occasions..... If you want to spend the money, this place is great.
(3)
Maureen K.
I had never been to Ciao,but visited because i bought a groupon. I asked the manager if weIcould order from either menu presented with our groupon. She said we didn't need it,their prices and specials don't warrant a groupon. I said that it sounds like she doesn't like the groupons and she said they've;had misunderstandinggs with their guests and the usually don't tip on the groupon. I work in a restaurant and definitely tio well and told her it even says to make the tip include the groupon, When I asked if they did anything for birthdays,my mom was celebrating 82,she said not if you have a groupon and never offered a desert menu
(1)
Taffy G.
We had a gift card, and we finally got around to using it. I had my usual veal piccata. .Hubby had chicken marsala... Great desserts, too. We both enjoyed our evening.
(4)
Carmon K.
Can't believe this place is rated so low. Everything was amazing. The mobster wannabe owner post was totally inaccurate. The owner was very pleasant with us and spent time at our table a few different times. The lamb was absolutely butter in our mouth. Salads were sooooo fresh and let's not even talk about how good the desserts were. Prices were very reasonable with a good wine list. We just found out new fave place literally 3 mins from our new!
(5)
Dana R.
Went here for dinner on NYE and horrible would not sum up my experience here. The food was awful, I swear my wife's chicken catetori was off and the eggplant parmesan I had was soggy and just plain bad. For me that should be the best and easiest dish for an Italian restaurant to make. If you screw up eggplant parm, everything else can't possibly be better than mediocre. When I called to make a reservation, the hostess told me that despite our reservation time of 10:30, we might still have to wait "up to 20 additional minutes" considering it's NYE. When we got there, there were tables open everywhere and I whispered to my wife, "if they don't seat us immediately we are out of here". I don't understand where restaurants get off making it seem as though they are bursting at the seams with reserved tables when in actuality, they should be begging for business. Despite the fact that this place is less than a mile from my home, I will never be back. Sorry:(
(1)
Jim D.
Brought 10 people here over the weekend for a graduation party and I can't tell how accommodating the manager Laura and our waitress Julie were the whole time we were there. The food was excellent. We reserved the room at the front of the restaurant so it really added to the fun and the party atmosphere. If you like to dine outside or just sit and have a cocktail on the patio you might also enjoy stopping here. Looking forward to my next visit here. I still think for the price you can't beat this place or the hospitality. It's in a rather obscure location but that only makes it more attractive to us. Ciao!
(5)
Elaine C.
Really, people? Bashing Sam the owner as a wannabe mobster and only catering to regulars? Not true. Now, I am not a regular anymore as their current location is hell and gone from my house with no quick, easy way to get there. My husband and I had our first date at their old location in Matteson, and we even held our rehearsal dinner there years later. The food? Exceptional. The wait staff? Attentive and amazing. The long wait times for food? Well, if I wanted to be rushed out of a restaurant, I'd go to the fricking Olive Garden. But instead, sometimes we like a slow, leisurely dinner in a nice restaurant. I like Ciao. I like Ciao a lot. I like the staff, owner and food. I like relaxed meals and not being rushed. Went back this weekend to celebrate our anniversary and mom's birthday. Amazing, as usual. They had taken off the escarole, sausage & beans that we used to love as an appetizer, but they made it for us specially, anyway! And it was fantastic! Sam's brother-in-law was working to give Sam a father's day break, and he was just as warm and welcoming as Sam! The food was fabulous as usual, the bread was crusty and fresh from the oven, and our service was excellent as always! Thank you for another amazing experience!
(5)
Stina N.
Initially I was going to give this a three-star review, but then I woke up the following day with a wicked stomachache. I'm not entirely sure it was a result of the food at Ciao, but I'm suspicious enough to be leary of eating here again. I'd never heard of this place, but I attended a bridal shower here last weekend. It was prior to the restaurant opening so we had the entire place to ourselves. The staff was by far the most notable aspect of this place. From taking the gifts at the door and placing them at the gift table to refills on water and food, they were happy and friendly. Refills on food and drink came quickly. The restaurant is small, and the decor is extremely cheesy. I think they were going to sophisticated and fancy, but they definitely fell short on that. The food was good but nothing to write home about. The desserts were the only thing that I would even consider exceptional. We got minstrone (I think) soup, a salad, roasted chicken with potatoes, mostacoli, and green beans served family style. The portions/ amount of food they brought out were way too small for the number of people it was expected to serve. There were 6 of us and the bowl of chicken and potatoes we were given was empty by the time it got to me, and it wasn't as though my table mates were taking huge portions. They brought us more food quickly, but it was still irritating to have to wait because we weren't given enough to begin with.
(2)
Delaina C.
The food was ok. Service was ok for lunch. But the smell of mildew in this restaurant was very hard to get past. To bad it's cute & cozy inside & has a nice patio. I would return but I would have to sit outside to eat due to the smell in the restaurant. Smelled like grandma old house. Not Nona's great italian cooking. When I left I could still smell it on me. They would probably increase business if they rid of the musty smell.
(2)
Alyssa G.
I have no idea why the ratings are so low for this place... This is literally the best food for the least amount of money in the area. My family rarely dines in at Ciao, but we take advantage of their carry out deals. For $20 you can feed a family of four with left overs. Mind you, I can easily spend more than $20 buying myself beef and cheddar's from that horribly unfriendly woman in the drive-thru at Arby's. For $20 they have a dinner for four special where you get an entree, bread and a soup or salad. For an extra charge we always get the Penne ala vodka, which is really good. There's a few options for the dinner for four... some kind of herb chicken and potatoes, spaghetti and meatballs... I forget what else. But get this carry out deal, it's such a steal. It's better than the other options around here... drive thru or mystery chinese food.
(4)
Dorothy W.
This Place is one of the BEST!! I went there last night with my Hubby and Aunt and we had a wonderful experience, First our server was Great! Myself and Aunt ordered the Lasagna and it was Fabulous! Ordered a side of sausage (Very tasty) and My Aunt Loved it as well and yes their portion was plenty and she even took some home, She ordered the minestrone soup and was so pleased, My hubby had the Linguini with shrimp & Broccoli and he was in Awe!! The shrimp were huge! He was very happy. He also loved the Italian wedding soup I had the salad with the house dressing and it was wonderful, nice hot artisan bread, Met the owner on the way out to insure her she has new customers and that we will be back, for the people who have left negative reviews?? I'm guessing they don't know what good Italian food is, I am Italian and yes I Loved this place and it deserves at least 10 Stars! We will be back! Thanks Ciao for a wonderful dining experience...see ya soon!
(5)
Kevin G.
Not sure what the complainers on here are complaining about. Had lunch here today and the service was excellent. The food was good and the man who sat us, who seemed like the owner from reading other reviews was also nice. I used a groupon and had no problems (most complaints seems to be from people who failed to read/follow directions). Would definitely recommend the chicken vesuvio and I look forward to dining here again.
(4)
Gerry B.
Love this restaurant. My Wife and I have been going here for several years. Service is good and they really try to give you a little more. The food is very good and they have a wine special where you have a $40 meal and get a free bottle of wine.
(4)
Michael W.
I love their food - actually some of the best Italian I've had - and prices are reasonable. Service is good. 'nuff said.
(4)
Paul D.
I can't per say exactly how the food was... The wife and I were looking for a new place to eat one night and we have been past Ciao a thousand times at least and every time we drove past we always said how we should check it out. We hit Ciao rather early, the plans we had were up North and we had a couple of hours to kill, and when we pulled into the nearly empty parking lot the earliness of the evening was pretty apparent and even more so when we entered the restaurant itself. We stood for a few moments waiting for someone to great us at the door and surveyed the interior. The dinning room was empty except for two tables, one of a three top and the other a six and when a waitress passed us I asked her if we should just seat ourselves. It wouldn't be the first time we were someplace early and was slow and being told that, so it wasn't that big of a deal if we had too. At this point one of the men at the six top came over and said 'that no, someone will seat us in a moment.' Okay great. I told him thanks and he went back to his table. And so the wait began. After a few more moments the waitress passed by again, and I ask if they were open. Like I said we had an early start. The man once again got up form the table and told us that they were and we were just waiting for a table, and left us once again to toil at the door. The wife and I looked at each other then the nearly empty room then back to each other. "Waiting for a table?" She said to me, confused. I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "I guess so. Maybe they can only do eight people at a time." "This is stupid. Let's just go." This when I called out: "I guess we'll just sit at the bar." And as we went to make out move to the small bar the man once more hopped up from his table (now mind you, he wasn't eating. Actually only two people were, and it seemed to be more of a social table if anything and they didn't look like staff.) and hurried over to us. "No, no. A table will be available shortly. Just a few more minutes." What?! Shortly? A few more minutes? The place is empty. He went to turn back to his table and I said, "No. I don't think so. I think that you can take your restaurant and shove it up your ass." The man, along with the rest of the dinning room, looked at me in shock. Now I didn't yell this or say this in a rude tone. No, I said this in the most friendly way I could muster and with a smile I might add. I have no problem waiting for a table. No problem at all. But the place had better be busy. Don't make me stand there for almost ten minutes and basically ignore me. If your closed, tell me, same as if it's a private party that is going on. I'm okay with that as well. We would of went someplace else and tried Ciao another different time. But with this shit Ciao is scratched off any list other than avoid. Which is sad. It looked like it might be a decent place to eat. So we bid ciao to Ciao and have never looked back.
(1)
Melissa H.
My mom and I were planning a wedding shower for my sister this pas summer. Ciao had opened about a year before this and I saw it nearly every single day on my drive home. We made an appointment and came in to sit down and talk with Laura who is the GM I believe. She showed us their party room which was very nice, not nearly as dark and dank as some of the other local places we checked out that day. She gave us a run through of their banquet menu and prices. We found her to be really attentive and open with us. We put a deposit down for the party and asked Laura if there was any way we could taste a sample of the food. She said they cater parties all the time and that if we wanted to come in the next Saturday she could have them make a little extra so we could try something. We called and let her know we would just want a piece of chicken just to get a taste of what to expect. When we arrived to pick up our piece of chicken, Laura sat us down in the dining room and laid out a spread. My mom and I ate every single dish on the banquet menu, a little tasting led to us both being over stuffed on a Saturday afternoon. The day of the party they decorated for us, served us very quickly, made sure everyone had everything they needed and even packed up the soon to be newlyweds car with all the gifts they received. We received lots of compliments on the venue as well as the food. I have not been back to have dinner yet, but seeing its right down the street I will have to do that one day. The roasted chicken was wonderful, moist , flavorful and a big hit. The pasta and marinara was simple yet good. The sausage and peppers were sausage and peppers haha, and was served in Au Jus rather then red sauce. The house dressing was fresh and seasoned just right. The main dining room could use a slight up date as the carpet doesn't look all that great. They have really good specials during the week, including buy one get one 1/2 off, wine specials, martini specials and on Sundays they do a family style dinner. All in all I have to give it a try for dinner, but so far so good from what I know.
(3)
Shari S.
We've always has freshly prepared tasty food here. We have eatten here many times. Yes the food takes a bit, but they don't leave it under warming lamps. They are nice to our children and polite to us. I'm not sure why so many reviewers are so cranky.
(4)
Aurora S.
The boyfriend and I went here today because we had a groupon that was expiring. I wasn't crazy for the decor (just that awful hand-done-by-someone-someone-knows "texture" painting and bad lettering with Italian sayings... typical) at all and we walked in for lunch, the place was COMPLTELY EMPTY. Not a great sign... but the server was so nice and attentive (well, she better have been, we were her only customers). We really liked everything we ordered. I was especially into the soups (I had Italian wedding, the boyfriend had a roasted red pepper soup). We had calamari which was pretty good, nothing to write home about. Loved our entrees though. I think they must be hurting because they threw a lot of food our way for pretty cheap and the lunch portions were big enough that my boyfriend only took one bite of his entree (devoured it after coming home from work though!) because he was so stuffed from the soup and calamari. Overall, I was really impressed. The waitress was really good about keeping us updated about the timing of everything so that my boyfriend wasn't late to work and dropped a soda refill off just as I took that final sip of the first.
(5)
Dave T.
Not Good. Party of 11 for B-day party. VERY SLOW service. Waitress was a bit slow on the take also. Food was nothing remarkable at all. Waitress served salad and soup. 25 minutes later, she came back to clear the plates. At that time we tried ordering more drinks and bread to munch on. Waitress took drink order and got lost for another 15 minutes. Came back with enough bread for 3 people. Stingy on the bread. Soon after, dinner was served. We begged for more bread. Got enough for 3 again. Dinner was nothing great. The goofy waitress knew that an automatic 18% tip would be added to the bill so she did not give a rats ass about servicing the table. The owner was wandering around as if he was lost. Very weird evening. Also, for what you got, the menu was extremely overpriced.
(1)
Tara K.
Terrible, awful dining experience. After waiting 60 minutes for a chicken dish we had ordered, the rude owner came over to clear our salad plates that had been sitting empty for 40 minutes in front of us. He asked if everything was great and we politely told him we'd been waiting quite some time for our meal and asked if he knew how long it'd be until arrived. He rambled on explaining that we were not at Kentucky Fried Chicken, which I already realized as most KFC employees speak without sounding as stupid as he did. Anyhow, back to the food.. after he made himself look foolish, he told us the chicken takes 20 minutes, which we were never told by the inattentive waitress, but what about the other 40 minutes is really what I wondered as it had been an hour. Needless to say the chicken was mediocre at best, as was everything in this less than clean establishment. I'm shocked that the very pathetic, Soprano wannabe owner has been able to keep the doors open at this restaurant. I'd have rather eaten at KFC.
(1)
Allison P.
Great Italian. I appreciate the non-pretentious atmosphere. Traditional warm bread and cheese & oil, the Calamari Fritti was delicious, simple but flavorful fresh salad, main dish Linguine, Gamberi & Broccoli. Great attentive Server! I hope they keep but the good work because I will for sure be back!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Intimate, Romantic Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No 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.
Amy W.
My review is soley based on the fact that I was trying to book an event in the party room, and I have yet to get a response back. I've sent 3 emails and I got a 2 word response back to my first email asking how many people does the room accomodate. I got the number and when I asked if a certain date was available I got no response. I later sent another email and still no response back. I guess they don't want my business or they never check their emails. I guess I will be looking elsewhere for my 60+ people.
(1)Mercie D.
I have been wanting to try this place. It's near home and looked to be a little more upscale than the rest of the neighborhood. I bought a Groupon to check it out. We made reservations for a Saturday night at about 7P. We wanted to sit outside since it was a beautiful summer evening. We got there and they seated us immediately in the courtyard. They even set the table so that we are both looking into the courtyard and not onto 103rd St traffic. The only mood breaker was when a pick up truck of rowdy kids shouting and screaming went by (probably on their way to Friendship Fest...). A reminder that we are in Palos Hills and not Hinsdale.. The food was very good. We had fried calamari as the appetizer. It was tender and not greasy in the least. The Cocktail sauce was good with a hint of horseradish. We had a chicken cilantro soup which I highly recommend. I had the chicken Vesuvius with Artichoke hearts. Many restaurants that mention artichokes will pulverize them so that they are barely noticeable, not here. The artichoke hearts were quartered, well seasoned and were quite good. The chicken, which consisted of 3 4 ounce pieces. This is great for leftovers. The seasoning was good and tasted just as good the next day when I used the rest in my salad. Finally we went for the chocolate lava cake (we picked it because it was the smallest as we were both close to being stuffed). It was rich and paired very well with the Lohr Cabernet that I had sipping through dinner. Here is one thing that few people know about this place. As we were sitting in the courtyard, we noticed that the planters didn't contain roses or petunias. One had tomatoes, another had eggplants, some had herbs. All the planters contained edible plants. We commented on them as we were impressed by it. They told us that they do use these veggies and herbs in their cooking. Yes folks, some of the produce they use is grown on the premises. Is that cool or what??
(5)Anthony P.
We had an enjoyable meal here. The dining room is just big enough. It looks like it held 2 large parties and multiple couples well enough, and there is a patio area with a few tables as well. Like any decent Italian place, there was oil with cheese for the bread; no crushed spices came with, but the bread itself arrived warm and had a good texture and taste. As an appetizer, the mussels with "spicy" marinara were good. I know that spicy is a relative term; it had a little kick, but definitely not too hot. The wine list is just fine. I've seen shorter lists and longer lists; I'm not a wine connoisseur but I enjoyed my $5 glass of Pinot Grigio. My Pollo Maria entree was delicious. Our server was pleasant, too.
(4)Debbie G.
Very disappointed though the food was exceptional and our waitress Awesome did not verify our group on up front if it was a dinner or lunch one so gave us the lunch menu...when we went to use our group on the owner refused to honor it she was very argumentative and would not do anything for me ...I am very disappointed we have gave ciao lots of business in the past family parties location in matteson and I owned a business in palos hills and use to order food to go all the time.It saddens me that customer service with the owner of a small business is so horrible.
(1)Marryann S.
Went to dinner at Ciao's tonite and was very pleased they had great Martinis and had a red pepper soup that was awesone...I had the Gnocchi which was okay I have had better it was kind of chewy and I did not like there marinara sauce tasted like it came out of a can..Did not have any dessert so I can't comment on that.. But I would definitely go back to try other items on the menu..
(4)SmartShopper R.
One of our favs...great calamari frittati app...and I just LOVE their white linguini clam meal...omg...orgasim on a plate!
(5)Becky S.
This is more of a review of Ciao's catering and party services. My family and I were very happy and impressed. My sister's wedding shower was held in the party room at Ciao. After enjoying their food and service, she decided to go with them as wedding caterers. I hope she gets around to review them as well, because they really went above and beyond. The food served at the wedding included: delicious chicken, stuffed shells, sausage and peppers, and roasted potatoes. Like I said, I can only speak to their catering and party services. But both dining in their party room and having them come to and cater my sister's wedding have been great experiences. Food has been good and service outstanding.
(5)Colleen B.
For Christmas, my boyfriend and I got $50 in gift certificates. So my review and first visit here was on the in-laws. I had been at this location under a different name previous to Ciao..... at least I think it had a different name the first time I visited. It's near the bridgeview courthouse and in an okay spot. It looks like a little strip mall, which doesn't exactly scream fine dining. My mother-in-law insisted that we make reservations. So in our usually style, we call about 10 minutes before we planned to get there and made a reservation. The place was far from full, so the reservation wasn't necessary, but one phone call isn't like the end of the world. We were seated at a nice table with a view of the patio where some people sat and had wine (looked like a manager or friends/family of the owner or something like that). The patio view was nice except that beyond it was big metal power structures or something. We ordered two entrees and two desserts as well as a bottle of wine. We were trying to spend all $50 that night and they had a deal where you got a free bottle of wine if you spend over $40. That was a great little special and I was excited that the waitress told us. The food here was really good. I had a chicken pasta with mushrooms and a creamy red sauce. I really loved my meal and was excited to have the leftovers the next day. Dan had the stuffed shells. I was lucky enough to get a little bit and they were pretty good. Now the desserts..... these were both wonderful. We ordered the tiramisu and the chocolate lava cake. So we brought home leftovers of dinner and dessert because we couldn't eat it all. Here's what gets me..... the bill for this whole thing was about $55 (two entrees and two desserts and a FREE bottle of wine). At the end of the day, the food was good and we had gift certificates.... but it cost too much. In this economy, people shouldn't blow money on overpriced food you can make at home (I do actually make my own stuffed shells). If you like to spend a lot of food, that's great. But I personally can't really afford this even for special occasions..... If you want to spend the money, this place is great.
(3)Maureen K.
I had never been to Ciao,but visited because i bought a groupon. I asked the manager if weIcould order from either menu presented with our groupon. She said we didn't need it,their prices and specials don't warrant a groupon. I said that it sounds like she doesn't like the groupons and she said they've;had misunderstandinggs with their guests and the usually don't tip on the groupon. I work in a restaurant and definitely tio well and told her it even says to make the tip include the groupon, When I asked if they did anything for birthdays,my mom was celebrating 82,she said not if you have a groupon and never offered a desert menu
(1)Taffy G.
We had a gift card, and we finally got around to using it. I had my usual veal piccata. .Hubby had chicken marsala... Great desserts, too. We both enjoyed our evening.
(4)Carmon K.
Can't believe this place is rated so low. Everything was amazing. The mobster wannabe owner post was totally inaccurate. The owner was very pleasant with us and spent time at our table a few different times. The lamb was absolutely butter in our mouth. Salads were sooooo fresh and let's not even talk about how good the desserts were. Prices were very reasonable with a good wine list. We just found out new fave place literally 3 mins from our new!
(5)Dana R.
Went here for dinner on NYE and horrible would not sum up my experience here. The food was awful, I swear my wife's chicken catetori was off and the eggplant parmesan I had was soggy and just plain bad. For me that should be the best and easiest dish for an Italian restaurant to make. If you screw up eggplant parm, everything else can't possibly be better than mediocre. When I called to make a reservation, the hostess told me that despite our reservation time of 10:30, we might still have to wait "up to 20 additional minutes" considering it's NYE. When we got there, there were tables open everywhere and I whispered to my wife, "if they don't seat us immediately we are out of here". I don't understand where restaurants get off making it seem as though they are bursting at the seams with reserved tables when in actuality, they should be begging for business. Despite the fact that this place is less than a mile from my home, I will never be back. Sorry:(
(1)Jim D.
Brought 10 people here over the weekend for a graduation party and I can't tell how accommodating the manager Laura and our waitress Julie were the whole time we were there. The food was excellent. We reserved the room at the front of the restaurant so it really added to the fun and the party atmosphere. If you like to dine outside or just sit and have a cocktail on the patio you might also enjoy stopping here. Looking forward to my next visit here. I still think for the price you can't beat this place or the hospitality. It's in a rather obscure location but that only makes it more attractive to us. Ciao!
(5)Elaine C.
Really, people? Bashing Sam the owner as a wannabe mobster and only catering to regulars? Not true. Now, I am not a regular anymore as their current location is hell and gone from my house with no quick, easy way to get there. My husband and I had our first date at their old location in Matteson, and we even held our rehearsal dinner there years later. The food? Exceptional. The wait staff? Attentive and amazing. The long wait times for food? Well, if I wanted to be rushed out of a restaurant, I'd go to the fricking Olive Garden. But instead, sometimes we like a slow, leisurely dinner in a nice restaurant. I like Ciao. I like Ciao a lot. I like the staff, owner and food. I like relaxed meals and not being rushed. Went back this weekend to celebrate our anniversary and mom's birthday. Amazing, as usual. They had taken off the escarole, sausage & beans that we used to love as an appetizer, but they made it for us specially, anyway! And it was fantastic! Sam's brother-in-law was working to give Sam a father's day break, and he was just as warm and welcoming as Sam! The food was fabulous as usual, the bread was crusty and fresh from the oven, and our service was excellent as always! Thank you for another amazing experience!
(5)Stina N.
Initially I was going to give this a three-star review, but then I woke up the following day with a wicked stomachache. I'm not entirely sure it was a result of the food at Ciao, but I'm suspicious enough to be leary of eating here again. I'd never heard of this place, but I attended a bridal shower here last weekend. It was prior to the restaurant opening so we had the entire place to ourselves. The staff was by far the most notable aspect of this place. From taking the gifts at the door and placing them at the gift table to refills on water and food, they were happy and friendly. Refills on food and drink came quickly. The restaurant is small, and the decor is extremely cheesy. I think they were going to sophisticated and fancy, but they definitely fell short on that. The food was good but nothing to write home about. The desserts were the only thing that I would even consider exceptional. We got minstrone (I think) soup, a salad, roasted chicken with potatoes, mostacoli, and green beans served family style. The portions/ amount of food they brought out were way too small for the number of people it was expected to serve. There were 6 of us and the bowl of chicken and potatoes we were given was empty by the time it got to me, and it wasn't as though my table mates were taking huge portions. They brought us more food quickly, but it was still irritating to have to wait because we weren't given enough to begin with.
(2)Delaina C.
The food was ok. Service was ok for lunch. But the smell of mildew in this restaurant was very hard to get past. To bad it's cute & cozy inside & has a nice patio. I would return but I would have to sit outside to eat due to the smell in the restaurant. Smelled like grandma old house. Not Nona's great italian cooking. When I left I could still smell it on me. They would probably increase business if they rid of the musty smell.
(2)Alyssa G.
I have no idea why the ratings are so low for this place... This is literally the best food for the least amount of money in the area. My family rarely dines in at Ciao, but we take advantage of their carry out deals. For $20 you can feed a family of four with left overs. Mind you, I can easily spend more than $20 buying myself beef and cheddar's from that horribly unfriendly woman in the drive-thru at Arby's. For $20 they have a dinner for four special where you get an entree, bread and a soup or salad. For an extra charge we always get the Penne ala vodka, which is really good. There's a few options for the dinner for four... some kind of herb chicken and potatoes, spaghetti and meatballs... I forget what else. But get this carry out deal, it's such a steal. It's better than the other options around here... drive thru or mystery chinese food.
(4)Dorothy W.
This Place is one of the BEST!! I went there last night with my Hubby and Aunt and we had a wonderful experience, First our server was Great! Myself and Aunt ordered the Lasagna and it was Fabulous! Ordered a side of sausage (Very tasty) and My Aunt Loved it as well and yes their portion was plenty and she even took some home, She ordered the minestrone soup and was so pleased, My hubby had the Linguini with shrimp & Broccoli and he was in Awe!! The shrimp were huge! He was very happy. He also loved the Italian wedding soup I had the salad with the house dressing and it was wonderful, nice hot artisan bread, Met the owner on the way out to insure her she has new customers and that we will be back, for the people who have left negative reviews?? I'm guessing they don't know what good Italian food is, I am Italian and yes I Loved this place and it deserves at least 10 Stars! We will be back! Thanks Ciao for a wonderful dining experience...see ya soon!
(5)Kevin G.
Not sure what the complainers on here are complaining about. Had lunch here today and the service was excellent. The food was good and the man who sat us, who seemed like the owner from reading other reviews was also nice. I used a groupon and had no problems (most complaints seems to be from people who failed to read/follow directions). Would definitely recommend the chicken vesuvio and I look forward to dining here again.
(4)Gerry B.
Love this restaurant. My Wife and I have been going here for several years. Service is good and they really try to give you a little more. The food is very good and they have a wine special where you have a $40 meal and get a free bottle of wine.
(4)Michael W.
I love their food - actually some of the best Italian I've had - and prices are reasonable. Service is good. 'nuff said.
(4)Paul D.
I can't per say exactly how the food was... The wife and I were looking for a new place to eat one night and we have been past Ciao a thousand times at least and every time we drove past we always said how we should check it out. We hit Ciao rather early, the plans we had were up North and we had a couple of hours to kill, and when we pulled into the nearly empty parking lot the earliness of the evening was pretty apparent and even more so when we entered the restaurant itself. We stood for a few moments waiting for someone to great us at the door and surveyed the interior. The dinning room was empty except for two tables, one of a three top and the other a six and when a waitress passed us I asked her if we should just seat ourselves. It wouldn't be the first time we were someplace early and was slow and being told that, so it wasn't that big of a deal if we had too. At this point one of the men at the six top came over and said 'that no, someone will seat us in a moment.' Okay great. I told him thanks and he went back to his table. And so the wait began. After a few more moments the waitress passed by again, and I ask if they were open. Like I said we had an early start. The man once again got up form the table and told us that they were and we were just waiting for a table, and left us once again to toil at the door. The wife and I looked at each other then the nearly empty room then back to each other. "Waiting for a table?" She said to me, confused. I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "I guess so. Maybe they can only do eight people at a time." "This is stupid. Let's just go." This when I called out: "I guess we'll just sit at the bar." And as we went to make out move to the small bar the man once more hopped up from his table (now mind you, he wasn't eating. Actually only two people were, and it seemed to be more of a social table if anything and they didn't look like staff.) and hurried over to us. "No, no. A table will be available shortly. Just a few more minutes." What?! Shortly? A few more minutes? The place is empty. He went to turn back to his table and I said, "No. I don't think so. I think that you can take your restaurant and shove it up your ass." The man, along with the rest of the dinning room, looked at me in shock. Now I didn't yell this or say this in a rude tone. No, I said this in the most friendly way I could muster and with a smile I might add. I have no problem waiting for a table. No problem at all. But the place had better be busy. Don't make me stand there for almost ten minutes and basically ignore me. If your closed, tell me, same as if it's a private party that is going on. I'm okay with that as well. We would of went someplace else and tried Ciao another different time. But with this shit Ciao is scratched off any list other than avoid. Which is sad. It looked like it might be a decent place to eat. So we bid ciao to Ciao and have never looked back.
(1)Melissa H.
My mom and I were planning a wedding shower for my sister this pas summer. Ciao had opened about a year before this and I saw it nearly every single day on my drive home. We made an appointment and came in to sit down and talk with Laura who is the GM I believe. She showed us their party room which was very nice, not nearly as dark and dank as some of the other local places we checked out that day. She gave us a run through of their banquet menu and prices. We found her to be really attentive and open with us. We put a deposit down for the party and asked Laura if there was any way we could taste a sample of the food. She said they cater parties all the time and that if we wanted to come in the next Saturday she could have them make a little extra so we could try something. We called and let her know we would just want a piece of chicken just to get a taste of what to expect. When we arrived to pick up our piece of chicken, Laura sat us down in the dining room and laid out a spread. My mom and I ate every single dish on the banquet menu, a little tasting led to us both being over stuffed on a Saturday afternoon. The day of the party they decorated for us, served us very quickly, made sure everyone had everything they needed and even packed up the soon to be newlyweds car with all the gifts they received. We received lots of compliments on the venue as well as the food. I have not been back to have dinner yet, but seeing its right down the street I will have to do that one day. The roasted chicken was wonderful, moist , flavorful and a big hit. The pasta and marinara was simple yet good. The sausage and peppers were sausage and peppers haha, and was served in Au Jus rather then red sauce. The house dressing was fresh and seasoned just right. The main dining room could use a slight up date as the carpet doesn't look all that great. They have really good specials during the week, including buy one get one 1/2 off, wine specials, martini specials and on Sundays they do a family style dinner. All in all I have to give it a try for dinner, but so far so good from what I know.
(3)Shari S.
We've always has freshly prepared tasty food here. We have eatten here many times. Yes the food takes a bit, but they don't leave it under warming lamps. They are nice to our children and polite to us. I'm not sure why so many reviewers are so cranky.
(4)Aurora S.
The boyfriend and I went here today because we had a groupon that was expiring. I wasn't crazy for the decor (just that awful hand-done-by-someone-someone-knows "texture" painting and bad lettering with Italian sayings... typical) at all and we walked in for lunch, the place was COMPLTELY EMPTY. Not a great sign... but the server was so nice and attentive (well, she better have been, we were her only customers). We really liked everything we ordered. I was especially into the soups (I had Italian wedding, the boyfriend had a roasted red pepper soup). We had calamari which was pretty good, nothing to write home about. Loved our entrees though. I think they must be hurting because they threw a lot of food our way for pretty cheap and the lunch portions were big enough that my boyfriend only took one bite of his entree (devoured it after coming home from work though!) because he was so stuffed from the soup and calamari. Overall, I was really impressed. The waitress was really good about keeping us updated about the timing of everything so that my boyfriend wasn't late to work and dropped a soda refill off just as I took that final sip of the first.
(5)Dave T.
Not Good. Party of 11 for B-day party. VERY SLOW service. Waitress was a bit slow on the take also. Food was nothing remarkable at all. Waitress served salad and soup. 25 minutes later, she came back to clear the plates. At that time we tried ordering more drinks and bread to munch on. Waitress took drink order and got lost for another 15 minutes. Came back with enough bread for 3 people. Stingy on the bread. Soon after, dinner was served. We begged for more bread. Got enough for 3 again. Dinner was nothing great. The goofy waitress knew that an automatic 18% tip would be added to the bill so she did not give a rats ass about servicing the table. The owner was wandering around as if he was lost. Very weird evening. Also, for what you got, the menu was extremely overpriced.
(1)Tara K.
Terrible, awful dining experience. After waiting 60 minutes for a chicken dish we had ordered, the rude owner came over to clear our salad plates that had been sitting empty for 40 minutes in front of us. He asked if everything was great and we politely told him we'd been waiting quite some time for our meal and asked if he knew how long it'd be until arrived. He rambled on explaining that we were not at Kentucky Fried Chicken, which I already realized as most KFC employees speak without sounding as stupid as he did. Anyhow, back to the food.. after he made himself look foolish, he told us the chicken takes 20 minutes, which we were never told by the inattentive waitress, but what about the other 40 minutes is really what I wondered as it had been an hour. Needless to say the chicken was mediocre at best, as was everything in this less than clean establishment. I'm shocked that the very pathetic, Soprano wannabe owner has been able to keep the doors open at this restaurant. I'd have rather eaten at KFC.
(1)Allison P.
Great Italian. I appreciate the non-pretentious atmosphere. Traditional warm bread and cheese & oil, the Calamari Fritti was delicious, simple but flavorful fresh salad, main dish Linguine, Gamberi & Broccoli. Great attentive Server! I hope they keep but the good work because I will for sure be back!
(5)