Good place to eat. They have a lot of coupons and the food tastes good.
(5)
D M.
Food should not be scary. The food at this place is plenty scary. They think food swimming in grease makes it taste good. They don't know what they're doing. Oh and the decor. It's a shame because in years past it was so, so good and a place we really looked forward to.
(1)
Dee M.
The first night I moved to the area I was tired and hungry. My boyfriends parents took us to the nearest Italian restaurant to eat some delicious food. We all were sad when we left. This place is seriously some of the worst italian food I have ever eaten. The cheese was of bad quality, the pizza was clearly pre frozen, the sauce was watery, and the bread had a dot of garlic butter on it. The eggplant rolls had the thinnest slices of eggplant on it, it should have been named "bad mozzarella and no flavor ricotta rolls". Everything was not homemade. The cannoli was hard as a rock with chunky unsweet filling. The servers look like they never wash their clothes or they haven't received a new one in one thousand years. We asked for a manager to clear up why everything was taking so freaking long/why everything was cold but they sent over a server that had tables on the other side of the restaurant. The staff is nice and should run far far away. I really wish I never went here because I can never take those awful memories back and can never pop my Schaumburg eatery cherry ever again. P.s. A word of advice to the restaurant...your clearly fake reviews are not helping.
(1)
Amanda S.
This is really terrible. I mean, I feel awful for posting a bad review but I have to be honest and face the facts. Riccardo's will always have a special place in my heart-- I remember eating here for my cousin's rehearsal dinner when I was 9 years old..over the years, my family celebrated several events at this establishment, most of which were in my younger years. I remember that I always liked the food, but no details specifically. I returned two weeks ago, for yet another baby shower and was baffled by the experience. The service was decent, a bit spotty especially considering it was a relatively small party but overall I can't complain. The waiter was polite and attentive with respect to refilling coffee and water. The decor: heinous. The bathroom needs an update like nobody's business. It's like the same color as a grape Now N Later and just seemed sort of dirty in a way that it couldn't be cleaned. Not because they don't clean it, but because it's old and just run down. The dining room itself was bizarre. It seemed as if there was residual Christmas decorations/angels scattered all over but I guess that is actually the look they're going for. Very tacky. Now the worst part: the food. I honestly could care less about the atmosphere of a place (so long as it's not filthy) if the food is where it's at!! I was so disappointed. The salad was okay, less the enormous chunks of iceberg lettuce and nasty olives. I love black olives (and green) but these just had a weird taste and it sort of ruined the salad. The rolls, well those were good, some of the best I've had at any restaurant. The pasta was awful. Not even comparable to making some with a jar of sauce at home. It was incredibly bland and tasted basically like tomato paste over overcooked penne. MEH. I was very disappointed with my experience this time. Maybe I'll be back for another family function but I most likely will not return by my own volition. I will say that they've been in business for over 20 years so they must be doing something right...I just had a hard time seeing anything positive on this visit, despite the sentimental value this establishment carries for me.
(2)
Mary B.
How have I not reviewed this place yet?! Well here it goes. My family has been going there since I was a wee lass. No really, for probably the last 25 years we've been going there. I can still remember my mom and dad coming in from their date nights and kissing me goodnight and them reeeeeeking of cigarette smoke and food... oh nostalgia... The restaurant has been good to us... and we to them! We've always been pleased with the service and food. I can't even remember having a bad night there in all our years going. The food has always been exceptional. I usually stick with the traditional chicken marsala or some sort of pasta. Recently, I finally branched out and had their veal marsala (after years and years of my Dad only ordering that, I decided to take the plunge). And boy was that good. It's your typical Italian food but they also have a great house salad and of course, pizza! As far as service, I've never had a bad experience. Servers, bartenders, owner. Everyone has been great. Katie, the owner, is amazing. Our family's foundation held a meeting here about 6 years ago and she couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating to our requests. It's a cozy place with a nice atmosphere. They play sweet jazz music too (Sinatra, Martin, etc... which is what I love). From a family who has been going there for the last 25 years, we all recommend YOU going! Oh and my Dad recommends the veal marsala...
(5)
Ericka L.
I told him no. I told him NO, but he wanted to eat carryout from here anyway. This has got to be the worse Italian food I have ever tasted and for a restaurant to be solely dedicated to what can be absolutely delicious cuisine, I found this highly disappointing. I had the cannelloni and it was so bland that I didn't even want to attempt to waste my time seasoning it myself. That's what I paid THEM to do. My guy had the shrimp Alfredo and the Alfredo sauce looked like water. Runny and again, bland. The inside of the restaurant can only be described as 'unclean' and 'cluttered' and we will not be returning. FAIL
(1)
Sue W.
Terrible food... the worst lasagna I've ever had. The ricotta was grey and crumbly, the sauce was dark and looked old. I've been here a couple of times and every time I leave I say I'll never go back. Not to mention the decor is old and very strange... weird statues and they still have some Christmas decorations around. Please don't waste your money. I really don't know how they have stayed in business so long.
(1)
Chris H.
We got our drinks quickly, but then it took an hour to get our food. And we were there for lunch! We ordered pasta, not anything that should have taken that long. Only come if you've got a few hours to spare..
(1)
Matt M.
I have to disclose bias. I had a roommate and dear friend that worked here for quite sometime. That being said, the pizza is ridiculously awesome for the thin crust. While there, my roommate invented "the amazing" and off-menu pizza that I suggest you order. Its like have a pizza and a spicy italian beef at the same time. You will also find an adequate supply of regulars at the bar if you are interested in rubbing elbows with central Schaumburgs townies.
(4)
Leslie D.
We love this pizza. We have been searching for a good take out pizza, and recently gave this a try. It's really so tasty! The crust is so thin and crisp, even the center pieces. The price is great with a coupon. We have been getting this pizza about once a week now that we tasted it. Good sauce, good flavor and quick for pick up. .
(5)
Gina C.
My husband and I have been regular diners at Riccardo's for 20 years and can honestly say neither one of us have ever had a bad meal. We usually have our Sunday meal there. The menu is extensive, the prices very fair and the portion sizes large. We always take home half our meal to eat another day. Katie and Waldo are the owners and are exceptional hosts. Both have made it a point to check on our dining experience and meals and always make us feel welcome. Their staff is friendly, fun, smart and courteous. You just can't ask any more from a good neighborhood restaurant.
(5)
T M.
Ok, where do I start! First off I would like to point out that I do not take pleasure in leaving negative reviews but I felt compelled to after eating at Riccardo's. We started off with Calamari for an appetizer and it was the worst I ever had rubbery and tasteless. My wife and I ordered Veal Parmigian and it was terrible. The sauce is over seasoned with oregano and not good at all. The veal was chewy and flat as a sheet of paper. My son ordered chicken parm and a mini filet, the filet was ordered well done and when brought to the table it was blood red and barely cooked. I could go on and on about the poor quality and taste of the food but I'll sum it up by saying that we dined with 9 people total and not one person was satisfied with their meal. You can tell everything Riccardos makes is straight out of a frozen bag from a restaurant suppliers delivery truck. There is no Nona in the kitchen making genuine Italian quality food here. Save your money drive a little further and eat at Spavones!
(1)
Adam D.
I was torn between three and four stars, but it feels more like a four to me. First, the pizza. It's delicious. We went with a plain, cheese pie, which was excellent. I'm a little picky about my pizza. Not overly so, but ingredient proportion is something that I notice. Too much / too little sauce, cheese, toppings, or seasoning can ruin a pizza in a hurry. Riccardo's has the perfect amount of each. They also nailed the crust, which I think is the most crucial part of the pie. The bar isn't the rowdiest place around, but it's still a good time. And they have Peroni! A few Peronis after knocking down a pizza was the perfect way to cap our evening.
(4)
Susan G.
Not the best experience. We went for Sunday . We ordered lasagna, salmon dish and their Sunday Prime rib specialty. The prime rib was cooked well done. We asked for medium tare. The server apologized and had another plate made. The 2nd plate was not edible. Meat had crispy edges and was again was over cooked and not edible. My salmon was over cooked as well.. the ricotta in lasagna was rock hard. There are sooooo many exceptional restaurants in Schaumburg. Riccardos will not survive if they font improve chef service
(1)
Joan H.
went there for dinner tonight. They have a large party going on tonight so we sat for almost 15 minutes without seeing a glass of water or a waitperson. we left and went elsewhere to eat. Guess they can't take care of regular customers when they have more important business.
(2)
Katie S.
I really really wanted to like this place. I placed a pick up order for chick parm dinner and spaghetti with meatballs. The total was almost $25 which I thought was a lot. I went inside to pick it up and the environment was very pleasant as well as the employees. We got the food home and ick. The spaghetti was just gross. The sauce was really horrible. I ate a few bites of the spaghetti, ate the mediocre meatballs and threw the rest away. The chicken parm was ate but not in happiness. I would like to try something else from here but I am not sure its worth it since there are so many other Italian places around.
(2)
Taylor M.
Riccardo's is a very homey restaurant. It is a no frills restaurant with huge portions and friendly staff. Exactly what you would expect from a family owned Italian restaurant. Two for $30 menu is a great deal! Appetizer, soup/salad, two entrees and two drinks or desserts! Once I saw this, I knew we would be doing the special. For my entree I ordered the lobster ravioli which was rich and filling, just what I was looking for! I would suggest getting the soup because the house salad is just bagged iceberg lettuce. Nothing too exciting. I have also had the cheese pizza which is good but nothing exciting.
(3)
Kevin W.
First I would like to say is that I order pizza (thin crust) here all the time and it beats a lot of other places. Pizza is ready fast and hot and it is so easy to pick up. I always remember to grab some of their garlic rolls too, you can never go wrong with those. If you are ever in the area stop in to give this place a try. Oh they also have a bar, which is nice while waiting for your food. Whenever I'm not getting pizza from here I get the Italian style dishes!
(5)
Victoria C.
Wonderfully friendly dining experience. Really good Italian food and awesome desserts. A great place to bring the family.
(4)
H R.
Why two yelp profiles?! My husband picked up the food. He brought it home and It smelled fabulous. It looked super weird. The pasta with Alfredo sause was gross. It has a distinct bad flavor to it. Very much like card board? Even a simple cheese ravioli was seriously disappointing. Baked clams were no good. The best part was the minestrone soup. :( I can get the same from a can though. Nothing tasted home made or from scratch. And oddly most of it was laced with that odd flavor of card board or some thing. I wish I could my finger on exactly what the taste was. Maybe just old frozen food flavor. Like it sat in a box in a freezer a little too long? Believe it or not, this is coming from a traditional italian, but Olive garden is actually better. :( yipes!
(2)
Kathy D.
Great food !! I agree- last night our server (Carolina) was terrific. As busy as it was, she was quick to refill my coffee and checked on us often Will be back soon.
(5)
Cheryl B.
I want to start by saying Carolina (like the state) was the best server I've had. She was courteous and attentive. The food is great. Pizza is good. Salad dressing is good. Garlic bread yummmmmm. Pasta trilogy is good. Nothing to complain about.
(5)
Bens M.
Just ordered pizza from here and both of them were under cooked. Horrible! You'd expect such a big place to put some quality into making a pizza. Never again. Waste of money.
(1)
Scott D.
I remember eating at Riccardo's Restaurant about 10 years ago. After eating their Shrimp, Linguini & Broccoli dish this past week, I realized why I haven't been back in about 10 years. This dish was swimming in a greasy "sauce". Maybe it was too much olive oil or butter. I don't know what it was. And I was too afraid to figure it out (you can only do so much in the name of Yelp). The shrimp tasted okay. And that was the only item I eat. The rest of the dish which consisted of broccoli and linguini noodles did not taste good in my opinon.
(1)
Lauren H.
The best things about this place are the garlic rolls and salad with dressing, which are FREE with your meal. That should say it all right there. Every time I have come here each person in our party is disappointed with their meal. Mostly the sauces. They have no flavor. Ravioli, bow tie chicken alfredo, meatballs, lasagna, chicken and broccoli, chicken marsala, etc. everything we've ever tried there is just lacking any taste. Unfortunately the salad and bread is loved by my niece so she always picks it when we let her choose where to go for dinner, the adults have to suffer through a meal of slow, mediocre service and no flavor. We keep trying to give it a chance but it's not just not making the cut.
(1)
Sonny P.
I can only review on the pizzas and service. You are given garlic rolls upon being seated. Marinara sauce is extra, by the way. We ordered 2 large pizzas and found the pizzas to taste good. We had no issues with service either. I don't know why there are so many bad reviews but I would go back for their pizzas.
(4)
Bob J.
This place is awesome! We get their coupon in the mail weekly. The pizza is great! All the Italian entrees we've ordered were off the charts. This place has the recipes tuned up. Now combine that with 2 for 1 dinners or an XL pizza w/2 topping for $13 out the door. We can't help but to love this place... discounts or not. Nice ambiance, good service. They get a 5 star because they are great and the competition can't match the value or quality here.
(5)
Gerry X.
No slices but they make personal pizzas. Service was professional and friendly. I liked the decor (like my mom and dads sans the plastic covered upholstery.) Gift certificates available. Met the owners wife...whom I mentioned to that the service inside was awesome....it was a relaxing late lunch. I liked it.
(5)
Dan D.
Stopped in for a weeknight dinner. Looked completely different inside than I imagined (in a good way). Nice friendly service. We decided to go with the two-for-$30 menu. A lot of the entrees seemed to have cream sauces, and the pasta fagioli appeared to be cream based, as well. We tried the bruschetta for the appetizer, which was good, but we both thought it could have used a little more pepper. My wife went with the spaghetti and sausage with marinara. The sausage was very good, but she found the marinara a little bland (although she likes her some garlic). My lobster ravioli was OK, but I couldn't really find very much lobster flavor, and again, the tomato cream sauce, which was good, could have used a little more punch. One issue: we were given the two-for-$30 menu, and were fine with that. At least, we were until another couple came in, about the time we were finishing, and asked for the suburban restaurant week menu, which we weren't aware Riccardo's was participating in, and would have been nice to have known. On the whole, a positive experience. We'll probably go back if we're looking for Italian food, and sample something off of the regular menu.
(3)
Dan B.
Great food. Affordable. Pizza is highly recommended
(4)
Kassie S.
Don't waist your time or money. Food is bad. .The lasagna was still frozen, the pasta wasn't cooked enough. I give it 0 stars... was the first time there... should of read the yelp reviews first.. my mistake....
(1)
Sandra B.
HORRIBLE! WENT THERE for a baby's baptism party. The older waitress was rude - almost bit my head off when we asked for coffee. One older woman asked for decaf - she brought her the decaf, then later poured regular coffee in her cup when asked for a refil. We told her - no, she needs decaf. She said it's fine and left the table. Never asked if we all wanted more coffee - we ended up asking someone else who apologized. Guests who came late we given leftover food from other tables - even a piece of chicken that was cut in half. That leftever food was cold too. What? I truly wished I was a food inspector. Yes, okay-it was crowded and busy with parties, but hey! Never going there again. That woman should lose her job! Patrons were unable to even get to the bathrooms, it was so crowded. Food was awful-dirty dishes never removed-terrible service! I'd be embarrassed if I was hosting the party! The place should have closed their doors that evening! I hope the host got a deal on the terrible food, and awful service! Serving leftovers from another table to late guests?
(1)
Barbara P.
My husband and I love this gem of a place, the food is great and the staff exceptional, Joanne treats you like family, her service and her attentiveness to every dining detail makes it a great place to dine. The portions are huge and we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. I suggest getting the salad to share with your meal. the dressing is out of this world!, not to mention the garlic rolls, YUM. We love mushrooms and the mushroom soup is THE BEST we ever had. Its clean, friendly and overall just a great place to eat and share some family time together, Great wine list also. :-) Enjoy
(5)
Tom S.
We were there last night after not having been there in, probably, 10 years. I'm in my early 50's and I think my wife and I were the youngest patrons there. I have nothing against an older crowd but I think that clientele has an effect on the food. I had the stuffed pork chops and they were incredibly plain. Very little flavor.The side of pasta came with a spice-less marinara sauce. The only reason we went there was because it was on the way to another destination which we missed because the service was so slow. It was a lesson learned. We will not be going back.
(1)
Robin Z.
this place has been total CRAP for the past 5 yrs or so....the creamed soups that are RUNNY...ya they are OLD ....the sauces that are so greasy and bland ...yup old reheated CRAP...old tomato's...stale bread....most things are made ahead and just MICROWAVED....really go across the street to jewel...buy a frozen dinner....go to the bread OUTLET store.....bring it home.....RICCARDO'S TO GO...at an 1/8 of the cost
(1)
Joe J.
For some reason this awful excuse for an Italian restaurant has two different tabs on yelp. I won't let you get away so easily. I will make this short and sweet (actually not so sweet). This restaurant is terrible. The food is not homemade. The pizza dough is pre-frozen. Worst of all, the prices are outrageously high. Do not eat here. Do not even look at this restaurant as you drive by unless you plan on vomiting in your mouth.
(1)
B F.
Never again. We've eaten here plenty of times, although not the best we usually had something edible. But after this last time we went, we will NOT be back. It was just my son and I on a weeknight. There were a fair amount of patrons, but the service was decent. We ordered bruschetta....the tomatoes were mushy, the edges of the bread were burnt to a crisp and the middle of the bread was mush. Not off to a good start. My son had cream of chicken soup and I had a salad. The salad was a salad, nothing exciting one way or the other. But my son's soup was horrible. It looked and tasted like they had watered down the soup. Even after dumping excessive amounts of salt and pepper in the soup it was still inedible. Next come the entrees....I had pasta with a mix of pesto and alfredo sauce (waitress' suggestion when I was debating which one I wanted. It sounded like a good idea) and my son had some sort of chicken dish. I truly think my pasta, or at least the sauce, were microwaved because there were some really bad hot spots. My son's chicken dish had a tomato sauce that had no flavor and was really runny. Both of us tried to improve the flavor with parmesan, salt and pepper to no avail. I finally asked the waitress if they had a new chef since everything was so disappointing and different than we've had in the past. She sent the owner over and it was at that point that I was expecting to see Gordon Ramsay's camera crew since this interaction was something you'd see on Kitchen Nightmares. She comes over and questions what was wrong. I told her while it wasn't exactly terrible it was off from what we expected from them. I explained everything like I've written above and received replies such as: 'I had the bruschetta today, it was fine' 'All these people are eating the soup, no one else is complaining' 'These are the same recipes we've always used and no one complains' 'We won't be changing anything because you aren't happy' She did comp our entire check, but there is no way we'll ever go back there.
(1)
Delores B.
This restaurant is fabulous! Our favorite waitress is JoAnn. She is a real gem! Her service is out of this world and we always look forward to coming in and spending some time with here. We love the special, 2 for $30 menu. You share an appetizer (large portion!), get a nice boozy drink or dessert, choose from a myriad of delicious entrees, delicious salad and garlic rolls. Phew! Terrific. Every entree we have tried so far is delicious. Chicken Picatta is one of our favorites. The owner is also a very nice woman who makes our meal time very special. If I lived in Schaumburg, I would eat here every week.
(5)
Michelle F.
First of all, THANK YOU to Riccardo's for supporting my daughter's school for this fundraiser--every penny counts!! They also provide them with hot lunch a couple Fridays out of the month. My daughter always loves "Riccardo Days". So I have been here once or twice before tonight, and it has always been a pleasant experience. My group of eight of us (5 adults and 2 kids) came here tonight for the fundraiser, and we had a fabulous meal. First of all, as their rolls, it's really amazing garlic bread. These are SO good. The kids ate them all up--well, they ate what the adults couldn't steal back from them! What a nice touch! The appetizers we ordered, the bruchetta and the spinach rolls, were decent. The bruchetta was definitely better than the rolls. It was slightly odd, but we wanted to try it because it sounded different! But for our meals I got the lemon chicken, my husband ordered the spinach and peppers, and the others got some shrimp/scallop noodle dish. I loved mine--the lemon sauce and mushrooms were really good. The sausage in my husband's dish was great, too. The shrimp dishes were slightly spicy, but I heard no complaints from the others! Each meal comes with either soup or salad. I got the salad, and my husband ordered the minestrone soup. He was disappointed in it, though, because he said it came with exactly ONE noodle. Sad! Overall it was a great meal, and I know I will be back!
(4)
Maddy K.
Whenever we order pizza, this is where we get it from. The deep dish is fantastic. Lou Malnati's used to be my favorite until I had Riccardo's pizza. The food besides pizza is also good. The negatives are that it is a bit pricey and their "garlic bread" is just a roll with barely any butter. It's really dark inside too. Other than that, Riccardo's is great!
(4)
B H.
Nice place. Had their $10 coup for Ital or chicken dish, soup or salad, dessert. Had ckn vesuvio, very good. Good service. Nice atmosphere. Been there before, will go back.
(4)
Greg L.
Ok...we've been wanting to try this place for years and we finally did, and we will NOT go back. First I need to say that the decor was pleasing and that won't be the only nice thing I say but that will be later. We ordered Pizza for the kids, an individual for our youngest and a medium thin crust pepperoni and cheese for the two older. The dough tasted frozen or stale, there was one piece of pepperoni per slice of pizza, huh? The sauce was average but it was hot...I would never call that pizza good. My wife and I ordered off the menu, I had the gnocchi stuffed with asiago in red sauce...what I got looked like no gnocchi I have ever eaten, they looked more like mini ravioli, and if that was asiago cheese then it is the most boring asiago I have ever tasted. My wife ordered the chicken in cream sauce with linguine and mushrooms...well the linguine was cooked well over, the chicken tasted as if it had been microwaved. The cream sauce was good though once salt and parmesan cheese was added. The salad tasted fresh...fresh out of a bag. The soups were minestrone based and the oil and grease that stayed on top even after stirring in might well be the solution to our fuel issues..... The server reached through my wife on two different occasions to remove the oregano and cheese as well as plates from the table while we were still EATING! The best part of the meal were the garlic cheese rolls that were free and offered to us if we wanted more...we went through two baskets. Upon paying for the meal I was waiting to be asked how the meal was and it was almost as if they knew what I was going to say and dared not ask.... There are other issues but I will let the meal represent this review and make no further comments.
(1)
Zack G.
The pizza literally tastes like nothing....I've really never had pizza that tasted like nothing! It didn't taste bad, it was just bland at full force. It was so odd!!! Wouldn't recommend coming here even if it's only $10.
(2)
P M.
Manager was rude, complained to us about how we changed our order due to food allergies. Decor is awful and food quality poor. This restaurant really should close its doors so a real business can move in.
(1)
Jim R.
This place has to be the worst i have ever been to. The waitress was like mentally challenged. She actually wanted me to tell her what time she should bring out food. Then she told me that if the table next to me gets seated then she would be screwed. The place wasn't even that busy. The food taste like crap. i have been going to this place for years and i just made it my last time.
(1)
King K.
the $10 1 topping thin crust is the best value for pizza in the area. The Pizza is the best thin crust I've had in the area. Much better than Papa Saverios in the same complex. The interior seems nice- its a sit down resteraunt and the female owner can be a hag if you don't have the coupon for the $10 Pizza.
(4)
Frank F.
Stopped by Riccardo's on a Sunday evening for something different. They were busy but not overly crowded. I was seated at a booth immediately adjacent to the hostess stand/door. After waiting 10 minutes and still not seeing a server or busboy stop by my table I got up and told the hostess I hadn't been waited on. Much to my surprise, rather than addressing me, she immediately walked to my empty table as though the answer as to why I hadn't been served could be found there. Not a word was said to me as I walked out the door, hungry and upset.
(1)
John L.
I believe this so called Italian restaurant is the worst of it's kind. Quite simply, the food was very bland. We had carryout and 4 of 5 items were tasteless. The ricotta didn't seem to be seasoned at all and I didn't care for the garlic rolls which was just this soft white bread with oil.The chicken pasta was dry and tasteless. The meatballs was kind of OK but seemed to be made up of mostly filler. Please....Fogettaboutit.
(2)
Johnny B.
Pass by this restaurant and decided to take my friend there on a Sat night. Was there many moons ago and remember the Lasagna as being very good. So I/we did not have Lasagna. Set it up for 7 and of course, she was late! Lots to talk about so we brushed off the waiter 2 or 3 times. Had a ice cold beverage and finally ordered. My friend ordered Chicken Primerva. I was intrigued by a special called Fiesta platter. Now I'm thinking, this is a Italian joint. A " Fiesta" platter? Well the waiter said "Excellent choice". That got the honey pissed!. It was a combo of Spinach filled ravioli, Pasta, and great tortelinni. Great sauce topping it all. Meatless too! A veggie in the making? NOT! Soup or salad comes with the entree. Pasta Fasoul! GREAT! Can't comment on the pizza, but there were 6 pick-ups in the 10 minutes I was waiting. They had a good crowd for the week after NYE. Would definitely return. Johnny Chitown
(4)
Paul N.
This place is awful in so many areas: The seating (esp. the booths) are uncomfortable, the weekend staff reminds me of a "greasy spoon" instead of an actual restaurant, The food is so unbelievably bad; it would take real effort to screw up spaghetti that bad....ugh! In their defense, I guess the head chef is off-duty on weekends. So I guess what I am saying is avoid this place on weekends.
(1)
Jennifer S.
We eat at Riccardo's fairly often and we carried out pizza for the first time from here earlier this week. Overall, it's a fine meal. Nothing too fancy or special. But, they have an extensive menu and you can basically always find a coupon for buy one get one or something along those lines in the local publications. Pizza the other night was pretty good. The crust was crispy, the bacon was cooked just right and there wasn't too much sauce. It was my kind of pizza. When we dine in, I try to be adventurous, but as you may know, I am a creature of habit. I usually end up with the stuffed shrimp and pasta. My husband is not a big fan of seafood and make childish comments about what the dish looks like to him. (He thinks he's pretty funny...well, he is, but don't tell him that I said that!) I'm eating it, not photographing it, so what does it really matter? :-) Anyhow, we start with some delicious, warm bread rolls. Follow up with soup or salad. And, finish with our entrees. My hubby usually does try different things - Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Spicy Red Sauce (Arriabatta?) and pasta. My only complaint is that the service is hit or miss and they have run out of the special or the soup on more than one occasion.
(3)
Tiffany H.
We love Riccardo's. They are always warm and welcoming. It is such a very nice local restaurant. Arm and cozy and good food. We love their pizza especially, with giardinare and feta cheese. My husband also loves their chicken piccata and chicken Marsala!
(5)
Carla P.
The pizza is fantastic, just the way I like it. Crispy crust but still chewy, fresh-tasting ingredients, not over cooked. I only dined in there one time and I wasn't that impressed with the meal, so I'll just give them an OK for now. If I eat in there again and change my mind I'll update the rating. The staff were very nice and the parking is ample.
(3)
Katy P.
My boyfriend and I wanted pizzas after we got back home from my first marathon downtown. We ordered the Riccardo's Special and Vegetarian specialty pizzas with a "BOGO" pizza coupon up to a $12 value. I wasn't sure if I was just so happy to have pizza in my mouth after running 26 miles, but we were both happy with the quality of the pizza. Thin crust, cheese browned and a little crispy, fair amount of toppings. We'd go there again next time we want to go pick up a pizza.
(5)
Mary R.
Dinner here was wonderful. The appetizers were fresh and plentiful, in fact, all of the portion sizes were generous. I had the Parmesian Crusted Tilapia and my husband had the Pollo Alla Diablo. Both were delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive, drink refills were quickly brought without having to request them. The restaurant was clean and orderly. This is a gem of a restaurant and the owner walked around greeting the tables, some by name. I will definitely be back again.
(5)
Jen P.
I was just in Italy before I came to eat here, and I am Italian myself, so I know how Italian food is supposed to taste. This restaurant's food is not that great. In Italy I had an amazing dish of cannelloni, so I thought I would order it here to see how it tastes. It was nothing compared to what I had before. The filling of the cannelloni tasted terrible and there was barely any flavor. I don't think I will be back here again.
(1)
Sue N.
Met a friend there for dinner last night. Had the fried veggie platter. Over priced with just a couple things on the plate. Thought half fell off or someone ate it on the way to the table. The fried veggies were very bland. Taste like deep fried flour. For dinner we had the pizza, also very bland. Crust tasted like day old dough. I don't think they use any seasoning in this place. I never use salt and I had to put some on to get a flavor going. Afterwords, servers hostess and the bus boy kept coming to the table wanting the bill paid. Was very rude and distracting. We weren't even sitting that long after eating. On the way out no one attempted to say good night goodbye or anything. Have no desire to come back and try again.
(1)
Damon L.
Two young adults setting up a table a few tables away dropped silverware on the floor, picked it up, wiped it off with their hands, placed it back on the table for the next customers. It's Christmas Eve so I'm not sure if these kids are regular employees or just helping out for the holidays. Food took forever. The pasta just tasted off. It was watery and missing some spices. The first basket of rolls weren't fresh. The second basket was very fresh and delicious (hence, the two star review). The waitress was very nice.
(2)
C H.
Okay you want Italian, good Italian, nice cozy, intimate and beautiful atmosphere, reasonably priced, nice people, excellent service and excellent food - Riccardo's is the place to go. It's in a little strip mall across from Jewels on the corner of Roselle and Irving Park Road. You can wear a nice pair of jeans and a nice shirt, feel like your right at home and again boy the food is out of this world. We always feel good when we go here. The people are as good as the food. The portions are huge. And the pizza, these folks make the best pizza anywhere around. We've gone to Riccardo's about five times and never had any complaints.
(5)
Molly R.
Ever since Pizza Cottage in Roselle closed (wipes a tear), this has been the go-to pizza place for lots of people. I have been here quite a few times while in the 'burbs, and I have never been disappointed! First plus is that it never gets terribly crowded, and the staff is very friendly. The biggest draw, of course, is their pizza, especially their thin crust! It's delicious: just the right amount of sauce and cheese, and never, ever oily. Their garlic bread and calamari are also first rate. Their menu is pretty extensive as far as Italian delights, and if I weren't such a pizzavore I might actually try some. I also love their random Christmas decorations here and there in the dining room. Only adds to the charm!
(4)
Scott H.
I've held two party at Riccardo's and couldn't have been happier with the food and service. I had my son's baptism and my father's birthday. The service was great!! And the pizza and rolls....people are still talking about how good the pizza and rolls were!
(5)
Caryn A.
Great food and novel specials are the norm - The owners are terrific and so friendly you fell like you are dining with your family - Katy always has my special talapia francheze ready for me even if it is not on the menu that day - we have had several family parties there and they always take excellent care of us -
(5)
Kate J.
My husband and I finally went to Ricarrdo's last night after years of saying we were going to try it. We were very happy with the food and atmosphere. I had the baked most and asked for Ricotta cheese and they had no problem with the request. My husband had the meat ravioli and he loved it. He also had the mussels and thought they were great. He was not a big fan of the pasta fagiol but I thought the Minestrone was excellent Server was so so but the owner Katie made up for it. Very nice and welcoming. We will definately be going back!
(4)
Shirley T.
We ate in once years ago and the pasta was ok salad was good, garlic rolls really good did take out pizza and salad this week and the pizza was really good, not skimpy on the cheese, sauce was really good. salad and garlic rolls still good i plan to get pizza from here more often had the thin crust and the sauce was perfect - not too thick and not too spiced - perfect
(4)
Cheryl R.
Had the lasagna that was mostly ricotta cheese, dry & grainy. Cream of Broccoli soup was good. My husband's cannelloni was okay but he felt the marinara was good but not enough.
(2)
Stacey D.
I think this place is fair. 3 stars is more than I thought I'd rate. I used to really dislike this restaurant. I went to a party here, and the food was actually pretty good. (What the hostess orderd all kind of tasted the same, but I'm sure it's because she chose lasagna, baked mostaccioli, and pizza. All too similar.) Anyway -- the food was good. Salad was an iceberg lettuce in very large pieces (which is a pet peeve of mine), and had some sort of house italian. I didn't much care for it, tasted too packaged for me. My husband loves their pizza, I think it's just ok. Beer is good, service is good. Prices are fair. Not outstanding food, it's like a Greek restaurant (you know the one -- where you can get a turkey dinner, pancakes, or sundaes and a small glass of wine), but with Americanized Italian food.
(3)
David C.
I haven't been to Riccardo's in years. I used to go there when I was a kid and my parents would bring us for pizza. It's nice to see after all these years that this business is still serving the community and hasn't sold out to the national chains. The inside of the restaurant is still the same as I remember with the flying angel babies with pizza and beer mugs in their hands. The reason I returned to my childhood pizza place was because of a coupon we heard about online, offering a buy one entree, get one free good until Feb. 2012. So we found said coupon and headed out to Riccardo's. The menu items were priced well and they had awesome drink specials. (Sun - Mon $1.50 domestic drafts) We had the Bruschetta as an App. and put in our orders (Chicken Parm for me and my g/f had the Schrimp Scampi.) Everything came out quick and hot. Even the plates were hot to the touch and very tasty. The service was nice, as they offered water refills right away and took away used dishes quick. The server even told us to grab a take out menu because it features more coupons. How cool is that? No real complaints here as we will return in the future (and more frequently).
(4)
lee w.
YUCK !! Horrible..........This was the worst italian food I have ever eaten and I'm 50 years old, and the decore was almost as bad, it's more like a greek family restaurant. Nothing matches. I had the 4 cheese pasta and my girlfriend have the mushroom spinach ravioli. I was expecting something similar to the 5-cheese Ziti at Olive Garden. What I got was cooked pasta with a can of alfredo sauce poured over it. My pasta dish was so bad I had to actually send it back to the kitchen. I have never done that before in my life.. I felt so embarrassed asking our server to send it back to the kitchen. I had my girlfriend try my dish as well and she agreed it was the worst thing she ever had. The server knew it was bad because she offered a side of marinara sauce for free when I placed the order (to give it some taste). She know from experience this dish was nasty but told me "its pretty good" when I ordered it. Our server was nice and asked me if I wanted something else to eat instead. I said yes something simple please like spaghetti with meat sauce. There is no way they can screw that up right? Well I was wrong it was the worst meat sauce I have ever tasted. Literally out of a can. My girlfriend's ravioli was pretty bad as well. They brought a salad and bread before our meal which was nice but, the bread was just okay and the salad was terrible. Crappy lettuce and 2 tiny slices of tomato and italian dressing out of a bottle. This restaurant does not have a chef they have untrained cooks. The "cooks" have no culinary training whatsoever, especially in italian food. It's probably some high school kids or people who have never cooked back in the kitchen that make the food. It starts with the owner and manager. They are obviously clueless as to what italian food is, and it trickles down to the cooks they hire and their menu and their recipes. I would not eat there ever again even if it was free. I'm guessing this place is really a greek family thats trying to run an italian restaurant and suck at it. Stay far away from this place trust me it's the worst food you'll ever eat. I don't know how they have been in business so long (at least 10 years) it may be because of the pizza which they offer but I have never had and never will. YUCK !!!!
(1)
Julie P.
I am really shocked this place has so many positive reviews. I have been there twice (wanted to give it a second chance) and unfortunately will not be going back in the future. The first time I went, a girlfriend and I had lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The place was nearly empty so seating was quick. We each ordered wine and an entree. The wine was decent and very inexpensive, which is a plus. However, the food was greasy and not very flavorful. My friend didn't seem to mind it so I had a few glasses of wine and tried to chalk up the taste of my meal to the kitchen having a bad day. The second time I went, my husband and I had a coupon that was expiring for a buy-one-get-one-free meal and he wanted to check it out for himself so we went for dinner on a Friday evening. Again, the wine was good and cheap (big plus since we both love to drink wine with meals) but neither of us enjoyed our food. We started with mushroom caps for an appetizer. Then we each had a salad an an entree. Nothing was fresh; everything seemed like it had been frozen and just re-heated for us. The mushrooms were soggy and the pasta dish had a ton of grease. The food really was terrible, but both times we had EXCELLENT service. Maybe I am an Italian food snob, but I definitely would not recommend this place.
(1)
Renato P.
This place has a decent looking dining room , good sized. We ordered lunch , decent selection , decent prices. The minestrone soup was pretty good , the wife got the asparagus soup , she liked it.The Calamari was crispy and delicious , it came with cocktail sauce , which I wasn't expecting , not a big fan of calamari with cocktail sauce.It was so good I ate it plain. Got the boneless buffalo chicken wings , not great , I prefer them with the bones. My son got the pizza , ate it all , I didn't get to try any. I ordered the chicken vesuvio, it was a boneless breast (I prefer the bone in and the skin on for vesuvio) , it was decent, I liked it. The potatos weren't crisp enough, not soggy though , just not crisp enough. I will try to hit this place up again when I'm in the area.
(4)
Happiness L.
This place is just ok. The service and staff are friendly and the place is clean. The food is just so so. Had soup, chicken/sausage cacciatore, and tiramisu that needed a flavor enhancement. If I go again I will try the pizza.
(3)
Ken J.
We have eaten at Riccardo's several times over the years. We went there Sept 4, 2010 for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious. The menu has a wide variety of Italian entrees. We have tried many of them and have yet to be disappointed. The decor inside has been gradually enhanced - the owners have not forgotten to put some money back into the facilities. The service has always been prompt and friendly. I know my 11 year old son enjoyed their pizza. This restaurant is a great value. The owners have always been there when we have dined in. Their attention to quality shows. We pass up many restaurants between our house and Riccardo's, and will continue to do so.
(4)
Adele S.
This restaurant is located in a strip mall. the pizzaria is on the south end of the building, next to the bar. The fancier restaurant is on the north end. Food is pretty good, haven't had any problem with service. They do the family style salad w/ italian dressing and the bread sticks, like Olive Garden. I had a great pasta dish once, a special, not on the regular menu...tortellini with spinach and ricotta...nice and garlicky. Chicken marsala was very good. My husband loved the lasagna. Pizza looked great but we haven't tried it yet. We have been here many times, it's a little far but worth the drive.
(4)
Frank F.
Stopped by Riccardo's on a Sunday evening for something different. They were busy but not overly crowded. I was seated at a booth immediately adjacent to the hostess stand/door. After waiting 10 minutes and still not seeing a server or busboy stop by my table I got up and told the hostess I hadn't been waited on. Much to my surprise, rather than addressing me, she immediately walked to my empty table as though the answer as to why I hadn't been served could be found there. Not a word was said to me as I walked out the door, hungry and upset.
(1)
Johnny B.
Pass by this restaurant and decided to take my friend there on a Sat night. Was there many moons ago and remember the Lasagna as being very good. So I/we did not have Lasagna. Set it up for 7 and of course, she was late! Lots to talk about so we brushed off the waiter 2 or 3 times. Had a ice cold beverage and finally ordered. My friend ordered Chicken Primerva. I was intrigued by a special called Fiesta platter. Now I'm thinking, this is a Italian joint. A " Fiesta" platter? Well the waiter said "Excellent choice". That got the honey pissed!. It was a combo of Spinach filled ravioli, Pasta, and great tortelinni. Great sauce topping it all. Meatless too! A veggie in the making? NOT! Soup or salad comes with the entree. Pasta Fasoul! GREAT! Can't comment on the pizza, but there were 6 pick-ups in the 10 minutes I was waiting. They had a good crowd for the week after NYE. Would definitely return. Johnny Chitown
(4)
lee w.
YUCK !! Horrible..........This was the worst italian food I have ever eaten and I'm 50 years old, and the decore was almost as bad, it's more like a greek family restaurant. Nothing matches. I had the 4 cheese pasta and my girlfriend have the mushroom spinach ravioli. I was expecting something similar to the 5-cheese Ziti at Olive Garden. What I got was cooked pasta with a can of alfredo sauce poured over it. My pasta dish was so bad I had to actually send it back to the kitchen. I have never done that before in my life.. I felt so embarrassed asking our server to send it back to the kitchen. I had my girlfriend try my dish as well and she agreed it was the worst thing she ever had. The server knew it was bad because she offered a side of marinara sauce for free when I placed the order (to give it some taste). She know from experience this dish was nasty but told me "its pretty good" when I ordered it. Our server was nice and asked me if I wanted something else to eat instead. I said yes something simple please like spaghetti with meat sauce. There is no way they can screw that up right? Well I was wrong it was the worst meat sauce I have ever tasted. Literally out of a can. My girlfriend's ravioli was pretty bad as well. They brought a salad and bread before our meal which was nice but, the bread was just okay and the salad was terrible. Crappy lettuce and 2 tiny slices of tomato and italian dressing out of a bottle. This restaurant does not have a chef they have untrained cooks. The "cooks" have no culinary training whatsoever, especially in italian food. It's probably some high school kids or people who have never cooked back in the kitchen that make the food. It starts with the owner and manager. They are obviously clueless as to what italian food is, and it trickles down to the cooks they hire and their menu and their recipes. I would not eat there ever again even if it was free. I'm guessing this place is really a greek family thats trying to run an italian restaurant and suck at it. Stay far away from this place trust me it's the worst food you'll ever eat. I don't know how they have been in business so long (at least 10 years) it may be because of the pizza which they offer but I have never had and never will. YUCK !!!!
(1)
Julie P.
I am really shocked this place has so many positive reviews. I have been there twice (wanted to give it a second chance) and unfortunately will not be going back in the future. The first time I went, a girlfriend and I had lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The place was nearly empty so seating was quick. We each ordered wine and an entree. The wine was decent and very inexpensive, which is a plus. However, the food was greasy and not very flavorful. My friend didn't seem to mind it so I had a few glasses of wine and tried to chalk up the taste of my meal to the kitchen having a bad day. The second time I went, my husband and I had a coupon that was expiring for a buy-one-get-one-free meal and he wanted to check it out for himself so we went for dinner on a Friday evening. Again, the wine was good and cheap (big plus since we both love to drink wine with meals) but neither of us enjoyed our food. We started with mushroom caps for an appetizer. Then we each had a salad an an entree. Nothing was fresh; everything seemed like it had been frozen and just re-heated for us. The mushrooms were soggy and the pasta dish had a ton of grease. The food really was terrible, but both times we had EXCELLENT service. Maybe I am an Italian food snob, but I definitely would not recommend this place.
(1)
Maddy K.
Whenever we order pizza, this is where we get it from. The deep dish is fantastic. Lou Malnati's used to be my favorite until I had Riccardo's pizza. The food besides pizza is also good. The negatives are that it is a bit pricey and their "garlic bread" is just a roll with barely any butter. It's really dark inside too. Other than that, Riccardo's is great!
(4)
B H.
Nice place. Had their $10 coup for Ital or chicken dish, soup or salad, dessert. Had ckn vesuvio, very good. Good service. Nice atmosphere. Been there before, will go back.
(4)
Sue N.
Met a friend there for dinner last night. Had the fried veggie platter. Over priced with just a couple things on the plate. Thought half fell off or someone ate it on the way to the table. The fried veggies were very bland. Taste like deep fried flour. For dinner we had the pizza, also very bland. Crust tasted like day old dough. I don't think they use any seasoning in this place. I never use salt and I had to put some on to get a flavor going. Afterwords, servers hostess and the bus boy kept coming to the table wanting the bill paid. Was very rude and distracting. We weren't even sitting that long after eating. On the way out no one attempted to say good night goodbye or anything. Have no desire to come back and try again.
(1)
Damon L.
Two young adults setting up a table a few tables away dropped silverware on the floor, picked it up, wiped it off with their hands, placed it back on the table for the next customers. It's Christmas Eve so I'm not sure if these kids are regular employees or just helping out for the holidays. Food took forever. The pasta just tasted off. It was watery and missing some spices. The first basket of rolls weren't fresh. The second basket was very fresh and delicious (hence, the two star review). The waitress was very nice.
(2)
C H.
Okay you want Italian, good Italian, nice cozy, intimate and beautiful atmosphere, reasonably priced, nice people, excellent service and excellent food - Riccardo's is the place to go. It's in a little strip mall across from Jewels on the corner of Roselle and Irving Park Road. You can wear a nice pair of jeans and a nice shirt, feel like your right at home and again boy the food is out of this world. We always feel good when we go here. The people are as good as the food. The portions are huge. And the pizza, these folks make the best pizza anywhere around. We've gone to Riccardo's about five times and never had any complaints.
(5)
Tiffany H.
We love Riccardo's. They are always warm and welcoming. It is such a very nice local restaurant. Arm and cozy and good food. We love their pizza especially, with giardinare and feta cheese. My husband also loves their chicken piccata and chicken Marsala!
(5)
Jennifer S.
We eat at Riccardo's fairly often and we carried out pizza for the first time from here earlier this week. Overall, it's a fine meal. Nothing too fancy or special. But, they have an extensive menu and you can basically always find a coupon for buy one get one or something along those lines in the local publications. Pizza the other night was pretty good. The crust was crispy, the bacon was cooked just right and there wasn't too much sauce. It was my kind of pizza. When we dine in, I try to be adventurous, but as you may know, I am a creature of habit. I usually end up with the stuffed shrimp and pasta. My husband is not a big fan of seafood and make childish comments about what the dish looks like to him. (He thinks he's pretty funny...well, he is, but don't tell him that I said that!) I'm eating it, not photographing it, so what does it really matter? :-) Anyhow, we start with some delicious, warm bread rolls. Follow up with soup or salad. And, finish with our entrees. My hubby usually does try different things - Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Spicy Red Sauce (Arriabatta?) and pasta. My only complaint is that the service is hit or miss and they have run out of the special or the soup on more than one occasion.
(3)
Greg L.
Ok...we've been wanting to try this place for years and we finally did, and we will NOT go back. First I need to say that the decor was pleasing and that won't be the only nice thing I say but that will be later. We ordered Pizza for the kids, an individual for our youngest and a medium thin crust pepperoni and cheese for the two older. The dough tasted frozen or stale, there was one piece of pepperoni per slice of pizza, huh? The sauce was average but it was hot...I would never call that pizza good. My wife and I ordered off the menu, I had the gnocchi stuffed with asiago in red sauce...what I got looked like no gnocchi I have ever eaten, they looked more like mini ravioli, and if that was asiago cheese then it is the most boring asiago I have ever tasted. My wife ordered the chicken in cream sauce with linguine and mushrooms...well the linguine was cooked well over, the chicken tasted as if it had been microwaved. The cream sauce was good though once salt and parmesan cheese was added. The salad tasted fresh...fresh out of a bag. The soups were minestrone based and the oil and grease that stayed on top even after stirring in might well be the solution to our fuel issues..... The server reached through my wife on two different occasions to remove the oregano and cheese as well as plates from the table while we were still EATING! The best part of the meal were the garlic cheese rolls that were free and offered to us if we wanted more...we went through two baskets. Upon paying for the meal I was waiting to be asked how the meal was and it was almost as if they knew what I was going to say and dared not ask.... There are other issues but I will let the meal represent this review and make no further comments.
(1)
Zack G.
The pizza literally tastes like nothing....I've really never had pizza that tasted like nothing! It didn't taste bad, it was just bland at full force. It was so odd!!! Wouldn't recommend coming here even if it's only $10.
(2)
P M.
Manager was rude, complained to us about how we changed our order due to food allergies. Decor is awful and food quality poor. This restaurant really should close its doors so a real business can move in.
(1)
Jim R.
This place has to be the worst i have ever been to. The waitress was like mentally challenged. She actually wanted me to tell her what time she should bring out food. Then she told me that if the table next to me gets seated then she would be screwed. The place wasn't even that busy. The food taste like crap. i have been going to this place for years and i just made it my last time.
(1)
King K.
the $10 1 topping thin crust is the best value for pizza in the area. The Pizza is the best thin crust I've had in the area. Much better than Papa Saverios in the same complex. The interior seems nice- its a sit down resteraunt and the female owner can be a hag if you don't have the coupon for the $10 Pizza.
(4)
Paul N.
This place is awful in so many areas: The seating (esp. the booths) are uncomfortable, the weekend staff reminds me of a "greasy spoon" instead of an actual restaurant, The food is so unbelievably bad; it would take real effort to screw up spaghetti that bad....ugh! In their defense, I guess the head chef is off-duty on weekends. So I guess what I am saying is avoid this place on weekends.
(1)
Molly R.
Ever since Pizza Cottage in Roselle closed (wipes a tear), this has been the go-to pizza place for lots of people. I have been here quite a few times while in the 'burbs, and I have never been disappointed! First plus is that it never gets terribly crowded, and the staff is very friendly. The biggest draw, of course, is their pizza, especially their thin crust! It's delicious: just the right amount of sauce and cheese, and never, ever oily. Their garlic bread and calamari are also first rate. Their menu is pretty extensive as far as Italian delights, and if I weren't such a pizzavore I might actually try some. I also love their random Christmas decorations here and there in the dining room. Only adds to the charm!
(4)
Scott H.
I've held two party at Riccardo's and couldn't have been happier with the food and service. I had my son's baptism and my father's birthday. The service was great!! And the pizza and rolls....people are still talking about how good the pizza and rolls were!
(5)
Caryn A.
Great food and novel specials are the norm - The owners are terrific and so friendly you fell like you are dining with your family - Katy always has my special talapia francheze ready for me even if it is not on the menu that day - we have had several family parties there and they always take excellent care of us -
(5)
Kate J.
My husband and I finally went to Ricarrdo's last night after years of saying we were going to try it. We were very happy with the food and atmosphere. I had the baked most and asked for Ricotta cheese and they had no problem with the request. My husband had the meat ravioli and he loved it. He also had the mussels and thought they were great. He was not a big fan of the pasta fagiol but I thought the Minestrone was excellent Server was so so but the owner Katie made up for it. Very nice and welcoming. We will definately be going back!
(4)
Shirley T.
We ate in once years ago and the pasta was ok salad was good, garlic rolls really good did take out pizza and salad this week and the pizza was really good, not skimpy on the cheese, sauce was really good. salad and garlic rolls still good i plan to get pizza from here more often had the thin crust and the sauce was perfect - not too thick and not too spiced - perfect
(4)
Elly M.
Good place to eat. They have a lot of coupons and the food tastes good.
(5)
Cheryl R.
Had the lasagna that was mostly ricotta cheese, dry & grainy. Cream of Broccoli soup was good. My husband's cannelloni was okay but he felt the marinara was good but not enough.
(2)
Stacey D.
I think this place is fair. 3 stars is more than I thought I'd rate. I used to really dislike this restaurant. I went to a party here, and the food was actually pretty good. (What the hostess orderd all kind of tasted the same, but I'm sure it's because she chose lasagna, baked mostaccioli, and pizza. All too similar.) Anyway -- the food was good. Salad was an iceberg lettuce in very large pieces (which is a pet peeve of mine), and had some sort of house italian. I didn't much care for it, tasted too packaged for me. My husband loves their pizza, I think it's just ok. Beer is good, service is good. Prices are fair. Not outstanding food, it's like a Greek restaurant (you know the one -- where you can get a turkey dinner, pancakes, or sundaes and a small glass of wine), but with Americanized Italian food.
(3)
David C.
I haven't been to Riccardo's in years. I used to go there when I was a kid and my parents would bring us for pizza. It's nice to see after all these years that this business is still serving the community and hasn't sold out to the national chains. The inside of the restaurant is still the same as I remember with the flying angel babies with pizza and beer mugs in their hands. The reason I returned to my childhood pizza place was because of a coupon we heard about online, offering a buy one entree, get one free good until Feb. 2012. So we found said coupon and headed out to Riccardo's. The menu items were priced well and they had awesome drink specials. (Sun - Mon $1.50 domestic drafts) We had the Bruschetta as an App. and put in our orders (Chicken Parm for me and my g/f had the Schrimp Scampi.) Everything came out quick and hot. Even the plates were hot to the touch and very tasty. The service was nice, as they offered water refills right away and took away used dishes quick. The server even told us to grab a take out menu because it features more coupons. How cool is that? No real complaints here as we will return in the future (and more frequently).
(4)
Renato P.
This place has a decent looking dining room , good sized. We ordered lunch , decent selection , decent prices. The minestrone soup was pretty good , the wife got the asparagus soup , she liked it.The Calamari was crispy and delicious , it came with cocktail sauce , which I wasn't expecting , not a big fan of calamari with cocktail sauce.It was so good I ate it plain. Got the boneless buffalo chicken wings , not great , I prefer them with the bones. My son got the pizza , ate it all , I didn't get to try any. I ordered the chicken vesuvio, it was a boneless breast (I prefer the bone in and the skin on for vesuvio) , it was decent, I liked it. The potatos weren't crisp enough, not soggy though , just not crisp enough. I will try to hit this place up again when I'm in the area.
(4)
Happiness L.
This place is just ok. The service and staff are friendly and the place is clean. The food is just so so. Had soup, chicken/sausage cacciatore, and tiramisu that needed a flavor enhancement. If I go again I will try the pizza.
(3)
Bens M.
Just ordered pizza from here and both of them were under cooked. Horrible! You'd expect such a big place to put some quality into making a pizza. Never again. Waste of money.
(1)
Scott D.
I remember eating at Riccardo's Restaurant about 10 years ago. After eating their Shrimp, Linguini & Broccoli dish this past week, I realized why I haven't been back in about 10 years. This dish was swimming in a greasy "sauce". Maybe it was too much olive oil or butter. I don't know what it was. And I was too afraid to figure it out (you can only do so much in the name of Yelp). The shrimp tasted okay. And that was the only item I eat. The rest of the dish which consisted of broccoli and linguini noodles did not taste good in my opinon.
(1)
Lauren H.
The best things about this place are the garlic rolls and salad with dressing, which are FREE with your meal. That should say it all right there. Every time I have come here each person in our party is disappointed with their meal. Mostly the sauces. They have no flavor. Ravioli, bow tie chicken alfredo, meatballs, lasagna, chicken and broccoli, chicken marsala, etc. everything we've ever tried there is just lacking any taste. Unfortunately the salad and bread is loved by my niece so she always picks it when we let her choose where to go for dinner, the adults have to suffer through a meal of slow, mediocre service and no flavor. We keep trying to give it a chance but it's not just not making the cut.
(1)
Sonny P.
I can only review on the pizzas and service. You are given garlic rolls upon being seated. Marinara sauce is extra, by the way. We ordered 2 large pizzas and found the pizzas to taste good. We had no issues with service either. I don't know why there are so many bad reviews but I would go back for their pizzas.
(4)
Bob J.
This place is awesome! We get their coupon in the mail weekly. The pizza is great! All the Italian entrees we've ordered were off the charts. This place has the recipes tuned up. Now combine that with 2 for 1 dinners or an XL pizza w/2 topping for $13 out the door. We can't help but to love this place... discounts or not. Nice ambiance, good service. They get a 5 star because they are great and the competition can't match the value or quality here.
(5)
Gerry X.
No slices but they make personal pizzas. Service was professional and friendly. I liked the decor (like my mom and dads sans the plastic covered upholstery.) Gift certificates available. Met the owners wife...whom I mentioned to that the service inside was awesome....it was a relaxing late lunch. I liked it.
(5)
Adam D.
I was torn between three and four stars, but it feels more like a four to me. First, the pizza. It's delicious. We went with a plain, cheese pie, which was excellent. I'm a little picky about my pizza. Not overly so, but ingredient proportion is something that I notice. Too much / too little sauce, cheese, toppings, or seasoning can ruin a pizza in a hurry. Riccardo's has the perfect amount of each. They also nailed the crust, which I think is the most crucial part of the pie. The bar isn't the rowdiest place around, but it's still a good time. And they have Peroni! A few Peronis after knocking down a pizza was the perfect way to cap our evening.
(4)
Susan G.
Not the best experience. We went for Sunday . We ordered lasagna, salmon dish and their Sunday Prime rib specialty. The prime rib was cooked well done. We asked for medium tare. The server apologized and had another plate made. The 2nd plate was not edible. Meat had crispy edges and was again was over cooked and not edible. My salmon was over cooked as well.. the ricotta in lasagna was rock hard. There are sooooo many exceptional restaurants in Schaumburg. Riccardos will not survive if they font improve chef service
(1)
Joan H.
went there for dinner tonight. They have a large party going on tonight so we sat for almost 15 minutes without seeing a glass of water or a waitperson. we left and went elsewhere to eat. Guess they can't take care of regular customers when they have more important business.
(2)
Katie S.
I really really wanted to like this place. I placed a pick up order for chick parm dinner and spaghetti with meatballs. The total was almost $25 which I thought was a lot. I went inside to pick it up and the environment was very pleasant as well as the employees. We got the food home and ick. The spaghetti was just gross. The sauce was really horrible. I ate a few bites of the spaghetti, ate the mediocre meatballs and threw the rest away. The chicken parm was ate but not in happiness. I would like to try something else from here but I am not sure its worth it since there are so many other Italian places around.
(2)
Taylor M.
Riccardo's is a very homey restaurant. It is a no frills restaurant with huge portions and friendly staff. Exactly what you would expect from a family owned Italian restaurant. Two for $30 menu is a great deal! Appetizer, soup/salad, two entrees and two drinks or desserts! Once I saw this, I knew we would be doing the special. For my entree I ordered the lobster ravioli which was rich and filling, just what I was looking for! I would suggest getting the soup because the house salad is just bagged iceberg lettuce. Nothing too exciting. I have also had the cheese pizza which is good but nothing exciting.
(3)
Gina C.
My husband and I have been regular diners at Riccardo's for 20 years and can honestly say neither one of us have ever had a bad meal. We usually have our Sunday meal there. The menu is extensive, the prices very fair and the portion sizes large. We always take home half our meal to eat another day. Katie and Waldo are the owners and are exceptional hosts. Both have made it a point to check on our dining experience and meals and always make us feel welcome. Their staff is friendly, fun, smart and courteous. You just can't ask any more from a good neighborhood restaurant.
(5)
Kevin W.
First I would like to say is that I order pizza (thin crust) here all the time and it beats a lot of other places. Pizza is ready fast and hot and it is so easy to pick up. I always remember to grab some of their garlic rolls too, you can never go wrong with those. If you are ever in the area stop in to give this place a try. Oh they also have a bar, which is nice while waiting for your food. Whenever I'm not getting pizza from here I get the Italian style dishes!
(5)
Victoria C.
Wonderfully friendly dining experience. Really good Italian food and awesome desserts. A great place to bring the family.
(4)
H R.
Why two yelp profiles?! My husband picked up the food. He brought it home and It smelled fabulous. It looked super weird. The pasta with Alfredo sause was gross. It has a distinct bad flavor to it. Very much like card board? Even a simple cheese ravioli was seriously disappointing. Baked clams were no good. The best part was the minestrone soup. :( I can get the same from a can though. Nothing tasted home made or from scratch. And oddly most of it was laced with that odd flavor of card board or some thing. I wish I could my finger on exactly what the taste was. Maybe just old frozen food flavor. Like it sat in a box in a freezer a little too long? Believe it or not, this is coming from a traditional italian, but Olive garden is actually better. :( yipes!
(2)
Kathy D.
Great food !! I agree- last night our server (Carolina) was terrific. As busy as it was, she was quick to refill my coffee and checked on us often Will be back soon.
(5)
Cheryl B.
I want to start by saying Carolina (like the state) was the best server I've had. She was courteous and attentive. The food is great. Pizza is good. Salad dressing is good. Garlic bread yummmmmm. Pasta trilogy is good. Nothing to complain about.
(5)
Barbara P.
My husband and I love this gem of a place, the food is great and the staff exceptional, Joanne treats you like family, her service and her attentiveness to every dining detail makes it a great place to dine. The portions are huge and we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. I suggest getting the salad to share with your meal. the dressing is out of this world!, not to mention the garlic rolls, YUM. We love mushrooms and the mushroom soup is THE BEST we ever had. Its clean, friendly and overall just a great place to eat and share some family time together, Great wine list also. :-) Enjoy
(5)
Dan D.
Stopped in for a weeknight dinner. Looked completely different inside than I imagined (in a good way). Nice friendly service. We decided to go with the two-for-$30 menu. A lot of the entrees seemed to have cream sauces, and the pasta fagioli appeared to be cream based, as well. We tried the bruschetta for the appetizer, which was good, but we both thought it could have used a little more pepper. My wife went with the spaghetti and sausage with marinara. The sausage was very good, but she found the marinara a little bland (although she likes her some garlic). My lobster ravioli was OK, but I couldn't really find very much lobster flavor, and again, the tomato cream sauce, which was good, could have used a little more punch. One issue: we were given the two-for-$30 menu, and were fine with that. At least, we were until another couple came in, about the time we were finishing, and asked for the suburban restaurant week menu, which we weren't aware Riccardo's was participating in, and would have been nice to have known. On the whole, a positive experience. We'll probably go back if we're looking for Italian food, and sample something off of the regular menu.
(3)
Dan B.
Great food. Affordable. Pizza is highly recommended
(4)
Katy P.
My boyfriend and I wanted pizzas after we got back home from my first marathon downtown. We ordered the Riccardo's Special and Vegetarian specialty pizzas with a "BOGO" pizza coupon up to a $12 value. I wasn't sure if I was just so happy to have pizza in my mouth after running 26 miles, but we were both happy with the quality of the pizza. Thin crust, cheese browned and a little crispy, fair amount of toppings. We'd go there again next time we want to go pick up a pizza.
(5)
Mary R.
Dinner here was wonderful. The appetizers were fresh and plentiful, in fact, all of the portion sizes were generous. I had the Parmesian Crusted Tilapia and my husband had the Pollo Alla Diablo. Both were delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive, drink refills were quickly brought without having to request them. The restaurant was clean and orderly. This is a gem of a restaurant and the owner walked around greeting the tables, some by name. I will definitely be back again.
(5)
Sandra B.
HORRIBLE! WENT THERE for a baby's baptism party. The older waitress was rude - almost bit my head off when we asked for coffee. One older woman asked for decaf - she brought her the decaf, then later poured regular coffee in her cup when asked for a refil. We told her - no, she needs decaf. She said it's fine and left the table. Never asked if we all wanted more coffee - we ended up asking someone else who apologized. Guests who came late we given leftover food from other tables - even a piece of chicken that was cut in half. That leftever food was cold too. What? I truly wished I was a food inspector. Yes, okay-it was crowded and busy with parties, but hey! Never going there again. That woman should lose her job! Patrons were unable to even get to the bathrooms, it was so crowded. Food was awful-dirty dishes never removed-terrible service! I'd be embarrassed if I was hosting the party! The place should have closed their doors that evening! I hope the host got a deal on the terrible food, and awful service! Serving leftovers from another table to late guests?
(1)
Tom S.
We were there last night after not having been there in, probably, 10 years. I'm in my early 50's and I think my wife and I were the youngest patrons there. I have nothing against an older crowd but I think that clientele has an effect on the food. I had the stuffed pork chops and they were incredibly plain. Very little flavor.The side of pasta came with a spice-less marinara sauce. The only reason we went there was because it was on the way to another destination which we missed because the service was so slow. It was a lesson learned. We will not be going back.
(1)
Robin Z.
this place has been total CRAP for the past 5 yrs or so....the creamed soups that are RUNNY...ya they are OLD ....the sauces that are so greasy and bland ...yup old reheated CRAP...old tomato's...stale bread....most things are made ahead and just MICROWAVED....really go across the street to jewel...buy a frozen dinner....go to the bread OUTLET store.....bring it home.....RICCARDO'S TO GO...at an 1/8 of the cost
(1)
Joe J.
For some reason this awful excuse for an Italian restaurant has two different tabs on yelp. I won't let you get away so easily. I will make this short and sweet (actually not so sweet). This restaurant is terrible. The food is not homemade. The pizza dough is pre-frozen. Worst of all, the prices are outrageously high. Do not eat here. Do not even look at this restaurant as you drive by unless you plan on vomiting in your mouth.
(1)
Jen P.
I was just in Italy before I came to eat here, and I am Italian myself, so I know how Italian food is supposed to taste. This restaurant's food is not that great. In Italy I had an amazing dish of cannelloni, so I thought I would order it here to see how it tastes. It was nothing compared to what I had before. The filling of the cannelloni tasted terrible and there was barely any flavor. I don't think I will be back here again.
(1)
Kassie S.
Don't waist your time or money. Food is bad. .The lasagna was still frozen, the pasta wasn't cooked enough. I give it 0 stars... was the first time there... should of read the yelp reviews first.. my mistake....
(1)
B F.
Never again. We've eaten here plenty of times, although not the best we usually had something edible. But after this last time we went, we will NOT be back. It was just my son and I on a weeknight. There were a fair amount of patrons, but the service was decent. We ordered bruschetta....the tomatoes were mushy, the edges of the bread were burnt to a crisp and the middle of the bread was mush. Not off to a good start. My son had cream of chicken soup and I had a salad. The salad was a salad, nothing exciting one way or the other. But my son's soup was horrible. It looked and tasted like they had watered down the soup. Even after dumping excessive amounts of salt and pepper in the soup it was still inedible. Next come the entrees....I had pasta with a mix of pesto and alfredo sauce (waitress' suggestion when I was debating which one I wanted. It sounded like a good idea) and my son had some sort of chicken dish. I truly think my pasta, or at least the sauce, were microwaved because there were some really bad hot spots. My son's chicken dish had a tomato sauce that had no flavor and was really runny. Both of us tried to improve the flavor with parmesan, salt and pepper to no avail. I finally asked the waitress if they had a new chef since everything was so disappointing and different than we've had in the past. She sent the owner over and it was at that point that I was expecting to see Gordon Ramsay's camera crew since this interaction was something you'd see on Kitchen Nightmares. She comes over and questions what was wrong. I told her while it wasn't exactly terrible it was off from what we expected from them. I explained everything like I've written above and received replies such as: 'I had the bruschetta today, it was fine' 'All these people are eating the soup, no one else is complaining' 'These are the same recipes we've always used and no one complains' 'We won't be changing anything because you aren't happy' She did comp our entire check, but there is no way we'll ever go back there.
(1)
D M.
Food should not be scary. The food at this place is plenty scary. They think food swimming in grease makes it taste good. They don't know what they're doing. Oh and the decor. It's a shame because in years past it was so, so good and a place we really looked forward to.
(1)
Dee M.
The first night I moved to the area I was tired and hungry. My boyfriends parents took us to the nearest Italian restaurant to eat some delicious food. We all were sad when we left. This place is seriously some of the worst italian food I have ever eaten. The cheese was of bad quality, the pizza was clearly pre frozen, the sauce was watery, and the bread had a dot of garlic butter on it. The eggplant rolls had the thinnest slices of eggplant on it, it should have been named "bad mozzarella and no flavor ricotta rolls". Everything was not homemade. The cannoli was hard as a rock with chunky unsweet filling. The servers look like they never wash their clothes or they haven't received a new one in one thousand years. We asked for a manager to clear up why everything was taking so freaking long/why everything was cold but they sent over a server that had tables on the other side of the restaurant. The staff is nice and should run far far away. I really wish I never went here because I can never take those awful memories back and can never pop my Schaumburg eatery cherry ever again. P.s. A word of advice to the restaurant...your clearly fake reviews are not helping.
(1)
Amanda S.
This is really terrible. I mean, I feel awful for posting a bad review but I have to be honest and face the facts. Riccardo's will always have a special place in my heart-- I remember eating here for my cousin's rehearsal dinner when I was 9 years old..over the years, my family celebrated several events at this establishment, most of which were in my younger years. I remember that I always liked the food, but no details specifically. I returned two weeks ago, for yet another baby shower and was baffled by the experience. The service was decent, a bit spotty especially considering it was a relatively small party but overall I can't complain. The waiter was polite and attentive with respect to refilling coffee and water. The decor: heinous. The bathroom needs an update like nobody's business. It's like the same color as a grape Now N Later and just seemed sort of dirty in a way that it couldn't be cleaned. Not because they don't clean it, but because it's old and just run down. The dining room itself was bizarre. It seemed as if there was residual Christmas decorations/angels scattered all over but I guess that is actually the look they're going for. Very tacky. Now the worst part: the food. I honestly could care less about the atmosphere of a place (so long as it's not filthy) if the food is where it's at!! I was so disappointed. The salad was okay, less the enormous chunks of iceberg lettuce and nasty olives. I love black olives (and green) but these just had a weird taste and it sort of ruined the salad. The rolls, well those were good, some of the best I've had at any restaurant. The pasta was awful. Not even comparable to making some with a jar of sauce at home. It was incredibly bland and tasted basically like tomato paste over overcooked penne. MEH. I was very disappointed with my experience this time. Maybe I'll be back for another family function but I most likely will not return by my own volition. I will say that they've been in business for over 20 years so they must be doing something right...I just had a hard time seeing anything positive on this visit, despite the sentimental value this establishment carries for me.
(2)
Michelle F.
First of all, THANK YOU to Riccardo's for supporting my daughter's school for this fundraiser--every penny counts!! They also provide them with hot lunch a couple Fridays out of the month. My daughter always loves "Riccardo Days". So I have been here once or twice before tonight, and it has always been a pleasant experience. My group of eight of us (5 adults and 2 kids) came here tonight for the fundraiser, and we had a fabulous meal. First of all, as their rolls, it's really amazing garlic bread. These are SO good. The kids ate them all up--well, they ate what the adults couldn't steal back from them! What a nice touch! The appetizers we ordered, the bruchetta and the spinach rolls, were decent. The bruchetta was definitely better than the rolls. It was slightly odd, but we wanted to try it because it sounded different! But for our meals I got the lemon chicken, my husband ordered the spinach and peppers, and the others got some shrimp/scallop noodle dish. I loved mine--the lemon sauce and mushrooms were really good. The sausage in my husband's dish was great, too. The shrimp dishes were slightly spicy, but I heard no complaints from the others! Each meal comes with either soup or salad. I got the salad, and my husband ordered the minestrone soup. He was disappointed in it, though, because he said it came with exactly ONE noodle. Sad! Overall it was a great meal, and I know I will be back!
(4)
Matt M.
I have to disclose bias. I had a roommate and dear friend that worked here for quite sometime. That being said, the pizza is ridiculously awesome for the thin crust. While there, my roommate invented "the amazing" and off-menu pizza that I suggest you order. Its like have a pizza and a spicy italian beef at the same time. You will also find an adequate supply of regulars at the bar if you are interested in rubbing elbows with central Schaumburgs townies.
(4)
Mary B.
How have I not reviewed this place yet?! Well here it goes. My family has been going there since I was a wee lass. No really, for probably the last 25 years we've been going there. I can still remember my mom and dad coming in from their date nights and kissing me goodnight and them reeeeeeking of cigarette smoke and food... oh nostalgia... The restaurant has been good to us... and we to them! We've always been pleased with the service and food. I can't even remember having a bad night there in all our years going. The food has always been exceptional. I usually stick with the traditional chicken marsala or some sort of pasta. Recently, I finally branched out and had their veal marsala (after years and years of my Dad only ordering that, I decided to take the plunge). And boy was that good. It's your typical Italian food but they also have a great house salad and of course, pizza! As far as service, I've never had a bad experience. Servers, bartenders, owner. Everyone has been great. Katie, the owner, is amazing. Our family's foundation held a meeting here about 6 years ago and she couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating to our requests. It's a cozy place with a nice atmosphere. They play sweet jazz music too (Sinatra, Martin, etc... which is what I love). From a family who has been going there for the last 25 years, we all recommend YOU going! Oh and my Dad recommends the veal marsala...
(5)
Delores B.
This restaurant is fabulous! Our favorite waitress is JoAnn. She is a real gem! Her service is out of this world and we always look forward to coming in and spending some time with here. We love the special, 2 for $30 menu. You share an appetizer (large portion!), get a nice boozy drink or dessert, choose from a myriad of delicious entrees, delicious salad and garlic rolls. Phew! Terrific. Every entree we have tried so far is delicious. Chicken Picatta is one of our favorites. The owner is also a very nice woman who makes our meal time very special. If I lived in Schaumburg, I would eat here every week.
(5)
Ericka L.
I told him no. I told him NO, but he wanted to eat carryout from here anyway. This has got to be the worse Italian food I have ever tasted and for a restaurant to be solely dedicated to what can be absolutely delicious cuisine, I found this highly disappointing. I had the cannelloni and it was so bland that I didn't even want to attempt to waste my time seasoning it myself. That's what I paid THEM to do. My guy had the shrimp Alfredo and the Alfredo sauce looked like water. Runny and again, bland. The inside of the restaurant can only be described as 'unclean' and 'cluttered' and we will not be returning. FAIL
(1)
Sue W.
Terrible food... the worst lasagna I've ever had. The ricotta was grey and crumbly, the sauce was dark and looked old. I've been here a couple of times and every time I leave I say I'll never go back. Not to mention the decor is old and very strange... weird statues and they still have some Christmas decorations around. Please don't waste your money. I really don't know how they have stayed in business so long.
(1)
Chris H.
We got our drinks quickly, but then it took an hour to get our food. And we were there for lunch! We ordered pasta, not anything that should have taken that long. Only come if you've got a few hours to spare..
(1)
Leslie D.
We love this pizza. We have been searching for a good take out pizza, and recently gave this a try. It's really so tasty! The crust is so thin and crisp, even the center pieces. The price is great with a coupon. We have been getting this pizza about once a week now that we tasted it. Good sauce, good flavor and quick for pick up. .
(5)
Carla P.
The pizza is fantastic, just the way I like it. Crispy crust but still chewy, fresh-tasting ingredients, not over cooked. I only dined in there one time and I wasn't that impressed with the meal, so I'll just give them an OK for now. If I eat in there again and change my mind I'll update the rating. The staff were very nice and the parking is ample.
(3)
John L.
I believe this so called Italian restaurant is the worst of it's kind. Quite simply, the food was very bland. We had carryout and 4 of 5 items were tasteless. The ricotta didn't seem to be seasoned at all and I didn't care for the garlic rolls which was just this soft white bread with oil.The chicken pasta was dry and tasteless. The meatballs was kind of OK but seemed to be made up of mostly filler. Please....Fogettaboutit.
(2)
Ken J.
We have eaten at Riccardo's several times over the years. We went there Sept 4, 2010 for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious. The menu has a wide variety of Italian entrees. We have tried many of them and have yet to be disappointed. The decor inside has been gradually enhanced - the owners have not forgotten to put some money back into the facilities. The service has always been prompt and friendly. I know my 11 year old son enjoyed their pizza. This restaurant is a great value. The owners have always been there when we have dined in. Their attention to quality shows. We pass up many restaurants between our house and Riccardo's, and will continue to do so.
(4)
Adele S.
This restaurant is located in a strip mall. the pizzaria is on the south end of the building, next to the bar. The fancier restaurant is on the north end. Food is pretty good, haven't had any problem with service. They do the family style salad w/ italian dressing and the bread sticks, like Olive Garden. I had a great pasta dish once, a special, not on the regular menu...tortellini with spinach and ricotta...nice and garlicky. Chicken marsala was very good. My husband loved the lasagna. Pizza looked great but we haven't tried it yet. We have been here many times, it's a little far but worth the drive.
(4)
Adam D.
I was torn between three and four stars, but it feels more like a four to me. First, the pizza. It's delicious. We went with a plain, cheese pie, which was excellent. I'm a little picky about my pizza. Not overly so, but ingredient proportion is something that I notice. Too much / too little sauce, cheese, toppings, or seasoning can ruin a pizza in a hurry. Riccardo's has the perfect amount of each. They also nailed the crust, which I think is the most crucial part of the pie. The bar isn't the rowdiest place around, but it's still a good time. And they have Peroni! A few Peronis after knocking down a pizza was the perfect way to cap our evening.
(4)
Susan G.
Not the best experience. We went for Sunday . We ordered lasagna, salmon dish and their Sunday Prime rib specialty. The prime rib was cooked well done. We asked for medium tare. The server apologized and had another plate made. The 2nd plate was not edible. Meat had crispy edges and was again was over cooked and not edible. My salmon was over cooked as well.. the ricotta in lasagna was rock hard. There are sooooo many exceptional restaurants in Schaumburg. Riccardos will not survive if they font improve chef service
(1)
Joan H.
went there for dinner tonight. They have a large party going on tonight so we sat for almost 15 minutes without seeing a glass of water or a waitperson. we left and went elsewhere to eat. Guess they can't take care of regular customers when they have more important business.
(2)
Katie S.
I really really wanted to like this place. I placed a pick up order for chick parm dinner and spaghetti with meatballs. The total was almost $25 which I thought was a lot. I went inside to pick it up and the environment was very pleasant as well as the employees. We got the food home and ick. The spaghetti was just gross. The sauce was really horrible. I ate a few bites of the spaghetti, ate the mediocre meatballs and threw the rest away. The chicken parm was ate but not in happiness. I would like to try something else from here but I am not sure its worth it since there are so many other Italian places around.
(2)
Taylor M.
Riccardo's is a very homey restaurant. It is a no frills restaurant with huge portions and friendly staff. Exactly what you would expect from a family owned Italian restaurant. Two for $30 menu is a great deal! Appetizer, soup/salad, two entrees and two drinks or desserts! Once I saw this, I knew we would be doing the special. For my entree I ordered the lobster ravioli which was rich and filling, just what I was looking for! I would suggest getting the soup because the house salad is just bagged iceberg lettuce. Nothing too exciting. I have also had the cheese pizza which is good but nothing exciting.
(3)
Gina C.
My husband and I have been regular diners at Riccardo's for 20 years and can honestly say neither one of us have ever had a bad meal. We usually have our Sunday meal there. The menu is extensive, the prices very fair and the portion sizes large. We always take home half our meal to eat another day. Katie and Waldo are the owners and are exceptional hosts. Both have made it a point to check on our dining experience and meals and always make us feel welcome. Their staff is friendly, fun, smart and courteous. You just can't ask any more from a good neighborhood restaurant.
(5)
Kevin W.
First I would like to say is that I order pizza (thin crust) here all the time and it beats a lot of other places. Pizza is ready fast and hot and it is so easy to pick up. I always remember to grab some of their garlic rolls too, you can never go wrong with those. If you are ever in the area stop in to give this place a try. Oh they also have a bar, which is nice while waiting for your food. Whenever I'm not getting pizza from here I get the Italian style dishes!
(5)
Victoria C.
Wonderfully friendly dining experience. Really good Italian food and awesome desserts. A great place to bring the family.
(4)
H R.
Why two yelp profiles?! My husband picked up the food. He brought it home and It smelled fabulous. It looked super weird. The pasta with Alfredo sause was gross. It has a distinct bad flavor to it. Very much like card board? Even a simple cheese ravioli was seriously disappointing. Baked clams were no good. The best part was the minestrone soup. :( I can get the same from a can though. Nothing tasted home made or from scratch. And oddly most of it was laced with that odd flavor of card board or some thing. I wish I could my finger on exactly what the taste was. Maybe just old frozen food flavor. Like it sat in a box in a freezer a little too long? Believe it or not, this is coming from a traditional italian, but Olive garden is actually better. :( yipes!
(2)
Kathy D.
Great food !! I agree- last night our server (Carolina) was terrific. As busy as it was, she was quick to refill my coffee and checked on us often Will be back soon.
(5)
Cheryl B.
I want to start by saying Carolina (like the state) was the best server I've had. She was courteous and attentive. The food is great. Pizza is good. Salad dressing is good. Garlic bread yummmmmm. Pasta trilogy is good. Nothing to complain about.
(5)
Bens M.
Just ordered pizza from here and both of them were under cooked. Horrible! You'd expect such a big place to put some quality into making a pizza. Never again. Waste of money.
(1)
Scott D.
I remember eating at Riccardo's Restaurant about 10 years ago. After eating their Shrimp, Linguini & Broccoli dish this past week, I realized why I haven't been back in about 10 years. This dish was swimming in a greasy "sauce". Maybe it was too much olive oil or butter. I don't know what it was. And I was too afraid to figure it out (you can only do so much in the name of Yelp). The shrimp tasted okay. And that was the only item I eat. The rest of the dish which consisted of broccoli and linguini noodles did not taste good in my opinon.
(1)
Lauren H.
The best things about this place are the garlic rolls and salad with dressing, which are FREE with your meal. That should say it all right there. Every time I have come here each person in our party is disappointed with their meal. Mostly the sauces. They have no flavor. Ravioli, bow tie chicken alfredo, meatballs, lasagna, chicken and broccoli, chicken marsala, etc. everything we've ever tried there is just lacking any taste. Unfortunately the salad and bread is loved by my niece so she always picks it when we let her choose where to go for dinner, the adults have to suffer through a meal of slow, mediocre service and no flavor. We keep trying to give it a chance but it's not just not making the cut.
(1)
Sonny P.
I can only review on the pizzas and service. You are given garlic rolls upon being seated. Marinara sauce is extra, by the way. We ordered 2 large pizzas and found the pizzas to taste good. We had no issues with service either. I don't know why there are so many bad reviews but I would go back for their pizzas.
(4)
Bob J.
This place is awesome! We get their coupon in the mail weekly. The pizza is great! All the Italian entrees we've ordered were off the charts. This place has the recipes tuned up. Now combine that with 2 for 1 dinners or an XL pizza w/2 topping for $13 out the door. We can't help but to love this place... discounts or not. Nice ambiance, good service. They get a 5 star because they are great and the competition can't match the value or quality here.
(5)
Gerry X.
No slices but they make personal pizzas. Service was professional and friendly. I liked the decor (like my mom and dads sans the plastic covered upholstery.) Gift certificates available. Met the owners wife...whom I mentioned to that the service inside was awesome....it was a relaxing late lunch. I liked it.
(5)
Barbara P.
My husband and I love this gem of a place, the food is great and the staff exceptional, Joanne treats you like family, her service and her attentiveness to every dining detail makes it a great place to dine. The portions are huge and we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. I suggest getting the salad to share with your meal. the dressing is out of this world!, not to mention the garlic rolls, YUM. We love mushrooms and the mushroom soup is THE BEST we ever had. Its clean, friendly and overall just a great place to eat and share some family time together, Great wine list also. :-) Enjoy
(5)
Dan D.
Stopped in for a weeknight dinner. Looked completely different inside than I imagined (in a good way). Nice friendly service. We decided to go with the two-for-$30 menu. A lot of the entrees seemed to have cream sauces, and the pasta fagioli appeared to be cream based, as well. We tried the bruschetta for the appetizer, which was good, but we both thought it could have used a little more pepper. My wife went with the spaghetti and sausage with marinara. The sausage was very good, but she found the marinara a little bland (although she likes her some garlic). My lobster ravioli was OK, but I couldn't really find very much lobster flavor, and again, the tomato cream sauce, which was good, could have used a little more punch. One issue: we were given the two-for-$30 menu, and were fine with that. At least, we were until another couple came in, about the time we were finishing, and asked for the suburban restaurant week menu, which we weren't aware Riccardo's was participating in, and would have been nice to have known. On the whole, a positive experience. We'll probably go back if we're looking for Italian food, and sample something off of the regular menu.
(3)
Dan B.
Great food. Affordable. Pizza is highly recommended
(4)
Katy P.
My boyfriend and I wanted pizzas after we got back home from my first marathon downtown. We ordered the Riccardo's Special and Vegetarian specialty pizzas with a "BOGO" pizza coupon up to a $12 value. I wasn't sure if I was just so happy to have pizza in my mouth after running 26 miles, but we were both happy with the quality of the pizza. Thin crust, cheese browned and a little crispy, fair amount of toppings. We'd go there again next time we want to go pick up a pizza.
(5)
Mary R.
Dinner here was wonderful. The appetizers were fresh and plentiful, in fact, all of the portion sizes were generous. I had the Parmesian Crusted Tilapia and my husband had the Pollo Alla Diablo. Both were delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive, drink refills were quickly brought without having to request them. The restaurant was clean and orderly. This is a gem of a restaurant and the owner walked around greeting the tables, some by name. I will definitely be back again.
(5)
Sandra B.
HORRIBLE! WENT THERE for a baby's baptism party. The older waitress was rude - almost bit my head off when we asked for coffee. One older woman asked for decaf - she brought her the decaf, then later poured regular coffee in her cup when asked for a refil. We told her - no, she needs decaf. She said it's fine and left the table. Never asked if we all wanted more coffee - we ended up asking someone else who apologized. Guests who came late we given leftover food from other tables - even a piece of chicken that was cut in half. That leftever food was cold too. What? I truly wished I was a food inspector. Yes, okay-it was crowded and busy with parties, but hey! Never going there again. That woman should lose her job! Patrons were unable to even get to the bathrooms, it was so crowded. Food was awful-dirty dishes never removed-terrible service! I'd be embarrassed if I was hosting the party! The place should have closed their doors that evening! I hope the host got a deal on the terrible food, and awful service! Serving leftovers from another table to late guests?
(1)
Tom S.
We were there last night after not having been there in, probably, 10 years. I'm in my early 50's and I think my wife and I were the youngest patrons there. I have nothing against an older crowd but I think that clientele has an effect on the food. I had the stuffed pork chops and they were incredibly plain. Very little flavor.The side of pasta came with a spice-less marinara sauce. The only reason we went there was because it was on the way to another destination which we missed because the service was so slow. It was a lesson learned. We will not be going back.
(1)
Robin Z.
this place has been total CRAP for the past 5 yrs or so....the creamed soups that are RUNNY...ya they are OLD ....the sauces that are so greasy and bland ...yup old reheated CRAP...old tomato's...stale bread....most things are made ahead and just MICROWAVED....really go across the street to jewel...buy a frozen dinner....go to the bread OUTLET store.....bring it home.....RICCARDO'S TO GO...at an 1/8 of the cost
(1)
B F.
Never again. We've eaten here plenty of times, although not the best we usually had something edible. But after this last time we went, we will NOT be back. It was just my son and I on a weeknight. There were a fair amount of patrons, but the service was decent. We ordered bruschetta....the tomatoes were mushy, the edges of the bread were burnt to a crisp and the middle of the bread was mush. Not off to a good start. My son had cream of chicken soup and I had a salad. The salad was a salad, nothing exciting one way or the other. But my son's soup was horrible. It looked and tasted like they had watered down the soup. Even after dumping excessive amounts of salt and pepper in the soup it was still inedible. Next come the entrees....I had pasta with a mix of pesto and alfredo sauce (waitress' suggestion when I was debating which one I wanted. It sounded like a good idea) and my son had some sort of chicken dish. I truly think my pasta, or at least the sauce, were microwaved because there were some really bad hot spots. My son's chicken dish had a tomato sauce that had no flavor and was really runny. Both of us tried to improve the flavor with parmesan, salt and pepper to no avail. I finally asked the waitress if they had a new chef since everything was so disappointing and different than we've had in the past. She sent the owner over and it was at that point that I was expecting to see Gordon Ramsay's camera crew since this interaction was something you'd see on Kitchen Nightmares. She comes over and questions what was wrong. I told her while it wasn't exactly terrible it was off from what we expected from them. I explained everything like I've written above and received replies such as: 'I had the bruschetta today, it was fine' 'All these people are eating the soup, no one else is complaining' 'These are the same recipes we've always used and no one complains' 'We won't be changing anything because you aren't happy' She did comp our entire check, but there is no way we'll ever go back there.
(1)
D M.
Food should not be scary. The food at this place is plenty scary. They think food swimming in grease makes it taste good. They don't know what they're doing. Oh and the decor. It's a shame because in years past it was so, so good and a place we really looked forward to.
(1)
Dee M.
The first night I moved to the area I was tired and hungry. My boyfriends parents took us to the nearest Italian restaurant to eat some delicious food. We all were sad when we left. This place is seriously some of the worst italian food I have ever eaten. The cheese was of bad quality, the pizza was clearly pre frozen, the sauce was watery, and the bread had a dot of garlic butter on it. The eggplant rolls had the thinnest slices of eggplant on it, it should have been named "bad mozzarella and no flavor ricotta rolls". Everything was not homemade. The cannoli was hard as a rock with chunky unsweet filling. The servers look like they never wash their clothes or they haven't received a new one in one thousand years. We asked for a manager to clear up why everything was taking so freaking long/why everything was cold but they sent over a server that had tables on the other side of the restaurant. The staff is nice and should run far far away. I really wish I never went here because I can never take those awful memories back and can never pop my Schaumburg eatery cherry ever again. P.s. A word of advice to the restaurant...your clearly fake reviews are not helping.
(1)
Amanda S.
This is really terrible. I mean, I feel awful for posting a bad review but I have to be honest and face the facts. Riccardo's will always have a special place in my heart-- I remember eating here for my cousin's rehearsal dinner when I was 9 years old..over the years, my family celebrated several events at this establishment, most of which were in my younger years. I remember that I always liked the food, but no details specifically. I returned two weeks ago, for yet another baby shower and was baffled by the experience. The service was decent, a bit spotty especially considering it was a relatively small party but overall I can't complain. The waiter was polite and attentive with respect to refilling coffee and water. The decor: heinous. The bathroom needs an update like nobody's business. It's like the same color as a grape Now N Later and just seemed sort of dirty in a way that it couldn't be cleaned. Not because they don't clean it, but because it's old and just run down. The dining room itself was bizarre. It seemed as if there was residual Christmas decorations/angels scattered all over but I guess that is actually the look they're going for. Very tacky. Now the worst part: the food. I honestly could care less about the atmosphere of a place (so long as it's not filthy) if the food is where it's at!! I was so disappointed. The salad was okay, less the enormous chunks of iceberg lettuce and nasty olives. I love black olives (and green) but these just had a weird taste and it sort of ruined the salad. The rolls, well those were good, some of the best I've had at any restaurant. The pasta was awful. Not even comparable to making some with a jar of sauce at home. It was incredibly bland and tasted basically like tomato paste over overcooked penne. MEH. I was very disappointed with my experience this time. Maybe I'll be back for another family function but I most likely will not return by my own volition. I will say that they've been in business for over 20 years so they must be doing something right...I just had a hard time seeing anything positive on this visit, despite the sentimental value this establishment carries for me.
(2)
Michelle F.
First of all, THANK YOU to Riccardo's for supporting my daughter's school for this fundraiser--every penny counts!! They also provide them with hot lunch a couple Fridays out of the month. My daughter always loves "Riccardo Days". So I have been here once or twice before tonight, and it has always been a pleasant experience. My group of eight of us (5 adults and 2 kids) came here tonight for the fundraiser, and we had a fabulous meal. First of all, as their rolls, it's really amazing garlic bread. These are SO good. The kids ate them all up--well, they ate what the adults couldn't steal back from them! What a nice touch! The appetizers we ordered, the bruchetta and the spinach rolls, were decent. The bruchetta was definitely better than the rolls. It was slightly odd, but we wanted to try it because it sounded different! But for our meals I got the lemon chicken, my husband ordered the spinach and peppers, and the others got some shrimp/scallop noodle dish. I loved mine--the lemon sauce and mushrooms were really good. The sausage in my husband's dish was great, too. The shrimp dishes were slightly spicy, but I heard no complaints from the others! Each meal comes with either soup or salad. I got the salad, and my husband ordered the minestrone soup. He was disappointed in it, though, because he said it came with exactly ONE noodle. Sad! Overall it was a great meal, and I know I will be back!
(4)
Joe J.
For some reason this awful excuse for an Italian restaurant has two different tabs on yelp. I won't let you get away so easily. I will make this short and sweet (actually not so sweet). This restaurant is terrible. The food is not homemade. The pizza dough is pre-frozen. Worst of all, the prices are outrageously high. Do not eat here. Do not even look at this restaurant as you drive by unless you plan on vomiting in your mouth.
(1)
Jen P.
I was just in Italy before I came to eat here, and I am Italian myself, so I know how Italian food is supposed to taste. This restaurant's food is not that great. In Italy I had an amazing dish of cannelloni, so I thought I would order it here to see how it tastes. It was nothing compared to what I had before. The filling of the cannelloni tasted terrible and there was barely any flavor. I don't think I will be back here again.
(1)
Kassie S.
Don't waist your time or money. Food is bad. .The lasagna was still frozen, the pasta wasn't cooked enough. I give it 0 stars... was the first time there... should of read the yelp reviews first.. my mistake....
(1)
Matt M.
I have to disclose bias. I had a roommate and dear friend that worked here for quite sometime. That being said, the pizza is ridiculously awesome for the thin crust. While there, my roommate invented "the amazing" and off-menu pizza that I suggest you order. Its like have a pizza and a spicy italian beef at the same time. You will also find an adequate supply of regulars at the bar if you are interested in rubbing elbows with central Schaumburgs townies.
(4)
Mary B.
How have I not reviewed this place yet?! Well here it goes. My family has been going there since I was a wee lass. No really, for probably the last 25 years we've been going there. I can still remember my mom and dad coming in from their date nights and kissing me goodnight and them reeeeeeking of cigarette smoke and food... oh nostalgia... The restaurant has been good to us... and we to them! We've always been pleased with the service and food. I can't even remember having a bad night there in all our years going. The food has always been exceptional. I usually stick with the traditional chicken marsala or some sort of pasta. Recently, I finally branched out and had their veal marsala (after years and years of my Dad only ordering that, I decided to take the plunge). And boy was that good. It's your typical Italian food but they also have a great house salad and of course, pizza! As far as service, I've never had a bad experience. Servers, bartenders, owner. Everyone has been great. Katie, the owner, is amazing. Our family's foundation held a meeting here about 6 years ago and she couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating to our requests. It's a cozy place with a nice atmosphere. They play sweet jazz music too (Sinatra, Martin, etc... which is what I love). From a family who has been going there for the last 25 years, we all recommend YOU going! Oh and my Dad recommends the veal marsala...
(5)
Shirley T.
We ate in once years ago and the pasta was ok salad was good, garlic rolls really good did take out pizza and salad this week and the pizza was really good, not skimpy on the cheese, sauce was really good. salad and garlic rolls still good i plan to get pizza from here more often had the thin crust and the sauce was perfect - not too thick and not too spiced - perfect
(4)
Elly M.
Good place to eat. They have a lot of coupons and the food tastes good.
(5)
Carla P.
The pizza is fantastic, just the way I like it. Crispy crust but still chewy, fresh-tasting ingredients, not over cooked. I only dined in there one time and I wasn't that impressed with the meal, so I'll just give them an OK for now. If I eat in there again and change my mind I'll update the rating. The staff were very nice and the parking is ample.
(3)
Frank F.
Stopped by Riccardo's on a Sunday evening for something different. They were busy but not overly crowded. I was seated at a booth immediately adjacent to the hostess stand/door. After waiting 10 minutes and still not seeing a server or busboy stop by my table I got up and told the hostess I hadn't been waited on. Much to my surprise, rather than addressing me, she immediately walked to my empty table as though the answer as to why I hadn't been served could be found there. Not a word was said to me as I walked out the door, hungry and upset.
(1)
John L.
I believe this so called Italian restaurant is the worst of it's kind. Quite simply, the food was very bland. We had carryout and 4 of 5 items were tasteless. The ricotta didn't seem to be seasoned at all and I didn't care for the garlic rolls which was just this soft white bread with oil.The chicken pasta was dry and tasteless. The meatballs was kind of OK but seemed to be made up of mostly filler. Please....Fogettaboutit.
(2)
Maddy K.
Whenever we order pizza, this is where we get it from. The deep dish is fantastic. Lou Malnati's used to be my favorite until I had Riccardo's pizza. The food besides pizza is also good. The negatives are that it is a bit pricey and their "garlic bread" is just a roll with barely any butter. It's really dark inside too. Other than that, Riccardo's is great!
(4)
B H.
Nice place. Had their $10 coup for Ital or chicken dish, soup or salad, dessert. Had ckn vesuvio, very good. Good service. Nice atmosphere. Been there before, will go back.
(4)
Sue N.
Met a friend there for dinner last night. Had the fried veggie platter. Over priced with just a couple things on the plate. Thought half fell off or someone ate it on the way to the table. The fried veggies were very bland. Taste like deep fried flour. For dinner we had the pizza, also very bland. Crust tasted like day old dough. I don't think they use any seasoning in this place. I never use salt and I had to put some on to get a flavor going. Afterwords, servers hostess and the bus boy kept coming to the table wanting the bill paid. Was very rude and distracting. We weren't even sitting that long after eating. On the way out no one attempted to say good night goodbye or anything. Have no desire to come back and try again.
(1)
Damon L.
Two young adults setting up a table a few tables away dropped silverware on the floor, picked it up, wiped it off with their hands, placed it back on the table for the next customers. It's Christmas Eve so I'm not sure if these kids are regular employees or just helping out for the holidays. Food took forever. The pasta just tasted off. It was watery and missing some spices. The first basket of rolls weren't fresh. The second basket was very fresh and delicious (hence, the two star review). The waitress was very nice.
(2)
C H.
Okay you want Italian, good Italian, nice cozy, intimate and beautiful atmosphere, reasonably priced, nice people, excellent service and excellent food - Riccardo's is the place to go. It's in a little strip mall across from Jewels on the corner of Roselle and Irving Park Road. You can wear a nice pair of jeans and a nice shirt, feel like your right at home and again boy the food is out of this world. We always feel good when we go here. The people are as good as the food. The portions are huge. And the pizza, these folks make the best pizza anywhere around. We've gone to Riccardo's about five times and never had any complaints.
(5)
Jennifer S.
We eat at Riccardo's fairly often and we carried out pizza for the first time from here earlier this week. Overall, it's a fine meal. Nothing too fancy or special. But, they have an extensive menu and you can basically always find a coupon for buy one get one or something along those lines in the local publications. Pizza the other night was pretty good. The crust was crispy, the bacon was cooked just right and there wasn't too much sauce. It was my kind of pizza. When we dine in, I try to be adventurous, but as you may know, I am a creature of habit. I usually end up with the stuffed shrimp and pasta. My husband is not a big fan of seafood and make childish comments about what the dish looks like to him. (He thinks he's pretty funny...well, he is, but don't tell him that I said that!) I'm eating it, not photographing it, so what does it really matter? :-) Anyhow, we start with some delicious, warm bread rolls. Follow up with soup or salad. And, finish with our entrees. My hubby usually does try different things - Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Spicy Red Sauce (Arriabatta?) and pasta. My only complaint is that the service is hit or miss and they have run out of the special or the soup on more than one occasion.
(3)
Tiffany H.
We love Riccardo's. They are always warm and welcoming. It is such a very nice local restaurant. Arm and cozy and good food. We love their pizza especially, with giardinare and feta cheese. My husband also loves their chicken piccata and chicken Marsala!
(5)
Greg L.
Ok...we've been wanting to try this place for years and we finally did, and we will NOT go back. First I need to say that the decor was pleasing and that won't be the only nice thing I say but that will be later. We ordered Pizza for the kids, an individual for our youngest and a medium thin crust pepperoni and cheese for the two older. The dough tasted frozen or stale, there was one piece of pepperoni per slice of pizza, huh? The sauce was average but it was hot...I would never call that pizza good. My wife and I ordered off the menu, I had the gnocchi stuffed with asiago in red sauce...what I got looked like no gnocchi I have ever eaten, they looked more like mini ravioli, and if that was asiago cheese then it is the most boring asiago I have ever tasted. My wife ordered the chicken in cream sauce with linguine and mushrooms...well the linguine was cooked well over, the chicken tasted as if it had been microwaved. The cream sauce was good though once salt and parmesan cheese was added. The salad tasted fresh...fresh out of a bag. The soups were minestrone based and the oil and grease that stayed on top even after stirring in might well be the solution to our fuel issues..... The server reached through my wife on two different occasions to remove the oregano and cheese as well as plates from the table while we were still EATING! The best part of the meal were the garlic cheese rolls that were free and offered to us if we wanted more...we went through two baskets. Upon paying for the meal I was waiting to be asked how the meal was and it was almost as if they knew what I was going to say and dared not ask.... There are other issues but I will let the meal represent this review and make no further comments.
(1)
Zack G.
The pizza literally tastes like nothing....I've really never had pizza that tasted like nothing! It didn't taste bad, it was just bland at full force. It was so odd!!! Wouldn't recommend coming here even if it's only $10.
(2)
P M.
Manager was rude, complained to us about how we changed our order due to food allergies. Decor is awful and food quality poor. This restaurant really should close its doors so a real business can move in.
(1)
Jim R.
This place has to be the worst i have ever been to. The waitress was like mentally challenged. She actually wanted me to tell her what time she should bring out food. Then she told me that if the table next to me gets seated then she would be screwed. The place wasn't even that busy. The food taste like crap. i have been going to this place for years and i just made it my last time.
(1)
King K.
the $10 1 topping thin crust is the best value for pizza in the area. The Pizza is the best thin crust I've had in the area. Much better than Papa Saverios in the same complex. The interior seems nice- its a sit down resteraunt and the female owner can be a hag if you don't have the coupon for the $10 Pizza.
(4)
Johnny B.
Pass by this restaurant and decided to take my friend there on a Sat night. Was there many moons ago and remember the Lasagna as being very good. So I/we did not have Lasagna. Set it up for 7 and of course, she was late! Lots to talk about so we brushed off the waiter 2 or 3 times. Had a ice cold beverage and finally ordered. My friend ordered Chicken Primerva. I was intrigued by a special called Fiesta platter. Now I'm thinking, this is a Italian joint. A " Fiesta" platter? Well the waiter said "Excellent choice". That got the honey pissed!. It was a combo of Spinach filled ravioli, Pasta, and great tortelinni. Great sauce topping it all. Meatless too! A veggie in the making? NOT! Soup or salad comes with the entree. Pasta Fasoul! GREAT! Can't comment on the pizza, but there were 6 pick-ups in the 10 minutes I was waiting. They had a good crowd for the week after NYE. Would definitely return. Johnny Chitown
(4)
Kate J.
My husband and I finally went to Ricarrdo's last night after years of saying we were going to try it. We were very happy with the food and atmosphere. I had the baked most and asked for Ricotta cheese and they had no problem with the request. My husband had the meat ravioli and he loved it. He also had the mussels and thought they were great. He was not a big fan of the pasta fagiol but I thought the Minestrone was excellent Server was so so but the owner Katie made up for it. Very nice and welcoming. We will definately be going back!
(4)
Cheryl R.
Had the lasagna that was mostly ricotta cheese, dry & grainy. Cream of Broccoli soup was good. My husband's cannelloni was okay but he felt the marinara was good but not enough.
(2)
Stacey D.
I think this place is fair. 3 stars is more than I thought I'd rate. I used to really dislike this restaurant. I went to a party here, and the food was actually pretty good. (What the hostess orderd all kind of tasted the same, but I'm sure it's because she chose lasagna, baked mostaccioli, and pizza. All too similar.) Anyway -- the food was good. Salad was an iceberg lettuce in very large pieces (which is a pet peeve of mine), and had some sort of house italian. I didn't much care for it, tasted too packaged for me. My husband loves their pizza, I think it's just ok. Beer is good, service is good. Prices are fair. Not outstanding food, it's like a Greek restaurant (you know the one -- where you can get a turkey dinner, pancakes, or sundaes and a small glass of wine), but with Americanized Italian food.
(3)
David C.
I haven't been to Riccardo's in years. I used to go there when I was a kid and my parents would bring us for pizza. It's nice to see after all these years that this business is still serving the community and hasn't sold out to the national chains. The inside of the restaurant is still the same as I remember with the flying angel babies with pizza and beer mugs in their hands. The reason I returned to my childhood pizza place was because of a coupon we heard about online, offering a buy one entree, get one free good until Feb. 2012. So we found said coupon and headed out to Riccardo's. The menu items were priced well and they had awesome drink specials. (Sun - Mon $1.50 domestic drafts) We had the Bruschetta as an App. and put in our orders (Chicken Parm for me and my g/f had the Schrimp Scampi.) Everything came out quick and hot. Even the plates were hot to the touch and very tasty. The service was nice, as they offered water refills right away and took away used dishes quick. The server even told us to grab a take out menu because it features more coupons. How cool is that? No real complaints here as we will return in the future (and more frequently).
(4)
lee w.
YUCK !! Horrible..........This was the worst italian food I have ever eaten and I'm 50 years old, and the decore was almost as bad, it's more like a greek family restaurant. Nothing matches. I had the 4 cheese pasta and my girlfriend have the mushroom spinach ravioli. I was expecting something similar to the 5-cheese Ziti at Olive Garden. What I got was cooked pasta with a can of alfredo sauce poured over it. My pasta dish was so bad I had to actually send it back to the kitchen. I have never done that before in my life.. I felt so embarrassed asking our server to send it back to the kitchen. I had my girlfriend try my dish as well and she agreed it was the worst thing she ever had. The server knew it was bad because she offered a side of marinara sauce for free when I placed the order (to give it some taste). She know from experience this dish was nasty but told me "its pretty good" when I ordered it. Our server was nice and asked me if I wanted something else to eat instead. I said yes something simple please like spaghetti with meat sauce. There is no way they can screw that up right? Well I was wrong it was the worst meat sauce I have ever tasted. Literally out of a can. My girlfriend's ravioli was pretty bad as well. They brought a salad and bread before our meal which was nice but, the bread was just okay and the salad was terrible. Crappy lettuce and 2 tiny slices of tomato and italian dressing out of a bottle. This restaurant does not have a chef they have untrained cooks. The "cooks" have no culinary training whatsoever, especially in italian food. It's probably some high school kids or people who have never cooked back in the kitchen that make the food. It starts with the owner and manager. They are obviously clueless as to what italian food is, and it trickles down to the cooks they hire and their menu and their recipes. I would not eat there ever again even if it was free. I'm guessing this place is really a greek family thats trying to run an italian restaurant and suck at it. Stay far away from this place trust me it's the worst food you'll ever eat. I don't know how they have been in business so long (at least 10 years) it may be because of the pizza which they offer but I have never had and never will. YUCK !!!!
(1)
Julie P.
I am really shocked this place has so many positive reviews. I have been there twice (wanted to give it a second chance) and unfortunately will not be going back in the future. The first time I went, a girlfriend and I had lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The place was nearly empty so seating was quick. We each ordered wine and an entree. The wine was decent and very inexpensive, which is a plus. However, the food was greasy and not very flavorful. My friend didn't seem to mind it so I had a few glasses of wine and tried to chalk up the taste of my meal to the kitchen having a bad day. The second time I went, my husband and I had a coupon that was expiring for a buy-one-get-one-free meal and he wanted to check it out for himself so we went for dinner on a Friday evening. Again, the wine was good and cheap (big plus since we both love to drink wine with meals) but neither of us enjoyed our food. We started with mushroom caps for an appetizer. Then we each had a salad an an entree. Nothing was fresh; everything seemed like it had been frozen and just re-heated for us. The mushrooms were soggy and the pasta dish had a ton of grease. The food really was terrible, but both times we had EXCELLENT service. Maybe I am an Italian food snob, but I definitely would not recommend this place.
(1)
Renato P.
This place has a decent looking dining room , good sized. We ordered lunch , decent selection , decent prices. The minestrone soup was pretty good , the wife got the asparagus soup , she liked it.The Calamari was crispy and delicious , it came with cocktail sauce , which I wasn't expecting , not a big fan of calamari with cocktail sauce.It was so good I ate it plain. Got the boneless buffalo chicken wings , not great , I prefer them with the bones. My son got the pizza , ate it all , I didn't get to try any. I ordered the chicken vesuvio, it was a boneless breast (I prefer the bone in and the skin on for vesuvio) , it was decent, I liked it. The potatos weren't crisp enough, not soggy though , just not crisp enough. I will try to hit this place up again when I'm in the area.
(4)
Happiness L.
This place is just ok. The service and staff are friendly and the place is clean. The food is just so so. Had soup, chicken/sausage cacciatore, and tiramisu that needed a flavor enhancement. If I go again I will try the pizza.
(3)
Ken J.
We have eaten at Riccardo's several times over the years. We went there Sept 4, 2010 for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious. The menu has a wide variety of Italian entrees. We have tried many of them and have yet to be disappointed. The decor inside has been gradually enhanced - the owners have not forgotten to put some money back into the facilities. The service has always been prompt and friendly. I know my 11 year old son enjoyed their pizza. This restaurant is a great value. The owners have always been there when we have dined in. Their attention to quality shows. We pass up many restaurants between our house and Riccardo's, and will continue to do so.
(4)
Adele S.
This restaurant is located in a strip mall. the pizzaria is on the south end of the building, next to the bar. The fancier restaurant is on the north end. Food is pretty good, haven't had any problem with service. They do the family style salad w/ italian dressing and the bread sticks, like Olive Garden. I had a great pasta dish once, a special, not on the regular menu...tortellini with spinach and ricotta...nice and garlicky. Chicken marsala was very good. My husband loved the lasagna. Pizza looked great but we haven't tried it yet. We have been here many times, it's a little far but worth the drive.
(4)
Delores B.
This restaurant is fabulous! Our favorite waitress is JoAnn. She is a real gem! Her service is out of this world and we always look forward to coming in and spending some time with here. We love the special, 2 for $30 menu. You share an appetizer (large portion!), get a nice boozy drink or dessert, choose from a myriad of delicious entrees, delicious salad and garlic rolls. Phew! Terrific. Every entree we have tried so far is delicious. Chicken Picatta is one of our favorites. The owner is also a very nice woman who makes our meal time very special. If I lived in Schaumburg, I would eat here every week.
(5)
Ericka L.
I told him no. I told him NO, but he wanted to eat carryout from here anyway. This has got to be the worse Italian food I have ever tasted and for a restaurant to be solely dedicated to what can be absolutely delicious cuisine, I found this highly disappointing. I had the cannelloni and it was so bland that I didn't even want to attempt to waste my time seasoning it myself. That's what I paid THEM to do. My guy had the shrimp Alfredo and the Alfredo sauce looked like water. Runny and again, bland. The inside of the restaurant can only be described as 'unclean' and 'cluttered' and we will not be returning. FAIL
(1)
Sue W.
Terrible food... the worst lasagna I've ever had. The ricotta was grey and crumbly, the sauce was dark and looked old. I've been here a couple of times and every time I leave I say I'll never go back. Not to mention the decor is old and very strange... weird statues and they still have some Christmas decorations around. Please don't waste your money. I really don't know how they have stayed in business so long.
(1)
Chris H.
We got our drinks quickly, but then it took an hour to get our food. And we were there for lunch! We ordered pasta, not anything that should have taken that long. Only come if you've got a few hours to spare..
(1)
Leslie D.
We love this pizza. We have been searching for a good take out pizza, and recently gave this a try. It's really so tasty! The crust is so thin and crisp, even the center pieces. The price is great with a coupon. We have been getting this pizza about once a week now that we tasted it. Good sauce, good flavor and quick for pick up. .
(5)
Molly R.
Ever since Pizza Cottage in Roselle closed (wipes a tear), this has been the go-to pizza place for lots of people. I have been here quite a few times while in the 'burbs, and I have never been disappointed! First plus is that it never gets terribly crowded, and the staff is very friendly. The biggest draw, of course, is their pizza, especially their thin crust! It's delicious: just the right amount of sauce and cheese, and never, ever oily. Their garlic bread and calamari are also first rate. Their menu is pretty extensive as far as Italian delights, and if I weren't such a pizzavore I might actually try some. I also love their random Christmas decorations here and there in the dining room. Only adds to the charm!
(4)
Scott H.
I've held two party at Riccardo's and couldn't have been happier with the food and service. I had my son's baptism and my father's birthday. The service was great!! And the pizza and rolls....people are still talking about how good the pizza and rolls were!
(5)
Paul N.
This place is awful in so many areas: The seating (esp. the booths) are uncomfortable, the weekend staff reminds me of a "greasy spoon" instead of an actual restaurant, The food is so unbelievably bad; it would take real effort to screw up spaghetti that bad....ugh! In their defense, I guess the head chef is off-duty on weekends. So I guess what I am saying is avoid this place on weekends.
(1)
Caryn A.
Great food and novel specials are the norm - The owners are terrific and so friendly you fell like you are dining with your family - Katy always has my special talapia francheze ready for me even if it is not on the menu that day - we have had several family parties there and they always take excellent care of us -
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Elly M.
Good place to eat. They have a lot of coupons and the food tastes good.
(5)D M.
Food should not be scary. The food at this place is plenty scary. They think food swimming in grease makes it taste good. They don't know what they're doing. Oh and the decor. It's a shame because in years past it was so, so good and a place we really looked forward to.
(1)Dee M.
The first night I moved to the area I was tired and hungry. My boyfriends parents took us to the nearest Italian restaurant to eat some delicious food. We all were sad when we left. This place is seriously some of the worst italian food I have ever eaten. The cheese was of bad quality, the pizza was clearly pre frozen, the sauce was watery, and the bread had a dot of garlic butter on it. The eggplant rolls had the thinnest slices of eggplant on it, it should have been named "bad mozzarella and no flavor ricotta rolls". Everything was not homemade. The cannoli was hard as a rock with chunky unsweet filling. The servers look like they never wash their clothes or they haven't received a new one in one thousand years. We asked for a manager to clear up why everything was taking so freaking long/why everything was cold but they sent over a server that had tables on the other side of the restaurant. The staff is nice and should run far far away. I really wish I never went here because I can never take those awful memories back and can never pop my Schaumburg eatery cherry ever again. P.s. A word of advice to the restaurant...your clearly fake reviews are not helping.
(1)Amanda S.
This is really terrible. I mean, I feel awful for posting a bad review but I have to be honest and face the facts. Riccardo's will always have a special place in my heart-- I remember eating here for my cousin's rehearsal dinner when I was 9 years old..over the years, my family celebrated several events at this establishment, most of which were in my younger years. I remember that I always liked the food, but no details specifically. I returned two weeks ago, for yet another baby shower and was baffled by the experience. The service was decent, a bit spotty especially considering it was a relatively small party but overall I can't complain. The waiter was polite and attentive with respect to refilling coffee and water. The decor: heinous. The bathroom needs an update like nobody's business. It's like the same color as a grape Now N Later and just seemed sort of dirty in a way that it couldn't be cleaned. Not because they don't clean it, but because it's old and just run down. The dining room itself was bizarre. It seemed as if there was residual Christmas decorations/angels scattered all over but I guess that is actually the look they're going for. Very tacky. Now the worst part: the food. I honestly could care less about the atmosphere of a place (so long as it's not filthy) if the food is where it's at!! I was so disappointed. The salad was okay, less the enormous chunks of iceberg lettuce and nasty olives. I love black olives (and green) but these just had a weird taste and it sort of ruined the salad. The rolls, well those were good, some of the best I've had at any restaurant. The pasta was awful. Not even comparable to making some with a jar of sauce at home. It was incredibly bland and tasted basically like tomato paste over overcooked penne. MEH. I was very disappointed with my experience this time. Maybe I'll be back for another family function but I most likely will not return by my own volition. I will say that they've been in business for over 20 years so they must be doing something right...I just had a hard time seeing anything positive on this visit, despite the sentimental value this establishment carries for me.
(2)Mary B.
How have I not reviewed this place yet?! Well here it goes. My family has been going there since I was a wee lass. No really, for probably the last 25 years we've been going there. I can still remember my mom and dad coming in from their date nights and kissing me goodnight and them reeeeeeking of cigarette smoke and food... oh nostalgia... The restaurant has been good to us... and we to them! We've always been pleased with the service and food. I can't even remember having a bad night there in all our years going. The food has always been exceptional. I usually stick with the traditional chicken marsala or some sort of pasta. Recently, I finally branched out and had their veal marsala (after years and years of my Dad only ordering that, I decided to take the plunge). And boy was that good. It's your typical Italian food but they also have a great house salad and of course, pizza! As far as service, I've never had a bad experience. Servers, bartenders, owner. Everyone has been great. Katie, the owner, is amazing. Our family's foundation held a meeting here about 6 years ago and she couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating to our requests. It's a cozy place with a nice atmosphere. They play sweet jazz music too (Sinatra, Martin, etc... which is what I love). From a family who has been going there for the last 25 years, we all recommend YOU going! Oh and my Dad recommends the veal marsala...
(5)Ericka L.
I told him no. I told him NO, but he wanted to eat carryout from here anyway. This has got to be the worse Italian food I have ever tasted and for a restaurant to be solely dedicated to what can be absolutely delicious cuisine, I found this highly disappointing. I had the cannelloni and it was so bland that I didn't even want to attempt to waste my time seasoning it myself. That's what I paid THEM to do. My guy had the shrimp Alfredo and the Alfredo sauce looked like water. Runny and again, bland. The inside of the restaurant can only be described as 'unclean' and 'cluttered' and we will not be returning. FAIL
(1)Sue W.
Terrible food... the worst lasagna I've ever had. The ricotta was grey and crumbly, the sauce was dark and looked old. I've been here a couple of times and every time I leave I say I'll never go back. Not to mention the decor is old and very strange... weird statues and they still have some Christmas decorations around. Please don't waste your money. I really don't know how they have stayed in business so long.
(1)Chris H.
We got our drinks quickly, but then it took an hour to get our food. And we were there for lunch! We ordered pasta, not anything that should have taken that long. Only come if you've got a few hours to spare..
(1)Matt M.
I have to disclose bias. I had a roommate and dear friend that worked here for quite sometime. That being said, the pizza is ridiculously awesome for the thin crust. While there, my roommate invented "the amazing" and off-menu pizza that I suggest you order. Its like have a pizza and a spicy italian beef at the same time. You will also find an adequate supply of regulars at the bar if you are interested in rubbing elbows with central Schaumburgs townies.
(4)Leslie D.
We love this pizza. We have been searching for a good take out pizza, and recently gave this a try. It's really so tasty! The crust is so thin and crisp, even the center pieces. The price is great with a coupon. We have been getting this pizza about once a week now that we tasted it. Good sauce, good flavor and quick for pick up. .
(5)Gina C.
My husband and I have been regular diners at Riccardo's for 20 years and can honestly say neither one of us have ever had a bad meal. We usually have our Sunday meal there. The menu is extensive, the prices very fair and the portion sizes large. We always take home half our meal to eat another day. Katie and Waldo are the owners and are exceptional hosts. Both have made it a point to check on our dining experience and meals and always make us feel welcome. Their staff is friendly, fun, smart and courteous. You just can't ask any more from a good neighborhood restaurant.
(5)T M.
Ok, where do I start! First off I would like to point out that I do not take pleasure in leaving negative reviews but I felt compelled to after eating at Riccardo's. We started off with Calamari for an appetizer and it was the worst I ever had rubbery and tasteless. My wife and I ordered Veal Parmigian and it was terrible. The sauce is over seasoned with oregano and not good at all. The veal was chewy and flat as a sheet of paper. My son ordered chicken parm and a mini filet, the filet was ordered well done and when brought to the table it was blood red and barely cooked. I could go on and on about the poor quality and taste of the food but I'll sum it up by saying that we dined with 9 people total and not one person was satisfied with their meal. You can tell everything Riccardos makes is straight out of a frozen bag from a restaurant suppliers delivery truck. There is no Nona in the kitchen making genuine Italian quality food here. Save your money drive a little further and eat at Spavones!
(1)Adam D.
I was torn between three and four stars, but it feels more like a four to me. First, the pizza. It's delicious. We went with a plain, cheese pie, which was excellent. I'm a little picky about my pizza. Not overly so, but ingredient proportion is something that I notice. Too much / too little sauce, cheese, toppings, or seasoning can ruin a pizza in a hurry. Riccardo's has the perfect amount of each. They also nailed the crust, which I think is the most crucial part of the pie. The bar isn't the rowdiest place around, but it's still a good time. And they have Peroni! A few Peronis after knocking down a pizza was the perfect way to cap our evening.
(4)Susan G.
Not the best experience. We went for Sunday . We ordered lasagna, salmon dish and their Sunday Prime rib specialty. The prime rib was cooked well done. We asked for medium tare. The server apologized and had another plate made. The 2nd plate was not edible. Meat had crispy edges and was again was over cooked and not edible. My salmon was over cooked as well.. the ricotta in lasagna was rock hard. There are sooooo many exceptional restaurants in Schaumburg. Riccardos will not survive if they font improve chef service
(1)Joan H.
went there for dinner tonight. They have a large party going on tonight so we sat for almost 15 minutes without seeing a glass of water or a waitperson. we left and went elsewhere to eat. Guess they can't take care of regular customers when they have more important business.
(2)Katie S.
I really really wanted to like this place. I placed a pick up order for chick parm dinner and spaghetti with meatballs. The total was almost $25 which I thought was a lot. I went inside to pick it up and the environment was very pleasant as well as the employees. We got the food home and ick. The spaghetti was just gross. The sauce was really horrible. I ate a few bites of the spaghetti, ate the mediocre meatballs and threw the rest away. The chicken parm was ate but not in happiness. I would like to try something else from here but I am not sure its worth it since there are so many other Italian places around.
(2)Taylor M.
Riccardo's is a very homey restaurant. It is a no frills restaurant with huge portions and friendly staff. Exactly what you would expect from a family owned Italian restaurant. Two for $30 menu is a great deal! Appetizer, soup/salad, two entrees and two drinks or desserts! Once I saw this, I knew we would be doing the special. For my entree I ordered the lobster ravioli which was rich and filling, just what I was looking for! I would suggest getting the soup because the house salad is just bagged iceberg lettuce. Nothing too exciting. I have also had the cheese pizza which is good but nothing exciting.
(3)Kevin W.
First I would like to say is that I order pizza (thin crust) here all the time and it beats a lot of other places. Pizza is ready fast and hot and it is so easy to pick up. I always remember to grab some of their garlic rolls too, you can never go wrong with those. If you are ever in the area stop in to give this place a try. Oh they also have a bar, which is nice while waiting for your food. Whenever I'm not getting pizza from here I get the Italian style dishes!
(5)Victoria C.
Wonderfully friendly dining experience. Really good Italian food and awesome desserts. A great place to bring the family.
(4)H R.
Why two yelp profiles?! My husband picked up the food. He brought it home and It smelled fabulous. It looked super weird. The pasta with Alfredo sause was gross. It has a distinct bad flavor to it. Very much like card board? Even a simple cheese ravioli was seriously disappointing. Baked clams were no good. The best part was the minestrone soup. :( I can get the same from a can though. Nothing tasted home made or from scratch. And oddly most of it was laced with that odd flavor of card board or some thing. I wish I could my finger on exactly what the taste was. Maybe just old frozen food flavor. Like it sat in a box in a freezer a little too long? Believe it or not, this is coming from a traditional italian, but Olive garden is actually better. :( yipes!
(2)Kathy D.
Great food !! I agree- last night our server (Carolina) was terrific. As busy as it was, she was quick to refill my coffee and checked on us often Will be back soon.
(5)Cheryl B.
I want to start by saying Carolina (like the state) was the best server I've had. She was courteous and attentive. The food is great. Pizza is good. Salad dressing is good. Garlic bread yummmmmm. Pasta trilogy is good. Nothing to complain about.
(5)Bens M.
Just ordered pizza from here and both of them were under cooked. Horrible! You'd expect such a big place to put some quality into making a pizza. Never again. Waste of money.
(1)Scott D.
I remember eating at Riccardo's Restaurant about 10 years ago. After eating their Shrimp, Linguini & Broccoli dish this past week, I realized why I haven't been back in about 10 years. This dish was swimming in a greasy "sauce". Maybe it was too much olive oil or butter. I don't know what it was. And I was too afraid to figure it out (you can only do so much in the name of Yelp). The shrimp tasted okay. And that was the only item I eat. The rest of the dish which consisted of broccoli and linguini noodles did not taste good in my opinon.
(1)Lauren H.
The best things about this place are the garlic rolls and salad with dressing, which are FREE with your meal. That should say it all right there. Every time I have come here each person in our party is disappointed with their meal. Mostly the sauces. They have no flavor. Ravioli, bow tie chicken alfredo, meatballs, lasagna, chicken and broccoli, chicken marsala, etc. everything we've ever tried there is just lacking any taste. Unfortunately the salad and bread is loved by my niece so she always picks it when we let her choose where to go for dinner, the adults have to suffer through a meal of slow, mediocre service and no flavor. We keep trying to give it a chance but it's not just not making the cut.
(1)Sonny P.
I can only review on the pizzas and service. You are given garlic rolls upon being seated. Marinara sauce is extra, by the way. We ordered 2 large pizzas and found the pizzas to taste good. We had no issues with service either. I don't know why there are so many bad reviews but I would go back for their pizzas.
(4)Bob J.
This place is awesome! We get their coupon in the mail weekly. The pizza is great! All the Italian entrees we've ordered were off the charts. This place has the recipes tuned up. Now combine that with 2 for 1 dinners or an XL pizza w/2 topping for $13 out the door. We can't help but to love this place... discounts or not. Nice ambiance, good service. They get a 5 star because they are great and the competition can't match the value or quality here.
(5)Gerry X.
No slices but they make personal pizzas. Service was professional and friendly. I liked the decor (like my mom and dads sans the plastic covered upholstery.) Gift certificates available. Met the owners wife...whom I mentioned to that the service inside was awesome....it was a relaxing late lunch. I liked it.
(5)Dan D.
Stopped in for a weeknight dinner. Looked completely different inside than I imagined (in a good way). Nice friendly service. We decided to go with the two-for-$30 menu. A lot of the entrees seemed to have cream sauces, and the pasta fagioli appeared to be cream based, as well. We tried the bruschetta for the appetizer, which was good, but we both thought it could have used a little more pepper. My wife went with the spaghetti and sausage with marinara. The sausage was very good, but she found the marinara a little bland (although she likes her some garlic). My lobster ravioli was OK, but I couldn't really find very much lobster flavor, and again, the tomato cream sauce, which was good, could have used a little more punch. One issue: we were given the two-for-$30 menu, and were fine with that. At least, we were until another couple came in, about the time we were finishing, and asked for the suburban restaurant week menu, which we weren't aware Riccardo's was participating in, and would have been nice to have known. On the whole, a positive experience. We'll probably go back if we're looking for Italian food, and sample something off of the regular menu.
(3)Dan B.
Great food. Affordable. Pizza is highly recommended
(4)Kassie S.
Don't waist your time or money. Food is bad. .The lasagna was still frozen, the pasta wasn't cooked enough. I give it 0 stars... was the first time there... should of read the yelp reviews first.. my mistake....
(1)Sandra B.
HORRIBLE! WENT THERE for a baby's baptism party. The older waitress was rude - almost bit my head off when we asked for coffee. One older woman asked for decaf - she brought her the decaf, then later poured regular coffee in her cup when asked for a refil. We told her - no, she needs decaf. She said it's fine and left the table. Never asked if we all wanted more coffee - we ended up asking someone else who apologized. Guests who came late we given leftover food from other tables - even a piece of chicken that was cut in half. That leftever food was cold too. What? I truly wished I was a food inspector. Yes, okay-it was crowded and busy with parties, but hey! Never going there again. That woman should lose her job! Patrons were unable to even get to the bathrooms, it was so crowded. Food was awful-dirty dishes never removed-terrible service! I'd be embarrassed if I was hosting the party! The place should have closed their doors that evening! I hope the host got a deal on the terrible food, and awful service! Serving leftovers from another table to late guests?
(1)Barbara P.
My husband and I love this gem of a place, the food is great and the staff exceptional, Joanne treats you like family, her service and her attentiveness to every dining detail makes it a great place to dine. The portions are huge and we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. I suggest getting the salad to share with your meal. the dressing is out of this world!, not to mention the garlic rolls, YUM. We love mushrooms and the mushroom soup is THE BEST we ever had. Its clean, friendly and overall just a great place to eat and share some family time together, Great wine list also. :-) Enjoy
(5)Tom S.
We were there last night after not having been there in, probably, 10 years. I'm in my early 50's and I think my wife and I were the youngest patrons there. I have nothing against an older crowd but I think that clientele has an effect on the food. I had the stuffed pork chops and they were incredibly plain. Very little flavor.The side of pasta came with a spice-less marinara sauce. The only reason we went there was because it was on the way to another destination which we missed because the service was so slow. It was a lesson learned. We will not be going back.
(1)Robin Z.
this place has been total CRAP for the past 5 yrs or so....the creamed soups that are RUNNY...ya they are OLD ....the sauces that are so greasy and bland ...yup old reheated CRAP...old tomato's...stale bread....most things are made ahead and just MICROWAVED....really go across the street to jewel...buy a frozen dinner....go to the bread OUTLET store.....bring it home.....RICCARDO'S TO GO...at an 1/8 of the cost
(1)Joe J.
For some reason this awful excuse for an Italian restaurant has two different tabs on yelp. I won't let you get away so easily. I will make this short and sweet (actually not so sweet). This restaurant is terrible. The food is not homemade. The pizza dough is pre-frozen. Worst of all, the prices are outrageously high. Do not eat here. Do not even look at this restaurant as you drive by unless you plan on vomiting in your mouth.
(1)B F.
Never again. We've eaten here plenty of times, although not the best we usually had something edible. But after this last time we went, we will NOT be back. It was just my son and I on a weeknight. There were a fair amount of patrons, but the service was decent. We ordered bruschetta....the tomatoes were mushy, the edges of the bread were burnt to a crisp and the middle of the bread was mush. Not off to a good start. My son had cream of chicken soup and I had a salad. The salad was a salad, nothing exciting one way or the other. But my son's soup was horrible. It looked and tasted like they had watered down the soup. Even after dumping excessive amounts of salt and pepper in the soup it was still inedible. Next come the entrees....I had pasta with a mix of pesto and alfredo sauce (waitress' suggestion when I was debating which one I wanted. It sounded like a good idea) and my son had some sort of chicken dish. I truly think my pasta, or at least the sauce, were microwaved because there were some really bad hot spots. My son's chicken dish had a tomato sauce that had no flavor and was really runny. Both of us tried to improve the flavor with parmesan, salt and pepper to no avail. I finally asked the waitress if they had a new chef since everything was so disappointing and different than we've had in the past. She sent the owner over and it was at that point that I was expecting to see Gordon Ramsay's camera crew since this interaction was something you'd see on Kitchen Nightmares. She comes over and questions what was wrong. I told her while it wasn't exactly terrible it was off from what we expected from them. I explained everything like I've written above and received replies such as: 'I had the bruschetta today, it was fine' 'All these people are eating the soup, no one else is complaining' 'These are the same recipes we've always used and no one complains' 'We won't be changing anything because you aren't happy' She did comp our entire check, but there is no way we'll ever go back there.
(1)Delores B.
This restaurant is fabulous! Our favorite waitress is JoAnn. She is a real gem! Her service is out of this world and we always look forward to coming in and spending some time with here. We love the special, 2 for $30 menu. You share an appetizer (large portion!), get a nice boozy drink or dessert, choose from a myriad of delicious entrees, delicious salad and garlic rolls. Phew! Terrific. Every entree we have tried so far is delicious. Chicken Picatta is one of our favorites. The owner is also a very nice woman who makes our meal time very special. If I lived in Schaumburg, I would eat here every week.
(5)Michelle F.
First of all, THANK YOU to Riccardo's for supporting my daughter's school for this fundraiser--every penny counts!! They also provide them with hot lunch a couple Fridays out of the month. My daughter always loves "Riccardo Days". So I have been here once or twice before tonight, and it has always been a pleasant experience. My group of eight of us (5 adults and 2 kids) came here tonight for the fundraiser, and we had a fabulous meal. First of all, as their rolls, it's really amazing garlic bread. These are SO good. The kids ate them all up--well, they ate what the adults couldn't steal back from them! What a nice touch! The appetizers we ordered, the bruchetta and the spinach rolls, were decent. The bruchetta was definitely better than the rolls. It was slightly odd, but we wanted to try it because it sounded different! But for our meals I got the lemon chicken, my husband ordered the spinach and peppers, and the others got some shrimp/scallop noodle dish. I loved mine--the lemon sauce and mushrooms were really good. The sausage in my husband's dish was great, too. The shrimp dishes were slightly spicy, but I heard no complaints from the others! Each meal comes with either soup or salad. I got the salad, and my husband ordered the minestrone soup. He was disappointed in it, though, because he said it came with exactly ONE noodle. Sad! Overall it was a great meal, and I know I will be back!
(4)Maddy K.
Whenever we order pizza, this is where we get it from. The deep dish is fantastic. Lou Malnati's used to be my favorite until I had Riccardo's pizza. The food besides pizza is also good. The negatives are that it is a bit pricey and their "garlic bread" is just a roll with barely any butter. It's really dark inside too. Other than that, Riccardo's is great!
(4)B H.
Nice place. Had their $10 coup for Ital or chicken dish, soup or salad, dessert. Had ckn vesuvio, very good. Good service. Nice atmosphere. Been there before, will go back.
(4)Greg L.
Ok...we've been wanting to try this place for years and we finally did, and we will NOT go back. First I need to say that the decor was pleasing and that won't be the only nice thing I say but that will be later. We ordered Pizza for the kids, an individual for our youngest and a medium thin crust pepperoni and cheese for the two older. The dough tasted frozen or stale, there was one piece of pepperoni per slice of pizza, huh? The sauce was average but it was hot...I would never call that pizza good. My wife and I ordered off the menu, I had the gnocchi stuffed with asiago in red sauce...what I got looked like no gnocchi I have ever eaten, they looked more like mini ravioli, and if that was asiago cheese then it is the most boring asiago I have ever tasted. My wife ordered the chicken in cream sauce with linguine and mushrooms...well the linguine was cooked well over, the chicken tasted as if it had been microwaved. The cream sauce was good though once salt and parmesan cheese was added. The salad tasted fresh...fresh out of a bag. The soups were minestrone based and the oil and grease that stayed on top even after stirring in might well be the solution to our fuel issues..... The server reached through my wife on two different occasions to remove the oregano and cheese as well as plates from the table while we were still EATING! The best part of the meal were the garlic cheese rolls that were free and offered to us if we wanted more...we went through two baskets. Upon paying for the meal I was waiting to be asked how the meal was and it was almost as if they knew what I was going to say and dared not ask.... There are other issues but I will let the meal represent this review and make no further comments.
(1)Zack G.
The pizza literally tastes like nothing....I've really never had pizza that tasted like nothing! It didn't taste bad, it was just bland at full force. It was so odd!!! Wouldn't recommend coming here even if it's only $10.
(2)P M.
Manager was rude, complained to us about how we changed our order due to food allergies. Decor is awful and food quality poor. This restaurant really should close its doors so a real business can move in.
(1)Jim R.
This place has to be the worst i have ever been to. The waitress was like mentally challenged. She actually wanted me to tell her what time she should bring out food. Then she told me that if the table next to me gets seated then she would be screwed. The place wasn't even that busy. The food taste like crap. i have been going to this place for years and i just made it my last time.
(1)King K.
the $10 1 topping thin crust is the best value for pizza in the area. The Pizza is the best thin crust I've had in the area. Much better than Papa Saverios in the same complex. The interior seems nice- its a sit down resteraunt and the female owner can be a hag if you don't have the coupon for the $10 Pizza.
(4)Frank F.
Stopped by Riccardo's on a Sunday evening for something different. They were busy but not overly crowded. I was seated at a booth immediately adjacent to the hostess stand/door. After waiting 10 minutes and still not seeing a server or busboy stop by my table I got up and told the hostess I hadn't been waited on. Much to my surprise, rather than addressing me, she immediately walked to my empty table as though the answer as to why I hadn't been served could be found there. Not a word was said to me as I walked out the door, hungry and upset.
(1)John L.
I believe this so called Italian restaurant is the worst of it's kind. Quite simply, the food was very bland. We had carryout and 4 of 5 items were tasteless. The ricotta didn't seem to be seasoned at all and I didn't care for the garlic rolls which was just this soft white bread with oil.The chicken pasta was dry and tasteless. The meatballs was kind of OK but seemed to be made up of mostly filler. Please....Fogettaboutit.
(2)Johnny B.
Pass by this restaurant and decided to take my friend there on a Sat night. Was there many moons ago and remember the Lasagna as being very good. So I/we did not have Lasagna. Set it up for 7 and of course, she was late! Lots to talk about so we brushed off the waiter 2 or 3 times. Had a ice cold beverage and finally ordered. My friend ordered Chicken Primerva. I was intrigued by a special called Fiesta platter. Now I'm thinking, this is a Italian joint. A " Fiesta" platter? Well the waiter said "Excellent choice". That got the honey pissed!. It was a combo of Spinach filled ravioli, Pasta, and great tortelinni. Great sauce topping it all. Meatless too! A veggie in the making? NOT! Soup or salad comes with the entree. Pasta Fasoul! GREAT! Can't comment on the pizza, but there were 6 pick-ups in the 10 minutes I was waiting. They had a good crowd for the week after NYE. Would definitely return. Johnny Chitown
(4)Paul N.
This place is awful in so many areas: The seating (esp. the booths) are uncomfortable, the weekend staff reminds me of a "greasy spoon" instead of an actual restaurant, The food is so unbelievably bad; it would take real effort to screw up spaghetti that bad....ugh! In their defense, I guess the head chef is off-duty on weekends. So I guess what I am saying is avoid this place on weekends.
(1)Jennifer S.
We eat at Riccardo's fairly often and we carried out pizza for the first time from here earlier this week. Overall, it's a fine meal. Nothing too fancy or special. But, they have an extensive menu and you can basically always find a coupon for buy one get one or something along those lines in the local publications. Pizza the other night was pretty good. The crust was crispy, the bacon was cooked just right and there wasn't too much sauce. It was my kind of pizza. When we dine in, I try to be adventurous, but as you may know, I am a creature of habit. I usually end up with the stuffed shrimp and pasta. My husband is not a big fan of seafood and make childish comments about what the dish looks like to him. (He thinks he's pretty funny...well, he is, but don't tell him that I said that!) I'm eating it, not photographing it, so what does it really matter? :-) Anyhow, we start with some delicious, warm bread rolls. Follow up with soup or salad. And, finish with our entrees. My hubby usually does try different things - Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Spicy Red Sauce (Arriabatta?) and pasta. My only complaint is that the service is hit or miss and they have run out of the special or the soup on more than one occasion.
(3)Tiffany H.
We love Riccardo's. They are always warm and welcoming. It is such a very nice local restaurant. Arm and cozy and good food. We love their pizza especially, with giardinare and feta cheese. My husband also loves their chicken piccata and chicken Marsala!
(5)Carla P.
The pizza is fantastic, just the way I like it. Crispy crust but still chewy, fresh-tasting ingredients, not over cooked. I only dined in there one time and I wasn't that impressed with the meal, so I'll just give them an OK for now. If I eat in there again and change my mind I'll update the rating. The staff were very nice and the parking is ample.
(3)Katy P.
My boyfriend and I wanted pizzas after we got back home from my first marathon downtown. We ordered the Riccardo's Special and Vegetarian specialty pizzas with a "BOGO" pizza coupon up to a $12 value. I wasn't sure if I was just so happy to have pizza in my mouth after running 26 miles, but we were both happy with the quality of the pizza. Thin crust, cheese browned and a little crispy, fair amount of toppings. We'd go there again next time we want to go pick up a pizza.
(5)Mary R.
Dinner here was wonderful. The appetizers were fresh and plentiful, in fact, all of the portion sizes were generous. I had the Parmesian Crusted Tilapia and my husband had the Pollo Alla Diablo. Both were delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive, drink refills were quickly brought without having to request them. The restaurant was clean and orderly. This is a gem of a restaurant and the owner walked around greeting the tables, some by name. I will definitely be back again.
(5)Jen P.
I was just in Italy before I came to eat here, and I am Italian myself, so I know how Italian food is supposed to taste. This restaurant's food is not that great. In Italy I had an amazing dish of cannelloni, so I thought I would order it here to see how it tastes. It was nothing compared to what I had before. The filling of the cannelloni tasted terrible and there was barely any flavor. I don't think I will be back here again.
(1)Sue N.
Met a friend there for dinner last night. Had the fried veggie platter. Over priced with just a couple things on the plate. Thought half fell off or someone ate it on the way to the table. The fried veggies were very bland. Taste like deep fried flour. For dinner we had the pizza, also very bland. Crust tasted like day old dough. I don't think they use any seasoning in this place. I never use salt and I had to put some on to get a flavor going. Afterwords, servers hostess and the bus boy kept coming to the table wanting the bill paid. Was very rude and distracting. We weren't even sitting that long after eating. On the way out no one attempted to say good night goodbye or anything. Have no desire to come back and try again.
(1)Damon L.
Two young adults setting up a table a few tables away dropped silverware on the floor, picked it up, wiped it off with their hands, placed it back on the table for the next customers. It's Christmas Eve so I'm not sure if these kids are regular employees or just helping out for the holidays. Food took forever. The pasta just tasted off. It was watery and missing some spices. The first basket of rolls weren't fresh. The second basket was very fresh and delicious (hence, the two star review). The waitress was very nice.
(2)C H.
Okay you want Italian, good Italian, nice cozy, intimate and beautiful atmosphere, reasonably priced, nice people, excellent service and excellent food - Riccardo's is the place to go. It's in a little strip mall across from Jewels on the corner of Roselle and Irving Park Road. You can wear a nice pair of jeans and a nice shirt, feel like your right at home and again boy the food is out of this world. We always feel good when we go here. The people are as good as the food. The portions are huge. And the pizza, these folks make the best pizza anywhere around. We've gone to Riccardo's about five times and never had any complaints.
(5)Molly R.
Ever since Pizza Cottage in Roselle closed (wipes a tear), this has been the go-to pizza place for lots of people. I have been here quite a few times while in the 'burbs, and I have never been disappointed! First plus is that it never gets terribly crowded, and the staff is very friendly. The biggest draw, of course, is their pizza, especially their thin crust! It's delicious: just the right amount of sauce and cheese, and never, ever oily. Their garlic bread and calamari are also first rate. Their menu is pretty extensive as far as Italian delights, and if I weren't such a pizzavore I might actually try some. I also love their random Christmas decorations here and there in the dining room. Only adds to the charm!
(4)Scott H.
I've held two party at Riccardo's and couldn't have been happier with the food and service. I had my son's baptism and my father's birthday. The service was great!! And the pizza and rolls....people are still talking about how good the pizza and rolls were!
(5)Caryn A.
Great food and novel specials are the norm - The owners are terrific and so friendly you fell like you are dining with your family - Katy always has my special talapia francheze ready for me even if it is not on the menu that day - we have had several family parties there and they always take excellent care of us -
(5)Kate J.
My husband and I finally went to Ricarrdo's last night after years of saying we were going to try it. We were very happy with the food and atmosphere. I had the baked most and asked for Ricotta cheese and they had no problem with the request. My husband had the meat ravioli and he loved it. He also had the mussels and thought they were great. He was not a big fan of the pasta fagiol but I thought the Minestrone was excellent Server was so so but the owner Katie made up for it. Very nice and welcoming. We will definately be going back!
(4)Shirley T.
We ate in once years ago and the pasta was ok salad was good, garlic rolls really good did take out pizza and salad this week and the pizza was really good, not skimpy on the cheese, sauce was really good. salad and garlic rolls still good i plan to get pizza from here more often had the thin crust and the sauce was perfect - not too thick and not too spiced - perfect
(4)Cheryl R.
Had the lasagna that was mostly ricotta cheese, dry & grainy. Cream of Broccoli soup was good. My husband's cannelloni was okay but he felt the marinara was good but not enough.
(2)Stacey D.
I think this place is fair. 3 stars is more than I thought I'd rate. I used to really dislike this restaurant. I went to a party here, and the food was actually pretty good. (What the hostess orderd all kind of tasted the same, but I'm sure it's because she chose lasagna, baked mostaccioli, and pizza. All too similar.) Anyway -- the food was good. Salad was an iceberg lettuce in very large pieces (which is a pet peeve of mine), and had some sort of house italian. I didn't much care for it, tasted too packaged for me. My husband loves their pizza, I think it's just ok. Beer is good, service is good. Prices are fair. Not outstanding food, it's like a Greek restaurant (you know the one -- where you can get a turkey dinner, pancakes, or sundaes and a small glass of wine), but with Americanized Italian food.
(3)David C.
I haven't been to Riccardo's in years. I used to go there when I was a kid and my parents would bring us for pizza. It's nice to see after all these years that this business is still serving the community and hasn't sold out to the national chains. The inside of the restaurant is still the same as I remember with the flying angel babies with pizza and beer mugs in their hands. The reason I returned to my childhood pizza place was because of a coupon we heard about online, offering a buy one entree, get one free good until Feb. 2012. So we found said coupon and headed out to Riccardo's. The menu items were priced well and they had awesome drink specials. (Sun - Mon $1.50 domestic drafts) We had the Bruschetta as an App. and put in our orders (Chicken Parm for me and my g/f had the Schrimp Scampi.) Everything came out quick and hot. Even the plates were hot to the touch and very tasty. The service was nice, as they offered water refills right away and took away used dishes quick. The server even told us to grab a take out menu because it features more coupons. How cool is that? No real complaints here as we will return in the future (and more frequently).
(4)lee w.
YUCK !! Horrible..........This was the worst italian food I have ever eaten and I'm 50 years old, and the decore was almost as bad, it's more like a greek family restaurant. Nothing matches. I had the 4 cheese pasta and my girlfriend have the mushroom spinach ravioli. I was expecting something similar to the 5-cheese Ziti at Olive Garden. What I got was cooked pasta with a can of alfredo sauce poured over it. My pasta dish was so bad I had to actually send it back to the kitchen. I have never done that before in my life.. I felt so embarrassed asking our server to send it back to the kitchen. I had my girlfriend try my dish as well and she agreed it was the worst thing she ever had. The server knew it was bad because she offered a side of marinara sauce for free when I placed the order (to give it some taste). She know from experience this dish was nasty but told me "its pretty good" when I ordered it. Our server was nice and asked me if I wanted something else to eat instead. I said yes something simple please like spaghetti with meat sauce. There is no way they can screw that up right? Well I was wrong it was the worst meat sauce I have ever tasted. Literally out of a can. My girlfriend's ravioli was pretty bad as well. They brought a salad and bread before our meal which was nice but, the bread was just okay and the salad was terrible. Crappy lettuce and 2 tiny slices of tomato and italian dressing out of a bottle. This restaurant does not have a chef they have untrained cooks. The "cooks" have no culinary training whatsoever, especially in italian food. It's probably some high school kids or people who have never cooked back in the kitchen that make the food. It starts with the owner and manager. They are obviously clueless as to what italian food is, and it trickles down to the cooks they hire and their menu and their recipes. I would not eat there ever again even if it was free. I'm guessing this place is really a greek family thats trying to run an italian restaurant and suck at it. Stay far away from this place trust me it's the worst food you'll ever eat. I don't know how they have been in business so long (at least 10 years) it may be because of the pizza which they offer but I have never had and never will. YUCK !!!!
(1)Julie P.
I am really shocked this place has so many positive reviews. I have been there twice (wanted to give it a second chance) and unfortunately will not be going back in the future. The first time I went, a girlfriend and I had lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The place was nearly empty so seating was quick. We each ordered wine and an entree. The wine was decent and very inexpensive, which is a plus. However, the food was greasy and not very flavorful. My friend didn't seem to mind it so I had a few glasses of wine and tried to chalk up the taste of my meal to the kitchen having a bad day. The second time I went, my husband and I had a coupon that was expiring for a buy-one-get-one-free meal and he wanted to check it out for himself so we went for dinner on a Friday evening. Again, the wine was good and cheap (big plus since we both love to drink wine with meals) but neither of us enjoyed our food. We started with mushroom caps for an appetizer. Then we each had a salad an an entree. Nothing was fresh; everything seemed like it had been frozen and just re-heated for us. The mushrooms were soggy and the pasta dish had a ton of grease. The food really was terrible, but both times we had EXCELLENT service. Maybe I am an Italian food snob, but I definitely would not recommend this place.
(1)Renato P.
This place has a decent looking dining room , good sized. We ordered lunch , decent selection , decent prices. The minestrone soup was pretty good , the wife got the asparagus soup , she liked it.The Calamari was crispy and delicious , it came with cocktail sauce , which I wasn't expecting , not a big fan of calamari with cocktail sauce.It was so good I ate it plain. Got the boneless buffalo chicken wings , not great , I prefer them with the bones. My son got the pizza , ate it all , I didn't get to try any. I ordered the chicken vesuvio, it was a boneless breast (I prefer the bone in and the skin on for vesuvio) , it was decent, I liked it. The potatos weren't crisp enough, not soggy though , just not crisp enough. I will try to hit this place up again when I'm in the area.
(4)Happiness L.
This place is just ok. The service and staff are friendly and the place is clean. The food is just so so. Had soup, chicken/sausage cacciatore, and tiramisu that needed a flavor enhancement. If I go again I will try the pizza.
(3)Ken J.
We have eaten at Riccardo's several times over the years. We went there Sept 4, 2010 for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious. The menu has a wide variety of Italian entrees. We have tried many of them and have yet to be disappointed. The decor inside has been gradually enhanced - the owners have not forgotten to put some money back into the facilities. The service has always been prompt and friendly. I know my 11 year old son enjoyed their pizza. This restaurant is a great value. The owners have always been there when we have dined in. Their attention to quality shows. We pass up many restaurants between our house and Riccardo's, and will continue to do so.
(4)Adele S.
This restaurant is located in a strip mall. the pizzaria is on the south end of the building, next to the bar. The fancier restaurant is on the north end. Food is pretty good, haven't had any problem with service. They do the family style salad w/ italian dressing and the bread sticks, like Olive Garden. I had a great pasta dish once, a special, not on the regular menu...tortellini with spinach and ricotta...nice and garlicky. Chicken marsala was very good. My husband loved the lasagna. Pizza looked great but we haven't tried it yet. We have been here many times, it's a little far but worth the drive.
(4)Frank F.
Stopped by Riccardo's on a Sunday evening for something different. They were busy but not overly crowded. I was seated at a booth immediately adjacent to the hostess stand/door. After waiting 10 minutes and still not seeing a server or busboy stop by my table I got up and told the hostess I hadn't been waited on. Much to my surprise, rather than addressing me, she immediately walked to my empty table as though the answer as to why I hadn't been served could be found there. Not a word was said to me as I walked out the door, hungry and upset.
(1)Johnny B.
Pass by this restaurant and decided to take my friend there on a Sat night. Was there many moons ago and remember the Lasagna as being very good. So I/we did not have Lasagna. Set it up for 7 and of course, she was late! Lots to talk about so we brushed off the waiter 2 or 3 times. Had a ice cold beverage and finally ordered. My friend ordered Chicken Primerva. I was intrigued by a special called Fiesta platter. Now I'm thinking, this is a Italian joint. A " Fiesta" platter? Well the waiter said "Excellent choice". That got the honey pissed!. It was a combo of Spinach filled ravioli, Pasta, and great tortelinni. Great sauce topping it all. Meatless too! A veggie in the making? NOT! Soup or salad comes with the entree. Pasta Fasoul! GREAT! Can't comment on the pizza, but there were 6 pick-ups in the 10 minutes I was waiting. They had a good crowd for the week after NYE. Would definitely return. Johnny Chitown
(4)lee w.
YUCK !! Horrible..........This was the worst italian food I have ever eaten and I'm 50 years old, and the decore was almost as bad, it's more like a greek family restaurant. Nothing matches. I had the 4 cheese pasta and my girlfriend have the mushroom spinach ravioli. I was expecting something similar to the 5-cheese Ziti at Olive Garden. What I got was cooked pasta with a can of alfredo sauce poured over it. My pasta dish was so bad I had to actually send it back to the kitchen. I have never done that before in my life.. I felt so embarrassed asking our server to send it back to the kitchen. I had my girlfriend try my dish as well and she agreed it was the worst thing she ever had. The server knew it was bad because she offered a side of marinara sauce for free when I placed the order (to give it some taste). She know from experience this dish was nasty but told me "its pretty good" when I ordered it. Our server was nice and asked me if I wanted something else to eat instead. I said yes something simple please like spaghetti with meat sauce. There is no way they can screw that up right? Well I was wrong it was the worst meat sauce I have ever tasted. Literally out of a can. My girlfriend's ravioli was pretty bad as well. They brought a salad and bread before our meal which was nice but, the bread was just okay and the salad was terrible. Crappy lettuce and 2 tiny slices of tomato and italian dressing out of a bottle. This restaurant does not have a chef they have untrained cooks. The "cooks" have no culinary training whatsoever, especially in italian food. It's probably some high school kids or people who have never cooked back in the kitchen that make the food. It starts with the owner and manager. They are obviously clueless as to what italian food is, and it trickles down to the cooks they hire and their menu and their recipes. I would not eat there ever again even if it was free. I'm guessing this place is really a greek family thats trying to run an italian restaurant and suck at it. Stay far away from this place trust me it's the worst food you'll ever eat. I don't know how they have been in business so long (at least 10 years) it may be because of the pizza which they offer but I have never had and never will. YUCK !!!!
(1)Julie P.
I am really shocked this place has so many positive reviews. I have been there twice (wanted to give it a second chance) and unfortunately will not be going back in the future. The first time I went, a girlfriend and I had lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The place was nearly empty so seating was quick. We each ordered wine and an entree. The wine was decent and very inexpensive, which is a plus. However, the food was greasy and not very flavorful. My friend didn't seem to mind it so I had a few glasses of wine and tried to chalk up the taste of my meal to the kitchen having a bad day. The second time I went, my husband and I had a coupon that was expiring for a buy-one-get-one-free meal and he wanted to check it out for himself so we went for dinner on a Friday evening. Again, the wine was good and cheap (big plus since we both love to drink wine with meals) but neither of us enjoyed our food. We started with mushroom caps for an appetizer. Then we each had a salad an an entree. Nothing was fresh; everything seemed like it had been frozen and just re-heated for us. The mushrooms were soggy and the pasta dish had a ton of grease. The food really was terrible, but both times we had EXCELLENT service. Maybe I am an Italian food snob, but I definitely would not recommend this place.
(1)Maddy K.
Whenever we order pizza, this is where we get it from. The deep dish is fantastic. Lou Malnati's used to be my favorite until I had Riccardo's pizza. The food besides pizza is also good. The negatives are that it is a bit pricey and their "garlic bread" is just a roll with barely any butter. It's really dark inside too. Other than that, Riccardo's is great!
(4)B H.
Nice place. Had their $10 coup for Ital or chicken dish, soup or salad, dessert. Had ckn vesuvio, very good. Good service. Nice atmosphere. Been there before, will go back.
(4)Sue N.
Met a friend there for dinner last night. Had the fried veggie platter. Over priced with just a couple things on the plate. Thought half fell off or someone ate it on the way to the table. The fried veggies were very bland. Taste like deep fried flour. For dinner we had the pizza, also very bland. Crust tasted like day old dough. I don't think they use any seasoning in this place. I never use salt and I had to put some on to get a flavor going. Afterwords, servers hostess and the bus boy kept coming to the table wanting the bill paid. Was very rude and distracting. We weren't even sitting that long after eating. On the way out no one attempted to say good night goodbye or anything. Have no desire to come back and try again.
(1)Damon L.
Two young adults setting up a table a few tables away dropped silverware on the floor, picked it up, wiped it off with their hands, placed it back on the table for the next customers. It's Christmas Eve so I'm not sure if these kids are regular employees or just helping out for the holidays. Food took forever. The pasta just tasted off. It was watery and missing some spices. The first basket of rolls weren't fresh. The second basket was very fresh and delicious (hence, the two star review). The waitress was very nice.
(2)C H.
Okay you want Italian, good Italian, nice cozy, intimate and beautiful atmosphere, reasonably priced, nice people, excellent service and excellent food - Riccardo's is the place to go. It's in a little strip mall across from Jewels on the corner of Roselle and Irving Park Road. You can wear a nice pair of jeans and a nice shirt, feel like your right at home and again boy the food is out of this world. We always feel good when we go here. The people are as good as the food. The portions are huge. And the pizza, these folks make the best pizza anywhere around. We've gone to Riccardo's about five times and never had any complaints.
(5)Tiffany H.
We love Riccardo's. They are always warm and welcoming. It is such a very nice local restaurant. Arm and cozy and good food. We love their pizza especially, with giardinare and feta cheese. My husband also loves their chicken piccata and chicken Marsala!
(5)Jennifer S.
We eat at Riccardo's fairly often and we carried out pizza for the first time from here earlier this week. Overall, it's a fine meal. Nothing too fancy or special. But, they have an extensive menu and you can basically always find a coupon for buy one get one or something along those lines in the local publications. Pizza the other night was pretty good. The crust was crispy, the bacon was cooked just right and there wasn't too much sauce. It was my kind of pizza. When we dine in, I try to be adventurous, but as you may know, I am a creature of habit. I usually end up with the stuffed shrimp and pasta. My husband is not a big fan of seafood and make childish comments about what the dish looks like to him. (He thinks he's pretty funny...well, he is, but don't tell him that I said that!) I'm eating it, not photographing it, so what does it really matter? :-) Anyhow, we start with some delicious, warm bread rolls. Follow up with soup or salad. And, finish with our entrees. My hubby usually does try different things - Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Spicy Red Sauce (Arriabatta?) and pasta. My only complaint is that the service is hit or miss and they have run out of the special or the soup on more than one occasion.
(3)Greg L.
Ok...we've been wanting to try this place for years and we finally did, and we will NOT go back. First I need to say that the decor was pleasing and that won't be the only nice thing I say but that will be later. We ordered Pizza for the kids, an individual for our youngest and a medium thin crust pepperoni and cheese for the two older. The dough tasted frozen or stale, there was one piece of pepperoni per slice of pizza, huh? The sauce was average but it was hot...I would never call that pizza good. My wife and I ordered off the menu, I had the gnocchi stuffed with asiago in red sauce...what I got looked like no gnocchi I have ever eaten, they looked more like mini ravioli, and if that was asiago cheese then it is the most boring asiago I have ever tasted. My wife ordered the chicken in cream sauce with linguine and mushrooms...well the linguine was cooked well over, the chicken tasted as if it had been microwaved. The cream sauce was good though once salt and parmesan cheese was added. The salad tasted fresh...fresh out of a bag. The soups were minestrone based and the oil and grease that stayed on top even after stirring in might well be the solution to our fuel issues..... The server reached through my wife on two different occasions to remove the oregano and cheese as well as plates from the table while we were still EATING! The best part of the meal were the garlic cheese rolls that were free and offered to us if we wanted more...we went through two baskets. Upon paying for the meal I was waiting to be asked how the meal was and it was almost as if they knew what I was going to say and dared not ask.... There are other issues but I will let the meal represent this review and make no further comments.
(1)Zack G.
The pizza literally tastes like nothing....I've really never had pizza that tasted like nothing! It didn't taste bad, it was just bland at full force. It was so odd!!! Wouldn't recommend coming here even if it's only $10.
(2)P M.
Manager was rude, complained to us about how we changed our order due to food allergies. Decor is awful and food quality poor. This restaurant really should close its doors so a real business can move in.
(1)Jim R.
This place has to be the worst i have ever been to. The waitress was like mentally challenged. She actually wanted me to tell her what time she should bring out food. Then she told me that if the table next to me gets seated then she would be screwed. The place wasn't even that busy. The food taste like crap. i have been going to this place for years and i just made it my last time.
(1)King K.
the $10 1 topping thin crust is the best value for pizza in the area. The Pizza is the best thin crust I've had in the area. Much better than Papa Saverios in the same complex. The interior seems nice- its a sit down resteraunt and the female owner can be a hag if you don't have the coupon for the $10 Pizza.
(4)Paul N.
This place is awful in so many areas: The seating (esp. the booths) are uncomfortable, the weekend staff reminds me of a "greasy spoon" instead of an actual restaurant, The food is so unbelievably bad; it would take real effort to screw up spaghetti that bad....ugh! In their defense, I guess the head chef is off-duty on weekends. So I guess what I am saying is avoid this place on weekends.
(1)Molly R.
Ever since Pizza Cottage in Roselle closed (wipes a tear), this has been the go-to pizza place for lots of people. I have been here quite a few times while in the 'burbs, and I have never been disappointed! First plus is that it never gets terribly crowded, and the staff is very friendly. The biggest draw, of course, is their pizza, especially their thin crust! It's delicious: just the right amount of sauce and cheese, and never, ever oily. Their garlic bread and calamari are also first rate. Their menu is pretty extensive as far as Italian delights, and if I weren't such a pizzavore I might actually try some. I also love their random Christmas decorations here and there in the dining room. Only adds to the charm!
(4)Scott H.
I've held two party at Riccardo's and couldn't have been happier with the food and service. I had my son's baptism and my father's birthday. The service was great!! And the pizza and rolls....people are still talking about how good the pizza and rolls were!
(5)Caryn A.
Great food and novel specials are the norm - The owners are terrific and so friendly you fell like you are dining with your family - Katy always has my special talapia francheze ready for me even if it is not on the menu that day - we have had several family parties there and they always take excellent care of us -
(5)Kate J.
My husband and I finally went to Ricarrdo's last night after years of saying we were going to try it. We were very happy with the food and atmosphere. I had the baked most and asked for Ricotta cheese and they had no problem with the request. My husband had the meat ravioli and he loved it. He also had the mussels and thought they were great. He was not a big fan of the pasta fagiol but I thought the Minestrone was excellent Server was so so but the owner Katie made up for it. Very nice and welcoming. We will definately be going back!
(4)Shirley T.
We ate in once years ago and the pasta was ok salad was good, garlic rolls really good did take out pizza and salad this week and the pizza was really good, not skimpy on the cheese, sauce was really good. salad and garlic rolls still good i plan to get pizza from here more often had the thin crust and the sauce was perfect - not too thick and not too spiced - perfect
(4)Elly M.
Good place to eat. They have a lot of coupons and the food tastes good.
(5)Cheryl R.
Had the lasagna that was mostly ricotta cheese, dry & grainy. Cream of Broccoli soup was good. My husband's cannelloni was okay but he felt the marinara was good but not enough.
(2)Stacey D.
I think this place is fair. 3 stars is more than I thought I'd rate. I used to really dislike this restaurant. I went to a party here, and the food was actually pretty good. (What the hostess orderd all kind of tasted the same, but I'm sure it's because she chose lasagna, baked mostaccioli, and pizza. All too similar.) Anyway -- the food was good. Salad was an iceberg lettuce in very large pieces (which is a pet peeve of mine), and had some sort of house italian. I didn't much care for it, tasted too packaged for me. My husband loves their pizza, I think it's just ok. Beer is good, service is good. Prices are fair. Not outstanding food, it's like a Greek restaurant (you know the one -- where you can get a turkey dinner, pancakes, or sundaes and a small glass of wine), but with Americanized Italian food.
(3)David C.
I haven't been to Riccardo's in years. I used to go there when I was a kid and my parents would bring us for pizza. It's nice to see after all these years that this business is still serving the community and hasn't sold out to the national chains. The inside of the restaurant is still the same as I remember with the flying angel babies with pizza and beer mugs in their hands. The reason I returned to my childhood pizza place was because of a coupon we heard about online, offering a buy one entree, get one free good until Feb. 2012. So we found said coupon and headed out to Riccardo's. The menu items were priced well and they had awesome drink specials. (Sun - Mon $1.50 domestic drafts) We had the Bruschetta as an App. and put in our orders (Chicken Parm for me and my g/f had the Schrimp Scampi.) Everything came out quick and hot. Even the plates were hot to the touch and very tasty. The service was nice, as they offered water refills right away and took away used dishes quick. The server even told us to grab a take out menu because it features more coupons. How cool is that? No real complaints here as we will return in the future (and more frequently).
(4)Renato P.
This place has a decent looking dining room , good sized. We ordered lunch , decent selection , decent prices. The minestrone soup was pretty good , the wife got the asparagus soup , she liked it.The Calamari was crispy and delicious , it came with cocktail sauce , which I wasn't expecting , not a big fan of calamari with cocktail sauce.It was so good I ate it plain. Got the boneless buffalo chicken wings , not great , I prefer them with the bones. My son got the pizza , ate it all , I didn't get to try any. I ordered the chicken vesuvio, it was a boneless breast (I prefer the bone in and the skin on for vesuvio) , it was decent, I liked it. The potatos weren't crisp enough, not soggy though , just not crisp enough. I will try to hit this place up again when I'm in the area.
(4)Happiness L.
This place is just ok. The service and staff are friendly and the place is clean. The food is just so so. Had soup, chicken/sausage cacciatore, and tiramisu that needed a flavor enhancement. If I go again I will try the pizza.
(3)Bens M.
Just ordered pizza from here and both of them were under cooked. Horrible! You'd expect such a big place to put some quality into making a pizza. Never again. Waste of money.
(1)Scott D.
I remember eating at Riccardo's Restaurant about 10 years ago. After eating their Shrimp, Linguini & Broccoli dish this past week, I realized why I haven't been back in about 10 years. This dish was swimming in a greasy "sauce". Maybe it was too much olive oil or butter. I don't know what it was. And I was too afraid to figure it out (you can only do so much in the name of Yelp). The shrimp tasted okay. And that was the only item I eat. The rest of the dish which consisted of broccoli and linguini noodles did not taste good in my opinon.
(1)Lauren H.
The best things about this place are the garlic rolls and salad with dressing, which are FREE with your meal. That should say it all right there. Every time I have come here each person in our party is disappointed with their meal. Mostly the sauces. They have no flavor. Ravioli, bow tie chicken alfredo, meatballs, lasagna, chicken and broccoli, chicken marsala, etc. everything we've ever tried there is just lacking any taste. Unfortunately the salad and bread is loved by my niece so she always picks it when we let her choose where to go for dinner, the adults have to suffer through a meal of slow, mediocre service and no flavor. We keep trying to give it a chance but it's not just not making the cut.
(1)Sonny P.
I can only review on the pizzas and service. You are given garlic rolls upon being seated. Marinara sauce is extra, by the way. We ordered 2 large pizzas and found the pizzas to taste good. We had no issues with service either. I don't know why there are so many bad reviews but I would go back for their pizzas.
(4)Bob J.
This place is awesome! We get their coupon in the mail weekly. The pizza is great! All the Italian entrees we've ordered were off the charts. This place has the recipes tuned up. Now combine that with 2 for 1 dinners or an XL pizza w/2 topping for $13 out the door. We can't help but to love this place... discounts or not. Nice ambiance, good service. They get a 5 star because they are great and the competition can't match the value or quality here.
(5)Gerry X.
No slices but they make personal pizzas. Service was professional and friendly. I liked the decor (like my mom and dads sans the plastic covered upholstery.) Gift certificates available. Met the owners wife...whom I mentioned to that the service inside was awesome....it was a relaxing late lunch. I liked it.
(5)Adam D.
I was torn between three and four stars, but it feels more like a four to me. First, the pizza. It's delicious. We went with a plain, cheese pie, which was excellent. I'm a little picky about my pizza. Not overly so, but ingredient proportion is something that I notice. Too much / too little sauce, cheese, toppings, or seasoning can ruin a pizza in a hurry. Riccardo's has the perfect amount of each. They also nailed the crust, which I think is the most crucial part of the pie. The bar isn't the rowdiest place around, but it's still a good time. And they have Peroni! A few Peronis after knocking down a pizza was the perfect way to cap our evening.
(4)Susan G.
Not the best experience. We went for Sunday . We ordered lasagna, salmon dish and their Sunday Prime rib specialty. The prime rib was cooked well done. We asked for medium tare. The server apologized and had another plate made. The 2nd plate was not edible. Meat had crispy edges and was again was over cooked and not edible. My salmon was over cooked as well.. the ricotta in lasagna was rock hard. There are sooooo many exceptional restaurants in Schaumburg. Riccardos will not survive if they font improve chef service
(1)Joan H.
went there for dinner tonight. They have a large party going on tonight so we sat for almost 15 minutes without seeing a glass of water or a waitperson. we left and went elsewhere to eat. Guess they can't take care of regular customers when they have more important business.
(2)Katie S.
I really really wanted to like this place. I placed a pick up order for chick parm dinner and spaghetti with meatballs. The total was almost $25 which I thought was a lot. I went inside to pick it up and the environment was very pleasant as well as the employees. We got the food home and ick. The spaghetti was just gross. The sauce was really horrible. I ate a few bites of the spaghetti, ate the mediocre meatballs and threw the rest away. The chicken parm was ate but not in happiness. I would like to try something else from here but I am not sure its worth it since there are so many other Italian places around.
(2)Taylor M.
Riccardo's is a very homey restaurant. It is a no frills restaurant with huge portions and friendly staff. Exactly what you would expect from a family owned Italian restaurant. Two for $30 menu is a great deal! Appetizer, soup/salad, two entrees and two drinks or desserts! Once I saw this, I knew we would be doing the special. For my entree I ordered the lobster ravioli which was rich and filling, just what I was looking for! I would suggest getting the soup because the house salad is just bagged iceberg lettuce. Nothing too exciting. I have also had the cheese pizza which is good but nothing exciting.
(3)Gina C.
My husband and I have been regular diners at Riccardo's for 20 years and can honestly say neither one of us have ever had a bad meal. We usually have our Sunday meal there. The menu is extensive, the prices very fair and the portion sizes large. We always take home half our meal to eat another day. Katie and Waldo are the owners and are exceptional hosts. Both have made it a point to check on our dining experience and meals and always make us feel welcome. Their staff is friendly, fun, smart and courteous. You just can't ask any more from a good neighborhood restaurant.
(5)Kevin W.
First I would like to say is that I order pizza (thin crust) here all the time and it beats a lot of other places. Pizza is ready fast and hot and it is so easy to pick up. I always remember to grab some of their garlic rolls too, you can never go wrong with those. If you are ever in the area stop in to give this place a try. Oh they also have a bar, which is nice while waiting for your food. Whenever I'm not getting pizza from here I get the Italian style dishes!
(5)Victoria C.
Wonderfully friendly dining experience. Really good Italian food and awesome desserts. A great place to bring the family.
(4)H R.
Why two yelp profiles?! My husband picked up the food. He brought it home and It smelled fabulous. It looked super weird. The pasta with Alfredo sause was gross. It has a distinct bad flavor to it. Very much like card board? Even a simple cheese ravioli was seriously disappointing. Baked clams were no good. The best part was the minestrone soup. :( I can get the same from a can though. Nothing tasted home made or from scratch. And oddly most of it was laced with that odd flavor of card board or some thing. I wish I could my finger on exactly what the taste was. Maybe just old frozen food flavor. Like it sat in a box in a freezer a little too long? Believe it or not, this is coming from a traditional italian, but Olive garden is actually better. :( yipes!
(2)Kathy D.
Great food !! I agree- last night our server (Carolina) was terrific. As busy as it was, she was quick to refill my coffee and checked on us often Will be back soon.
(5)Cheryl B.
I want to start by saying Carolina (like the state) was the best server I've had. She was courteous and attentive. The food is great. Pizza is good. Salad dressing is good. Garlic bread yummmmmm. Pasta trilogy is good. Nothing to complain about.
(5)Barbara P.
My husband and I love this gem of a place, the food is great and the staff exceptional, Joanne treats you like family, her service and her attentiveness to every dining detail makes it a great place to dine. The portions are huge and we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. I suggest getting the salad to share with your meal. the dressing is out of this world!, not to mention the garlic rolls, YUM. We love mushrooms and the mushroom soup is THE BEST we ever had. Its clean, friendly and overall just a great place to eat and share some family time together, Great wine list also. :-) Enjoy
(5)Dan D.
Stopped in for a weeknight dinner. Looked completely different inside than I imagined (in a good way). Nice friendly service. We decided to go with the two-for-$30 menu. A lot of the entrees seemed to have cream sauces, and the pasta fagioli appeared to be cream based, as well. We tried the bruschetta for the appetizer, which was good, but we both thought it could have used a little more pepper. My wife went with the spaghetti and sausage with marinara. The sausage was very good, but she found the marinara a little bland (although she likes her some garlic). My lobster ravioli was OK, but I couldn't really find very much lobster flavor, and again, the tomato cream sauce, which was good, could have used a little more punch. One issue: we were given the two-for-$30 menu, and were fine with that. At least, we were until another couple came in, about the time we were finishing, and asked for the suburban restaurant week menu, which we weren't aware Riccardo's was participating in, and would have been nice to have known. On the whole, a positive experience. We'll probably go back if we're looking for Italian food, and sample something off of the regular menu.
(3)Dan B.
Great food. Affordable. Pizza is highly recommended
(4)Katy P.
My boyfriend and I wanted pizzas after we got back home from my first marathon downtown. We ordered the Riccardo's Special and Vegetarian specialty pizzas with a "BOGO" pizza coupon up to a $12 value. I wasn't sure if I was just so happy to have pizza in my mouth after running 26 miles, but we were both happy with the quality of the pizza. Thin crust, cheese browned and a little crispy, fair amount of toppings. We'd go there again next time we want to go pick up a pizza.
(5)Mary R.
Dinner here was wonderful. The appetizers were fresh and plentiful, in fact, all of the portion sizes were generous. I had the Parmesian Crusted Tilapia and my husband had the Pollo Alla Diablo. Both were delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive, drink refills were quickly brought without having to request them. The restaurant was clean and orderly. This is a gem of a restaurant and the owner walked around greeting the tables, some by name. I will definitely be back again.
(5)Sandra B.
HORRIBLE! WENT THERE for a baby's baptism party. The older waitress was rude - almost bit my head off when we asked for coffee. One older woman asked for decaf - she brought her the decaf, then later poured regular coffee in her cup when asked for a refil. We told her - no, she needs decaf. She said it's fine and left the table. Never asked if we all wanted more coffee - we ended up asking someone else who apologized. Guests who came late we given leftover food from other tables - even a piece of chicken that was cut in half. That leftever food was cold too. What? I truly wished I was a food inspector. Yes, okay-it was crowded and busy with parties, but hey! Never going there again. That woman should lose her job! Patrons were unable to even get to the bathrooms, it was so crowded. Food was awful-dirty dishes never removed-terrible service! I'd be embarrassed if I was hosting the party! The place should have closed their doors that evening! I hope the host got a deal on the terrible food, and awful service! Serving leftovers from another table to late guests?
(1)Tom S.
We were there last night after not having been there in, probably, 10 years. I'm in my early 50's and I think my wife and I were the youngest patrons there. I have nothing against an older crowd but I think that clientele has an effect on the food. I had the stuffed pork chops and they were incredibly plain. Very little flavor.The side of pasta came with a spice-less marinara sauce. The only reason we went there was because it was on the way to another destination which we missed because the service was so slow. It was a lesson learned. We will not be going back.
(1)Robin Z.
this place has been total CRAP for the past 5 yrs or so....the creamed soups that are RUNNY...ya they are OLD ....the sauces that are so greasy and bland ...yup old reheated CRAP...old tomato's...stale bread....most things are made ahead and just MICROWAVED....really go across the street to jewel...buy a frozen dinner....go to the bread OUTLET store.....bring it home.....RICCARDO'S TO GO...at an 1/8 of the cost
(1)Joe J.
For some reason this awful excuse for an Italian restaurant has two different tabs on yelp. I won't let you get away so easily. I will make this short and sweet (actually not so sweet). This restaurant is terrible. The food is not homemade. The pizza dough is pre-frozen. Worst of all, the prices are outrageously high. Do not eat here. Do not even look at this restaurant as you drive by unless you plan on vomiting in your mouth.
(1)Jen P.
I was just in Italy before I came to eat here, and I am Italian myself, so I know how Italian food is supposed to taste. This restaurant's food is not that great. In Italy I had an amazing dish of cannelloni, so I thought I would order it here to see how it tastes. It was nothing compared to what I had before. The filling of the cannelloni tasted terrible and there was barely any flavor. I don't think I will be back here again.
(1)Kassie S.
Don't waist your time or money. Food is bad. .The lasagna was still frozen, the pasta wasn't cooked enough. I give it 0 stars... was the first time there... should of read the yelp reviews first.. my mistake....
(1)B F.
Never again. We've eaten here plenty of times, although not the best we usually had something edible. But after this last time we went, we will NOT be back. It was just my son and I on a weeknight. There were a fair amount of patrons, but the service was decent. We ordered bruschetta....the tomatoes were mushy, the edges of the bread were burnt to a crisp and the middle of the bread was mush. Not off to a good start. My son had cream of chicken soup and I had a salad. The salad was a salad, nothing exciting one way or the other. But my son's soup was horrible. It looked and tasted like they had watered down the soup. Even after dumping excessive amounts of salt and pepper in the soup it was still inedible. Next come the entrees....I had pasta with a mix of pesto and alfredo sauce (waitress' suggestion when I was debating which one I wanted. It sounded like a good idea) and my son had some sort of chicken dish. I truly think my pasta, or at least the sauce, were microwaved because there were some really bad hot spots. My son's chicken dish had a tomato sauce that had no flavor and was really runny. Both of us tried to improve the flavor with parmesan, salt and pepper to no avail. I finally asked the waitress if they had a new chef since everything was so disappointing and different than we've had in the past. She sent the owner over and it was at that point that I was expecting to see Gordon Ramsay's camera crew since this interaction was something you'd see on Kitchen Nightmares. She comes over and questions what was wrong. I told her while it wasn't exactly terrible it was off from what we expected from them. I explained everything like I've written above and received replies such as: 'I had the bruschetta today, it was fine' 'All these people are eating the soup, no one else is complaining' 'These are the same recipes we've always used and no one complains' 'We won't be changing anything because you aren't happy' She did comp our entire check, but there is no way we'll ever go back there.
(1)D M.
Food should not be scary. The food at this place is plenty scary. They think food swimming in grease makes it taste good. They don't know what they're doing. Oh and the decor. It's a shame because in years past it was so, so good and a place we really looked forward to.
(1)Dee M.
The first night I moved to the area I was tired and hungry. My boyfriends parents took us to the nearest Italian restaurant to eat some delicious food. We all were sad when we left. This place is seriously some of the worst italian food I have ever eaten. The cheese was of bad quality, the pizza was clearly pre frozen, the sauce was watery, and the bread had a dot of garlic butter on it. The eggplant rolls had the thinnest slices of eggplant on it, it should have been named "bad mozzarella and no flavor ricotta rolls". Everything was not homemade. The cannoli was hard as a rock with chunky unsweet filling. The servers look like they never wash their clothes or they haven't received a new one in one thousand years. We asked for a manager to clear up why everything was taking so freaking long/why everything was cold but they sent over a server that had tables on the other side of the restaurant. The staff is nice and should run far far away. I really wish I never went here because I can never take those awful memories back and can never pop my Schaumburg eatery cherry ever again. P.s. A word of advice to the restaurant...your clearly fake reviews are not helping.
(1)Amanda S.
This is really terrible. I mean, I feel awful for posting a bad review but I have to be honest and face the facts. Riccardo's will always have a special place in my heart-- I remember eating here for my cousin's rehearsal dinner when I was 9 years old..over the years, my family celebrated several events at this establishment, most of which were in my younger years. I remember that I always liked the food, but no details specifically. I returned two weeks ago, for yet another baby shower and was baffled by the experience. The service was decent, a bit spotty especially considering it was a relatively small party but overall I can't complain. The waiter was polite and attentive with respect to refilling coffee and water. The decor: heinous. The bathroom needs an update like nobody's business. It's like the same color as a grape Now N Later and just seemed sort of dirty in a way that it couldn't be cleaned. Not because they don't clean it, but because it's old and just run down. The dining room itself was bizarre. It seemed as if there was residual Christmas decorations/angels scattered all over but I guess that is actually the look they're going for. Very tacky. Now the worst part: the food. I honestly could care less about the atmosphere of a place (so long as it's not filthy) if the food is where it's at!! I was so disappointed. The salad was okay, less the enormous chunks of iceberg lettuce and nasty olives. I love black olives (and green) but these just had a weird taste and it sort of ruined the salad. The rolls, well those were good, some of the best I've had at any restaurant. The pasta was awful. Not even comparable to making some with a jar of sauce at home. It was incredibly bland and tasted basically like tomato paste over overcooked penne. MEH. I was very disappointed with my experience this time. Maybe I'll be back for another family function but I most likely will not return by my own volition. I will say that they've been in business for over 20 years so they must be doing something right...I just had a hard time seeing anything positive on this visit, despite the sentimental value this establishment carries for me.
(2)Michelle F.
First of all, THANK YOU to Riccardo's for supporting my daughter's school for this fundraiser--every penny counts!! They also provide them with hot lunch a couple Fridays out of the month. My daughter always loves "Riccardo Days". So I have been here once or twice before tonight, and it has always been a pleasant experience. My group of eight of us (5 adults and 2 kids) came here tonight for the fundraiser, and we had a fabulous meal. First of all, as their rolls, it's really amazing garlic bread. These are SO good. The kids ate them all up--well, they ate what the adults couldn't steal back from them! What a nice touch! The appetizers we ordered, the bruchetta and the spinach rolls, were decent. The bruchetta was definitely better than the rolls. It was slightly odd, but we wanted to try it because it sounded different! But for our meals I got the lemon chicken, my husband ordered the spinach and peppers, and the others got some shrimp/scallop noodle dish. I loved mine--the lemon sauce and mushrooms were really good. The sausage in my husband's dish was great, too. The shrimp dishes were slightly spicy, but I heard no complaints from the others! Each meal comes with either soup or salad. I got the salad, and my husband ordered the minestrone soup. He was disappointed in it, though, because he said it came with exactly ONE noodle. Sad! Overall it was a great meal, and I know I will be back!
(4)Matt M.
I have to disclose bias. I had a roommate and dear friend that worked here for quite sometime. That being said, the pizza is ridiculously awesome for the thin crust. While there, my roommate invented "the amazing" and off-menu pizza that I suggest you order. Its like have a pizza and a spicy italian beef at the same time. You will also find an adequate supply of regulars at the bar if you are interested in rubbing elbows with central Schaumburgs townies.
(4)Mary B.
How have I not reviewed this place yet?! Well here it goes. My family has been going there since I was a wee lass. No really, for probably the last 25 years we've been going there. I can still remember my mom and dad coming in from their date nights and kissing me goodnight and them reeeeeeking of cigarette smoke and food... oh nostalgia... The restaurant has been good to us... and we to them! We've always been pleased with the service and food. I can't even remember having a bad night there in all our years going. The food has always been exceptional. I usually stick with the traditional chicken marsala or some sort of pasta. Recently, I finally branched out and had their veal marsala (after years and years of my Dad only ordering that, I decided to take the plunge). And boy was that good. It's your typical Italian food but they also have a great house salad and of course, pizza! As far as service, I've never had a bad experience. Servers, bartenders, owner. Everyone has been great. Katie, the owner, is amazing. Our family's foundation held a meeting here about 6 years ago and she couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating to our requests. It's a cozy place with a nice atmosphere. They play sweet jazz music too (Sinatra, Martin, etc... which is what I love). From a family who has been going there for the last 25 years, we all recommend YOU going! Oh and my Dad recommends the veal marsala...
(5)Delores B.
This restaurant is fabulous! Our favorite waitress is JoAnn. She is a real gem! Her service is out of this world and we always look forward to coming in and spending some time with here. We love the special, 2 for $30 menu. You share an appetizer (large portion!), get a nice boozy drink or dessert, choose from a myriad of delicious entrees, delicious salad and garlic rolls. Phew! Terrific. Every entree we have tried so far is delicious. Chicken Picatta is one of our favorites. The owner is also a very nice woman who makes our meal time very special. If I lived in Schaumburg, I would eat here every week.
(5)Ericka L.
I told him no. I told him NO, but he wanted to eat carryout from here anyway. This has got to be the worse Italian food I have ever tasted and for a restaurant to be solely dedicated to what can be absolutely delicious cuisine, I found this highly disappointing. I had the cannelloni and it was so bland that I didn't even want to attempt to waste my time seasoning it myself. That's what I paid THEM to do. My guy had the shrimp Alfredo and the Alfredo sauce looked like water. Runny and again, bland. The inside of the restaurant can only be described as 'unclean' and 'cluttered' and we will not be returning. FAIL
(1)Sue W.
Terrible food... the worst lasagna I've ever had. The ricotta was grey and crumbly, the sauce was dark and looked old. I've been here a couple of times and every time I leave I say I'll never go back. Not to mention the decor is old and very strange... weird statues and they still have some Christmas decorations around. Please don't waste your money. I really don't know how they have stayed in business so long.
(1)Chris H.
We got our drinks quickly, but then it took an hour to get our food. And we were there for lunch! We ordered pasta, not anything that should have taken that long. Only come if you've got a few hours to spare..
(1)Leslie D.
We love this pizza. We have been searching for a good take out pizza, and recently gave this a try. It's really so tasty! The crust is so thin and crisp, even the center pieces. The price is great with a coupon. We have been getting this pizza about once a week now that we tasted it. Good sauce, good flavor and quick for pick up. .
(5)Carla P.
The pizza is fantastic, just the way I like it. Crispy crust but still chewy, fresh-tasting ingredients, not over cooked. I only dined in there one time and I wasn't that impressed with the meal, so I'll just give them an OK for now. If I eat in there again and change my mind I'll update the rating. The staff were very nice and the parking is ample.
(3)John L.
I believe this so called Italian restaurant is the worst of it's kind. Quite simply, the food was very bland. We had carryout and 4 of 5 items were tasteless. The ricotta didn't seem to be seasoned at all and I didn't care for the garlic rolls which was just this soft white bread with oil.The chicken pasta was dry and tasteless. The meatballs was kind of OK but seemed to be made up of mostly filler. Please....Fogettaboutit.
(2)Ken J.
We have eaten at Riccardo's several times over the years. We went there Sept 4, 2010 for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious. The menu has a wide variety of Italian entrees. We have tried many of them and have yet to be disappointed. The decor inside has been gradually enhanced - the owners have not forgotten to put some money back into the facilities. The service has always been prompt and friendly. I know my 11 year old son enjoyed their pizza. This restaurant is a great value. The owners have always been there when we have dined in. Their attention to quality shows. We pass up many restaurants between our house and Riccardo's, and will continue to do so.
(4)Adele S.
This restaurant is located in a strip mall. the pizzaria is on the south end of the building, next to the bar. The fancier restaurant is on the north end. Food is pretty good, haven't had any problem with service. They do the family style salad w/ italian dressing and the bread sticks, like Olive Garden. I had a great pasta dish once, a special, not on the regular menu...tortellini with spinach and ricotta...nice and garlicky. Chicken marsala was very good. My husband loved the lasagna. Pizza looked great but we haven't tried it yet. We have been here many times, it's a little far but worth the drive.
(4)Adam D.
I was torn between three and four stars, but it feels more like a four to me. First, the pizza. It's delicious. We went with a plain, cheese pie, which was excellent. I'm a little picky about my pizza. Not overly so, but ingredient proportion is something that I notice. Too much / too little sauce, cheese, toppings, or seasoning can ruin a pizza in a hurry. Riccardo's has the perfect amount of each. They also nailed the crust, which I think is the most crucial part of the pie. The bar isn't the rowdiest place around, but it's still a good time. And they have Peroni! A few Peronis after knocking down a pizza was the perfect way to cap our evening.
(4)Susan G.
Not the best experience. We went for Sunday . We ordered lasagna, salmon dish and their Sunday Prime rib specialty. The prime rib was cooked well done. We asked for medium tare. The server apologized and had another plate made. The 2nd plate was not edible. Meat had crispy edges and was again was over cooked and not edible. My salmon was over cooked as well.. the ricotta in lasagna was rock hard. There are sooooo many exceptional restaurants in Schaumburg. Riccardos will not survive if they font improve chef service
(1)Joan H.
went there for dinner tonight. They have a large party going on tonight so we sat for almost 15 minutes without seeing a glass of water or a waitperson. we left and went elsewhere to eat. Guess they can't take care of regular customers when they have more important business.
(2)Katie S.
I really really wanted to like this place. I placed a pick up order for chick parm dinner and spaghetti with meatballs. The total was almost $25 which I thought was a lot. I went inside to pick it up and the environment was very pleasant as well as the employees. We got the food home and ick. The spaghetti was just gross. The sauce was really horrible. I ate a few bites of the spaghetti, ate the mediocre meatballs and threw the rest away. The chicken parm was ate but not in happiness. I would like to try something else from here but I am not sure its worth it since there are so many other Italian places around.
(2)Taylor M.
Riccardo's is a very homey restaurant. It is a no frills restaurant with huge portions and friendly staff. Exactly what you would expect from a family owned Italian restaurant. Two for $30 menu is a great deal! Appetizer, soup/salad, two entrees and two drinks or desserts! Once I saw this, I knew we would be doing the special. For my entree I ordered the lobster ravioli which was rich and filling, just what I was looking for! I would suggest getting the soup because the house salad is just bagged iceberg lettuce. Nothing too exciting. I have also had the cheese pizza which is good but nothing exciting.
(3)Gina C.
My husband and I have been regular diners at Riccardo's for 20 years and can honestly say neither one of us have ever had a bad meal. We usually have our Sunday meal there. The menu is extensive, the prices very fair and the portion sizes large. We always take home half our meal to eat another day. Katie and Waldo are the owners and are exceptional hosts. Both have made it a point to check on our dining experience and meals and always make us feel welcome. Their staff is friendly, fun, smart and courteous. You just can't ask any more from a good neighborhood restaurant.
(5)Kevin W.
First I would like to say is that I order pizza (thin crust) here all the time and it beats a lot of other places. Pizza is ready fast and hot and it is so easy to pick up. I always remember to grab some of their garlic rolls too, you can never go wrong with those. If you are ever in the area stop in to give this place a try. Oh they also have a bar, which is nice while waiting for your food. Whenever I'm not getting pizza from here I get the Italian style dishes!
(5)Victoria C.
Wonderfully friendly dining experience. Really good Italian food and awesome desserts. A great place to bring the family.
(4)H R.
Why two yelp profiles?! My husband picked up the food. He brought it home and It smelled fabulous. It looked super weird. The pasta with Alfredo sause was gross. It has a distinct bad flavor to it. Very much like card board? Even a simple cheese ravioli was seriously disappointing. Baked clams were no good. The best part was the minestrone soup. :( I can get the same from a can though. Nothing tasted home made or from scratch. And oddly most of it was laced with that odd flavor of card board or some thing. I wish I could my finger on exactly what the taste was. Maybe just old frozen food flavor. Like it sat in a box in a freezer a little too long? Believe it or not, this is coming from a traditional italian, but Olive garden is actually better. :( yipes!
(2)Kathy D.
Great food !! I agree- last night our server (Carolina) was terrific. As busy as it was, she was quick to refill my coffee and checked on us often Will be back soon.
(5)Cheryl B.
I want to start by saying Carolina (like the state) was the best server I've had. She was courteous and attentive. The food is great. Pizza is good. Salad dressing is good. Garlic bread yummmmmm. Pasta trilogy is good. Nothing to complain about.
(5)Bens M.
Just ordered pizza from here and both of them were under cooked. Horrible! You'd expect such a big place to put some quality into making a pizza. Never again. Waste of money.
(1)Scott D.
I remember eating at Riccardo's Restaurant about 10 years ago. After eating their Shrimp, Linguini & Broccoli dish this past week, I realized why I haven't been back in about 10 years. This dish was swimming in a greasy "sauce". Maybe it was too much olive oil or butter. I don't know what it was. And I was too afraid to figure it out (you can only do so much in the name of Yelp). The shrimp tasted okay. And that was the only item I eat. The rest of the dish which consisted of broccoli and linguini noodles did not taste good in my opinon.
(1)Lauren H.
The best things about this place are the garlic rolls and salad with dressing, which are FREE with your meal. That should say it all right there. Every time I have come here each person in our party is disappointed with their meal. Mostly the sauces. They have no flavor. Ravioli, bow tie chicken alfredo, meatballs, lasagna, chicken and broccoli, chicken marsala, etc. everything we've ever tried there is just lacking any taste. Unfortunately the salad and bread is loved by my niece so she always picks it when we let her choose where to go for dinner, the adults have to suffer through a meal of slow, mediocre service and no flavor. We keep trying to give it a chance but it's not just not making the cut.
(1)Sonny P.
I can only review on the pizzas and service. You are given garlic rolls upon being seated. Marinara sauce is extra, by the way. We ordered 2 large pizzas and found the pizzas to taste good. We had no issues with service either. I don't know why there are so many bad reviews but I would go back for their pizzas.
(4)Bob J.
This place is awesome! We get their coupon in the mail weekly. The pizza is great! All the Italian entrees we've ordered were off the charts. This place has the recipes tuned up. Now combine that with 2 for 1 dinners or an XL pizza w/2 topping for $13 out the door. We can't help but to love this place... discounts or not. Nice ambiance, good service. They get a 5 star because they are great and the competition can't match the value or quality here.
(5)Gerry X.
No slices but they make personal pizzas. Service was professional and friendly. I liked the decor (like my mom and dads sans the plastic covered upholstery.) Gift certificates available. Met the owners wife...whom I mentioned to that the service inside was awesome....it was a relaxing late lunch. I liked it.
(5)Barbara P.
My husband and I love this gem of a place, the food is great and the staff exceptional, Joanne treats you like family, her service and her attentiveness to every dining detail makes it a great place to dine. The portions are huge and we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. I suggest getting the salad to share with your meal. the dressing is out of this world!, not to mention the garlic rolls, YUM. We love mushrooms and the mushroom soup is THE BEST we ever had. Its clean, friendly and overall just a great place to eat and share some family time together, Great wine list also. :-) Enjoy
(5)Dan D.
Stopped in for a weeknight dinner. Looked completely different inside than I imagined (in a good way). Nice friendly service. We decided to go with the two-for-$30 menu. A lot of the entrees seemed to have cream sauces, and the pasta fagioli appeared to be cream based, as well. We tried the bruschetta for the appetizer, which was good, but we both thought it could have used a little more pepper. My wife went with the spaghetti and sausage with marinara. The sausage was very good, but she found the marinara a little bland (although she likes her some garlic). My lobster ravioli was OK, but I couldn't really find very much lobster flavor, and again, the tomato cream sauce, which was good, could have used a little more punch. One issue: we were given the two-for-$30 menu, and were fine with that. At least, we were until another couple came in, about the time we were finishing, and asked for the suburban restaurant week menu, which we weren't aware Riccardo's was participating in, and would have been nice to have known. On the whole, a positive experience. We'll probably go back if we're looking for Italian food, and sample something off of the regular menu.
(3)Dan B.
Great food. Affordable. Pizza is highly recommended
(4)Katy P.
My boyfriend and I wanted pizzas after we got back home from my first marathon downtown. We ordered the Riccardo's Special and Vegetarian specialty pizzas with a "BOGO" pizza coupon up to a $12 value. I wasn't sure if I was just so happy to have pizza in my mouth after running 26 miles, but we were both happy with the quality of the pizza. Thin crust, cheese browned and a little crispy, fair amount of toppings. We'd go there again next time we want to go pick up a pizza.
(5)Mary R.
Dinner here was wonderful. The appetizers were fresh and plentiful, in fact, all of the portion sizes were generous. I had the Parmesian Crusted Tilapia and my husband had the Pollo Alla Diablo. Both were delicious. The staff was friendly and attentive, drink refills were quickly brought without having to request them. The restaurant was clean and orderly. This is a gem of a restaurant and the owner walked around greeting the tables, some by name. I will definitely be back again.
(5)Sandra B.
HORRIBLE! WENT THERE for a baby's baptism party. The older waitress was rude - almost bit my head off when we asked for coffee. One older woman asked for decaf - she brought her the decaf, then later poured regular coffee in her cup when asked for a refil. We told her - no, she needs decaf. She said it's fine and left the table. Never asked if we all wanted more coffee - we ended up asking someone else who apologized. Guests who came late we given leftover food from other tables - even a piece of chicken that was cut in half. That leftever food was cold too. What? I truly wished I was a food inspector. Yes, okay-it was crowded and busy with parties, but hey! Never going there again. That woman should lose her job! Patrons were unable to even get to the bathrooms, it was so crowded. Food was awful-dirty dishes never removed-terrible service! I'd be embarrassed if I was hosting the party! The place should have closed their doors that evening! I hope the host got a deal on the terrible food, and awful service! Serving leftovers from another table to late guests?
(1)Tom S.
We were there last night after not having been there in, probably, 10 years. I'm in my early 50's and I think my wife and I were the youngest patrons there. I have nothing against an older crowd but I think that clientele has an effect on the food. I had the stuffed pork chops and they were incredibly plain. Very little flavor.The side of pasta came with a spice-less marinara sauce. The only reason we went there was because it was on the way to another destination which we missed because the service was so slow. It was a lesson learned. We will not be going back.
(1)Robin Z.
this place has been total CRAP for the past 5 yrs or so....the creamed soups that are RUNNY...ya they are OLD ....the sauces that are so greasy and bland ...yup old reheated CRAP...old tomato's...stale bread....most things are made ahead and just MICROWAVED....really go across the street to jewel...buy a frozen dinner....go to the bread OUTLET store.....bring it home.....RICCARDO'S TO GO...at an 1/8 of the cost
(1)B F.
Never again. We've eaten here plenty of times, although not the best we usually had something edible. But after this last time we went, we will NOT be back. It was just my son and I on a weeknight. There were a fair amount of patrons, but the service was decent. We ordered bruschetta....the tomatoes were mushy, the edges of the bread were burnt to a crisp and the middle of the bread was mush. Not off to a good start. My son had cream of chicken soup and I had a salad. The salad was a salad, nothing exciting one way or the other. But my son's soup was horrible. It looked and tasted like they had watered down the soup. Even after dumping excessive amounts of salt and pepper in the soup it was still inedible. Next come the entrees....I had pasta with a mix of pesto and alfredo sauce (waitress' suggestion when I was debating which one I wanted. It sounded like a good idea) and my son had some sort of chicken dish. I truly think my pasta, or at least the sauce, were microwaved because there were some really bad hot spots. My son's chicken dish had a tomato sauce that had no flavor and was really runny. Both of us tried to improve the flavor with parmesan, salt and pepper to no avail. I finally asked the waitress if they had a new chef since everything was so disappointing and different than we've had in the past. She sent the owner over and it was at that point that I was expecting to see Gordon Ramsay's camera crew since this interaction was something you'd see on Kitchen Nightmares. She comes over and questions what was wrong. I told her while it wasn't exactly terrible it was off from what we expected from them. I explained everything like I've written above and received replies such as: 'I had the bruschetta today, it was fine' 'All these people are eating the soup, no one else is complaining' 'These are the same recipes we've always used and no one complains' 'We won't be changing anything because you aren't happy' She did comp our entire check, but there is no way we'll ever go back there.
(1)D M.
Food should not be scary. The food at this place is plenty scary. They think food swimming in grease makes it taste good. They don't know what they're doing. Oh and the decor. It's a shame because in years past it was so, so good and a place we really looked forward to.
(1)Dee M.
The first night I moved to the area I was tired and hungry. My boyfriends parents took us to the nearest Italian restaurant to eat some delicious food. We all were sad when we left. This place is seriously some of the worst italian food I have ever eaten. The cheese was of bad quality, the pizza was clearly pre frozen, the sauce was watery, and the bread had a dot of garlic butter on it. The eggplant rolls had the thinnest slices of eggplant on it, it should have been named "bad mozzarella and no flavor ricotta rolls". Everything was not homemade. The cannoli was hard as a rock with chunky unsweet filling. The servers look like they never wash their clothes or they haven't received a new one in one thousand years. We asked for a manager to clear up why everything was taking so freaking long/why everything was cold but they sent over a server that had tables on the other side of the restaurant. The staff is nice and should run far far away. I really wish I never went here because I can never take those awful memories back and can never pop my Schaumburg eatery cherry ever again. P.s. A word of advice to the restaurant...your clearly fake reviews are not helping.
(1)Amanda S.
This is really terrible. I mean, I feel awful for posting a bad review but I have to be honest and face the facts. Riccardo's will always have a special place in my heart-- I remember eating here for my cousin's rehearsal dinner when I was 9 years old..over the years, my family celebrated several events at this establishment, most of which were in my younger years. I remember that I always liked the food, but no details specifically. I returned two weeks ago, for yet another baby shower and was baffled by the experience. The service was decent, a bit spotty especially considering it was a relatively small party but overall I can't complain. The waiter was polite and attentive with respect to refilling coffee and water. The decor: heinous. The bathroom needs an update like nobody's business. It's like the same color as a grape Now N Later and just seemed sort of dirty in a way that it couldn't be cleaned. Not because they don't clean it, but because it's old and just run down. The dining room itself was bizarre. It seemed as if there was residual Christmas decorations/angels scattered all over but I guess that is actually the look they're going for. Very tacky. Now the worst part: the food. I honestly could care less about the atmosphere of a place (so long as it's not filthy) if the food is where it's at!! I was so disappointed. The salad was okay, less the enormous chunks of iceberg lettuce and nasty olives. I love black olives (and green) but these just had a weird taste and it sort of ruined the salad. The rolls, well those were good, some of the best I've had at any restaurant. The pasta was awful. Not even comparable to making some with a jar of sauce at home. It was incredibly bland and tasted basically like tomato paste over overcooked penne. MEH. I was very disappointed with my experience this time. Maybe I'll be back for another family function but I most likely will not return by my own volition. I will say that they've been in business for over 20 years so they must be doing something right...I just had a hard time seeing anything positive on this visit, despite the sentimental value this establishment carries for me.
(2)Michelle F.
First of all, THANK YOU to Riccardo's for supporting my daughter's school for this fundraiser--every penny counts!! They also provide them with hot lunch a couple Fridays out of the month. My daughter always loves "Riccardo Days". So I have been here once or twice before tonight, and it has always been a pleasant experience. My group of eight of us (5 adults and 2 kids) came here tonight for the fundraiser, and we had a fabulous meal. First of all, as their rolls, it's really amazing garlic bread. These are SO good. The kids ate them all up--well, they ate what the adults couldn't steal back from them! What a nice touch! The appetizers we ordered, the bruchetta and the spinach rolls, were decent. The bruchetta was definitely better than the rolls. It was slightly odd, but we wanted to try it because it sounded different! But for our meals I got the lemon chicken, my husband ordered the spinach and peppers, and the others got some shrimp/scallop noodle dish. I loved mine--the lemon sauce and mushrooms were really good. The sausage in my husband's dish was great, too. The shrimp dishes were slightly spicy, but I heard no complaints from the others! Each meal comes with either soup or salad. I got the salad, and my husband ordered the minestrone soup. He was disappointed in it, though, because he said it came with exactly ONE noodle. Sad! Overall it was a great meal, and I know I will be back!
(4)Joe J.
For some reason this awful excuse for an Italian restaurant has two different tabs on yelp. I won't let you get away so easily. I will make this short and sweet (actually not so sweet). This restaurant is terrible. The food is not homemade. The pizza dough is pre-frozen. Worst of all, the prices are outrageously high. Do not eat here. Do not even look at this restaurant as you drive by unless you plan on vomiting in your mouth.
(1)Jen P.
I was just in Italy before I came to eat here, and I am Italian myself, so I know how Italian food is supposed to taste. This restaurant's food is not that great. In Italy I had an amazing dish of cannelloni, so I thought I would order it here to see how it tastes. It was nothing compared to what I had before. The filling of the cannelloni tasted terrible and there was barely any flavor. I don't think I will be back here again.
(1)Kassie S.
Don't waist your time or money. Food is bad. .The lasagna was still frozen, the pasta wasn't cooked enough. I give it 0 stars... was the first time there... should of read the yelp reviews first.. my mistake....
(1)Matt M.
I have to disclose bias. I had a roommate and dear friend that worked here for quite sometime. That being said, the pizza is ridiculously awesome for the thin crust. While there, my roommate invented "the amazing" and off-menu pizza that I suggest you order. Its like have a pizza and a spicy italian beef at the same time. You will also find an adequate supply of regulars at the bar if you are interested in rubbing elbows with central Schaumburgs townies.
(4)Mary B.
How have I not reviewed this place yet?! Well here it goes. My family has been going there since I was a wee lass. No really, for probably the last 25 years we've been going there. I can still remember my mom and dad coming in from their date nights and kissing me goodnight and them reeeeeeking of cigarette smoke and food... oh nostalgia... The restaurant has been good to us... and we to them! We've always been pleased with the service and food. I can't even remember having a bad night there in all our years going. The food has always been exceptional. I usually stick with the traditional chicken marsala or some sort of pasta. Recently, I finally branched out and had their veal marsala (after years and years of my Dad only ordering that, I decided to take the plunge). And boy was that good. It's your typical Italian food but they also have a great house salad and of course, pizza! As far as service, I've never had a bad experience. Servers, bartenders, owner. Everyone has been great. Katie, the owner, is amazing. Our family's foundation held a meeting here about 6 years ago and she couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating to our requests. It's a cozy place with a nice atmosphere. They play sweet jazz music too (Sinatra, Martin, etc... which is what I love). From a family who has been going there for the last 25 years, we all recommend YOU going! Oh and my Dad recommends the veal marsala...
(5)Shirley T.
We ate in once years ago and the pasta was ok salad was good, garlic rolls really good did take out pizza and salad this week and the pizza was really good, not skimpy on the cheese, sauce was really good. salad and garlic rolls still good i plan to get pizza from here more often had the thin crust and the sauce was perfect - not too thick and not too spiced - perfect
(4)Elly M.
Good place to eat. They have a lot of coupons and the food tastes good.
(5)Carla P.
The pizza is fantastic, just the way I like it. Crispy crust but still chewy, fresh-tasting ingredients, not over cooked. I only dined in there one time and I wasn't that impressed with the meal, so I'll just give them an OK for now. If I eat in there again and change my mind I'll update the rating. The staff were very nice and the parking is ample.
(3)Frank F.
Stopped by Riccardo's on a Sunday evening for something different. They were busy but not overly crowded. I was seated at a booth immediately adjacent to the hostess stand/door. After waiting 10 minutes and still not seeing a server or busboy stop by my table I got up and told the hostess I hadn't been waited on. Much to my surprise, rather than addressing me, she immediately walked to my empty table as though the answer as to why I hadn't been served could be found there. Not a word was said to me as I walked out the door, hungry and upset.
(1)John L.
I believe this so called Italian restaurant is the worst of it's kind. Quite simply, the food was very bland. We had carryout and 4 of 5 items were tasteless. The ricotta didn't seem to be seasoned at all and I didn't care for the garlic rolls which was just this soft white bread with oil.The chicken pasta was dry and tasteless. The meatballs was kind of OK but seemed to be made up of mostly filler. Please....Fogettaboutit.
(2)Maddy K.
Whenever we order pizza, this is where we get it from. The deep dish is fantastic. Lou Malnati's used to be my favorite until I had Riccardo's pizza. The food besides pizza is also good. The negatives are that it is a bit pricey and their "garlic bread" is just a roll with barely any butter. It's really dark inside too. Other than that, Riccardo's is great!
(4)B H.
Nice place. Had their $10 coup for Ital or chicken dish, soup or salad, dessert. Had ckn vesuvio, very good. Good service. Nice atmosphere. Been there before, will go back.
(4)Sue N.
Met a friend there for dinner last night. Had the fried veggie platter. Over priced with just a couple things on the plate. Thought half fell off or someone ate it on the way to the table. The fried veggies were very bland. Taste like deep fried flour. For dinner we had the pizza, also very bland. Crust tasted like day old dough. I don't think they use any seasoning in this place. I never use salt and I had to put some on to get a flavor going. Afterwords, servers hostess and the bus boy kept coming to the table wanting the bill paid. Was very rude and distracting. We weren't even sitting that long after eating. On the way out no one attempted to say good night goodbye or anything. Have no desire to come back and try again.
(1)Damon L.
Two young adults setting up a table a few tables away dropped silverware on the floor, picked it up, wiped it off with their hands, placed it back on the table for the next customers. It's Christmas Eve so I'm not sure if these kids are regular employees or just helping out for the holidays. Food took forever. The pasta just tasted off. It was watery and missing some spices. The first basket of rolls weren't fresh. The second basket was very fresh and delicious (hence, the two star review). The waitress was very nice.
(2)C H.
Okay you want Italian, good Italian, nice cozy, intimate and beautiful atmosphere, reasonably priced, nice people, excellent service and excellent food - Riccardo's is the place to go. It's in a little strip mall across from Jewels on the corner of Roselle and Irving Park Road. You can wear a nice pair of jeans and a nice shirt, feel like your right at home and again boy the food is out of this world. We always feel good when we go here. The people are as good as the food. The portions are huge. And the pizza, these folks make the best pizza anywhere around. We've gone to Riccardo's about five times and never had any complaints.
(5)Jennifer S.
We eat at Riccardo's fairly often and we carried out pizza for the first time from here earlier this week. Overall, it's a fine meal. Nothing too fancy or special. But, they have an extensive menu and you can basically always find a coupon for buy one get one or something along those lines in the local publications. Pizza the other night was pretty good. The crust was crispy, the bacon was cooked just right and there wasn't too much sauce. It was my kind of pizza. When we dine in, I try to be adventurous, but as you may know, I am a creature of habit. I usually end up with the stuffed shrimp and pasta. My husband is not a big fan of seafood and make childish comments about what the dish looks like to him. (He thinks he's pretty funny...well, he is, but don't tell him that I said that!) I'm eating it, not photographing it, so what does it really matter? :-) Anyhow, we start with some delicious, warm bread rolls. Follow up with soup or salad. And, finish with our entrees. My hubby usually does try different things - Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Spicy Red Sauce (Arriabatta?) and pasta. My only complaint is that the service is hit or miss and they have run out of the special or the soup on more than one occasion.
(3)Tiffany H.
We love Riccardo's. They are always warm and welcoming. It is such a very nice local restaurant. Arm and cozy and good food. We love their pizza especially, with giardinare and feta cheese. My husband also loves their chicken piccata and chicken Marsala!
(5)Greg L.
Ok...we've been wanting to try this place for years and we finally did, and we will NOT go back. First I need to say that the decor was pleasing and that won't be the only nice thing I say but that will be later. We ordered Pizza for the kids, an individual for our youngest and a medium thin crust pepperoni and cheese for the two older. The dough tasted frozen or stale, there was one piece of pepperoni per slice of pizza, huh? The sauce was average but it was hot...I would never call that pizza good. My wife and I ordered off the menu, I had the gnocchi stuffed with asiago in red sauce...what I got looked like no gnocchi I have ever eaten, they looked more like mini ravioli, and if that was asiago cheese then it is the most boring asiago I have ever tasted. My wife ordered the chicken in cream sauce with linguine and mushrooms...well the linguine was cooked well over, the chicken tasted as if it had been microwaved. The cream sauce was good though once salt and parmesan cheese was added. The salad tasted fresh...fresh out of a bag. The soups were minestrone based and the oil and grease that stayed on top even after stirring in might well be the solution to our fuel issues..... The server reached through my wife on two different occasions to remove the oregano and cheese as well as plates from the table while we were still EATING! The best part of the meal were the garlic cheese rolls that were free and offered to us if we wanted more...we went through two baskets. Upon paying for the meal I was waiting to be asked how the meal was and it was almost as if they knew what I was going to say and dared not ask.... There are other issues but I will let the meal represent this review and make no further comments.
(1)Zack G.
The pizza literally tastes like nothing....I've really never had pizza that tasted like nothing! It didn't taste bad, it was just bland at full force. It was so odd!!! Wouldn't recommend coming here even if it's only $10.
(2)P M.
Manager was rude, complained to us about how we changed our order due to food allergies. Decor is awful and food quality poor. This restaurant really should close its doors so a real business can move in.
(1)Jim R.
This place has to be the worst i have ever been to. The waitress was like mentally challenged. She actually wanted me to tell her what time she should bring out food. Then she told me that if the table next to me gets seated then she would be screwed. The place wasn't even that busy. The food taste like crap. i have been going to this place for years and i just made it my last time.
(1)King K.
the $10 1 topping thin crust is the best value for pizza in the area. The Pizza is the best thin crust I've had in the area. Much better than Papa Saverios in the same complex. The interior seems nice- its a sit down resteraunt and the female owner can be a hag if you don't have the coupon for the $10 Pizza.
(4)Johnny B.
Pass by this restaurant and decided to take my friend there on a Sat night. Was there many moons ago and remember the Lasagna as being very good. So I/we did not have Lasagna. Set it up for 7 and of course, she was late! Lots to talk about so we brushed off the waiter 2 or 3 times. Had a ice cold beverage and finally ordered. My friend ordered Chicken Primerva. I was intrigued by a special called Fiesta platter. Now I'm thinking, this is a Italian joint. A " Fiesta" platter? Well the waiter said "Excellent choice". That got the honey pissed!. It was a combo of Spinach filled ravioli, Pasta, and great tortelinni. Great sauce topping it all. Meatless too! A veggie in the making? NOT! Soup or salad comes with the entree. Pasta Fasoul! GREAT! Can't comment on the pizza, but there were 6 pick-ups in the 10 minutes I was waiting. They had a good crowd for the week after NYE. Would definitely return. Johnny Chitown
(4)Kate J.
My husband and I finally went to Ricarrdo's last night after years of saying we were going to try it. We were very happy with the food and atmosphere. I had the baked most and asked for Ricotta cheese and they had no problem with the request. My husband had the meat ravioli and he loved it. He also had the mussels and thought they were great. He was not a big fan of the pasta fagiol but I thought the Minestrone was excellent Server was so so but the owner Katie made up for it. Very nice and welcoming. We will definately be going back!
(4)Cheryl R.
Had the lasagna that was mostly ricotta cheese, dry & grainy. Cream of Broccoli soup was good. My husband's cannelloni was okay but he felt the marinara was good but not enough.
(2)Stacey D.
I think this place is fair. 3 stars is more than I thought I'd rate. I used to really dislike this restaurant. I went to a party here, and the food was actually pretty good. (What the hostess orderd all kind of tasted the same, but I'm sure it's because she chose lasagna, baked mostaccioli, and pizza. All too similar.) Anyway -- the food was good. Salad was an iceberg lettuce in very large pieces (which is a pet peeve of mine), and had some sort of house italian. I didn't much care for it, tasted too packaged for me. My husband loves their pizza, I think it's just ok. Beer is good, service is good. Prices are fair. Not outstanding food, it's like a Greek restaurant (you know the one -- where you can get a turkey dinner, pancakes, or sundaes and a small glass of wine), but with Americanized Italian food.
(3)David C.
I haven't been to Riccardo's in years. I used to go there when I was a kid and my parents would bring us for pizza. It's nice to see after all these years that this business is still serving the community and hasn't sold out to the national chains. The inside of the restaurant is still the same as I remember with the flying angel babies with pizza and beer mugs in their hands. The reason I returned to my childhood pizza place was because of a coupon we heard about online, offering a buy one entree, get one free good until Feb. 2012. So we found said coupon and headed out to Riccardo's. The menu items were priced well and they had awesome drink specials. (Sun - Mon $1.50 domestic drafts) We had the Bruschetta as an App. and put in our orders (Chicken Parm for me and my g/f had the Schrimp Scampi.) Everything came out quick and hot. Even the plates were hot to the touch and very tasty. The service was nice, as they offered water refills right away and took away used dishes quick. The server even told us to grab a take out menu because it features more coupons. How cool is that? No real complaints here as we will return in the future (and more frequently).
(4)lee w.
YUCK !! Horrible..........This was the worst italian food I have ever eaten and I'm 50 years old, and the decore was almost as bad, it's more like a greek family restaurant. Nothing matches. I had the 4 cheese pasta and my girlfriend have the mushroom spinach ravioli. I was expecting something similar to the 5-cheese Ziti at Olive Garden. What I got was cooked pasta with a can of alfredo sauce poured over it. My pasta dish was so bad I had to actually send it back to the kitchen. I have never done that before in my life.. I felt so embarrassed asking our server to send it back to the kitchen. I had my girlfriend try my dish as well and she agreed it was the worst thing she ever had. The server knew it was bad because she offered a side of marinara sauce for free when I placed the order (to give it some taste). She know from experience this dish was nasty but told me "its pretty good" when I ordered it. Our server was nice and asked me if I wanted something else to eat instead. I said yes something simple please like spaghetti with meat sauce. There is no way they can screw that up right? Well I was wrong it was the worst meat sauce I have ever tasted. Literally out of a can. My girlfriend's ravioli was pretty bad as well. They brought a salad and bread before our meal which was nice but, the bread was just okay and the salad was terrible. Crappy lettuce and 2 tiny slices of tomato and italian dressing out of a bottle. This restaurant does not have a chef they have untrained cooks. The "cooks" have no culinary training whatsoever, especially in italian food. It's probably some high school kids or people who have never cooked back in the kitchen that make the food. It starts with the owner and manager. They are obviously clueless as to what italian food is, and it trickles down to the cooks they hire and their menu and their recipes. I would not eat there ever again even if it was free. I'm guessing this place is really a greek family thats trying to run an italian restaurant and suck at it. Stay far away from this place trust me it's the worst food you'll ever eat. I don't know how they have been in business so long (at least 10 years) it may be because of the pizza which they offer but I have never had and never will. YUCK !!!!
(1)Julie P.
I am really shocked this place has so many positive reviews. I have been there twice (wanted to give it a second chance) and unfortunately will not be going back in the future. The first time I went, a girlfriend and I had lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The place was nearly empty so seating was quick. We each ordered wine and an entree. The wine was decent and very inexpensive, which is a plus. However, the food was greasy and not very flavorful. My friend didn't seem to mind it so I had a few glasses of wine and tried to chalk up the taste of my meal to the kitchen having a bad day. The second time I went, my husband and I had a coupon that was expiring for a buy-one-get-one-free meal and he wanted to check it out for himself so we went for dinner on a Friday evening. Again, the wine was good and cheap (big plus since we both love to drink wine with meals) but neither of us enjoyed our food. We started with mushroom caps for an appetizer. Then we each had a salad an an entree. Nothing was fresh; everything seemed like it had been frozen and just re-heated for us. The mushrooms were soggy and the pasta dish had a ton of grease. The food really was terrible, but both times we had EXCELLENT service. Maybe I am an Italian food snob, but I definitely would not recommend this place.
(1)Renato P.
This place has a decent looking dining room , good sized. We ordered lunch , decent selection , decent prices. The minestrone soup was pretty good , the wife got the asparagus soup , she liked it.The Calamari was crispy and delicious , it came with cocktail sauce , which I wasn't expecting , not a big fan of calamari with cocktail sauce.It was so good I ate it plain. Got the boneless buffalo chicken wings , not great , I prefer them with the bones. My son got the pizza , ate it all , I didn't get to try any. I ordered the chicken vesuvio, it was a boneless breast (I prefer the bone in and the skin on for vesuvio) , it was decent, I liked it. The potatos weren't crisp enough, not soggy though , just not crisp enough. I will try to hit this place up again when I'm in the area.
(4)Happiness L.
This place is just ok. The service and staff are friendly and the place is clean. The food is just so so. Had soup, chicken/sausage cacciatore, and tiramisu that needed a flavor enhancement. If I go again I will try the pizza.
(3)Ken J.
We have eaten at Riccardo's several times over the years. We went there Sept 4, 2010 for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious. The menu has a wide variety of Italian entrees. We have tried many of them and have yet to be disappointed. The decor inside has been gradually enhanced - the owners have not forgotten to put some money back into the facilities. The service has always been prompt and friendly. I know my 11 year old son enjoyed their pizza. This restaurant is a great value. The owners have always been there when we have dined in. Their attention to quality shows. We pass up many restaurants between our house and Riccardo's, and will continue to do so.
(4)Adele S.
This restaurant is located in a strip mall. the pizzaria is on the south end of the building, next to the bar. The fancier restaurant is on the north end. Food is pretty good, haven't had any problem with service. They do the family style salad w/ italian dressing and the bread sticks, like Olive Garden. I had a great pasta dish once, a special, not on the regular menu...tortellini with spinach and ricotta...nice and garlicky. Chicken marsala was very good. My husband loved the lasagna. Pizza looked great but we haven't tried it yet. We have been here many times, it's a little far but worth the drive.
(4)Delores B.
This restaurant is fabulous! Our favorite waitress is JoAnn. She is a real gem! Her service is out of this world and we always look forward to coming in and spending some time with here. We love the special, 2 for $30 menu. You share an appetizer (large portion!), get a nice boozy drink or dessert, choose from a myriad of delicious entrees, delicious salad and garlic rolls. Phew! Terrific. Every entree we have tried so far is delicious. Chicken Picatta is one of our favorites. The owner is also a very nice woman who makes our meal time very special. If I lived in Schaumburg, I would eat here every week.
(5)Ericka L.
I told him no. I told him NO, but he wanted to eat carryout from here anyway. This has got to be the worse Italian food I have ever tasted and for a restaurant to be solely dedicated to what can be absolutely delicious cuisine, I found this highly disappointing. I had the cannelloni and it was so bland that I didn't even want to attempt to waste my time seasoning it myself. That's what I paid THEM to do. My guy had the shrimp Alfredo and the Alfredo sauce looked like water. Runny and again, bland. The inside of the restaurant can only be described as 'unclean' and 'cluttered' and we will not be returning. FAIL
(1)Sue W.
Terrible food... the worst lasagna I've ever had. The ricotta was grey and crumbly, the sauce was dark and looked old. I've been here a couple of times and every time I leave I say I'll never go back. Not to mention the decor is old and very strange... weird statues and they still have some Christmas decorations around. Please don't waste your money. I really don't know how they have stayed in business so long.
(1)Chris H.
We got our drinks quickly, but then it took an hour to get our food. And we were there for lunch! We ordered pasta, not anything that should have taken that long. Only come if you've got a few hours to spare..
(1)Leslie D.
We love this pizza. We have been searching for a good take out pizza, and recently gave this a try. It's really so tasty! The crust is so thin and crisp, even the center pieces. The price is great with a coupon. We have been getting this pizza about once a week now that we tasted it. Good sauce, good flavor and quick for pick up. .
(5)Molly R.
Ever since Pizza Cottage in Roselle closed (wipes a tear), this has been the go-to pizza place for lots of people. I have been here quite a few times while in the 'burbs, and I have never been disappointed! First plus is that it never gets terribly crowded, and the staff is very friendly. The biggest draw, of course, is their pizza, especially their thin crust! It's delicious: just the right amount of sauce and cheese, and never, ever oily. Their garlic bread and calamari are also first rate. Their menu is pretty extensive as far as Italian delights, and if I weren't such a pizzavore I might actually try some. I also love their random Christmas decorations here and there in the dining room. Only adds to the charm!
(4)Scott H.
I've held two party at Riccardo's and couldn't have been happier with the food and service. I had my son's baptism and my father's birthday. The service was great!! And the pizza and rolls....people are still talking about how good the pizza and rolls were!
(5)Paul N.
This place is awful in so many areas: The seating (esp. the booths) are uncomfortable, the weekend staff reminds me of a "greasy spoon" instead of an actual restaurant, The food is so unbelievably bad; it would take real effort to screw up spaghetti that bad....ugh! In their defense, I guess the head chef is off-duty on weekends. So I guess what I am saying is avoid this place on weekends.
(1)Caryn A.
Great food and novel specials are the norm - The owners are terrific and so friendly you fell like you are dining with your family - Katy always has my special talapia francheze ready for me even if it is not on the menu that day - we have had several family parties there and they always take excellent care of us -
(5)