- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Arnie Salerno's Restaurant Pizzeria
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
15 reviews for Arnie Salerno's Restaurant Pizzeria
...an odd place with a crazy cast of regulars. Food is better than average and prices are just right. Expect to have a great meal in comfortable surroundings. Pizza is outstanding - I recommend keeping the toppings simple and requesting it prepared extra thin and WELL DONE - deelish! There are excellent meal specials every night (fave is Tuesday's all you can eat spaghetti - which IS NOT Ragu on top of noodles) and bar specials like $1.50 taps and $2.00 bottles.
Just go eat there...you'll like it!
We came on Wednesday with a fellow Yelper that suggested it.. and we came back again today because it's REALLY good!!
Warning: When you walk in, the smell of smoke is pretty disturbing but give your nose some minutes to adjust and you'll be fiiiiine. It won't get in the way of your delicious meal, believe it or not.
On the first visit, service was okay but it was really great today. The food was consistently good though.
You are given bread and I love that it's sooo soft and fresh. I've been to fancy shmancy places that have terrible bread.
The calamari, as some have mentioned, is super fresh and definitely makes the Top 3 on my list of favorites.
I'm not a big fan of soup or salad, and they were super accommodating--they gave me a baked potato instead. :)
I had the lasagna on both visits because it's my favorite Italian dish and I haven't had something this good since Como Inn. I've been to a lot of Italian restaurants but I don't think I've rated any on Yelp because they haven't been memorable. I almost always order lasagna and it's always been disappointing. Not this time, I paid full price today for the lasagna. On Wednesday, it was almost 50% off for almost the same large portion. It was a great deal! I think they have meal specials Mon-Thur 6-8pm and they have drink specials every day.
After eating all that, I can't possibly fit dessert in my stomach. I want to go back and try everything else.. especially the other appetizers and the pizza, they looked SO good on the other tables!
I've been coming to Arnie's for many many years. It's a no frills neighborhood Italian family restaurant with consistently excellent grub. Depending on when you go, service can vary. Sunday afternoon? One server? You're going to experience slow service. But, the food rocks!
What I've had multiple times that is rockin': Chicken Parmasan, Linguine in white clam sauce, Pizza, Calamari, Lasagna and Stuffed Shells.
The high note of the appetizers is the calamari. I haven't had better anywhere. And please, PLEASE, I dare you to challenge me on this and send me recommendations! I'm always looking for tender non-superchewy calamari!
Pizza: Get the Dee Special. It has ricotta, spinach, tomato and onion. It's like Lasagna Pizza with that ricotta taste and texture. You can get thin crust or their doughy thicker crust (regular). We tried the thicker and it was still nice and crispy, cooked perfectly!
Why not 5 stars you ask? Service can be average, and that's fine. The food is well above average. But for Berwyn, Illinois, they charge more than nice River North restaurants. It's pricey. Drinks are pricey too. You can get a glass of house wine at almost any Chicago restaurant cheaper than at Salerno's. On the flip side, the food portions are disgustingly enormous, like Maggiano's. If you get an appetizer and one order Chicken Parmagan and split it with your date, you'll both be stuffed beyond belief.
I've been here twice as a friend of mine used to work here. Both times I ordered the lasagna. It's a very "old school" tasting lasagna. Lots of marinara sauce and a strong garlic flavor. It's exactly what I'm looking for at times and it hit the spot. I will be back with my friend for sure when I come to Berwyn for a visit
I am suprized to see the unhappy reviews. We enjoy the pizza and have enjoyed food at the restaurant. But they are getting a little high in their prices. We catered one time from there and the food was really good. Everyone loved the chicken and stuffed shells. I like the food better then LaNotte (the place next door).
Being on the other side of the alley from this Salernos, we have eaten there many times. The staff is friendly but pretty forgetful, the service is not that fast, but not painfully slow, and I like it when we can sit outside in the summer.
Now, I am picky about my pizza, and for some reason they always always always get it wrong there, so we decided that we're done with it for a while. It's disappointing to hear every time, "we messed up your order. Do you want to wait another 30 minutes for us to make you a new pizza or just take the one we made wrong?" With two little kids, I would prefer not to wait, but I'm always disappointed. The pizza they make standard has an overpowering layer of cheese that does not stick to the crust, and not enough sauce, and their sausage is too greasy.
I once ordered a margherita pizza in the very height of summer. They must've been saving the slimiest, mushiest, most tasteless winter tomato just for me, because it ended up on my pizza. I mean, c'mon! Even a summer tomato that falls off a produce truck and rolls down the highway for a few miles will be halfway decent. The tomato of doom ruined the pizza--which wasn't that great anyway!
After closing on weekend evenings, the chairs are cleared out and it turns into Arnie Salerno's Bar, a gay bar with a cowboy-themed drag show. One look at the toadlike, tuxedo-clad, Count Dracula-esque figure of Arnie Salerno on the takeout menu makes me think he wouldn't care for the idea!
They ought to keep the bar running in the daytime, too---anything to keep 'em from making pizza!
My review is for the pizza only.
I agree with what Kasey G. said about the pizza.
Cheese is just kinda there and not melded with crust. Sauce is bland and very little of it on the pzza.
I just don't care for it.
I have fond memories of Salerno's Pizza from childhood (I used to attend school up the street) and loved, absolutely loved the taste of their pizza. It's the kind of place where you get what you expect and there is nothing wrong with that. I wish more restaurants were more like that, less covert. At any rate, Salerno's is good for family and friends as well as take-out. Order it for large events and I'm sure it will be a hit.
Nota Bene: Now, I haven't had this pizza in over ten years, so don't yelp at me if it isn't as good as I remember it to be.
Been here a few times, including as part of a large group. They are a bit more expensive if you're not getting pizza, and for large groups, as long as you reserve ahead of time, they have a pretty large dining area for them. Pizza is very similar to the Roosevelt Salerno's, which shouldn't be a surprise at all as the two Salernos ran a single restaurant at one time. Overall, the food is great, but the service could be faster. Not to slight the servers, but it's because they're generally overworked.
I love Arnie and his pizza. I used to work there for a few years, and for the most part, have fond memories. I think that the majority of their food is great. Their bruschetta is the best I've had from any restaurant and their pizza is excellent also. The key is too get the thin crust Dee's special (ricotta, spinach, tomato, onion...mmmm!
Their Pizza is something else! If I could eat it everyday and not end up being 500 pounds!!! You can get it in the original Thick crust or order thin crust if you prefer. When I have friends or family come into town we Always stop for Salerno's Pizza!
"try it you'll like it"
I had carryout thick crust pizza from Salerno's today. The small pizza was over $11.00. A little pricey for a small pizza, but the ingredients were fresh, the sausage was good, and the cheese was plentiful. They got the crust right, too (crisp on the edges and bottom, without being burned or overdone). All in all, a good pizza, but a little more than I anticipated paying for lunch.
Their pizza is OK, I wouldn't recommend this place. The inside is cool and the staff is really nice.
Salerno's (the one on Grove) is a great place for pizza and beer. They offer a full authentic Italian menu, but the pizza is the best around Berwyn (including Oak Park, etc). It has a family feel and is certainly not posh, but it offers great eating in a comfortable environment. Be careful not to confuse this location with the Salerno's on Roosevelt. They are not the same and the Roosevelt store can't begin to compare.
