- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Café Lucci
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 4 pm
Mon-Thu 4 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 4 pm - 11 pm
Sun 3 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
51 reviews for Café Lucci
Review Highlights
-
"They have a great bar with an extensive wine list." In 9 reviews -
"Roasted garlic is served with your bread." In 6 reviews -
"I had the lobster ravioli, and it was absolutely delicious." In 3 reviews
Loading...
51 reviews in English
-
Review from Tricia L.
Updated - 4/9/2012 6 photos
Cafe Lucci is one of my favorite spots for dinner in the north burbs. If the hot, crusty loaf of bread served with pureed garlic (and some cold olive carrot mix that is not as great as the garlic) isn't a great start to a meal, I don't know what is.
On my last visit, I devoured a winner of a dish - the double cut porkchop. Super juicy and meaty, it was heaven on a bone! K's veal with portabella mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup got 2 thumbs up from him. This last dinner was excellent and much, much better than my previous one (just a week earlier). Everything we had had for our entrees - the veal tarragon special, pesto penne, and halibut - was salty. K and I chalked it up to maybe the B team manning the kitchen that night.
In any case, you gots to try Cafe Lucci!1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/20/2009
Cafe Lucci is a prime example of why you don't judge a book by its cover. From the outside, it… Read more »
-
-
Review from Rick C.
2/22/2012
Good italian in the suburbs. For real. We've been there twice recently after a so-so experience a few years back. It's got a goofy parking situation, but if you get past that, the food is pretty tasty.
They start you off with a loaf of bread and some yummy roasted garlic spread. Great way to start.The clear winner dish here is the parpadelle with duck ragu. The pasta is cooked very well and the ragu is delicious. Another winner for me is the rigatoni with dried ricotta. We've also had the gnocchi which was a bit salty and over cooked but not bad. We're typically too stuffed for dessert, but the banana rolls were pretty good.
It's a nice alternative to the Maggiono's and crappier mom and pop places in the burbs. We like it and will be back. -
Review from Mable Y.
Los Angeles, CA
2/10/2012
Came here for dinner an the food is amazing if you'd like a taste of genuine Italian food. The service could have been a little better because getting anyones attention was a bit difficult. The staff here are nice and the food is good.
The reason for the 3 stars? the valet; they treat your car like crap. They throw it into park before your car is even fully stopped, they tear off in the parking lot once you go in, they speed off around the block.
My suggestion? Come for the food, but park your own car. -
Review from Pedro C.
Northbrook, IL
5/14/2012
Food tastes OK, but gives you gas and diarrhea. Service is terrible and the staff arrogant. It makes for a bad dinner experience. There are many places in Chicago where you can have a much better dinner experience.
-
Review from Don F.
Skokie, IL
4/21/2012
We tried the Sea Bass and the Veal Pancetta. Both were great dishes good fresh fish and the Pancetta was very flavorful. We went on a Thursday night and it was not crowded. Sort of funny they had valet parking when the lot behind the building was very close and many places open. It looked like they had a nice bar.
-
Review from Tony P.
Chicago, IL
1/12/2012
Second visit here. First time we were blown away with the service and quality of food.
This time, all three of us were wondering if we were in the same restaurant.
Maybe an of day? -
Review from Carmie C.
Skokie, IL
9/27/2011
Yep, I love this restaurant. There must be a zillion Italian eateries in this area alone, and Cafe Lucci is always the best.
The Arifi brothers tag team of chef Augie and wine master Bobby truly have a handle on how to run a restaurant. Their staff is quick, friendly and knowledgeable about the food they serve. And of course Bobby will select the best wine for your meal. Just tell him what you are eating and poof! the perfect pairing.
Over the years I've had a lot of items on the menu & off - my recommendation is to definitely go for the daily specials, which are always spectacular. I do like that the entrees come with choice of soup or salad so I usually don't need an appetizer.
I could list all the things I've enjoyed, but it would be too long. The best thing is to go eat at CL and make your own list of delicious Italian memories. -
Review from Otto A.
Glenview, IL
3/11/2012
Been a long time, think almost 10 years, since I ate here last and that is sad as I live nearby and it is as good as I remembered. The place was packed and the staff was pushed to the limit yet still smiling and helpful. Food was terrific, wine list as full as we were when we left. Enjoyed it so much we returned a week later during the week when things were less crowded. The restaurant is a little out of place with an auto repair shop basically sharing the driveway but don't be scared off, give it a try!
-
Review from Matthew B.
Des Plaines, IL
2/25/2012
I love the food and service here. Portion sizes are pretty big, servers don't push you to buy more. Very nice dimly lit atmosphere, great for a date, easy to order. The wine list is pretty extensive as well!
-
Review from Jessica P.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2011 Seated via OpenTable
4 Stars for accommodations!!!
Super busy and noisy as I walked in. I think the manager was able to tell by the look on my face. As I walk my and my friend to our seat, the manager asked if I wanted a more quite area. My immediate answer was yes, please!!
I wanted a salad as a starter, but there were no side salads. So the manager ( I think) said he was going to throw something yummy together. Arugula and Spinach with Balsamic. My all time fave.
I had pasta with scallops. I though it was decent, nothing spectacular.
I might not return. -
Review from Brian W.
Prospect Heights, IL
5/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went to Cafe Lucci for Mother's Day. To say they were unprepared is a woeful understatement. They weren't ready for the reservation and we had to wait quite a while for a table. When we were finally seated, our party of 5 was put at a table clearly meant for 4. One of our party ended up sitting between two tables with her back nearly touching the next table. Their layout was crowded to begin with, and this made a bad situation worse. To top it all off, they were understaffed. We hardly saw our waiter. We only got drink refills after speaking to the owner. It wasn't even our waiter who came out at that time. They also have a strange parking situation where you have to valet your car.
Its kind of sad since the food was really pretty good. I enjoyed mine as did my wife. Based on the food alone, I'd give me 4 stars. However the good food just can't make up for a pretty awful dining experience. -
Review from Pierre W.
Chicago, IL
12/2/2011
Cafe Lucci..simply the best!!. The prices are reasonable. The ambiance, the service,and yes, THE FOOD!! EVERYONE on the staff makes you feel as if you're part of the family. The owner was kind enough to prepare their awesome Lobster bisque. Oh My Goodness!!! It is the best that I've had!! The bruschetta was full of flavor,and lite. Each time I've had a dish it's been very good,and you can tell that love for the food was involved in the preparation. For special occasions,for me Cafe Lucci is the place that I take my fiancee. To us,it's the best.
-
Review from Esther S.
Glenview, IL
5/30/2011
YUM! I had the half chicken meal and calamari. I loved loved loved the calamari. The half chicken was well seasoned with cracked pepper. It came with yummy minestrone soup. The price was really reasonable for what you get.
Cafe Lucci is in a weird location. I would not expect this kind of fancy-pants Italian restaurant next to coin laundry and 7-11. Still, I hear it's been there forever.
The food was great and the service was excellent. They let us be slow about our meal and brought out our food in a well-timed manner.Listed in: Chicagoland
-
Review from Lauren P.
1/13/2011
Cafe lucci is a great italian restaurant with elegant touches to their washroom and their vast collection of wine in the hallway.
Food was delicious. I can't complain about it!
The bottomless bread italian style with e.v.o.o., parmigiana, and garlic mix was delightful.
The soup was not even close to bland, the salad was freshly tossed with a homemade vinaigrette, mostacholi kept climbing on my plate, lemon chicken was not dry! woohoo, and the sausage with peppers didn't make me gag. Everything was fresh and ready to eat - family style.
Seriously, I would have given this place 5 stars if it weren't for that waiter. The service was inexcusable. If you are a waiter serving a good amount of people with a for sure 18% gratuity on your tab, you better serve well. This waiter was straight up RUDE! Who wants a waiter who throws the spoons onto the table? Who wants a waiter who makes you squish 13 people for a table that only seats 10? RIDICULOUS.
The waiters at cafe lucci need a lesson in manners.
The customer is always right damnit!
I honestly forgot his name, but beware of the service.
On the bright side, the food is wonderful! -
Review from Gary H.
Elgin, IL
11/9/2011
I gave these guys five stars. Is that because they are a five-star restaurant? At the top of the Chicago scene?
Well not exactly. If you want something on the level of Spiaggia, you have to go there. Rather, this place is a perfect example of what they are: a very good restaurant, well above average, but not a top tier kind of place.
Service? Excellent - our table of six had barely a thought about any need except to enjoy the food and the company throughout the meal. My son and I were confused for a minute about whether the waiter had heard his request for a wine list. The mere fact that two guys were craning their necks looking away from the table caused the floor manager to be at my side in an instant - what could he do for me? I didn't have time to explain because I saw the list on its way. That is attentiveness!
The very nice lobster ravioli had an excellent tarragon cream sauce - just the right flavor intensity and texture. All dishes on the table were hits - not a clinker among them - with the crowd I was with that's rare!
Looking forward to going back. -
Review from Mark F.
12/14/2010
This place is great for large of people with mixed tastes and foodie levels. I like the variety on the menu and the specials.
It's a restaurant magic trick - put it in a different language and it suddenly becomes so much more appealing and unique.
I want to give CL more stars but I had 3 issues.
1. I didn't have an option to not have my car valeted. It didn't have a cost but I like to park my car. I'm weird.
2. The food was bland. The waiter offered to change a recipe per our request but I shouldn't have to request more flavor or to add some spice.
3. Our waiter. I prefer my passive-aggressive service at Ed Debevic's, not at a nearly-pricey Italian restaurant. He just seemed so jaded to have to serve a work party of 10 people. Maybe he was upset 2 people bailed last minute. I don't care. Put on that happy face and play nice with us because we'll tell everyone how great/poor it all was.
But Mark, did you say something? Nope. And here's why -- it was a treat from our work department so I kept it to myself. No need to make a scene. I just enjoyed my paid-for chicken and sausage and drank another glass of delicious Qupe wine. :)
In other news, the wine list is surprisingly affordable. And the ambiance is a surprise, in a good way.
I'll give this place another shot and hope for someone less grumpy and I might request an extra toss of salt and pepper. -
Review from s. m. j.
Conway, AR
9/8/2011 Seated via OpenTable
We stopped here for a quiet repast on our way through Chicagoland to Wisconsin for the weekend. We made reservations via Yelp for 6 p.m., but we arrived a little early. We had to wait a little while for the host to notice us because it wasn't quite the busy dinner hour, but once we were seated we were very pleased with all aspects of our experience.
I was immediately pleased and impressed with the menu. I knew that the problem would be choosing from all the delicious options. We also looked very carefully at the specials posted on the blackboards in the dining area (it's a large restaurant, with multiple, spacious rooms, that somehow still feels intimate table-by-table). Before we chose appetizers, our attentive and personable server brought bread and garlic spread in a very generous serving to our table. I chose to start with the fois gras (Mallard duck liver sautéed with brandied cherries) and my husband had the bruschetta. I LOVED the fois gras! It was truly delicious and amazing with the fruit preparation. My husband's bruschetta was liberally garnished with diced, herbed tomatoes and large slices of mozzerella cheese. For dinner, my husband chose the fluke special, which included a healthy garnish of vegetables and a side of asparagus. I had the lobster ravioli, and it was absolutely delicious! I ate every bite, though it certainly was filling.
Sadly, my husband was suffering from a cold and so he felt that he really couldn't enjoy the food, so he wasn't sure how it compared with other restaurants. He admired the presentation, and didn't think anything was unpleasant; he just couldn't really taste what he was eating. I was completely pleased with not only the food, but also the atmosphere and the service. I told the host who came to check on us early on that I was going to order the lobster ravioli, and asked his recommendation for an Italian wine, and he suggested the Nobili del Borgo Italy Pinot Noir. It was fabulous, and it went perfectly with my entree.
We will keep this on the list of places to stop when we're in this area. There is complimentary valet parking, and it is not too far off I-294. Thanks, Cafe Lucci! You were just what we were looking for! -
Review from Rob W.
1/29/2011
Used to go here more often when I worked nearby. Always enjoyed the food and recently went back after 3 years. Happy to say it was just as enjoyable as it was before.
I ordered Chicken Rottolo, chicken breast wrapped around dried tomatoes, spinach, crab meat and some cheese. It was one of the specials that evening and lived up to that title.
And speaking of specials, Cafe Lucci constantly comes up with creative specials that augment their already delicious menu. They also have great appetizers, including some of the best fried calamari around. Excellent desserts - creme brulee to die for.
I'll definitely return soon - won't be another three years before I go back as the food here is too good. -
Review from Melissa G.
Winnetka, IL
11/27/2011
I love this place. I need to go more often! Highly recommend it!
-
Review from David W.
Arlington Heights, IL
1/3/2012
My girlfriend and I had reservations at Café Lucci on New Year's Eve. I had never been to this restaurant before, but my girlfriend had. When we were shown to our table, it was close to the door where drafts would chill us and the table was in a traffic path. We chose not to take the table and were told by the host, rather abruptly, that we would have to wait 30 to 45 minutes. We fortunately only waited 15 minutes.
Our table was nicely situated and the service was attentive without being annoying. The bread was very good as was our fried calamari appetizer. We both ordered vitello rusticana - veal with asparagus, red peppers, potatoes and mushrooms in a white wine sauce. Both of us felt that the main course tasted bland a had an odd taste. My girlfriend was not able to finish her dinner. She fell ill during the night and regurigated her entire meal. A nurse friend visited her and diagnosed her as having food poisoning. We only had two glasses of wine each with dinner. My girlfriend had visited Cafe Lucci over the years and enjoyed eating there until this experience. -
Review from h c.
Chicago, IL
9/21/2010
I've been going to this place for years, i LOVE the filet with mushrooms (Filetto all griglia)... seriously, the BEST steak i've EVER had... and i've had steaks from all over downtown, etc... and it's not even USDA Prime either... Hands down, the best!
(I think they inject this with straight butter cause it's so juicy and melts in your mouth.)
The only reason i gave it 4 stars is because of the price. This filet used to be $20 for 13oz, and that was the best deal ever! Then for some unknown reason, within a few months the price started to skyrocket, went to $23, $32, $38, and now it's $42.. and the steak was reduced by 1oz too. wtf. now, i sort of resent going there, only for special occassions i might do it... but still resent it... (just because the steak is so damn good i have to).
My girlfriend order the Chilean sea bass, she thought i was ok, but she rather have my filet tho... Her wine was pretty skimmpy too for the price.
It is more fancy than you would think, but it's Glenview, so....
place is a bit tight, but cozy. decor is nice as well.
what else..
Free valet, and you'll see nice cars in the lot too... i park myself :)
The complimentary bread with kalmata olives and veggie mix in olive oil, and a side of fresh roasted garlic is also pretty damn good.
I've also had the: POLLO PEPERONCINO, half chicken and Italian sausage roasted in a spicy olive oil, garlic and white wine sauce with sweet red peppers and spicy pepperoncini peppers
-- very good as well.
also had this: POLLO VESUVIO, half chicken roasted with garlic and olive oil, sautéed with white wine, served with peas and roasted potatoes
-- pretty good, takes a long time.
I also understand the Veal is pretty good there too.
The calamari is good, gotta have that.
I've also had the other version of the Filet there, marsala maybe, not sure, but it's NOT as good as the one with mushrooms.. .dont even bother.
overall, it's a great place, good food, but it's just a bit on the pricey side. -
Review from Paula R.
Chicago, IL
12/11/2011
Nothing in this restaurant is authentic Italian. We went in a group of four people, and nobody liked their food. All four of our plates looked very similar. My gnocci and my friend's cavatelli had the same ingredients in it (other than the pasta). Another girl wanted to know if the chef could put some fish instead of crabmeat on top of her risotto, and was told "no, it will cost you extra and will be too expensive for you!" I didn't like the wine I was served, and the waiter gave me attitude when I wanted to exchange the bottle. He did not offer any advice in choosing the wine, even after I explained specifically what kind of wine I usually like. The three desserts we ordered (spumoni, tiramisu, and creme brulee) were kind of gross, were obviously not made today... probably store-bought at the neighborhood Jewel.
I short, whoever thinks this place is an Italian eatery must be comparing it to Olive Garden or Buca di Beppo. If you like those two, but with a bigger price tag, Cafe Lucci is the place for you. I have plenty of tasteless leftovers (the portions are quite large). -
Review from Brett D.
1/22/2010
True Lesson du jour: Don't judge a book by its cover.
It's an age old lesson, but a good one indeed! I've got to agree with my gal Tricia L. down there, Cafe Lucci is certainly no Shangri La if first impressions are judged strictly on curb appeal. While the nondescript building and surrounding strip mall wasteland shout "Run! Quick! Bad suburban food inside!", the interior, bar area, friendly service and fabulous food croon "Classy! Tasty! Fabu! It's your lucky day!".
Needless to say my business lunch here was quite the pleasant surprise and one, apparently, that the rest of Glenview is all too familiar with - this place is jive jumping! Love how the owner bristles about ensuring everyone is happy and satisfied while the waitstaff is attentive and warm treating you like long, lost famiglia. Bravo!
Every morsel to cross my lips drew an ahh, ooh or smile. Loved the touch of roasted red peppers with the beautiful caprese salad as well as the complimentary starters of nummy veggies, fresh bread and roasted garlic puree. Hooray! My perfect, velvety chilean sea bass topped with balsamic plum tomatoes and fresh basil comes with the highest of recommendation, but for your carbo-loaders? The gnocchi contadina takes no prisoners! A homemade gnocchi tossed with ground Italian sausage, crispy pancetta, prosciutto di parma, shiitake mushrooms, and plum tomatoes. Ahhhh, fuggedaboutit!
Entrees of rosemary cognac roasted lamb, fra diavolo lobster tail and veal scampi pretty much solidify this Glenview locale as my new favorite place. Hmmm... judging books is just awful! Clearly this Cafe Lucci bears no relation to Susan of the same name... nothing but winners here, Baby!Listed in: Yous guys lika da pasta?
-
Review from neil c.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2008
This is one of my Grandma's favorite restaurants. This isn't my favorite Italian restaurant, but it's really good. It would be 6 stars in the bay area, at least. But in the Chicago landscape, it's probably 4.5.
Here is a list of why I like this place
* Roasted garlic is served with your bread. Why don't more places do this, it's so good!
* Solid food. It's all your typical fare, pretty much, but it's well done and delicious
* Friendly service
* Near my parents house. Well this isn't generally useful, but it's worth mentioning at least.
In short, if you are in the North Suburbs you could do a LOT worse than Cafe Lucci. -
Review from Conly D.
Glenview, IL
11/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
Was first at Cafe Lucci on 11/21/09, my wedding day. My wife and I had our reception there (just a small, intimate gathering) in the upstairs banquet room. The service, the food, the ambiance, everything was perfect.
We had most of the apps as well as everything off the menu. We allowed our guests to order their own meals. Every single person at our dinner gave it a five-star rating. Going there next weekend to celebrate our one-year.
Really looking forward to it! -
Review from Zoe H.
Chicago, IL
6/24/2010
Stopped by because of all the yelp reviews..
Great service, but the food was just okay. I ordered the broccoli fettuccine, which was pretty bland. My friend ordered the mushroom ravioli, which she seemed to enjoy, but I thought it was just okay. Pretty pricey, but I think this place is for an older crowd cause my friend and I felt out of place :P -
Review from Abe K.
Glenview, IL
10/28/2011
As a Chicago 'city guy', i was hesitant to go out with my wife on a Friday night to an Italian restaurant on Milwaukee Avenue in Glenview. Suffice to say, it was as good from start to finish as any restaurant in Little Italy or Italian Village. We will be coming back again soon!
-
Review from Steven M.
3/8/2008
What a great surprise! I work in Prospect Heights so I'm used to the the dearth of decent dining options. Anyway, I needed to take some clients out close to their hotel and this looked to be the best (and maybe only) choice.
We had a great meal and I looked like a genius for picking this place! Easy to park (free valet), attentive and friendly service and amazing food. We let the waitress pick a sampling for each course and each was better than the first. The manager (who was never far from the action) picked a bottle of wine for us which was fantastic as well.
Finally the price was more than reasonable. If you are out that way and want a great dining experience, Cafe Lucci will not disappoint. I'm giving it a five star rating because it has nothing in its league for miles around. -
Review from Yvonne Y.
7/11/2010
Lasagne, fettucine and the papardelle dishes are all ok. What's annoying is our waiter always hand the hot dishes to us and ask us to put them down.
Or when he puts the wrong dish down, he asks us to swap them or hand them back to him.
The tables are uncomfortably cramped together and babies and young children are definitely unwelcome by other guests.
Why did we pick this place? When you're stuck w/ family members who don't eat the following, Italian's pretty much the only choice left: red meat, pork, shellfish, crustacean, spicy, Asian food, Latin American food, Central American food, anything remotely "exotic" like a burrito. -
Review from Shivani G.
Brookline, MA
6/21/2009
As a visitor to Chicagoland, I am must say that I am impressed with its strip mall dining options. In this part of the country, it seems that its residents balance the perils of the Lake Effect with yummy food tucked along its four lane roads.
Cafe Lucci is one of the finer examples of an evening Italian venue. The restaurant is the picture of elegant simplicity with its decor being mainly its wine on display and white clothed tables. The wait and host staff is very attentive to both your pre-seated and seated experience. We were updated on the status of our table and the waiter engaged us in genuine, kind and jocular conversation. He was very nice to my father who is a vegetarian and who usually is greeted with perplexed looks and abrupt substitutions.
The food was prepared with great skill and simplicity. The fried calamari was light and crispy, the scampi grilled to plump perfection, and the pastas al dente and enshrouded in flavorful, fresh sauces.
I am happy that I was able to frequent such a lovely place and I hope that you will too on your next special occasion. -
Review from Abhist D.
Chicago, IL
5/9/2008
My wife and I went here for Valentine's day this past year. I read all the reviews on here first and decided this place was:
1) close by our house
2) had an extensive wine list, and
3) I kinda made reservations on the day of, so there weren't that many places for me to choose from.
Its got quite a romantic setting being that it was quiet and intimate. And the service is great, although the waiter we had was a bit short and abrupt with us.
My wife loves wine, and they have a great selection here. But the food was a bit of a disappointment to me. That's not to say that it wasn't great, but if you're the type that loves food with flavor and spice, then this is not the place to go because for me, the food was bland. But other than that, its a pretty good place. -
Review from Dodd V.
Mount Prospect, IL
1/6/2009
Cafe Lucci is easily on my top 10 lists of places to eat in the Chicagoland area. Great food, both Italian and otherwise, and a fantastic wine selection. This place takes great pride in their wine list and is very good with suggesting wines to pair up with your meal.
One of my favorite things here that most other places don't do is serve roasted garlic with bread when they put it on the table. I could almost make a meal out of that alone.
There are so many good items, that I can't begin to list my favorites. The last visit we enjoyed the baked clams, Bruscheta, Lasagna Verdi, Oregano Skirt Steak, all of which were wonderful. They are also very good about making things to order, so if you don't see what you really want on the menu, don't be afraid to ask.
I have never left this place without thinking to myself that I can't wait to come back again.
Additionally, I find Cafe Lucci to be surprisingly affordable. I took my team from work here for a holiday dinner party and not including alcohol or tip, it was just over $200 for the 5 of us. That included lots of appetizers, our meals, after dinner coffee and a couple of deserts. Very reasonable, particularly considering the quality of food and service.
Try this place and see for yourself how good it really is. -
Review from Dana M.
Chicago, IL
5/30/2009
Cafe Lucci is a nice Italian restaurant that you may easily drive by and not know it's there because it's in between some strip malls. I've heard about this place from a lot of friends but never imagined it would be such a fancy little restaurant.
I don't drink beer and ordered a white wine with my dinner and they only serve you half a glass which I didn't think was worth it at all.
My boyfriend ordered the Filetto alla griglia, a 12-oz filet mignon, which he has always raved about. I loved it too! It's extremely tender and melts in your mouth! I ordered the fresh fish of the day and at that time it was Chilean sea bass cooked with sun-dried tomatoes & asparagus. It was ok because the tomatoes were just too overpowering. I should've gotten steak too! -
Review from Ron a.
Deerfield, IL
11/21/2007
My wife and I selected Cafe Lucci to celebrate our birthdays (coincidentally, we have the same one) the day before Thanksgiving.
What made this place special was our server, a friend of the owners who has been there for years. Her attentiveness and pleasant demeanor made our evening.
However, we didn't find the food to be exceptional. We split the asparagus salad, served with Gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinegar. It was fresh and tasty, definitely worth ordering if you like asparagus.
I ordered a half order of angel hair pasta with diablo
(sp?) sauce. This was the best part of the meal. It had just enough kick and the sauce tasted home made.
The chicken with artichoke hearts, soaked in butter and served with capers, was ordinary and not very interesting. The eggplant parmesan (not on the menu), loaded with cheese, was fair, but could have been served at any Italian restaurant in Chicago.
It would have been nice if they brought us something small for our birthdays, even if only a biscotti. That may have been an oversight, as everyone there had a great attitude. If you like traditional, heavy, Italian food, you will enjoy Cafe Lucci. -
Review from Malea I.
Yorkville, IL
1/18/2009
If you are considering a visit, you just HAVE to go! This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Chicagoland area.
The food is consistently fantastic! The cream soups melt in your mouth. The entrees are always wonderful, and you HAVE to save room for desserts. Especially the Chocolate Mousse, Bananas Lucci and the Chocolate Fantasia!
And I have to rave about the service. I always feel like family when I walk in the door. -
Review from Pete J.
San Francisco, CA
5/12/2010
I love this place.
They greet you by name and treat you like you're the most important guest of the evening.
The wine selection is out of this world and Bobby is always excited to pair up one of his favorite bottles with your meal.
A perennial favorite, my family goes here at least once a month.
See you next time I'm in Glenview! -
Review from Katie C.
Northbrook, IL
10/7/2011
Oustanding food!! And a lot of different things to choose from. The service was great too. This is the best Italian restaurant that we have found in the suburbs.
-
Review from Michael C.
Niles, IL
5/19/2006
Cafe Lucci is a restaurant that uses two floors when fully busy. It's tucked away between a housing development and a car body shop, but it is a gem for great Italian food. The food is full-bodied, meaty, and you'll definitely have a "doggie bag" to take home. The atmosphere reminds me very much of the streets and cafes of Rome, and the waitstaff really is on their toes at all times. And make sure you give in to the tasty treats of dessert. You won't regret the wonderful, full feeling that also is fairly easy on your wallet/purse.
-
Review from Carla M.
Oak Forest, IL
1/1/2011
there were about 30 of us that went here for lunch. we did the whole buffet style. when you walk in the place seems very nice, cozy kind of feeling. the bathrooms were clean and pretty so that is always a plus. for the food selection we had mostacholi, sausage with peppers, and lemon chicken. the food was really good. the service however, wasn't exactly pleasant. our waiter was just really rude, and was trying to rush everything. i understand that some days you are busy and get flustered because there are a ton of us there, but really...do you need to take it out on us?
good food...wish the service was friendlier -
Review from Andrea C.
Chicago, IL
2/16/2011
Cafe Lucci is excellent, best restaurant in the sub-burbs by far!! The bread and garlic butter is very fresh and delicious. The salad and dressing was great. I had the pine nut encrusted grouper which was so good, probably one of the best fish dishes I have had out lately. The wine was great. The owner is very hands on and we were there for Valentines day and he handed roses out to all the ladies, he is very nice. The atmosphere is romantic and perfect. LOVE IT!!!!
