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Harlem (Green)
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
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I enjoy coming here. Its generally not too busy because I think they are quiet popular for take out orders.
When you walkin you see all the old photos of the family and restaurant in the old days, its a nice and cozy feel right away which I liked. And they have little take out menus right by the door so as your walking through the hall before you get up to the counter, you can get an idea of what you'd like to order.
I enjoy there food cuz its moderately priced. You do get what you paiy for in regards to portion size.
Sometimes you have to ask for the bread and its generally not warm but they arent servers so its a nice extra they do for you for no tip.
I have never been disappointed in the food selection.
I LOVE THE CANNOLI's i wouldn't say they are the best but i have a sweet tooth that can be easily satisfied.
This is a great place! I joke and call it the "Panera meets Olive Garden". It's a more upscale Italian version of Panera. Good sandwiches, pizza, pasta. It's almost like getting a full restaurant meal in an "upscale" fast food type environment. Plus, they have an outdoor patio, which is nice in the warmer weather. I think the prices are pretty fair since the food is good and places like Panera can run a little more "expensive" too. I don't think I've paid more than about $10 here. I wish there was a location closer to where I live but this is a nice place to meet with my friends from Oak Park and nearby neighborhoods in Chicago. This is a good place! I had forgotten about it, but now have a craving to go there!
I had the best customer service from here the other day! He was the cashier and I was being indecisive about which salad to get. He let me know that I can request field greens instead of romaine lettuce and if I want a different dressing I could get that too. He was just really nice and I let his manager know that I highly appreciated his great service since it's hard to get nowadays. I usually order the chopped chicken salad, but this time I ordered a grilled vegetable salad. It was really delicious! I like the actual grilled taste on the veggies. I will definitely come back to this location again and again!
I LOVE their salads! They taste so fresh. They also have pizza strudels which are studel-shaped… Read more »
Food was just ok, but the service was absolutely terrible! there was no ice in the soda fountain, no silverware, and every table was dirty, some with plates still needing to be bussed. And when we let the girl at the front know of all these she just continues to talk to her friend that was visiting. In no rush to eat here again.
Pompei has a good solid selection of Italian food. You can get pizzas, sandwiches, pastas, soups and salads. With a menu as large as theirs, you can most likely find something for everyone. The portions aren't huge for the price, but the food is always good quality.
It was ok. Big selection of items. Nothing ooohhh- ahhh. I was expecting so much more.
I'm surprised this is as highly rated as it is. I guess it's OK for what it is; a cheap, casual place to get halfway decent Italian food. It's more like upscale fast food than a real restaurant. The service is so-so, but this place is really lacking in atmosphere.I had pepperoni pizza, which was good. My partner had spinach and ricotta, which he said was really dry. He only finished about 1/3 of it - extremely unusual for him.
Funny Valentine's Day story:
Me and my boyfriend went to this place for vday thinking it was an Olive Garden type restaurant. We had never been to a Pompei just passed by it. So.... We decided to go and it is basically an italian fast food restaurant.
Moral of the story this is a good place for any regular day.
DO NOT take your significant other to this place on special occasions/holidays thinking it's a fancy romantical dinner type restaurant. :)
Me and my bf ended up laughing it up.
The food is good. I doubt they make it on the spot though. It tasted like it was taken out of the fridge and got warmed up.
I wanted to review Pompei because I just gave poor reviews to two other restaurants and I don't want to be overly negative.
I am pretty fussy about my Italian food since my Mom is from the old country and I have traveled there several times.
Pompei NEVER disappointed me or my fiance in the 30 or more times we have been there. It's not flashy but it is very reasonable.....always fresh.....very comfortable.....and incredibly consistent. I am talking about the Taylor St. location since that is the only one I have tried.
The menu is good solid Italian food with a large variety. My favorite is the Mediterranean salad that has green beans, yellow peppers, feta cheese, olives, etc. I usually that salad with the All-Veggie Pizza. It's a good healthy combo and will set you back far less than 20 bucks.
The service is quick and efficient....the place is really clean....the price is right and the food is really solid.....what's not to like?
It's not really a romantic date type of place but if you're jonesing for a quality Italian meal within a budget you can't go wrong here.
We ate here while condo searching a few weeks back and now that we have found a place in Oak Park, I know we will be back. My husband is especially excited that they have red cream soda. Being the pizza lovers that we are, I know we will be here often. I can't complain, because they sell it by the slice and I will be able to get my veggies which I am normally deprived of.
Charming story about the history of this bakery/restaurant and now mini chain, six locations in the Chicagoland area that started in 1909. At selected locations, full service banquet facility and/or private party space are available. This location has been open for about six months and has a warm and inviting decor.
This is based on my first outing here. I had the soup of the day, lentil with pancetta, the soup was so good especially on a day like today -- gray, dank and dreary. While I was waiting for my soup a waiter came along with a sample tray of hand rolled cheese pizza, crispy crust with lots of gooey cheese which was very good -- what a nice touch!
Can't wait to go back to try other items on the menu (baked minestrone has my name on it!) which includes appetizers, soups, sides, salads, handrolled pizza, pizza strudel, stuffed pizza, Italian sandwiches, and pasta (made fresh daily). Prices are good and portions are large.
Located at the SW corner of Harlem and Lake.
This was a rare occasion in which I was glad to see its local predecessor clear out (Pronto Roma, a place I tolerated for the sake of satisfying the cravings of work friends I joined for lunch) and the expanding chain move in.
Comparing it to Pronto Roma, the food is a vast improvement. There's a lot to choose from, it will satisfy dieters, vegetarians and the psychotically hungry. The staff are much better too. I've eaten at the Oakbrook restaurant a few times and this location is much smaller and more appealing, so if I come back, it will be to Harlem/Lake.
The other day I had the chicken ravioli with lemonade to drink - it ran me $11-12 for carry-out. It was tasty but you can get better quality italian for a little less at Mancini's just east of here.
Best friend Baby and I had our date after school at Pompei. We had eaten at this location once before, but I had forgotten to yelp about it.
The food here is a great healthy alternative to fast food and other options in the area. I love their variety, and the service here is impeccable.
The cashier on duty seriously has got to be one of the nicest and friendliest that I have ever encountered. She and my little one hit it off like old friends and she was sweet enough to check on whether he was happy with what he had chosen later during our meal. Our actual server was a saint. BFB wanted to eat outside, and changed his mind because it became chilly. Our server had absolutely no issue with that and assisted in bringing all of our food inside. I had also ordered a poorboy to go for my hubby's lunch the next day. They actually timed our meal and brought it foil wrapped piping hot for when we were ready to leave!
Portions are large. The cashier was caring enough to recommend that we order half portions, and she was dead on. We couldn't even finish those!
I love their heart healthy pizza...no sauce, just spinach and mushrooms, their fruit salad, chocolate cake, calamari, and assorted salads.
I do not care for their chicken Alfredo...too bland or their meatballs. I'm a purist when it comes to Italian meatballs and these were too dry, flavorless, and the consistency was off. It tasted more like an overcooked hamburger.
I almost forgot I just went to this place about a week ago.
I must say I was impressed... the decor is nice, friendly service, and I didn't think the prices were that bad. Our food arrived fairly quickly after placing the order.
The food was good.. .the ceasar salad could have been a little better, but not bad.
When we were there, there was a girl walking around with cheesecake samples... very nice.
You always run that risk having never eaten at some place. Our flight was leaving in 4 hours though and the alternatives were overpriced and universally substandard chow at O'Hare or a long flight home on an empty stomach thanks to the airlines not even serving peanuts (thanks American). So that particular risk I am talking about is over-ordering. Wow. This was a lot more food than I was expecting. Thankfully my son was hungry too and helped with one of my two slices of pizza and some of the cheesy garlic bread. I also had a salad, . . . and yes, red cream soda . . . and subsequently no room for dessert. That all did the trick though. Loved the family history in the hallway to the back door.
I like Pompei a lot - but I was particularly impressed with the Pompei in River Forest -
the food is always good: pastas (cavatelli is deelish), soups could be a little better, salads are great - and it's a great place to go with kids.
I met friends with their kids at this River Forest location and parking is bitch in that plaza - but if you are in the area and hungry - definitely stop in - the service is so awesome.
Looks like the workers actually like their job - friendly faces, helpful - and one of the girls came by our table to offer free tasting of their brownies - and she was generous with the brownies - given that there were a bunch of kids.
It was nice... amazing what a little attention to detail and customer service will do.
I just don't get people's love for this place. The food is fair, the line to order huge. If they had more cashiers it would improve the wait considerably.
the first time I went, I ordered a meatball sandwich and received a meatball in a bowl. No bread. The last time, we ordered cheesecake and after a loooong wait found out they had forgotten to bring it. To make up for that... they gave us raspberry sauce for a topping. Gee thanks. Like that makes up for a 20 minute wait for something that's premade.
Fantastic fast-food Italian. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the huge display case full of most of the menu's items gave us a good idea of the size and deliciousness of the dish we were about to order.
We ordered two stuffed sandwiches (Chicken Parmesan and BBQ Beef) and shared a side of Italian fries for only $13. The Italian fries, by the way, are basically freshly fried potato chips, cut just a bit thicker than your average Lay's.
Located in the heart of downtown Oak Park, Pompei makes a great stop during an afternoon of shopping.
P.S. Very clean bathrooms!
Delicious and affordable. The whole family loved it!
1. they have RED cream soda. a rarity indeed.
2. best marinara sauce EVER.
3. their pizza=mmm....
4. food is always piping hot.
5. staff is friendly and courteous.
i could probably eat here everyday and it would never get old.
Customer service sucked! Melissa B. server #42 she did acknowledge the lady in front of us she was helping pick out sandwiches and whatever but then me and my Mom were standing at the same counter AND KNEW WHAT WE WANTED! As the cashier proceeded to fill the refridgerator with pop and juice just pissed me off, then had the nerve to ask if we knew what we wanted to " c'mon here and order!" How ignorant! We were there for the first time and I did not cop an attitude but this person was just a WANKER! Also my Mom didn't get the hot peppers on her eggplant sandwich which by the way we did pay for. I will never ever go to any pompei ever again! Sorry Uncle Fonzy tradition hasn't been kept up!
I'm a fan of the turkey stuffing sandwich and the chicken wrap with roasted red tomatoes and artichokes (though you only get a few chunks of chicken). the service can be kind of slow so I don't recommend this place if you're in a hurry. I've only had one pasta dish and it was pretty good. This place is great for "I don't know what I want to eat" moments because it's not too pricey and you don't feel so bad about eating it (like most fast food)
Another local fave!!!Really enjoy the salads and the huge selection of daily special pizzas. The baked Minestrone is great too!Great fresh food that is not typical of chain restaurants.We go at least once a month and try something different,even though it is tempting to stick with a MeleVerde salad and a slice of the fresh tomato or four cheese pizza!Good stuff that does not cost a fortune.
What would you call someplace that isn't fast food but not really a restaurant? Well I'm not sure exactly, but the food here really wasn't that bad... and they certainly have a lot to choose from. I had the chicken ravioli which had a nice flavor and everything came out fast too, which was a plus since we were trying to make an appointment. I'd go back for sure.
This place is really good. I normally go take-out, and get many of their great pastas. There pizzas can be skipped, they're nothing special. The marinara sauce is AMAZING! (The only reason its 4 stars instead of 3 is this sauce) but there are plenty of better Italian places around)
Great little restaurant! Lots to choose from and nice that you can see all the food before you order it. I had the butternut squash ravioli and the mele verde salad. Both were pretty good for the price.
I've been going to Pompei ever since it was over by Loomis, the original location. Of all the locations, this place sucks, big time. So bad that I live in Oak Park and would rather drive to the locations on Taylor or Oak Brook.
The customer service is horrible and the food tastes like it's been sitting in the fridge for days. The last time I was there it took 20 minutes before the busboy noticed that my food hadn't arrived. I wouldn't go back to this location and if I could I'd give them -5 stars. They definitely need to get some original family members over to this location to straighten this place out.
Never been to this place, but have always wondered! I was very happy! The display case was stocked with amazing goodies, from pasta, pizza, salads, soups, and anything Italian you could wish for. Service was very friendly and fast. They also bring out this amazing foccacia bread with free refills! I can't wait to check out the Taylor Street location!
I've only been to Pompei for lunch, and generally, the food is pretty tasty, but not particularly impressive. The prices aren't really that great, either, although it is River Forest/Oak Park, and I've yet to find a place to enjoy lunch for under $6. Seeing as the wait tends to get pretty ridiculous at lunch time, I don't go out of my way to get there.
Delicious Italian cooking! The food display case has all meals prepared as you would be eating them, so it's easy to know the portion sizes, and what you'll be getting before you order it. Conveniently located in the little shopping area in River Forest, we were able to browse shops and such while getting a bite to eat. Friendly staff willing to offer any assistance. Another perk is that Pompei serves good old Red Cream Soda...my favorite soda!
I don't understand the glowing reviews for this place. I didn't have one good meal the three times I went there. Granted, the soup was good, but the pastas and sandwiches were either bland, cold, or just plain bad (barbeque sause that tastes like potent 1000 island dressing?). With more than one better italian place within waliking distance, I could not recommend Pompei.
This place is pretty good. I've had one really good pasta dish (a special with spaghetti noodles, olive oil/white wine sauce, and fresh tomatoes and mozarella) and one not-so-great salad. It was an odd cream dressing on a light apple/walnut salad, so a bit of an odd mix. Great cheese bread and soups.
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