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Unexpected. Casual, fast, inexpensive Italian? Why didn't someone think of this sooner? The menu and food are truly Legit Italian, but the atmosphere is unlike the standard Italian restaurant (formal, romantic, Sinatra, etc.). It's more like a bar, which seems appropriate when you consider the fact that it is a bar (or at least used to be). Except instead of making drinks behind the bar, they make food. And they do it well, and fast, and Audioslave is playing.
This place is awesome. I'm going back. Not right now, but you know, some other time. I just got home from there, why would I go back right now? God you're so assumptive. You always do this. No, I don't bring it on myself. When did you become such a bitch? You know what, I don't think this is working out. I'm changing my Facebook status back to "single" and checking the box that says I'm looking for "random play." AND the one that says "anything I can get." Psh. Whatever.
I just recently moved and this is one place I miss the most. It was our Sunday night staple - I would always order the cappelini pomodoro (sp?) with extra mozzarella along with the mixed green salad. I've tried to order similar entrees at other restaurants, but they all disappoint and don't hold a candle to Pasta Bowl!
They have great thin crust pizza and my husband loves their chicken farfalle. I've tried a few other things - but I always go back to my usual.
The staff is very friendly and their delivery is always served hot - even if it takes 45 mins from when you order. I would definitely bring any friends here that want a cheap lunch or dinner!!
My husband, father-in-law and I ate here last night, on a Tuesday. We had driven to the area for Emilio's, which was sadly closed, so we were left to hunt for a suitable replacement in the pouring rain. Enter Pasta Bowl.
This restaurant is tiny -- it probably seats less than 30 people, and to be honest, the table layout is awkward. There are a few two tops, some high four tops, and some squished booths. The restaurant shares the building and an ajoining door with The Other Side Bar, so the small space can be a bit noisy.
I thought the food was delicious. We had the Cranberry Gorgonzola salad, a goat cheese/marinara appetizer, seafood spaghetti, fettucini alfredo, and sausage ravioli. It was half price bottles of wine night :) My father in law doesn't each much Italian, but he still found the food to be approachable, which was nice. The bill was incredibly reasonable for American-Italian in the city.
As great as the food was, our server was better - really funny, there when we needed him and gone when we didn't. However, the rest of the staff leaves something to be desired. A rude and uninterested hostess and manager (who I only interacted with when asking where to sit) made me deduct one star.
Amazing pasta good beer even better price.
I am basing this review entirely off of dining experiences that occured in 2004 to 2005. So things may have changed. But as far as I'm concerned, The Pasta Bowl is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I think this is partially because this was my first grown up staying in Chicago dining experience that struck me as awesome. A few years ago, a friend of mine lived relatively close to the restaurant, and we stopped in for a meal. I'm an Italian food enthusiast and I was wholly satisfied by my meal. I came back for the caesar salad the next day. Whatever it was I ate, it was the dish with gorgonzola, I loved it. I had it a few times since then and it always took me back.
I highly recommend The Pasta Bowl, and I plan on returning.
Service: Quick and Friendly
Price: Cheap (2 people $35 w/ tip including appetizer, two dishes, and a dessert)
Atmosphere: Surprisingly nice. This is a great place to just go grab a quick bite to eat by yourself, a group of friends, or even for a casual date.
Food/Quality: Very good and filling/plentiful.
The last time I was here was years ago!!! But I cant lie, I cant for real.....Ok I kid hehehehehe Yes I can!
But in all reality I have been getting cravings to go back to this little pasta place and have some of their creamy pasta.
Good stuff
and its not expensive either...well it wasnt back then anyway.
I will be back definitely!
great location too right on the corner of Fullerton and Clark.
Hipster infestation level: ZERO!!!!
I go to this place at LEAST once a week.. it is great. The spaghetti and meatballs are yummy, servers are always pleasant/friendly/attentive-but-not-overly so. Atmosphere is casual and I feel very comfortable here. Also the food is very reasonably priced..
Great food, good prices, good service, nice atmosphere...I'd definitely recommend the Past Bowl!
This tiny little haven is one of my favorite places to eat in the city. They have amazing gnocchi! If you are looking for some really great pasta and a glass of wine without spending a lot, this is a great place to go.
Amazing food, Awesome service, Great prices!!!
I'll be going more frequently!!
I recommend splitting a dish if you can agree on the same thing with someone. The Caesar salad was great as well, and so was the baby green salad with goat cheese.
Yummy!!!!
The food is AWESOME! I have had almost everything on the menu since I moved in this area and everything has blown me away. I would recommend Linguine Pesto / Conchigli Gorgonzola / Lobster Ravioli. The service is always excellent, this place is great!
Ok... so everyone I know goes apeshit over the Pasta Bowl. So when Sarah B suggested we meet here while waiting for The Other Side (the adjoining bar) to open, I was game.
After living around the corner for 7+ years, this was the first time I had set foot in here... and sadly, probably the last.
While I waited for Sarah I ordered a beer from a disinterested server. I was going to cut him some slack as it was the tail end of the lunch rush, but... there was hardly anyone in there. In addition to a beer, I also ordered a cheese garlic bread appetizer to tide my growling stomach over.
The cheese garlic bread with marinara was perhaps the least flavorful thing ever. The sauce was very runny and the entire thing was the very definition of "meh."
But what put the final nail in the coffin wasn't the service or the meh food... it was me witnessing not one, but two sanitation issues.
If you're going to have an open kitchen, maybe teach your staff basic sanitation. While I appreciate you handling my food with gloves, the gloves are a moot point if I see you stick your finger in sauce, lick it off, then touch food. Gross!
Then while we were next door at the adjoining bar, The Other Side, one of the Pasta Bowl busboys was standing in the doorway that connects the two picking at a scab on his arm. Out in the open. In front of customers.
Did your stomach just turn? Mine did. Again.
Came here for a late lunch with the BF and little sis and the place was pretty empty on a Sunday afternoon (the bar on the other side was packed with people watching a cubs game and a sox game). However, this meant that our entrees came out really quick!
We ordered the lunch special which was a pasta (chicken farfelle with plum tomatoes, peas with marinara sauce) plus either their soup of the day (spinach artichoke) or salad. We had the soup and it was pretty good but we used it more like a dip with the bread we got with the soup and our pasta entrees. The lunch special pasta was ok - actually there was nothing special about it.
We also ordered the angel hair pasta with clams, which I thought was pretty good. The flavor was very light which I was craving for today but typically I like things with a stronger flavor so I might not like it the next time i come. We also tried the mac and cheese which was also pretty good - it came with broccoli mixed in and toasted bread crumbs on top.
Overall I think the pasta is pretty good here but nothing too special. The portions are good and the prices are reasonable. They also have salads and sandwiches here so don't think its just pasta. The menu isn't too extensive though and I wish there was a create your own pasta option....
I'll be going back to pasta bowl randomly since theres not too many decently priced pasta places around the city but its not a place I would have a mad craving for.
This place is exactly what you would expect; cheap, fast, delicious Italian food. FYI - they have a daily lunch special ($7.00) for a large portion of pasta or sandwich and includes a drink (dine in or carry out.)
Fast Italian served with a smile. Check it out sometime.
The food here is wonderful and cheap! Most of the time I go here Jeff is my server and he is always attentive and friendly. Jonathan is another server that has waited on me many times and is always wonderful. I can't recommend The Past Bowl enough. It's great!
It is with good reason Pasta Bowl rates their Farfalle Pollo as the customer favorite. It is as good as it is simple and straightforward.
This bowtie pasta comes with grilled chicken, sun dried and fresh tomatoes, mushrooms and basil in a tomato cream sauce. It's a dish that's probably been done at a million other Italian restaurants, but Pasta Bowl totally gets it right; near perfection.
Outside of that, a great spinach salad and Grilled Chicken sandwich too ...the chicken has an amazing wood grilled flavor to it.
I like this place. It's very charming and cozy. You can sit at the bar and watch the cooks make the pasta, or you can sit at the other high top tables. The food is very reasonably priced, so if you're looking for a casual but not slumming it meal in Lincoln Park, The Pasta Bowl is a good pick. I love their capellini pomodoro-- angel hair pasta, marinara, lots of fresh basil, and chunks of melty mozzerella. Mmmm. So simple, so good. Sometimes I add in meatballs, which are well-seasoned and filling. I also recommend their soups, particularly the potato. I've tried several of their pastas with cream sauces and I just can't do it. I am a comfort and rich food fiend, but it's just too much. So I'll stick with my cappelini pomodoro and potato soup. :)
Snob free zone, not a place for refined tastes and don't expect your server to fold your napkin for you whilst you retire to the latrine.
Anyways...
I really do enjoy this spot, good service and great food not too mention unbeatable prices. I've had the Farfalle Pollo, the Gnocchi Aurora, and what was basically the best Mac and Cheese I've ever had. Each dish has a good balance of veggies and meat (if it came with it) and just enough sauce.
And if you like mushroom, I hear the Portabella sandwich is exceptional.
Do yourself a favor and go there.
I've been wanting to go here after reading about it on Yelp about a month ago, so I was thrilled when I was with a big group in Lincoln Park yesterday and someone suggested it.
There's not much seating, especially for groups, but they were very accommodating. The waiter led us back through the restaurant and into the space next door, a bar called The Other Side. I guess it's owned by the same people--they had a separate menu, but let us order off The Pasta Bowl's menu.
I had the Pesto Linguine and thought it was very good. It was a little heavy, but the restaurant just seems like a "heavy pasta" kind of place. A few people in the group got the Farfalle Pollo and gave it rave reviews.
Service was very fast and my meal was only $7.50. I'll definitely go back, especially with budget-minded friends.
I've passed this place maybe 50 times, the sign and outside always make it look like a dump. But a friend suggested it and wow am I glad I went. Its nothing special in terms of decor or ambiance, its pretty simple but maybe thats why youre not expecting much.
I got the gnocchi aurora which was just a celebration of flavors. Its absolutely divine with a load of cheesiness. We got the baked ravioli to start off which was also delicious. Altogether the meal was like 20 dollars for a huge amount of food.
I will definitely be coming back to this great restaurant, i can't afford not to.
I'm not sure if it was the pre-sweets-a-plenty that overshadowed my meal, or if perhaps the pasta here just leaves a bit to be desired but I can't really say I was bowled over by my dishes at The Pasta Bowl.
You see, I came here following the Yelp Elite Noble Tree event where the powers that be were literally force feeding us (yeah, twist my arm why don't ya) the best treats that some of Chicago's finest bakers have to offer. It's nice being pandered to in the way I'm accustomed after all, but those bountiful bites of cheesecake, turnovers and pies really spoiled me in a way that even pasta with melty cheese and hearty marinara couldn't hold a candle to.
Sampling both the rigatoni bolognese and farfalle pollo left me nothing but underwhelmed. I adore me some pasta, but I rarely indulge in it, so when I make room in my skinny jeans for an avalanche of cream, 'shrooms, meat and carbs, I need it to be worthy. Lumpy skinny jeans are not hawt!! Both pasta dishes were generous and definitely scratched the itch that my sweet tooth couldn't reach, but wouldn't have me rushing back for seconds soon. I make a mean penne puttanesca that would put these turkeys to shame *and* can be eaten in the privacy of my own home in stretchy pants. Bonus.
Quick Tip: If you are going to dine here, you may want to sit next door... they serve the full Pasta Bowl menu at the adjacent Other Side Bar which expands your menu options by double when you combine it with their bar fare offerings. You know you've always wanted to try dunking cheese curds in your gnocchi sauce anyway, so go for it.
Needed a QUICK lunch before an event down the street. Something that carried well, was fast, and I could eat standing up with no utensils.
The Caprese panini saved the day! Had I not eaten it, I surely would've gone into a diabetic coma from consuming copious desserts and sweet alkie drinks at the party.
And then....
It was so good (and close) that in fact, we all went back for dinner (you can order from Pasta Bowl while seated at Other Side Bar). This time 'round I had the Cesear salad with chicken, but snagged more than a few bites of Amanda C's gorgeous Mac 'n Cheese with broccoli. Probably my most fav combo ever, I was sort of glad I didn't catch that on the menu, as I would've been in total carb pain for the rest of the night. Not to worry, the 5 MIller Lites took care of that, anyway....
Great service, hot 'n fast food, filling, and tasty. A great option. Lunch or dinner, or...both in the same day! :)
Ugh, my early reviews, so short and uninspired. A recent visit to the PB begs for an update!
I have been coming here for several years now, back when I could walk here (it was a long walk, but I did it many times over...I figured I could burn some of the carbs consumed on the walk home.)
The pasta never disappoints. Always hot, prepared fresh, with a fantastic special. I love it. I go in waves as to what I enjoy...first it was the cappellini pomodoro (with lovely chunks of mozzarella), then I added shrimp to that (yum!), then I started going with some pesto sauce...and now I'm onto the macaroni and cheese. Simple, delicious, and carb-heaven.
Cheap, quick, and oh-so-yummy, this place never disappoints. Now, if the 22 bus could start cooperating with me...
This is one of my favorite places to eat! The pasta (and sauces) are made fresh, fast, and very… Read more »
My roommate first introduced me to this place when we moved to LP. We were a little broke, but this place did not break the bank, even with a bottle of wine- that may have been cheap but definitely did not taste that way.
I had the tortellini with alfredo sauce and it was great. Im really picky about my alfredo sauce, but they seemed to have it down! If you're looking for a place that's not too epensive but doesn't show- you must try them!
If I had one of these where i live, I think I would be sixty pounds heavier... I had the ravioli with alfredo... you think, "basic," I guess I wasn't expecting something as good as it was. I never knew alfredo sauce could have sooo much flavor! I guess I'm just from a small town that has NO good italian restaurants (Olive Garden doesn't cut it...) When we went, Monday afternoon around 2, it was rather slow, but everything was extremely quick... I love how I got to watch the food being made from the table that we sat at...
This place is a true Lincoln Park gem. I went to DePaul and have lived in Lincoln Park for years and have always overlooked this place. In the past week, I have gone three times with different groups of people and have gotten awesome reviews from all my friends.
My go-to plate is the Spaghetti Frutti de Mare (spaghetti with clams, mussels and shrimp in white wine and marinara sauce)... for $8.50, the taste and ingredients are comparable to the $20/plate Italian places I have gone to. The food is generally amazing for such a good price, but their pasta bowls are the best thus far (hence the name, probably). I always opt for wine with my food and it is just the perfect cheap(er) night with good food and fairly good wine.
The place belongs to the neighborhood. It's usually a mix of just down-home good Chicagoans who appreciate good and well-priced food (especially around Lincoln Park)... the few times I have gone, there was always a family, infant and small child, and they don't ever seem out of place. The servers are friendly and casual, which goes well with the general atmosphere.
My next visit will probably venture into the sandwich menu... it depends. But the Farfalle Pollo and the Spaghetti Frutti de Mare are very good and I highly recommend it.
A friend asked me if I wanted to try this place for dinner a couple of weeks ago, and I never turn down an opportunity to stuff myself with pasta. It's a rule.
We were greeted and seated as soon as we walked into the place and ordered the macaroni al formaggi and the conchiglie gorgonzola to share (she's a good friend for accommodating my vegetarianism). Both dishes were quite good (I really liked the mac and cheese) and the service was really great. I forget our waiter's name but he was a total charmer, and the reason I'm giving this place four stars instead of three (which I believe the food merits).
She and I agreed that it was a good meal with a reasonable price and very generous portions, but we're not going to drive across town for it again. Parking was also a slight issue.
I want to be too much of a food snob to like Pasta Bowl, but I'm totally not. It's cheap and delicious, which is what basic Italian should be. Their linguine with white clam sauce is my favorite thing on the menu, and amazingly under $10.
i tried the farfalle pollo on the suggestion of other yelpers. it was good. very creamy. they use a lot of butter and a lot of cream. that's okay though. my friend ordered the gnocchi aurora. it had WAYYYYYYYYYYY too much cheese on it. it looked pretty good after he peeled the cheese off the top. so be warned: if you order the aurora, ask for no cheese or just a little cheese.
order the farfalle pollo; it's $7.95 and the portions are large. you could probably eat half of it and save the other half for later. (i'm on a road trip! gotta be frugal)
OMG. This place is awesome! I've been trying to find a cheap pasta place ever since I left Za's down at U of I (make your own pasta combo for $5! - you just pick out the ingredients and they cook it for you) and I think I finally found it. You know how sometimes you just get a craving for some pasta but dont want to spend $15 - this is the place to go! They have a pretty good selection and most of the pastas are less than $10. Appetizers are pretty decently priced too at $3-4 instead of the $8-10 at other restaurants.
I got the Seafood Linguine which comes with mini scallop, mini shrimps and two mussels for 8.75. My bf got the Chicken Farfalle for 7.50 (chicken with peppers and bow-tie-ish pasta). I thought my pasta was pretty good for the price but my bf thought his dish was unbelievable - better than he's had at any other restaurant. There was a good meat/seafood to pasta ratio and the pasta was cooked just right (not too hard and not too mushy). The dishes were huge so we had to home leftovers and they were still good when we reheated them a couple of hours later.
I was expecting a fast food pasta place but the ambience there was actually pretty good. They had high tables along the wall with seating for two people (very intimate), a couple of booths in the back and some seating at the counter (perfect for the lone diner). We were going to order it for take-out but decided to stay and eat instead. And then decided maybe we shouldn't have.
This review wouldve been a five star had it not been for the inattentive college-aged waiter who never refilled our drinks unless we asked (several times), never came back to ask us if we needed anything else and made us wait 15 minutes to get our check so that he could promote his new show (he was an actor?) to the couple at the table next to us. I'm sure he could see us waving our hands making the check sign and chose to completely ignore us until he was good and ready.
But based on the food and price alone, I would definitely recommend this place to pasta lovers! :)
The Pasta Bowl is the perfect combination of reasonable prices and great food. They have very generous portions and I always leave there full and happy!
My favorite dish is the fettucine alfredo. At $7.50, you can't really go wrong, plus this is the BEST fettucine alfredo that I've ever had. I'm sure I don't want to know how much butter goes into it though! When it tastes that fantastic, I know it must not be good for me!
Oh and Mondays are their lasagna nights, but get there early because they only make so much and once it's gone, that's it!
Yum! I went in tonight and made up my own order (bow tie noodles with gorgonzola blush sauce) - sooo good. Plus, Tuesday = 1/2 price bottles of wine. Cozy atmosphere, good food... definitely worth a visit!
Reasonably priced; fast and friendly service; and good, honest food.
Way better than the chain pasta/noodle shops, Pasta Bowl cooks up a dish just for you using quality ingredients. Kitchen is right there for you to see, and it's fun to watch the cooks whip up just what you ordered. Servers are informal and friendly and happy to take any special requests. Never had a bad meal here.
I visited Pasta Bowl on a Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised to see much of the menu was the same from when I frequented this place.
So why the drop in stars? First, it was too loud. The addition of the bar next door has taken away any charm this place once had. Before, it was cute, quirky but quick pasta place. Now its a place to get your carb on before (or during) the game.
Second, the table flip tents made the Pasta Bowl side seem more bar-like, less restaurant-like. Lots of beer specials listed, but where was the wine list?
Last, its time to update that wine bottle wall paper. It's faded and only in a small section to looks out of place.
Pasta Bowl needs to decide: is it a restaurant serving cheap but delicious pasta? or is it a holding pen for bar overflow?
While you may have to walk here (metered and hard to find parking), Pasta Bowl is worth it,… Read more »
I wish I could give Pasta Bowl 2.5 stars. Anyhoo, I recently ordered delivery from Pasta Bowl and got their lobster ravioli. I was so excited for this because I love lobster. I should have known. I should have known.
There were recognizable pieces of lobster in the ravioli, but it just didn't have much flavor. The sauce was too thick -- oh, and it had broken by the time it was delivered. That was odd, because I live pretty close to Pasta Bowl, it's not like it was sitting in the delivery truck for half an hour.
Seriously? I was just underwhelmed by it. That's usually how I feel about the Pasta Bowl. It's reliably mediocre. Once again, I should have known.
Finally, it's hit or miss with the staff. The delivery guys are always friendly, so we're cool. However, the woman I spoke with on the phone clearly didn't want to be talking to me. I heard several sighs as she answered my questions. I hate feeling like I'm bothering someone when I'm trying to buy something from them.
Sigh. Maybe next time I'll know. (probably not!)
I come here quite often when i'm craving pasta. It's the only place where I can get it just how I want it. I don't know of many places where you can pick your pasta and your sauce and it's a wide variety of both). I always get the same thing when I come here - tortellini with pesto sauce. MMMMMMMmmmmmm.
The place is never too crowded, I've always been seated right away. The waiter we usually get is very attentive and doesn't ever write down our orders which is fine with me since he's always right on the mark! The food is made very fast without ever comprising its deliciousness! It always happen - they bring me my plate and I think "Gee, small serving" and it is totally is NOT, must be an optical illusion because it fills me up every time. Their specials are always good too which is what my friend usually gets (they had a pasta with calamari and it was deeeeelish!) The price for its quality is surely hard to beat. \
My only complaint is the parking but that would go for any store/restaurant in the fullerton and clark area :(
Good pasta, but certainly not great. The incredibly cheap prices more than offset the mediocre food though.
I love this place, the food is so good, they have a nice selection of beers and it's a very comfortable place to grab a bite.
The Pasta Bowl is a restaurant, but connected to it via a few doorways it the bar The Otherside. You can eat on either one, but if you want a low key meal and nice conversation stick to the Pasta Bowl side.
I've never had something I didn't like and I've never brought anyone there who went away unhappy. Some of my favorites are Conchigle Gorgonzola, Clams Cappellini, Cappellini Pomodoro and the Macaroni al Fromaggi.
They do dine in, carryout and delivery serve dinner pretty late. For a yummy meal that will curb your carb cravings go to the Pasta Bowl you won't regret it!
Two words: Gnocchi Aurora. (as many Yelpers have already claimed)
Seriously, this has to be the best Italian place in the DePaul vicinity. All of the pasta is always fresh, and all of the food is always delicious. I wish they had a lunch special during the weekdays. Regardless, it's definitely all worth it.
So we all get it. It's anywhere from great to phenomenal. In the last ten years I've been going here, I've had one bad experience. They sat me and my friend underneath their neon 'Open" sign and there were bugs everywhere. So what did you guys do? Promptly comp half of our meal. Seriously, the lack of flair and any other BS makes the food and the service at PB the best. Also, they must have an oversupply of their house wine because it always comes nearly topped off all the time.
Obviously try the farfalle, ravioli and conchiglie. Monday night lasagna is delicious, a bit pricy, I think, though. Since I'm doing the anti-Atkins, they're always good about bringing me more bread and butter.
One of the few legitimate reasons to venture in to the LP.
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