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Traverso's Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
16 reviews for Traverso's Restaurant
16 reviews in English
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Review from Robert C.
Tinley Park, IL
2/25/2012
Visited on 02/24/2012. Lasagna was very good. Chicken Alfredo overall was bland, with thick and sticky sauce and unseasoned chicken strips. Mixed drinks were $6.50 each. Received very good service from server, Peggy J. We will still visit again for the lasagna, or to try their pizza. We are encouraged that the menu is short and simple which is always a good sign. Seating is comfortable.
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Review from Paul S.
Orland Park, IL
3/13/2012
The only good point was our friendly waitress - Peggy. Other than that Traversos would get a one star.
Here's our thoughts! Salad wasn't all that fresh for a restaurant - more like the stuff sitting in my fridge for a week. Stuffed shells were one of the specials - looked good but bland at best. The other special was fish fry. Fried platter of bland food with a hefty price tag. Free bread was - well - dry and crunchy.
Last and equally bland was the cheese pizza. As another reviewer mentioned the cheese hardens in about 5 minutes and - worse than a cheap frozen pizza.
It has been about 5 years since I have been at Traverso's and, sad to say, it will be at least that long until I try it again. :( -
Review from Jay C.
Chicago, IL
12/4/2011
Traverso's Pizza is good but not great, for some reason the cheese starts to get hard shortly after five minutes. Their pasta is horriable and over priced, they don't even have shrimp. Who serves pasta without shrimp for $16.
I hope they closed down and go out of business so someone can open up a beggars pizza. Until that day, the old folks will have a place to eat cold pizza while drinking prum juice. -
Review from Jim S.
Orland Park, IL
5/4/2012
Possibly the worst pizza I have ever had. Like others have said, the cheese was hard only minutes after receiving. Delivery was fast.
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Review from Dan N.
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I can only really speak to the pizza here, as I was here for a rehearsal dinner. That said, with all of the fantastic pizza places in Chicago, go elsewhere if that's what you are looking for--not impressed. (See: Aurelio's Pizza, Sanfrantello's Pizza, Giordano's Pizza, etc)
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Review from John S.
Mokena, IL
8/9/2010
Disclosure: I used to deliver for Traverso's.
But that will not taint my review.
Cuisine:
Thin-crust sausage pizza is great.
Lasagna is good.
Salad is usually brown on the edges.
Good loaf of Turano at the table
Chicken Marsala very good.
Pasta is usually watery, like they don't drain it enough.
Drinks are really mixed well/strong, specially if you're at the bar.
Service:
Most of the servers seem tired.
Busboys need to act more mature/professional.
Overall, I'd say average service.
Decor:
For the love of God, update every aspect of Traverso's, please!
It's nostalgic for those of us who remember when it was new(er), but for first-timers, it's too much of a throwback.
Recap:
GREAT sausage/pies!
Damn good Long Islands!
Take your sunglasses off before entering or you'll run into something.
Oh, and a fun patio during good weather. -
Review from Courtney O.
Oak Forest, IL
2/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
I'll say this right off the bat: we didn't eat in the restaurant. We ordered pizza as carry out.
The pizza itself was decent. I mean, nothing to write home about IMHO (but then again, I am a Louisa's loyalist), but good enough. Fair amount of topics. A bit expensive, but it definitely didn't taste "cheap". Overall, that was good.
We also ordered these little cheese things--maybe they were cheddar?--and they were fan-freaking-tastic.You need these, quite possibly to live. Definitely order these if you go.
Will we be back? Eh, probably not. If we're splurging on pizza, it's Louisa's, and if we're looking for really good but not break-the-bank good, we'll hit Aurelio's. But I don't regret giving it a shot. And like I said, those cheese things are not to be missed--a true religious experience for your mouth. -
Review from carmen b.
Saint John, IN
11/30/2010
Hello, FOOD SNOB, here.
Came here the day after Thanksgiving. Boy this place brought back some memories. I lived in this area from 1982 to 1990. We use to go here with my in-laws. Yes, the old pictures on the wall have been there for a long time but they make you feel right at home. And then there's the old wine press on the other side of the wall that reminds me of my families Wine Making Days.
Started with the Minestrone Soup. Was O K but not sure if it was homemade. The Italian Beef Sandwich was good except next time I will order Au Jus on the side. The Thin Crust Pizza is very good. Not the best in Chicago area but very good.
I think what makes this place is the Gnocchi and Ravioli that is made from scratch. All Homemade. I have made a lot of homemade Gnocchi in my day to taste the difference.
Good wine selection too. -
Review from Sue M.
Orland Park, IL
2/29/2012
Surprised to see the numerous favorable reviews here for Traverso's. I remember Traverso's from the nineties was a half ways decent place to order a pizza from.. or to eat in. I had thought the place was closed down because every time I drive by the place looks dead. Tonight we decided to try them out again so I called to see if they were still in business. When I called to order two pizzas and an italian sausage sandwich the guy on the phone acted like asking for diced green pepper on the one pizza was a problem, until after a little discussion he said, "well I could dice up the peppers I guess." !!! When the food arrived, the sausage sandwich was dry as a bone with no natural juice poured on it as ordered, the fries were barely cooked, no color and cold. The pizzas were barely warm. We had to put the slices in the microwave before eating it! They forgot to give the ranch dressing dip for the fried zucchini. All this disappointment for a $55 meal. Never again, never again!!.
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Review from lisa m.
Orland Park, IL
11/2/2010
Best thin crust sausage pizza EVAH!
This place has been around for a long, long time and it has its loyal customers for sure. The staff hasn't changed in years. It's dark inside and the interior decorating is from the 70's.
BUT. Their thin-crust pizza is the best around Chicagoland, no question.
I like Aurelio's (but not nearly as much), and not many can touch Nancy's or Giordano's stuffed/deep dish pizzas, but this is the place for thin-crust. -
Review from Michelle E.
Chicago, IL
4/29/2008
My family has been coming to Traverso's for at least 30 years, if not more. We have had birthdays, anniversaries, going away parties, and tons of other family get-togethers here throughout the years. I don't think I have ever been here with less than a dozen people, though more often than not, we're a party of 20 or so. The party room in the back should have a plaque with our name on it! (Oh, and we're not Italian, by the way. We're Swedish!)
The first thing you will see as you enter the restaurant is a giant piece of wall art, made out of some kind of macrame carpet or something. It's this giant multi-colored blobby thing. Kinda trippy, actually. I'm sure that in the early 70's, when this location opened, it was totally "far out" or whatever they used to say back then. To be honest, the thing is ugly as sin! However, seeing it always makes me smile. We have taken TONS of family photos in front of this shaggy monstrosity. I could probably trace my childhood through photos of the carpet wall at Traverso's!
The main thing we all come to Traverso's for is the thin crust pizza. Is it the best pizza in Chicago? No. But it is pretty damn good! Would I "traverse" the city for Traverso's pizza? Hell yeah I would! The sausage is my favorite. I love pizza cut into squares, where some of the middle crustless pieces are nice and bite-size--perfect for the inevitable "I'll just have ONE more piece!"
Honestly I have never had ANY of the entrees here (I know, HOW many times have I been here?!) but I have heard that the Italian beef sandwiches are really good. Of course they also have a selection of pastas and other traditional Italian entrees.
The appetizers are pretty standard, but they also hit the spot. The mozzarella sticks are nice and crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and not soggy at all. The fried mushrooms are also a nice treat. The bruschetta comes with yummy grilled garlic bread.
This place has a great family atmosphere. Not just my family! I always see lots of parents, kids, and grandparents there.
Ok, ok. Maybe my 5-star review is more for nostalgic reasons than for the food. But, if you ever find yourself in Orland Park and have a jonesing for some pizza, stop in to Traverso's--you won't be disappointed.
Take a picture in front of the carpet wall on the way out! Maybe you'll start a new family tradition. :) -
Review from Mary N.
Romeoville, IL
6/17/2010
Went there on Weds. May 19. My mother ordered minestrone and got a beef soup instead. She didn't want to say anything. I ordered lasagna and being Italian myself, when I eat lasagna out, they have to live up to my grandma's and my mother's cooking. The lasagna fell way short. It was runny. There was something missing as there was no "texture" to it.
The waiter, she tried to take my salad from me. I had salad in my mouth and could barely speak a horrified "No!" when she went for the plate. I was irritated by the time I left. The salad was the best part of the night. -
Review from Em S.
Chicago, IL
7/25/2010
My husband, daughter and I went to Traverso's last evening for an anniversary dinner. I had high hopes based on the Yelp and Metromix reviews I had read. I was sorely disappointed. I can honestly say that this was the worst dining experience I have ever had. Both the service and the food were terrible. Here is a little rundown of the issues we had.
The hostess was unfriendly, she basically barked at us, led us to our table, threw the menus down and walked away.
We asked for a high chair upon arriving, it was never brought to us.
We sat there for ten minutes before anyone even acknowledged us. The table behind us arrived (truly probably ten minutes after us), and our waitress helped then and they got their drinks before she even said hello to us.
The boy that brought our water was totally unfriendly. My husband thanked him for the water and he just walked away with no smile or comment. Very rude.
My husband was served lukewarm "iced" tea with no ice in it, and when the waitress left after we had ordered, she forgot the menus twice and only took them when I reminded her.
The staff in general was a bunch of ambivalent teenagers who clearly didn't want to be at work or seem to care about much at all. When not working, they all stood visibly in a side room where it appeared that they were just talking about everyone in the dining room.
When the food came, I hoped it would make up for the awful service, but unfortunately it did not. My husband's chicken was tough and rubbery. His green beans looked like they came out of a giant can...something straight of a school hot lunch. And my ravioli was cold in the middle. We are not talking lukewarm and should have been hotter...it was completely cold like it hadn't been thawed properly.
After dinner our waitress took our plates, but it took her another ten minutes to bring our check. My daughter was supposed to get ice cream with her kids meal, but it was never brought out, and after waiting so long I ended up taking her to the car because she was getting unruly.
I will never ever go to this restaurant again, nor will I recommend it to anyone. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. We are polite, undemanding, and easily pleased. This was truly a BAD experience. -
Review from Jennifer H.
Tinley Park, IL
1/21/2011
Local restaurant, hadn't been there yet. Wasn't all that impressed. Had the Sausage & Peppers, found it sorta plan except for the side of pasta.
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Review from Stephen H.
Oak Lawn, IL
8/20/2009 1 photo
Best homemade meat ravioli and lasagna in the country. Get with extra sauce. Great bread and salad or soup served with meal. Get the creamy garlic or house dressing. Thin crust pizza is very good. Have come here over 30 years. Big portions.
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Review from D M.
Schaumburg, IL
4/29/2009
Traverso's is a good place. The food is good. The building is old, but it's nice still. The staff is great there, that's what really got it that fourth star from me. The pizza is good... not great, but good. And the other food is good too. The prices are what you'd expect. And the atmosphere is great here. They have a party room, normal seating, a bar area that also has seating, and a patio area that is open when the weather is good. My family has parties here sometimes and we always leave happy.
