Our server was amazing and the food was delicious. The bartender was horrible. I ordered a drink off the menu that the bartender refused to make because it wasn't a real drink. Our server had to go behind the bar to make it for me. He then refused to make my husband's second drink. Said he wasn't a bartender anymore. All because our server went behind the bar to make my drink. Hate to tell ya if it is on the menu it is real. The manager was called over and he just made the bartender make the drink. We could hear everything the the young bartender was saying. He was very rude. Even told all those that would listen that the resturant really didn't want to hire him. I can see why. Bartender sucks. read more

The ambience and the service and the food were great! The waitress was wonderful. There was six of us. The servings were good size.

Found this place online, and we are so happy we chose to eat here. We loved everything about our dinner there last night. The place itself is welcoming, good family vibe, very clean, nice tables. Our server was PERFECT! -very kind, very friendly, willing to answer questions about their wine selection and the menu choices. And finally the food was delicious. Good portions, great flavor, great presentation. We had a wonderful meal, and enjoyed our time there. We will come back and will recommend to our friends. Thank You! read more

Wait staff was very attentive, and although the reviews were positive, the food was just OK.

This afternoon we were heading out of town and wanted a nice meal before we hit the road. Stopped into Abbondanza Cucina in Marengo, IL. What a cute and quaint place. We were greeted with friendly hello's and seated promptly. Our server, Sonya came over to say hello and get our drink and appetizer order started. Sonya returned promptly with our drinks, so friendly and welcoming. The bruschetta was to die for... flavorful and so much food! We shared a house salad and pasta fagoli soup... fresh salad and great Italian dressing... the soup was very very good. We shared the lasagna, as we know Italian restaurants (and homes) give you generous portions. Sonya brought it over and an extra plate for our sharing - so thoughtful and appreciated it. WOW that lasagna was fantastic.... Ended our dinner with a limoncello for me and a tiramisu (home made) to share! Overwhelmingly full... satisfied and thankful for the great meal, great service! We will be back soon!!!!! Thanks Sonya read more

Excellent food! We have been there several times, and everything was delicious. Their carry out special on Wednesdays and Thursdays is awesome too! read more

2nd time here and this time we brought some friends along. As before the establishment did not disappoint. All 6 of us ended up taking 1/2 our meal home to enjoy the tasty delights another day. Our server and the staff made our visit feel like we are longtime regulars. As luck would have it, Marlen was our server again. I do enjoy having her as our server. To be honest the acoustics are not all that good and it's hard to carry on a conversation without an elevated voice volume. The food as usual was delicious. Keep up the good work! read more

We stopped for a night near Marengo on a cross-country RV trip, and were in the mood for Italian, so - decided to have dinner at Abbondanza Cucina. It was a great meal for sure, from the Scallops special on the appetizer menu, to the staple Salmon and Veal Saltimbocca mains we had. The salmon was cooked perfectly, and the balance of veal, prosciutto, and cheese, as well as the seasonings on the Saltimbocca were just like mom used to make. My compliments to the chef! For dessert, we chose the chocolate mousse cake and carrot cake, and it was the perfect ending. The carrot cake portion was huge - double what you normally get, practically wedding cake height, 3" thick, and a rich combination of ingredients, topped with a nicely sweetened cream cheese frosting. Our server was also the pastry chef, and I believe related to the chef and owner. I complimented her on the cake, and when I happened to mention it was my birthday that night, she immediately offered to give us a tiramisu on the house, which I could not refuse. It was equally delicious. If we lived in the area, this establishment would be our go-to Italian restaurant for sure. read more

firstly the bread tasted like sour dough bread not Italian. The portions were large but I wish they were smaller but cooked properly with a good quality meat. The veal, I dont believe it was veal. You don't tenderize veal. It was nasty. Tiramisu was made without lady fingers. Too much cream. So I wish I had a better review because I like to support small restaurants, but I cannot say that I enjoyed it. Will I try it again? NO. Sorry. read more

We celebrated my husband's 75th birthday here with a group of friends and family. We ordered one of the family style dinners. The food was wonderful and plentiful. Jeremy made the entire evening stress free. Would highly recommend for delicious Italian cuisine in a cozy relaxed atmosphere. read more

We love this place -my daughter had them cater my grandson's christening and it was amazing the food was delivered exactly on time very hot and so delicious!! The staff is wonderful and super friendly! Great place to have wonderful Italian food !! read more

The food is ok. The pork cut ordered was dry. The service was very slow. The wait staff is commendable but there was no one bussing tables making a lot of table clutter and getting courses. If they organize the flow of service, they'd have a better experience. If you're competing for customers in this economy, every little thing counts. For me, not worth the drive to Marengo. read more

The food looks real good, And I'm doing a little take out! The place is beautiful on the inside, super elegant piano and song in background. Theres slots too if you feel the urge! Service was super fast, I was greeted immediately, and its good food fast, not fast food read more

The grilled calamari was so good! Lasagna equally tasty and huge portion. Highly recommend Abbondanza Cucina! read more

Abbondanza Cucina - Delicious lasagna! Huge portion. Highly recommend Abbondanza Cucina! - Italian Near Me - Marengo, Illinois

We were looking for a new favorite Italian restaurant, heard about Abbondanza and gave it a try. Upon arriving on a Friday at 630, only 2 other patrons were there. The place was virtually empty. The ambiance was more like a converted diner than a dinner restaurant. (Screen over the bar had a live feed from various hotels near Venice). Fake candles, poor quality silverware, TV in dining room showing the news. The service was good, we were the only customers for this waiter so he had plenty of time to attend to us. Limited wine selection, but the one we chose was very good as was the price. Appitizer of arrancini was delicious but pricey (16.00 for 4 small golf ball sized portion). Soup of the day was good. We asked for a new bread basket as the 1st one was very hard/stale. The main course veal saltimboco and chicken parm good, nothing special. Alot of chunky sauce covered the parm, too much for me. They did comp me a tiramisu for my birthday which was appreciated. In summary, I don't think we will be back. We always like to see independent establishments thrive, and try to support them, but we also expect them to deliver on their end. The second rate decor and mediocre food needs to be worthy of a $100.00 meal. read more

The food here is very good and the prices are better than most Italian restaurants .. the staff is friendly. The place is on the smaller side but it does have handicapped accessibility in the back parking lot. Doesn't look that great from the outside but the inside is very nice. Great place for meeting another couple for dinner. read more

My husband and I come here for date night regularly and are never disappointed. The food and service is always amazing.

We have dined here several times in the last 6 months and it never disappoints. The portions are substantial, service is friendly and professional, food tastes amazing!!!! read more

Great food. Create your own is an outstanding option. Penne, vodka cream sauce, spinach, peppers, onion, sausage, chicken and pancetta is mine. Very loud which is the only significant downside Tables are very cozy, but nice to discuss meals with your neighbors. read more

We had a great dinner at this quaint restaurant. The service provided by Jeremy was excellent. Prices were reasonable. Full bar with nicely made drinks. Fried calamari was delicious. The salads were fresh. The special of the day, veal with cheese and eggplant, was very tasty and plentiful. We also had cheese ravioli, and Braciole. All delicious and generous portions. We finished with the variety of cannoli and the tiramisu (yummy). We had a nice casual evening. We will be back and recommend you give this restaurant a a try. read more

This is a legitimate Italian Restaurant. Focus is on Bread rather than Circuses. The quality of the food is excellent. Downtown quality at reasonable cost. Great service. White paper rather than linen tablecloth. Gnocchi Alfredo and Veal Parmesan were excellent, well seasoned, huge portions of happiness. The din when crowded makes normal conversation difficult but I will gladly suffer it given how much this hidden treasure gets right. Highly recommended. read more

Outstanding service. Marlen is an excellent server. Our first time here and did not disappoint. Started with the bruschetta and added burrata and fresh mozzarella. Delicious. We enjoyed the braciole, chicken cacciatore, and veal piccata. All delicious. Generous servings. We will be back read more

Best tortilini's I have ever had. The portions are amazing. The best tiramisu I ever had.

Excellent Italian food. For appetizers we ordered the stuffed mushrooms and the capesante con pancetta. Both were fantastic. For entrees we ordered the chicken parmigiana, the veal parmigiana, and the frutta di mare. All entrees were huge portions and tasted great. Nice place inside and outside - we ate outside. Prices are very reasonable and our server, Marlen, was amazing. Can't say enough good things about this restaurant. If you haven't tried it, you need to. read more

Is this a new restaurant in Marengo, I highly recommend it. We dined in and had the best experience the staff was very nice and the restaurant was clean. The home made house soup is so delicious, it's pasta fagoli and I wish I had 3 bowls of it. It's got pasta, beans, ham celery and carrots in a light broth. (As a soup lover, this has to be my favorite) I kept stealing bites from my daughter. I had the pear Gorgonzola salad, it was really big and fresh and the pears were perfectly sweet paired well with the Gorgonzola. My daughters got the Agilo olio with scallops and that was garlicky and delicious. We tried the salmon, veal Marsala, chicken Parmesan, and braciola. All were outstanding. We finished the night with desserts, chocolate mousse cake, carrot cake, and lemon mascarpone cake. All of which were fabulous. The lemon cake was light and delicious and was my personal favorite. read more

The food and service were excellent, and the food was reasonably priced! I highly recommend Abbondanza.

We had dinner here Saturday night. This place is GREAT! Started with an expresso Martini. Excellent. For the appetizer we choose the House Bruschetta. For dinner we had the Lasagna, Briacia Style Beef Filet and Shrimp. All the meals were Amazing. The Italian gravy was so good. Great Great flavor. For Desert: Tiramisu Of course!! The service was spot on! Friendly, prompt and professional. If you didn't know you were in Marengo you'd think you were downtown Chicago at a fine Italian Restuarant. It is so refreshing to have a local place with the ambiance of fine dining. Thank you! read more

I have eaten at Abbondanza Cucina five times now, never being disappointed. The waitstaff and chef have always been quite attentive and prepared to please and provide a very pleasant dining experience. The entree that I have always chosen, a pasta dish with a most rich and creamy sauce, is perfect. I have had the chocolate mousse cake/pie each time because it is that good. I am always trying to think of another time that I can make it to Marengo simply to enjoy another fine Italian dinner. Kudos to this restaurant!!! read more

food was pretty good. Portion were (too) large. Cocktails were inexpensive. Service was spotty but competent. Ambience was meh.

Fantastic meal celebrating a birthday. Food was delicious, Angel, our server, was very attentive and nice. Would definitely go again!

This location has been home to the "old" revolving door. Businesses come and go. Then came Abbondanza Cucina and those of us foodies who live to try new restaurants, new menu's, new atmospheres all bowed down to this new kid on the block. Give praise to the gratification we feel simply by the aroma of authentic Italian cooking. That's exactly what happens when you first walk in. Nothing stands out exactly. Just the smell of a bold Sunday gravy, calamari being grilled, sausage in the frying pan, fresh bread and a strong Romano with the more mild Parmesan wafting in the air. Lets start at the beginning. We had a party of 4. Hubby ordered a beer and I had a house cab at the bar while waiting for our guests. Delicious. Once they arrived we were immediately seated. There are two sections. The bar has 3 quit sizable tables in it and the dining room. The entire waitstaff was so very friendly. In fact, I accidentally left an item behind at the bar and they graciously returned it to me promptly. At the table more drinks. Fresh bread served with oil and spices. Yummy. For appetizers we ordered the grilled calamari and bruschetta. The flavor of the tomatoes with cheese and herbs on the crusty bread was magnificent. The grilled calamari came in rings in a subtle broth unique in flavor. Now for the main event! They have this amazing option called pasta your way. And just as it sounds you pick the type of pasta: spaghetti, linguini, penne etc. then pick the type of gravy, arrabiata, meat, tomato etc. Finally you have a choice of add-ins. Peppers, sausage, etc. I ordered spaghetti in arrabiata(spicy) gravy with sausage. Perfection. Not too spicy and thick enough to hug my spaghetti. The sausage held it's own with the utmost flavor. Our guests ordered braciola and lasagna which they complimented just about every bite. Hubby got posilippo literally over flowing with clams and mussles. Unparalleled in flavor. We were stunned at the amount of food in each entry. Let's just say the doggie whom we bring the customary bag will probably end up in a food coma. Finally the dessert. We shared the tiramisu. It was insanely light and airy filled with the mascarpone and lady fingers perfectly dipped in coffee and impeccably dusted with cocoa. It all but floated off the plate. It pains me to bring up one small complaint but I would not be fair in my review if I were not honest. The one and only disappointment was the ambiance. They have an over fill of fluorescent cans throughout. Again I stress....this is my humble opinion. I imagine tables lit in flickering candles and low lite through out with a romantic awareness asking for Frankie to start crooning. But then again I'm a romantic at heart. Well done my new friends at Abbondanza Cucina. Very well done! read more