We recently had a dinner on a Thursday night at Bueno Terra with a group of ten friends. One of the couples in our group and frequent patrons and recommended this restaurant as our place to meet. I live in Buena Park, and I have driven down Irving Park Road, passing this restaurant one hundred times, but never gave it much thought. The space was originally a pizza restaurant called Hearth & Crust and owned by the same people. From what I understand, they closed their original Bueno Terra restaurant in Logan Square and reopened it in this Hearth & Crust space. In fact, the Hearth & Crust logo is still etched into the glass at the inner front of the restaurant. The restaurant was packed, especially with families, but they sat us in a semi-private, glass-enclosed room at the front of the restaurant. The sliding windows were open to the sidewalk and Irving Park Road. That kept the room pleasantly cool, but it was noisy. I could not hear anyone talk except the people sitting right next to me. We had one waiter assigned to our table--someone who knew the people in our group who frequent Bueno Terra--and he was personable and attentive. For the table, we ordered the arancini and fried calamari. Both were excellent. For my entrée, I ordered the Melanzana alla Emilia Romagna--eggplant medallions with a crunchy almond crust served with tomato basil sauce and topped with caramelized onions and goat cheese. Kind of a play on eggplant parmesan, but richer and better. My friends said that they often order it as an appetizer. It was unusual and delicious--I loved it. I do not drink alcohol, but I ordered a Berry Lemonade--strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry muddled with lemon soda. It was tart but refreshing. Platters were served with mixed of desserts--tiramisu, cheesecake and profiteroles. All excellent. The service and food were both great and we all had a wonderful time. Although it doesn't look like much driving past Irving Park Road, Bueno Terra is a gem that I highly recommend. read more

First time here. Son lives across the street and had a taste for pizza. Place is very simple and minimal decor. Ambient lighting. You have a view of the pizza oven and some of the kitchen. Was seated promptly on 8/25. Clean updated Bathrooms. We started off with a salad, ordered the puff bread. They serve this spread with the bread. It's legendary, roasted garlic with olive oil and maybe olives. It was amazing. We ordered pizzas. The food was good, but the price was a little steep. Overall, nice neighborhood place to dine. Casual and cozy. read more

Buona Terra - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My family and I came for mother's day weekend. The food was fantastic. The service was also great. We had a reservation and street parking was easy to find. They have a mocktail menu with some tasty drinks. I shared a caccio e pepe, pizza, and the spicy sauteed calamari with my kids. Everything was delicious. I look forward to going back! read more

See all

Great experience we got a last minute reservation for 6. When we got there our tables were ready and service was fast. Staff was friendly. Food was really good. I got a short rib ragu pasta that was on their specials list and it was amazing. We got a pizza for the table that was really good too. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the pizza but the crust was soft and crunchy at the same time. It was very light. It's my 2nd time their and I would go again. Price was reasonable and the location was clean. read more

Buona Terra - Short rib ragu - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My updated review is for the Irving Park location. Many of the classics from Logan Square remain, particularly the veal pasta and the veal medallions. The food is excellent, across the board. They've also kept Hearth & Crust's pizza, which is a good thing. Cocktails remain superb, and Eileen has expanded the wine offerings to cover all of Italy, including an impressive Aglianico. We stop in once a month, or nearly so, and you should, too. read more

I recently tried this place for the first time. The place was very busy on a Saturday night. I was glad we had a reservation. We sat in the window area and it felt a bit drafty even for a cool September night. The server pointed out vegan possibilities and did a nice job overall. I went with the vegan pizza (heartiest of the options), and was delighted. They also gave me a charred jalapeño dip for the bread to sub for butter. My friends were pleased with their meat dishes (I don't remember what exactly) and would like to go again. read more

Thank you Buona Terra for helping us celebrate my father-in-law's birthday. The food was excellent, and Matias was attentive, respectful, and took great care of us. The Rigatoni Buona Terra with Meatballs was absolutely outstanding! We'll definitely be back. All 6 of us enjoyed our evening at Buona Terra. read more

Amazing food and service in this place. Came to celebrate my partner's birthday and thoroughly enjoyed it. If I had to leave one critique -- it gets pretty noisy in here. Maybe not the best place for a more intimate date. But we loved the arancini and the rigatoni. read more

Buona Terra - Cesar salad - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely superb! We made a reservation for the last weekend of restaurant week and ended up having to call because traffic was so heavy coming from the burbs but that was not an issue when we got there- the owner was super nice and made sure to accommodate for our tardiness. The atmosphere is warm, you can see the kitchen in the back and all the chefs cooking their buns off! The smells are delicious. The starter bread with garlic is so tasty but the meal itself was to die for. We did their restaurant week special of the steak and halibut. Both were cooked perfect.... I mean like PERFECT...... it's been a long time since I've had a meal at this standard! It was pair perfectly with the sauces and sides - not too much and not too little but just enough to leave you wanting more. The service was on point - we were in and out in 1.5 hours which was awesome since we had other plans! 11/10- will def be back here! This place gets pretty crowded so I would def make a reservation if you can. read more

Buona Terra - Halibut and steak - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I miss it when it used to be the other restaurant. I know they are the sister restaurant but it just wasn't the same! We dine with another couple and my toddler. The food didn't taste as extraordinary like it was before. The pizza was pretty good when it was hot and fresh but once it cooled off which was pretty quick it just didn't hold the same taste. The pasta were just mid. read more

Hands down, our favorite restaurant. The bucatini with caccio e pepe is the perfect. All the pasta dishes are delicious. My meat-eating family says the pork chop is the best ever, like-wise the burger. The pizza is great. The fish is great. Both the garlic condiment and the charred jalepeño condiment are great. The staff is friendly and attentive. Only complaints: it can be a bit noisy, and also sometimes not warm enough in winter. read more

This is my favorite place for dinner and it's always fresh. The service is excellent and the owner makes you feel like you are part of the family. It's such a great experience every time I go with friends or my family. Add it to your list. It's always delicious read more

Guaranteed great evening, food, atmosphere and neighborhood vibe. We celebrated tonite with HS friends and had an amazing time. Always delicious. Thank you Buona Terra! read more

See all

Overall a great experience. The atmosphere is nice, the food was all delicious and the prices were very reasonable. The staff and our servers were accommodating but they were very busy, so it took some extra time to order. They did ensure that our meals came out fresh and hot when ready. read more

This place is pretty good, maybe 4.5 stars. Every dish I've ever had here was made with love and skill by an excellent and skilled chef. This is how a neighborhood Italian spot should be. I really like the food here very much and think diners will be pleasantly surprised by a good spot that is not in the trendy River North area. Expect to pay River North prices though which is why I deduct .5 stars from the shown rating. read more

Very accommodating to our party of 9 Great food and service - would highly recommend! read more

great deals for restaurant week! and speaking from a veggie point of view -- really enjoyed their take on the eggplant parm. not your typically heavy and fried eggplant cutlets - instead coated in almonds and just the right amount of cheese. the service was very very spotty, although the server himself was a doll. you could tell there were a lot of regulars and the hostess (maybe the manager/owner) was a social butterfly making everyone feel like we were eating in her own personal dining room. would definitely return! read more

Great food, great wine, and great service. I will definitely be coming back here. I had the veal ravioli and it was delicious. The sauce was amazing read more

Tonight we ate at Buona Terra on Irving Park. They provided a bread basket along with what looked like minced garlic in olive oil that was good. We had the arancini as an appetizer and the mozzarella inside was gooey. I had the rotini di la nona, which was a carbonara and my husband had the pappardelle bolognese. We both had the profiteroles for dessert. The service was great and the food was delicious and came out in a timely manner. The espresso martini was one of the best I've had in the city. read more

We go here at least once a month as it is close by. It is about 8 years, we are very friendly with the owners and staff. This place is real comfortable and all the food is great. sometimes we go for a three course meal, other times, just salad and a brick oven pizza. So happy we have a place like this right down the street. read more

Delicious Italian food. Service was really good. They made it memorable for my wife's birthday with friends. It's made for intimate fine dining, but casual ambiance. I really enjoyed the food here. Reservations are great for larger parties. Some of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. Plus, I didn't have to drive deep into the city. I would definitely come back. Plenty of paid street parking, but you can also park in the neighborhood behind the restaurant or across Irving Park Avenue. Just be careful with the signs. read more

I was on business in Chicago and dined at Buona Terra. It is probably the best Italian food I've had. The ravioli in a tomato brandy sauce was delicious. The sauce was delicate and very tasty. The garlic spread and bread were excellent. The service was prompt and courteous. The waiter Jose was attentive and recommended nice options. I recommend this restaurant. I will definitely return when I come back to Chicago! Truly a gem of a place. Everything went well. read more

Make sure you make a reservation, they get very busy on the weekend. We sat in the smaller part of the restaurant and it was super tight as loud. We started off with some delicious bread with some garlic sauce. It was so yummy!! And we shared the calamari. I had a coke and the CAPELLINI D'ANGELO AL NATURAL with chicken. It was pretty good and I took some leftovers home. Overall a nice spot, which there was more space around seating. read more

See all

Food was really good! I enjoyed everything we tried. Pasta was delicious and calamari was well cooked. Giving 4 stars for service, we got seated in the back room. It almost felt like an overflow table and seemed like service was poor - one person was covering the whole back area and it was too much for him to keep up. He was very nice but had to ask for water, long waits for food, had to call over to get help. The ambiance was much better in front- not sure on service there. read more

See all

Excellent food and service. My wife says the penne arrabbiata is the best. This Buona Terra is added to our list of regulars!

Wonderful selection of restaurants is one of the advantages of living in Chicago... Buona Terra recently moved to it's Irving Park Location. I ate at the previous location and found the food ok. The food at this location was wonderful. Buona Terra has a great selection of home made pastas. They have a nice menu of meats and seafood as well. The service was great. Made a reservation on-line. We were able to find parking right in-front of the restaurant. We were seated right away, despite the fact the were busy on a Saturday night. Definitely will come back! read more

Food, drinks & service are fabulous here! Especially love eating dinner at the bar. Lots of friendly conversation with the bartender, owners & patrons. My fav on the menu? Tagliatelle Bolognese! SO GOOD! Our go-to Italian in the neighborhood! read more

Yum! What a great Italian place. It looks like a perfect date night with a selection of wines and a specialty menu based on the day. The bread and garlic paste they provided which was very unique to this restaurant was SO GOOD. I wanted to take all of the paste home or make it myself. We ordered the calamari as a starter which was a good choice! The marinara was on the sweeter side in my opinion but you could tell the calamari was not fried in old oil (my pet peeve) and it was tasty! I'd say it was a smaller portion but perfect for 2 people. We ordered the rigatoni terra which had an amazing sauce with a nice addition of feta and linguine alla Vongole (clams) in a white sauce which was so good because there were bits of seafood that covered the whole plate which gave the dish depth. Would definitely come back to try other plates! read more

See all

The food is absolutely amazing! We started with the Arancini, which were crisp and tasty, with an amazing dipping sauce. I had the veal ravioli with creamy tomato sauce...incredible. Overall a "simple" dish, but so flavorful - the sauce was amazing! You can tell they use high quality ingredients and everything just works together. It's a casual place with an inviting bar, looks like they have some regulars hanging out there - a very comfortable feel and welcoming atmosphere. Certainly a place I'm looking forward to come back to! read more

Went on Friday 5/23/25 with my wife and two grandchildren. The white fish was superb and so was the fruity di mari with linguini. The Burrata was also very good. The portions were plentiful and the service excellent. Excellent price for what we got served. My daughter lives 200 feet from them and we go every time we travel to Chicago. Enjoy! read more

The food and service is always good. My family and I always feel comfortable there and are able to have good conversations because it is not super noisy. We like that. I had the pasta arrabiata which was perfectly spicy. My sister had the burger which very delicious. My daughter had the wide pasta with meat sauce(Pappardelle bolognese). The wide pasta could have used a little more meat but other than that , all was delicious. We will be back and are glad that this is part of our neighborhood. read more

We had a wonderful experience at Buona Terra. The rotini pasta with creamy garlic sauce, pancetta, and peas was absolutely delicious, and the portions were so generous we all took leftovers home. The kids loved the made-to-order cannoli, and the berry cheesecake was a hit. Even the bread service was unique with a tasty olive oil paste. On top of the excellent food, the service was great--very friendly and welcoming. For the price, this is probably one of the best Italian meals we've had. Definitely recommend it! read more

The service was very good and the ambiance was very relaxing. I wished there were more food options but the flavors were there. I'd come back again! read more

It's decent. You can get a reservation quickly. Food is decent. Service was great as in there were kind servers. Ambiance is that of a more upbeat lounge experience. I might visit again. read more

Bright but cozy dining room. Nice cocktails. Lovely food. No parking but not too bad on the street. Not far from the highway. Good place to go if you're in the area. read more

Cocktails are strong definitely recommend the BT cosmo! Lobster corn bisque was yummy. Shrimp scampi was super tasty with giant prawns. Penne arribiatta was my favorite. Bread for appetizer Seated us nicely for Valentine's Day. We left within 15 min bc of toddler tantrum but took the food home and loved it. Great service. read more

Went for restaurant week. Ambiance is wonderful, so that gave me high hopes. Unfortunately the service was extremely disappointing. Server did not exactly seemed thrilled to be there so he lacked that welcoming enthusiasm. The arranchini app was smaller than expected. Chicken in my pasta was very dry. Water not refilled until I asked. Several bites in and not asked how it tasted. No ask if I needed extra bread. I would have liked an after dinner drink but all my menus were cleared quickly and I wasn't asked. I took my dessert to go. Did not feel welcome. read more

Went to this place while in the city for a sporting event and it didn't disappoint. It was a Saturday night and they were busy but being a local place we were able to get in and seated without a reservation. Servers were very friendly and helpful - like you would expect from a mom and pop type place. They had an excellent burrata plate. Pastas and sauces were tasty and dessert menu looked good but we were too full to partake. Prices were fair and friendly folks packed the place. Tables were fairly close together so we were able to chat with those around us or stick to ourselves. Definitely would recommend. read more

Now on Irving near Elston, similar greatness to the previous location, different atmosphere. Buona Terra merges into Hearth & Crust with the pizza from the new oven and the Italian food and lovely staff as before. The bread and garlic stuff (Mexican caviar) is still amazing, and many of the Italian favorites are retained. The "new" build out is brighter and more modern, which feels less charming than the old rustic dining room on California. That said, the essence of the original Buona Terra rises above Hearth & Crust as a concept. This is the kind of business that never really goes out of style, and never goes out of business. We enjoyed sitting at the odd curvy bar over the blocky tables or three season room. To be enjoyed as a neighborhood regular over a special occasion. read more

It's was fine. Nothing mind blowing and wouldn't revisit. I was looking forward to it given the other reviews however I felt service was lack luster. Was there on a Friday night and it was busy however it took awhile for our drink order to be taken so much as the food order. They serve bread with a fresh garlic and olive oil mix which was great. I ordered the grilled mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto. I felt the smokiness overpowered the flavor so that's all you could taste. The mixed greens it comes with was a nice touch. I have shrimp allergy but I can have the rest of the underwater friends and usually what I pick for pasta dishes. There wasn't much variety and the specials I saw on the website were not what was offered onsite. I had been eyeing a special with seared scallops but it wasn't on the current list. I ended up with the pappardelle Bolognese. Noodles felt overdone. Sauce had a good meat ratio however I found myself spooning the garlic and olive oil mix for the bread on to my dish. There was a jalapeño concoction our waiter brought us since he knew we liked spicy which helped. Overall I had a meh experience. read more

Buona Terra - Pappardelle Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois