I've been eating here for a very long time. Has it been 15 years already? Just about. This is the only Italian restaurant that I have ever eaten at that comes close to matching what my Italian great grandmother made in her kitchen. One of the best things about this place is that you can walk in, never open the menu, and order whatever Italian dish you like and they will make it. Sometimes it's loud inside, sometimes it's quiet, but the food is always perfect. Wear jeans and a T-shirt or a suit, they don't care. Everyone that I've ever brought here has loved it. Of course, I'll be back. read more

I went to this place several months after seeing it on Check Please. As we are selling our car, we thought it woud be nice to take a suburban sojourn to Glenview to check this place out before we wrre unable to (although there is a Pace bus stop right in front). Were not disapppointed. The bread doesn't come just with olive oil and parmesan like at most Italian restaurants. Instead, it comes with roasted garlic and an Italian "pickle." The wine list is extensive, and ranges from $22 to $500 dollars a pop. I had the seafood crepe and my fiancee had a penne dish with porcini cream sauce. Both were outstanding, with the crepe dish filled with melt-in-your mouth squid, scallops, and crab. Service was impeccable as well. Worth the drive, or going to if bored at your relatives' house near the Des Plaines River greenbelt. read more

Went yesterday for lunch. About 8 people in the bar, 20 in the dining area, and ONE person working. He was tending bar, seating people, taking drink orders, delivering food, clearing plates, and bringing the check...ONE PERSON. Took about 10 minutes to get a glass of wine, 20 minutes till the food came, and when it did, my goodness it was the worst plate of pasta in my life. All four of us took 1 or 2 bites and pushed it away. Disgraceful excuse for a restaurant. Will never return!! read more

Went on Saturday 630 pm. Restaurant was terribly noisy. Couldn't talk to friends. Food may have been good but it was so uncomfortable with noise couldn't taste food or enjoy. They told us to come back at 3 in the afternoon for quiet. Not again. read more

Absolutely delightful - yes the Sea Bass was exceptional but my favorite was Harry's Fettuccine with pancetta - atmosphere was cozy - dark but just enough lighting. Going back next - gotta get more fettuccine. read more

I don't know why this place has such good reviews.. it's good but not great. I went here excited to try a new place in the area.. I'm tired of The Glen and Jolane's. When we first arrived, we waited over 5 minutes before anyone even came to the stand to seat us (I had a reservation). One thing that really bothered me... Our server did not go though the specials even though she went over them with the table next to us. She was very nice however. To start.. I loved the bread... and then everything took a turn for the worst. Appetizer/Starters: We ordered the octopus as an appetizer - DO NOT ORDER THIS! Over charred with no flavor and very dry and rubbery... and super tiny pieces. I suppose I expected it to be more so how Greek restaurants serve it (very large). My boyfriend and I also ordered salads. I ordered a kale salad which didn't come with kale LOL. Did you think I wouldn't notice? I got arugula instead. My boyfriend ordered the tricolore salad which was boring. Note: if you're going to list radicchio as the first ingredient in the description.. this ingredient should be the main ingredient or star of the dish. Instead, there were only 3 pieces. Main Dish: I ordered a veal dish. It was okay and somewhat small compared to other comparable Italian restaurants. When I was served, the waitress said your side of pasta will be out shortly... Well, that side never came. So I ate 3 paper thin pieces of veal the size of a post-it note and ended hungry. My boyfriend brought it to her attention, and this was handle so unprofessionally. She looked at us puzzle and paused for a moment. She then said "ummm welllll we can wrap it up to take home?.. ummm yea...." An apology would have been nice. My boyfriend ordered a pasta dish (can't remember the name). I've had the same dishes elsewhere and much better. Also, the pasta served was not the pasta described on the menu.... some people might not care whether they get penne or cavatelli. We do! Dessert: I just wanted to get out of there so we skipped dessert. I left very disappointed unfortunately. This was mainly due to the service more than anything. I probably would have been more satisfied eating at Jolane's or even Pita Inn or Tous les Jour for that matter! I hear a new Greek restaurant is opening down the road (what used to be Periyali) with a very well renown chef. I'm looking very forward to that... this area needs good food! I've also heard good things about Fish n' Fire. read more

Cafe Lucci..simply the best!!. The prices are reasonable. The ambiance, the service,and yes, THE FOOD!! EVERYONE on the staff makes you feel as if you're part of the family. The owner was kind enough to prepare their awesome Lobster bisque. Oh My Goodness!!! It is the best that I've had!! The bruschetta was full of flavor,and lite. Each time I've had a dish it's been very good,and you can tell that love for the food was involved in the preparation. For special occasions,for me Cafe Lucci is the place that I take my fiancee. To us,it's the best. read more

Ok, tonight was my last time to step foot into Cafe Lucci restaurant. I've given it several chances, and most often I have been very disappointed. Tonight was the last straw. My husband had Grouper encrusted in cashew nuts. It was a tiny piece of overdone previously frozen fish. For $34.00...really??? My calamari was also previously frozen evidenced by its rubbery texture. Also, they pack WAY too many people into a small space...can't imagine it meets with Glenview's fire code. The main dining room ceiling has a huge water damage area, which I would think with all the money they are saving scrimping on the food, they should be able to repair that! All in all, not fine dining at all. Between Park Ridge and Wheeling, there are much better restaurants to spend my money at. read more

Business lunch, we had the chef meat plate as well as the crab cakes for an appetizer, I had the speghett with shrimp snd broccoli and it was very fresh and good. Veal ravioli, and veal cutlet was cooked to perfection. Desserts key lime pie and coconut Gelato. Service was very good. read more

I gave these guys five stars. Is that because they are a five-star restaurant? At the top of the Chicago scene? Well not exactly. If you want something on the level of Spiaggia, you have to go there. Rather, this place is a perfect example of what they are: a very good restaurant, well above average, but not a top tier kind of place. Service? Excellent - our table of six had barely a thought about any need except to enjoy the food and the company throughout the meal. My son and I were confused for a minute about whether the waiter had heard his request for a wine list. The mere fact that two guys were craning their necks looking away from the table caused the floor manager to be at my side in an instant - what could he do for me? I didn't have time to explain because I saw the list on its way. That is attentiveness! The very nice lobster ravioli had an excellent tarragon cream sauce - just the right flavor intensity and texture. All dishes on the table were hits - not a clinker among them - with the crowd I was with that's rare! Looking forward to going back. read more

The food here is excellent! Fresh, authentic flavors. Loved it. BUT - it is one of the loudest restaurants I have ever eaten in. There were 6 of us at the table and we spent most of the time asking each other to repeat and saying, WHAT??? That is a big turn-off and everyone at the table agreed. If you go out with friends to catch up and cannot carry on a conversation, there is a real problem and that alone would make us choose another venue next time. read more

Came here few weeks ago and I was surprised, this place use to be way above average and for some reason they scaled-down a litle bit. It used to have that old Italian restaurant feel with the 2 guys on a violinist that was an extra touch. Now it's not even close. Food went down from 4.5 stars to 3.5 maybe. Service was great the owners brother was outlet waiter he was excellent. read more

One of the best italian places in the NW burbs. They'll even make you custom dishes off the menu which is a nice touch.

Yum! Great wine selection. We started with the carpaccio- laced with Parmesan, capers, portabello, olives and the beef was melt-in-your-mouth. The sea bass and pollo vesuvio were all delicious, cooked to perfection and very flavorful. The three of us went on a Tuesday night around 7 and it was pleasantly uncrowded and quiet. One of my dinner-mates had the gnocchi and only comes to eat the gnocchi here, so that will be my order next time! read more

Great dinner in a business casual setting--the food was spectacular! Everything from the appetizer to the dessert was fresh and tasty! Our waiter was great and when he was busy another waiter was so helpful in answering questions. We will be back! read more

The roast lamb I had last night was absolutely horrible! It tasted like Hormel beef stew from a can. I thought I can't go wrong with specials of the day. Boy, was I wrong! read more

First of all, I decided to go to this place after reading the reviews for my husband's 30th birthday. Ambience was good. This place is definitely not for vegetarians. We started off with bruschetta which was good. We also ordered salad which had some bitter taste to it. Waiter was not too happy to take it back. For the main course, we ordered eggplant, which wasn't great. We also ordered some pasta with alfredo sauce which was pretty watery. Didn't have any taste. Third main course was pasta with marinAra sauce. I didn't enjoy any dish. I wouldn't recommend this place for vegetarians. read more

We tried the Sea Bass and the Veal Pancetta. Both were great dishes good fresh fish and the Pancetta was very flavorful. We went on a Thursday night and it was not crowded. Sort of funny they had valet parking when the lot behind the building was very close and many places open. It looked like they had a nice bar. read more

Awesome place for Italian food. I love the mussels and escargots for appetizers and the best salad is the arugula salad with goat cheese, cranberries, and pecans. Some of the excellent entrees are harry's fettuccine, the eggplant parmesan, but my favorite is the peperoncini chicken which is served with Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, and peperoncini peppers. The sauce that is served with it is incredible. Chicken is cooked perfectly and the sausage is juicy and great flavor. Also had amazing salted caramel gelato. Owner is very nice and good, warm, and dark atmosphere. read more

This is my favorite spot for italian. They have a great bar with an extensive wine list. The menu is very extensive too and there are always specials. I've had the gnocci, the lobster ravioli (special), filet, and the crab risotto. All have been outstanding. Be sure to save room for dessert. The chocolate fantasia is great. It's two chocolate cups filled with berries, cream, a brownie layer. It's fabulous. read more

Been here a few times now n haven't had a bad experience yet with food or service. Found the food a bit on the salty side for me (I like very little salt in my food) but everyone else loved their dishes. From pastas to steaks to seafood...whole family enjoyed them. Best Italian place close to home. read more

You must try Cafe Lucci. These people have dialed-in a great combination of food, wine, and friendly, personable service. This place deserves the high praise it gets on Yelp. The staff knows the menu well and it's a real pleasure to talk with them about it. Our waitress did a great job of guiding us through the extensive selection of pasta, fish, veal, and steak. I had the veal pancetta and really enjoyed it. The wine list is enormous and varied. I was pleased to see that they had some great high-end bottles as well as a large list of bottles under $40. Cafe Lucci is at the top of my list in the Chicago suburbs. I'll be back the next time I'm in town. read more

The restaurant is very nicely decorated with great lighting for a romantic setting. The service was great and the waiter was extremely knowledgable about every dish and special. The 12 oz filet was one of the best I've ever had and the lobster ravioli was also delicious. Valet is complementary which is an added bonus. Overall, great place to go on a nice date. read more

This has to be the best dining experience in all of Chicagoland. As a regular we are treated with exceptional service. First time visitors have the same opinion as well. The food is cooked with culinary perfection. The restaurant has private section on the first floor and 2nd floor. The ambiance is that of a rustic winery. The servers are excellent. A loaf of bread is delivered with their custom garlic sauce as you site down. I highly recommend the Sea Bass with Asparagus and Sun Dried Tomatoes. The best server in the restaurant is Conrad AKA "Coronado" or his side kick Yule. The owner is always around greeting his customers. I highly recommend this. Make reservations for dinner because they are packed every night. read more

Cafe Lucci was excellent! A true find in Glenview! The food, wine and service was all top notch. We each tried different dishes and all were excellent. Especially liked the fried calamari appetizer to start. The mushroom risotto and eggplant parm were amazing. Finished with the salted caramel gelato --- delicious! The service was attentive, friendly and professional. I truly enjoyed Cafe Lucci and will be returning soon. read more

Food: great portions, great taste, everything was prepared very well, and the staff was friendly and helpful Had the torta banana (banana layer cake) for dessert, which was the surprise of the evening. It was delicious and the coconut frosting was perfect - very fluffy and not overly sweet. Had a special on their menu - the chilean seabass; they didnt skimp on the fish and it was perfectly grilled with an awesome light, diced herb sauce on top Wife had an eggplant penne pasta with a special requested ricotta. she loved it. the pasta was perfectly cooked. read more

Hi my friends and I had a great time at Cafe Lucci now I know why there. Is always large crowds their at night ! The food and service was fantastic our waiter was very kind and was their for our every need the atmosphere was great too the music was awesome we were there to celebrate a frends birthday and the party remarked several times how nice a place they have I highly recommend this restaurant for special occasions and for parties or a nice quiet romantic dinner you won't be disappointed a truly fine dining experience read more

I had high hopes. They were shot down. Surly waiter, almost no meatless pasta meals on Friday in lent, two different kinds of beers both beyond the freshness date, basic uninspired dinners, and then raspberry sauce on top of tiramisu????? All of this made this a very expensive mediocre dinner. We were told we should have asked for no raspberry sauce. What??? On your first visit? It was mostly ruined by an overserved loud customer talking to the manager or owner at length. He was too busy listening to her brag to come over to see how we were doing. That would have prevented this well deserved review. Please learn from this, Mr. manager. I will learn from this by never going back. Save your time. Go to Forno Rosso on Harlem in the city and see what great food tastes like, but more importantly what great customer setvice is like. And, Limoncello to die for! read more

This place is great for sure a new fav for the area.. great atmosphere and the people are great. Met Bobby who seems to be the owner but welcomes you as if you are part of the family so you never feel as if you don't belong. Food is awesome! Bread is brought to the table and has a great garlic spread!! I had the Pollo Peperoncino and wow great great flavor... I highly recommend this place for some great Italian just dont expect you average spaghetti and meatballs.. read more

First time here today and it was for a funeral luncheon. Can't say enough about how wonderful everything was from the bathrooms to the service. The food was family style but delicious and very tasty, not your run of the mill banquet style meals. The drinks were great, not skimpy and the servers were delightful! We were so impressed we are going back with friends next weekend for dinner. I was there on a sunny afternoon and bet the ambiance in the evening is beautiful read more

This was a pleasant surprise in Glenview. When you see it from the outside you won't think too much of it but the food is great and the menu is really diverse. The only turn off was when my husband asked whether the espresso was good and the waitress said: well...it's espresso, just like any other. My husband is a coffee lover and decided to try it anyways even after this comment. It was really bad! read more

there were about 30 of us that went here for lunch. we did the whole buffet style. when you walk in the place seems very nice, cozy kind of feeling. the bathrooms were clean and pretty so that is always a plus. for the food selection we had mostacholi, sausage with peppers, and lemon chicken. the food was really good. the service however, wasn't exactly pleasant. our waiter was just really rude, and was trying to rush everything. i understand that some days you are busy and get flustered because there are a ton of us there, but really...do you need to take it out on us? good food...wish the service was friendlier read more

As a Chicago 'city guy', i was hesitant to go out with my wife on a Friday night to an Italian restaurant on Milwaukee Avenue in Glenview. Suffice to say, it was as good from start to finish as any restaurant in Little Italy or Italian Village. We will be coming back again soon! read more

The food was delicious, our server was wonderful (and he's the "new guy" -- only there for four years!), and the personal greeting from the owner was great. They served the best creamy tomato soup I've ever had -- cheesy but still bright, and with a lightness to it. I had the Harry's Fettucine (to die for!) and the Vitello Pancetta made my husband's eyes roll back in his head. I never order a non-chocolate dessert, but the server recommended the carrot cake. He hadn't let me down yet, so I gave it a shot. It was EXQUISITE. My husband had the chocolate gelato, which had a decadent, dark-chocolate flavor. Everyone obviously took pride in their work. We will be back with friends and family. read more

Everything about this place is outstanding. The owner comes and checks on you and makes sure that everything is excellent. The choices are great, the quality is superb and the service is excellent. Ordered a bottle of wine and the owner brought a better one at the same price. 2 of us had meals that he recommended that weren't even on the menu. Veal Chop Broiled and then covered in sauted mushroom ragu was the best I've had. Must go to this place if you're in the area. read more

This is a family-owned Italian restaurant with an owner who is fairly passionate about the food and extremely passionate about his wine. When we couldn't decide what to get, the owner offered to put together a special tasting menu for us. It included gnocchi, chilean sea bass, rack of lamb, arugula salad and bread with garlic parmesan spread. Everything was well-prepared. Not out of this world amazing - but good, tasty, well prepared. When we asked about a wine we were thinking of, the owner actually recommended a wine that was less money that he said we would like better. The wine was great and complimented the food well. All-in-all a good experience - a nice homey dining room. read more

This place is amazing!! It can be a very intimate romantic setting for date night. The staff is very friendly. I have been coming here for years and this is my favorite authentic Italian rest! read more

My husband frequented this restaurant when he was younger and somehow we just never made our way there until last night. What a wonderful Italian restaurant and a fantastic staff! The place was packed and we had no reservations and we were still offered a table ... We decided to eat at the bar and had a great experience. The owner spent some time chatting with us, recommended a dish I might enjoy and showed us some pictures of his grandson. When you're this friendly, your staff models the right behavior. The food was excellent, the sauces are delicious and the service set up looked beautiful even for a bar set up. Free valet parking was a treat and the decor reminds you of old town Italian eateries in downtown Chicago. Really enjoyed our evening at Cafe Lucci. We'll be back!!!!! read more

Really impressed with the food. Real Italian food complete with unique daily specials, flavorful sauces and outstanding service. Very nice atmosphere on a Saturday evening and very busy. Will be back. read more

This is some pretty authentic Italian food, and I've had my share. My coworker and I came in on Monday and of course we were on our phones working away but the staff were super patient with us and waited until we got off but they were able to seat us prior, no problem! We both ordered Harry's Fettuccine, it was amazing. The only thing I wish there was more Alfredo cream sauce! The prosciutto di Parma was a really nice touch. And the toasted Pecorino Romano was the perfect touch, I didn't even have to add any grated Parmesan to it! Oh AND we were given warm bread prior to our meal! Can't wait to come back and try the dessert! read more