I had been going there faithfully for a few years and never had a problem. The last time I went everything was fine,going how our normal visits usually would go. But all of a sudden the waiter came a took our drinks and plates and told us we had to leave. Just threw the bill on the table and walked off. When we asked for a manager, the one bartender who we always had a good report with came up and said we had to leave or he would call the police. Huhn? When we got up, they cleared our table and pushed it together with two other tables to accommodate another party. I was done. I have never been so embarrassed and that mad in my life. I tried calling to speak to a manager the next day and got hung up on. With that I made up my mind to not spend my money where I'm disrespected. read more

Awesome Italian food. Fresh salads. Delicious desserts All set in a cozy atmosphere with great service

I really want to like this restaurant. But it's just average. Living in the area for 10 years we have only been here 3 times. Every time the food and service was unremarkable. What did I order? No idea. The decor and environment are great. But the looks and vibe aren't enough to carry it. read more

Caffe De Luca is ok, nothing crazy but solid choice. Pros: -Menu variety, -$6 mimosa special at brunch -Food is generally worth what you pay -Good enough food - not spectacular, but better than a diner or a greasy spoon spot -Outdoor seating Cons: -Gnats flying around my face relentlessly when I was eating.....disgusting -Very outdated interior -Not the cleanest My last visit was 9/24/22 for brunch. read more

Went for lunch and enjoyed it thoroughly. Drinks food and desert arrived on time and tasted great. Going back tomorrow to try dinner.

Doesnt look like much/easy to miss storefront on this ever crowded OP/FP strip of Madison Ave, but worth finding, even though the Sunday brunch menu seemed pared down a bit. Not an elaborate menu the day we went but the items offered seemed to all be well-executed and flavorful. We loved the polenta-crusted calamari and the meatball pizza special offered that day. Also tasted the risotto which was rich and creamy but somehow not terribly heavy, and was told the salad was "perfect". Quaint place (altho perhaps a bit cramped at our table near the front door) with lots of kitschy Italian home decor. Friendly competent service. Thumbs up from all diners in our party. read more

Caffe De Luca - Brunch pizza - Italian Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

Terrible food and service. Saw a cockroach when we were eating. Pizza was flavorless. Way too much cheese. Had to remove cheese to make it halfway decent . Pasta with meatballs also flavorless. Again so much cheese. Cheese was probably trying to cover up the terrible food. Finally a COCKROACH was on the bench when we were eating. We told the wait staff and he said "oh shit!" And killed it. No apologies and no comps to the bill. Would never go back. read more

Best place for fresh seafood in the area. Great service and wine selection. Always have great specials on the menu.

Rustic & "cool looking" eatery. Nice selection of wines. Love the calamari appetizers & unique pastas. Ossa bucco to die for. The dessert sampler is made to share. Kathy has had our girls baby and wedding showers upstairs. read more

This is my go to place for dining with guest because it's reasonably priced with outstanding food portions.

Love the outdoor seating here for COVID times. Martinis and wine are very good. Love the minestrone soup. There is usually not a wait and you can walk up and get a table at any time. read more

Caffe De Luca - Upstairs outdoor seating - Italian Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

I visited for the first time more than 3 years ago on a second date and it continues to deliver quality food, ideal portions and great service. I am a fan of their gnocchi. On the other hand, their brunch offerings are underwhelming but decent. The menu caters to pescatarians, those with gluten allergies and veggie lovers and an average meal costs $20-$30 per person. During warmer weather, the restaurant offers outdoor seating which is ideal given that it is a Madison St storefront near lots of other stores. Parking is metered during normal business hours, but free during the Christmas holidays. It's a perfect dining option for date night or a get together with friends. read more

See all

Food is like Grandma made. Service is good and very pleasant and attentive. The place is not fancy but it clean and almost like being at family's house. read more

A few years ago, I went to Caffe De Luca in Wicker Park for dinner. It was one of the best Italian dinners I had eaten in Chicago. I must have been a jinx because the Wicker Park location closed. I recently went to the Forest Park location for Sunday brunch. I had the broccoli and cheddar quiche, which was quite nice. What really had a wow factor was the grilled shrimp and asparagus over salad. I haven't been back for dinner and I think that's where I'll really get to see if Caffe De Luca Forest Park does true Italian any justice. In the meantime, the brunch was satisfying enough. read more

See all

Great Italian food, leans towards fish/seafood but also has a wide variety of pastas and some other proteins entrees. Has daily specials which follow a theme but do vary daily. Wait staff is great- highly efficient, leans toward formal interaction, but not hovering or stuffy. This is my wife and my standard for a good romantic dinner for a couple yrs now (Wed bottle of wine deal helped) and we have always had an excellent meal, never regretted selecting de Luca. read more

I had my baby shower here and the food and the service was excellent! The venue is also very beautiful! The manager, Jacinto was beyond helpful! Especially since we live out of town but my family and my husband's family live in Chicago. We loved the place so much that we are also doing our baptism celebration here too, we can't wait! I highly recommend this place, again not only for private parties but the food and service was amazing! read more

We had a private event on the top floor and it was fantastic! The service, atmosphere, and food were perfect. I highly recommend any shrimp dish. It's cooked perfectly with just the right amount of seasoning. The calamari and pasta dishes are also FRESH and well prepared. We had lunch there the next day. There was a steak sub, a meatball sandwich, and a turkey club. Everyone loved them! Casual "mom and pop" dining that's raised to a higher end. Thank me later. read more

Great place for date night Great martinis Great service Great /fresh salads and entrees read more

Sweet European style cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. Plenty of vegetarian options. Free fresh bread & whipped butter to start. Full bar, too! The service was friendly and very attentive for today's lunch. We stayed indoors as there were 3 smokers outside unfortunately. We would have liked an outdoor table. Next time. This would make a nice date spot. We will definitely come back for an evening meal. read more

Caffe De Luca - Black bean burger and steamed broccoli. - Italian Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

Came for lunch. Had a great ambiance and service. Ordered the Linguine and a pizza. Food is very light and flavorful. read more

Caffe De Luca - Italian Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

See all

They have the best martini's and selection of martini's in Forest Park hands down. I can't get enough of this place. The drinks are good, the food is good and the service is good. I've had their chicken de luca and their crab cakes and I woke up thinking about both because both were so good! I love to go some days and just sit at the bar and watch the mixologists whip up and create those tasty martini's and on Thursday's they're only $5, which is an added bonus and another reason to come and dine with them. Now that it's summer it's nothing like grabbing a nice spot outdoors and sipping on a refreshing adult beverage while also eating some good food. You will not be disappointed here I guarantee this. read more

Poor quality food. I ordered the huevos rancheros for brunch. What came seemed to be straight from Aldi cans + some oily potatoes. Nothing green or fresh there. My partner had pancakes which were meh, but came with a really low quality maple. Will not return. read more

My friend and I had dinner at De Lucas's Wednesday night after spending a day downtown with a play and Christmas festivities. I have been to De Lucas's in the past, but its been a few years. To start of the dining room is warm, and inviting. Out dinner was good, but not exceptional, compared to the many other Italian restaurants I frequent. Our Server was great, very professional. But to be honest with you being an ex fine dining server myself at the Chicago Hilton, Our server I thought was being very overly attentive, and made us feel rushed. Every time I turned around he and another server were at our table asking how everything was. My friend had a martini, and maybe had two sips out of the glass, and the server asked him he wanted another. We enjoyed our dinners, Except I thought the portions were not very generous for the price. Most Italian restaurants I frequent offer you a choice of soup or salad included in the dinner. Like Jimmy's place, down the street, his prices are not only reasonable. The portions are very generous, and he has an extensive Italian menu, with daily specials read more

Tonight's visit was my third dining experience here. My first visit here, I was taken back by the service, and the quality of the food, and the drinks were absolutely divine! My second time at Caffe DeLuca felt more upscale, as I was with family (actually just yesterday) and we ordered the wine with our meals, those three bottles of wine surely disappeared quickly. But today...the drinks were divine, but the service was bit odd (there was a girl in training, who stood behind our waitress and was waving to get our attention to say hi to us while we were ordering our main dishes. Once we were winding down our visit tonight, an older gentleman came over and asked if we wanted to have our food boxed up...of course we were wanting to take our delicious food home to have as leftovers for a later day. To my shock...we were handed our own containers to fill up ourselves - where as yesterday, our food we had wrapped up, was done in the kitchen by the staff there. That was disappointing... Given the amount of money we spent (at least over $500). I expect consistency and a little more finesse with our departure from the restaurant. Overall... I will definitely be back, and anyone questioning whether or not they should visit Caffe DeLuca... Yes!! read more

Finally had the chance to stop by this small, yet busy, restaurant last night. Overall, a pleasant dining experience! I tried the Crab Cakes and the Farfalle. They were both great dishes! Decent portions and quality food. They're currently taking reservations for patio dining due to COVID, so give them a call before stopping by. read more

Caffe De Luca - Farfalle - Italian Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

The food was great and our waitress was amazing! It would have been 5 stars except when we were greeted we were told only upstairs seating even though we had 2 strollers. I asked if we could wait for a seat and was told it would be well over an hour even though they weren't taking reservations and no one was waiting. It made me feel like they were hoping we would leave because we had 2 strollers on Mother's Day. I asked if we could eat outside and they said sure. The chairs for the outside dinning were so small it was impossible to get comfortable. Overall it was a pleasant Mother's Day celebration due to the good food and wonderful waitress. read more

Caffe De Luca is the perfect place for a date night out! I haven't been back in a while but every time I visit, it is a great experience. My date ordered mushroom risotto and it was some of the best risotto I've ever had. I always order the quiche and it's never let me down. It's always a fluffy egg like texture that is done just right. The atmosphere is very romantic and intimate. I need to make a trip back here! read more

Beautiful place and great food but I would appreciate it if there were more desserts without nuts

Excellent service in a cute setting. Food was great and our server was so accommodating

A definite go-to for authentic Italian food. It is conveniently located along Madison street bars and parking is accessible on either Madison St or residential areas that do not require permit parking. (Thank you Forest Park. I usually get ticketed when parking in hot spots of Oak Park.) What to order when you are here: Grilled Calamari. You will not be disappointed! It is fresh, chewy, perfectly seasoned, and is a great starter to any entree you choose. Pair your fresh calamari with $5 Mimosas or Bloody Marys. We ordered 4 maybe 6? mimosas each and they were well balanced that I didn't want to stop drinking. Usually, what happens when I order mimosas is that they are filled with oj and after drinking two glasses of mimosas I start feeling acid reflux. Not this time! Woohoo! Next thing to order: Salmon Salad. What to try the next time I'm here: Every pasta on the menu. read more

Caffe De Luca - Grilled calamari. - Italian Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

See all

My family was in town for the first time. Our Air bnb was in Forest Park. We were looking for a sit down restaurant local. Italian it was. I called ahead and was promptly given a reservation. I asked to sit on the roof top as it was a beautiful summer night and was told it was closed. Whaat?! Disappointing. Don't advertise this if you're going to close it during peak season. Boo . We did however get seated near the open wall outside, still not quite outside. Our drink orders were taken and appetizer of the best calamari I've had and if it's on the menu, I order it. It was cooked perfectly. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. The wait staff was attentive, drinks well made and filled to the brim. We would definitely return should we return to the area. I only hope next time we can sit outside. read more

See all

This place is so cute! It's a slice of Italy in FP. The food is good and portions are hefty. I was here for an early dinner on a Saturday. Everything was clean and the tables are spaced safely apart. We sat up top and look down on Madison Ave. It's pretty cool. read more

This place is better every time we go. We have had dinner and drinks here twice in the past week. read more

See all

Two words for you: sidewalk patio! Okay, I need two more: Mandoria panini. Brie, toasted almonds, grilled chicken breast all drizzled with honey on ciabatta. See, so worth it. I love this bistro! Warm, cozy and totally Euro with a good, bustling energy and awesome menu spanning pasta, paninis, salads, veal beef and seafood. The feel is what you want to make it: comfortable enough for a casual bite yet has enough panache for a date. Drink/wine menu is also stellar. Bellinis, key lime martinis and Peroni on draft. Um, yeah! Thursday special: $6 'jumbo' martinis. Who's in? read more

Caffe De Luca - Italian Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

Caffe de Luca is a little gem on this stretch of bars and restaurants in Forest Park. It would be easy to just drive right by it with it's unassuming facade and cafe style seating. But if you did- you would miss some great Italian food served in a little Venetian style restaurant. Weather permitting- check out the upstairs deck that allows you to drink "al fresco" (my favorite way to drink!) We sat at the long bar and enjoyed a few drinks while catching up with friends. The martini's are perfectly poured and the bartenders are quick to take care of you. We were seated in the front window and ordered a wide range of appetizers and entrees. The bread basket with the cheese and garlic spread was delicious. The beef carpaccio tasty, the grilled calamari, nicely presented, and the prosciutto wrapped asparagus perfectly executed. We split a pasta dish between the 4 of us (know before you go that they charge $3 to split a plate so just order one and ask for a spoon and extra plates and do your own splitting) It was very good with a light cream sauce but for the life of me I cannot remember what it was called! I had the trout for my entree but we also shared the salmon and the braciola (lots of garlic!). All were quite good and the portion sizes were huge. We probably should have split a couple of entrees between us as there were plenty of leftovers for everyone. Parking is easy at a pay lot across the street or you can usually find a spot on one of the side streets. You never know where you are going to come across a little place that could become a regular destination. While Forest Park is not on my regular "go to" list- I know when I am in that neck of the woods- Caffe de Luca, like a little slice of Venice, will be high on my list to revisit. read more

Nice little non-Irish gem on Madison St. (I love a good Irish joint, but feels like they dominate this street. Not a bad thing. Anyway...) The ambiance is great inside or out - love that it's somewhat dim and quiet inside (and the Moroccan lanterns - yes!) but that you can dine outside on their patio along Madison. Plus, they had a guy playing the accordion. Live. Was kind of awesome. On to the libations: Tried the Canteloupe martini - tasty, not too sweet, not too strong. (This can be good or bad - in this case, good!) The mojito was solid - nothing special, but good. The eats: They brought a basket of bread/some kind of tortilla-esque pita and some homemade hummus to the table before we ordered that was freaking amazing. I think we'd go back just for that! Tried two entrees here - the tortellini carbonara and the eggplant parm. LOVED the tortellini (see pics of both in the listing) but even though it didn't seem like an overly large serving at first, I couldn't finish it. The eggplant parm was also large (but completely finished - apparently it was that good.) Prices were a tad high (two drinks and two entrees with tip ran about $80) and the service was pretty slow, but the servers were friendly and the aforementioned ambiance was pretty great. So I'd probably go back. read more

See all

I love this place! The service is great and the food is amazing! For lunch I always get the Pollo Piccante Panini (spicy grilled chicken, red onion, giardiniera, herb aioli and mozzarella on focaccia bread). It's probably one of my favorite meals and it deserves 5 stars however they only serve it for lunch, even if you ask them to make it for dinner. Other items that are amazing: the bruschetta, crab cakes and all of their pastas are pretty great. My absolute favorite thing about this place is the $6 martinis they offer on Thursdays. Here's a list of all of there specials: Monday Free appetizer with bottle of wine purchase Tuesday & Wednesday Half off bottles of wine Thursday $6 Martinis Monday - Thursday 4pm-6pm Half off all appetizers read more

Nice little local diner and within walking distance of our neighborhood. Friendly customer service and good portions. read more

Caffe De Luca - Yum! - Italian Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

What a great place for a lazy rainy day lunch! Casual, rustic atmosphere sets the mood. Servers are attentive but not at all overbearing. Service neither slow nor rushed. Brushetta was great, farfalle pasta with chicken was a very large portion. Rigatoni with meatballs was also good and large-portioned. Next time I will try the calamari appetizer and the pizza. They looked good coming out of the kitchen! read more

I was going to be in the area on a Saturday afternoon so my friend and I decided to meet here for lunch. My first time here. She had been here a couple of times. I loved it. I had a chicken pannini sandwich with brie, basil pesto and honey drizzle. I chose the side of the day which was a cold broccoli salad. Both items were excellent. The pannini bread was crispy on the outside but nice and soft on the inside. Other reviewers were accurate when they said the ambiance is rustic Italian. The tables are a little close to each other so be prepared for that. I was impressed with their menu. Alot of different items that you don't see at a typical Italian restaurant. Service was fine. read more