I have been a Patron of Calo Restaurant for Almost Twenty Years! In Particular this is My Favorite Restaurant in The City! I also Live in The Area.. For the past 2 to 3 Years The Overall Service is not what it use to be. With that said. I have Managed in The Hospitality Industry for Twenty Five Years. Which has made My Wife and I not Frequent The Restaurant as much. I had 6:00 Reservations last Night. The Food was Great as Always! My tab was 84:00. I gave My Waiter a 100.00 Bill. In which He never Returned with My Change. Which stopped Him from getting a bigger tip. You are not Suppose to Assume a tip until given, or asked to keep the change. Thank You! read more

1st thing free parking across from the restaurant. If you can't find an Italian dish you like on their large menu, then there is no hope for you l. Nice open dining room, plenty of room for larger parties, the food was excellent, and really good Italian cuisine, I had veal parmigiana, tender easy to cut, sauce was good, maybe a little more garlic, fresh cheese grated on top made it a great meal. Our server was friendly and made sure our glasses and bread basket was always full. Tiramisu was large and tasty, one of the best I've ever eaten. read more

Calo Pizzeria Restaurant & Lounge - Tiramisu, it was large and tasty - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've eaten from Calo many time and each time the food never disappointed. But this time I actually had the pleasure of dining in. What a nice sit down spot for lunch. Decided to go simple and just ordered a chicken caesar wrap. First I didn't expect to get their homemade pizza bread as a complimentary appetizer and it was just the perfect touch to wet my palate. Perfectly baked bread and there was something about their sauce that I still can't put my finger on. It was so subtly sweet but still had enough robust flavor to it. What I liked was that they didn't cake on the sauce either. Simple yet very satisfying! The chicken wrap was very simple but fresh ingredients throughout which made my lunch a home run. Very subtle but satisfying flavors throughout the entire meal. I guess I gotta dine in more often read more

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My partner and I came for our anniversary dinner! Andrea, our server, was so attentive. She checked on us often but was also respectful if we wanted more time. Our food was delicious! The pastas we chose were so good. We also enjoyed the complimentary bread! The restaurant is very cute and the noise level was okay for a busy Saturday night. We will definitely be back! read more

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I've now been to Calo multiple times and am always looking forward to the next time. For starts, the staff are welcoming and warm, along with the restaurant interior. The drinks are pretty good, and I love to get a martini before the meal. The appetizers and entrees are very generous -- we always split amongst the group when we've gone. My favorite dish I've ever tried has to be the pesto bucatini. So, so good! I'd love to swap the chicken next time for meatballs, as they are also great. read more

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Came here yesterday, 02/28 for dinner w/my bf. Although we had phoned ahead for reservations, we ended up waiting for an extra 10 mins. 1 star off for that Another star off for the seemingly main older brunette lady at check in. She was angry and seemed bothered by the inconvenience of the number of patrons. She was like a corporal/angry grandma. Something tells me she is the owner/manager, yikes. Bread they give out at the beginning is AMAZING I got the lobster ravioli w/add on cup of clam chowder and bf got the salmon entree. Great food. Appreciative for the booth. Would definitely come here again, but they should tighten up their reservation process and I'm hoping to come on a less busy night, bc I'm scared to encounter the burned out brunette nana with the bouffant and glasses again read more

Calo Pizzeria Restaurant & Lounge - Grilled Atlantic Salmon Ravioli di Aragosta - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Can I do SIX stars?! How about SEVEN. I LOVE CALO. Every time we come here, it's a hit. From just sitting at the bar for drinks to a full blown feast. Last night, Xmas Eve, the place was packed. The service was fantastic - our cute, friendly waiter was in good spirits, even though he was working on Xmas Eve. I tipped well, and you should as well. We were damn lucky to snag the last walk in table for the night! The food. Linguini Frutti di Mare - SO MUCH SEAFOOD. It was packed with goodness, and delicious. Enough food for likely three meals. Not overcooked, just fantastic. Would order again. My favorite thing on the menu: the Calamari alla Griglio (see photo) - grilled calamari, NOT breaded with spinach and white beans. PERFECTION. The vinegarette over it tastes great soaked up with some of their delicious bread. My gawd, this dish is so simple, but so so good. The other two in my party had ribs and rigatoni with sausage al bosco - maple bacon cured sausage in a rosemary garlic cream sauce (OMG SAVORY) - both stand outs. The ribs here are always fall off the bone great and flavorful. That pasta dish was something else, so rich and delicious. Come hungry, 'cos the portions are huge. I always happily package half my food to go, 'cos it's great the next day too. I can't rave enough about this neighborhood gem. Drinks: French 75! Tart and delicious! Ambiance: warm, bustling, friendly. Don't ever change, Calo, I LOVE YOU!!!!! read more

Loved our experience at Calo! Favorite dish was the calamari and the delicious focaccia bread that came to the table. It's a very comfy place with delicious pasta and appetizers. The service was great and we enjoyed ourselves after a long graduation ceremony read more

Calo Pizzeria Restaurant & Lounge - Fried Calamari - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love that parking is included and it's conveniently located right across the street. It may have been an off night but the parking attendant took forever to give and retrieve the parking pass. It was a bit chilly out but it definitely prolonged getting into the restaurant and leaving the lot. Hostess was very nice and accommodating. We came on a busy Thursday night around 7pm and it was extremely busy. I havent seen it this busy since before COVID. Glad to see business is doing well. She said the wait would be around 15 minutes, but we definitely waited less than 10. Appreciated her underpromising and over delivering. The service was satisfactory, the waiter was extremely busy which was understandable. The food was okay. I didn't really enjoy my seafood ravioli as it was pretty bland. There were only two shrimp provided and there was no sauce or anything on it. It looked like it was just boiled and placed on the plate. The fried mozzarella we had as an appetizer was great. My partner didn't love his meal either but did enjoy the drinks. They had an elderflower spritz that he really enjoyed. I would return as I've had the pizza here, as well as the vodka pasta. Hope the next time the food is better because the service and the convenience of parking makes it a great spot. read more

Calo Pizzeria Restaurant & Lounge - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for a birthday lunch on a Sunday. No reservations, just showed up shortly after opening. I was on the hunt for linguine vongole & I've heard Calo is it. The restaurant was empty but soon became busy as time passed. The decor & ambience was wonderful. I appreciated the photos adorning the walls. Service was stellar & attentive. The bread came & focaccia was the best! Couldn't get enough of it, but I had to stop as calamari was coming & so was my pasta. Both were outstanding!!! The vongole was everything I wanted & then some. I will absolutely be back for this pasta as it's my favorite & I'm happy I chose Calo for a birthday meal. Thanks again! read more

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Food here was amazing and fresh. The portion sizes were impressive. The ravioli with lobster cream sauce and shrimp was delicious. The add-on salad was big enough for two. My only disappointment was my cocktail, a Sidecar. It just wasn't good. But the meal was outstanding. read more

Great Italian restaurant ambience and the pasta dishes we had were delicious. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. Just make sure you make reservations. The place seems always busy. read more

TDLR: Big portions, easy parking, chill vibes with good food and the best bread I've ever had. Make a reservation! Food Big menu and big portions! - Bread comes out first and wooooow. My oh my, put butter on the piece of bread that looks likes it has tomatoes on it and you will love it. - Rigatoni al bosco: this was unlike any pasta that I have had. It comes in a garlic cream sauce with bacon sausage and onions. So good! Ambiance Large restaurant that can accommodate big groups. Tables are not scrunched together! Parking They have their own lot across the street, can't beat that! Reservation We came on a Monday night and the restaurant was full. read more

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Calo is an Italian staple in the Andersonville neighborhood. Huge portions and friendly service with tips if you need help figuring out what to order. Spacious booths for any size party. Menu Highlights Fettuccine Monte e Mare - generous chunks of seafood in a rich cream sauce. Definitely enough to take home for a second meal. minestrone soup with chunky vegetables cannoli for dessert! read more

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Our dinner at Calo's Ristorante was exceptional, marked by fresh flavors and a few creative surprises. Highlights from the Table * The Food: The Ravioli di Aragosta was fantastic--rich, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. My partner's Linguini Frutti di Mare in white wine sauce was equally impressive, paired with a solid bowl of Clam Chowder. Don't skip the Caesar Salad; the dressing is delicious. * The Drink: I tried their unique Limoncello Martini. It was a fun departure from the norm--pink in color and spiked with rum. It tasted great and was a refreshing twist on a classic. * The Finish: We ended with the Pistachio Gelato, which was easily the best part of the dessert menu. Smooth, authentic, and the perfect end to the night. Bottom Line From the creative cocktails to the standout lobster ravioli, Calo's is a neighborhood gem that hits all the right notes. read more

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Decided to give this place another try and I'm glad I did. As soon as we were seated, a basket of warm bread, including delicious tomato focaccia bread appeared. So good! We were delighted to see baked clams in the appetizer menu. The clams paired well with a perfectly made martini and glass of wine. The chicken parm was good, but the rotors de mezzaluna (rolls of eggplant breaded and stuffed with cheese) was a dish that future cravings are made of. Our waiter Gilberto was a young man with old school manners and commitment to exceptional service (a rare combination these days). Great experience overall. read more

My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025! Restaurant: 49/50 Month tried: August Favorite dish: Mushroom ravioli Calo is a neighborhood establishment that's been around for a long time, and its white tablecloth, old-timey Italian vibes truly feel like stepping back in time. The space is huge, and they were nice enough to seat our large party even though two were stuck in traffic. We started with drinks, and MY LORD were they strong!! I got a peach martini and woweeee, just one of them went straight to my head. Jot this down for "places to get a stiff cocktail". House bread was delish. I ordered the gnocchi gorgonzola and the serving size could have easily fed two people. All the pasta dishes were huge. The table favorite was the mushroom ravioli. You know how some restaurants give you like 5 ravioli and pretend that's a meal? Not Calo. You are here to EAT. Overall a good experience and a versatile restaurant that would be good for groups, happy hour, family dinners, etc. You may just be on the younger side of the clientele :) read more

The real deal. An honest-to-God authentic neighborhood Italian-American dive that serves really good classic Italian-American dishes. They've been around since 1963 so they must be doing a lot of things right. Not perfect, not fancy, but respectably good, and the kind of place that's perfect for lazy weeknight delivery or a family birthday in person. If this restaurant fell into the middle of Taylor Street here or Little Italy in New York it would fit right in. If that makes perfect sense to you, especially if you are local to the far north side, you'll love it. The one-star reviews here are clearly people who either don't know the difference between Italian and Italian-American food, or just get annoyed when people don't treat them like princesses. This place is legit. read more

Oh Calo, What happened to your beverage service? Something has changed, and it's all about the beverages. The coffee tasted terrible, as if the pot had not been cleaned for a while and the water had grounds sitting in it for days. No amount of cream and sugar could solve it. The cocktail we ordered was bitter too. And it was a common cocktail, nothing unusual. The only beverages that were palatable were those dispesed from bottles (think wine, soda pops, etc), nothing made in house. I'm sad. We loved Calos. read more

Have been coming here for years. The food is fine and there isn't too much by way of Italian in the area so they're usually busy. The hosts/manager, however, can be incredibly rude. Like they're doing you a favor by existing. I've always looked past it until yesterday. Came in to get seated, party of 2. We were told it'd be about 25 mins. Another party of 2 came in right after and was seated right away because they clearly knew the bald manager guy. One of the women at the hostess stand pointed out that we were there first but he didn't care. Seated the other party, said something to us like "that was a high top," as if it was a table we wouldn't have wanted anyway, and muttered about having a table for us in a second. He then walked away for a bit, came back, told one of the women to seat us at a table in a high traffic area that was really unpleasant. We didn't even bother sitting down at that point and just left because the whole situation killed the vibe. I get that favorites are probably played all the time but BOY was this obvious and he didn't care. I'm fine not going back there again. The only thing I might miss is the focaccia. read more

Another fantastic dinner with their carry out service. We had our usuals and sausage pan pizza (not pictured). Every dish was delicious. Calo has become one of my family's go to when we don't feel like cooking. Parking is available right in front of the restaurant for pick up orders and a sizable parking lot across the street for dine-ins. I will continue to support them wherever I can. read more

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Longgg wait...restaurant not even that busy on a monday night but service sucks. Huge place with plenty of staff. No one came to our table. Waitress standing around and talking instead of taking orders or bringing our food out. We waited 40 minutes. Our food prob be waiting in the back but no one came to check on it. Couldnt wait any longer so asked waitress to pack our food. read more

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Great food, busboys are on top of things with clearing tables, assisting with refills, bread, etc. wait staff can be great but not always, there are a few really good ones though. We eat there 3/4 times a month and host staff still ask our name upon arrival, sometimes we have actually been turned away because we failed to make a reservation... wtf, we do eat there an awfully lot - I don't think it's a stretch to make an exception on the occasion we do a walk in ( there's usually only 2/3 Of us in the party). I do see management come by to parties they seem to know well, but they've never stopped at ours to ask how everything was. Still love the food- will still eat there read more

Have to reconsider this for the future. Was greeted with a very rude hostess on entry with a flipping of her hand to get out of her site. From the bar area, someone else found us a table, there were plenty. No one seemed to have informed our waitress she had a table. After a long wait, a very nice waitress waited on us. The rude woman at the entrance was still at the door when we left and still too bothered to greet customers. read more

The service was great and the food portions on average are usually pretty big. I tried the veggie lasagna the last time I was here. It was good, not great, maybe 6/10. They always bring you assorted bread which is a nice touch and the tiramisu was amazing! read more

Food is outstanding, service is great. Nice friendly atmosphere. When we can't get they, we order from them all the time.

3.49 Our go to neighborhood Italian spot. Friendly welcoming servers that make you feel like family. Ambiance is fairly simple but nice and clean, nothing too over the top as far as Italian eatery. We often sit at the bar side in a booth as it feels a bit cozier. I myself am not a huge fan of having TVs in restaurants I realize many patrons come to have a drink at the bar and watch sports and it simply makes sense financially. For Chicago the Italian food is a good, it's an Italian American style with a few twists. Portion sizes are nice and big so def plan to split entrees and the martinis are equally as hefty. Skip the pizzas and stick to the pastas and proteins. Growing up on the east coast I've admittedly been spoiled all my life by amazing Italian American food so consider me a harsh critic. Overall when we need a weeknight Italian food fix it's a consistent no brainer. read more

The staff is warm and welcoming . 4 of us sat in a booth and were quite comfortable. Even though it was packed we were seated right away . The bread basket came with a mix of breads and butter which was perfect with our cocktails. The house salad and vodka pasta were delicious while the desserts looked yummy we were too full so now we have an excuse to go back ! read more

This Andersonville staple is huge! If you go in the summer, bring a sweater because their AC is blasting. We had a large party (we had a reservation) and they did a great job servicing such a large group. They were even able to split up the check (we asked before ordering) which was super helpful! They have a huge menu with a range of veggie options to choose from. Most of the dishes seem to have meat or fish, but there are a few pasta dishes and pizza without either. The menu is huuuuge (like actually physically so big it was hard to make room for them at the table, but also very extensive menu options). They give you free bread and pizza bread (foccacia) before dinner. The foccacia was so addicting! Warm and fresh out of the oven with soft butter on the side - it was hard to not fill up before my meal. I ordered the gorgonzola gnocchi and it was even better than I expected. I loved the creamy sauce, and the gnocchi was stuffed with cheese! YUM! read more

Calo Pizzeria Restaurant & Lounge - Gnocchi Gorgonzola - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this place. The risotto es the BEST in the city ( or US not sure yet ) The only reason for the missing start is that hostess are usually not too friendly, usually the bussers are the BEST at customer service ( but the hostess as first impression are not a good start ) read more

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Calo's is very popular. Next time there, I'll dine earlier than 7pm on a weeknight to avoid the crowd inside and out. It took awhile for our food to arrive, so I overindulged on the delicious complimentary rolls & focaccia. I can't complain, because I went home with a tasty doggy bag of baby back ribs. read more

Attractive room; reliably great service; food is consistently good. Not overpriced and they're open for lunch with parking across the street. read more

This was a great dinner. Pasta was super creamy and our waitstaff was friendly and prompt. It was a nice place to catch up with family, it gave a comfortable cozy vibe. read more

Calo Pizzeria Restaurant & Lounge - Ziti al Vodka - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The server was completely ignorant. He avoided our table like the plague and did the absolute least to assist us. No politeness, no checking in, no seeing if we enjoyed our meal. Mean while seeming very jovial with everyone else. The entire room was white and we are not. We won't be coming back again but I'm pretty sure that was the point. The universe will reward you with energy you put out my friend. Best of luck read more

My go to Italian Restaurant in Chicago. Excellent food and great service. Best pizza in Chicago love Calo's

My first time at Calo, I was on a date and madly in love. The world was perfect that night...and I loved Calo. Been craving Calo ever since so went again last night with a clearer head. Here is my review: The service at Calo is fantastic. They take great care of you, and the upbeat attitude of the servers and bartenders is infectious. It's a happy place. For food, I had the minestrone (excellent!); Caesar salad (very good...especially their tomatoes -- ask for extra!); lasagna (pretty standard); and pumpkin cheesecake (would not order again). If in the area, I would definitely stop again for soup and salad -- and I might try a different pasta dish. Also, it's a nice, happy place to be. read more

Excellent purveyor of Classic Italian cuisine. Good quality ingredients and large portions ... especially pasta fare. Parking is a plus as is the wait staff. Very popular so be patient and MANGIA.... read more

Deep dish pizza is kinda too sour for me. Not a huge fan. You might like if you like a lot of tomato sauce Thin cut pizza is not very crispy. Cheese is kinda waxy. Reasonable price though read more

Calo Pizzeria Restaurant & Lounge - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Everything was wonderful! Fast, welcoming service, delicious meals, abundant servings and reasonably priced. I would highly recommend Calo Ristorante. read more

I think the food is consistently good. The service - specifically hosts- are indifferent at best and have been blatantly rude at times. Service can be slow. Still if I have the craving- I'll go but I'm usually irked at some aspect of the service. read more