There's nothing overly fancy about this authentic family-owner restaurant in Lincoln Square. They offer an array of different pasta dishes and all of the homemade pasta was fantastic. You really need to make a reservation because the place is very small and cozy. Also appreciated that it is BYOB. read more

This place doesn't seem like much from the outside, but it is a true gem. The calamari was so fresh it tasted like it was just caught that morning. Generous portions of homemade pasta, it made me feel like I was back home. I got the special gnocchi that was stuffed with spinach and ricotta and it was so decadent, like little clouds of heaven! My partner got a baked tortellini with pancetta and it was such an incredible take on a classic dish. I always judge Italian places by their cheese, and this one was so fresh and juicy. I can't wait to go back! Also, I just want to say it seemed super authentic. The menu was in Italian, with English descriptions of course, and the staff spoke italian as well. I always appreciate when italian restaurants stick to the true names of the food, and it makes me feel cool when I get to flex my italian to those I'm dining with! It's BYOB. read more

See all

This is some of the best Italian food you can get in Chicago. I've been coming here for years, and while I miss their old location, the new spot on Lincoln Ave. is more centrally located and is always hopping. The service is always wonderful and the food...well, prepare yourself. Come hungry, I mean STARVING. Portion sizes for everything are huge and you will not want to stop eating. Last night during my most recent visit, I enjoyed the burrata appetizer, which was a special, and the homemade rigatoni, which is one of my favorite dishes here. They make the delicious pasta in house and serve it with a delightfully tender chicken parmesan on top: so you basically get two giant dinners. I almost always have leftovers for the next day. The value is amazing considering the quality and quantity of the food. I wish the tables weren't quite so close together, but I understand it from a business perspective. Finally, the artwork in this restaurant is amazing and always a good conversation starter. Truly, I cannot say enough great things about this place. Be sure to make a reservation as you will most likely need it. read more

I've walked by this place 100 times but never stopped in. Finally decided to check it out. The garlic bread was dry and nothing exciting. I had the gnocchi which was ok but not worth the price. There are so many better Italian places in the city. The waitstaff were very friendly but that doesn't make up for mediocre food. read more

Been meaning to check this place out as I pass it every day on the way to work. Cute decor, very festive. There is street parking (no lot), but be warned that the parking on Wilson is only for one hour. Sat down and three slices of bread came out on a plate with cheese...figured there was a slice for each of us. I ordered the bruschetta con boconcini mozzarella; the garlic was almost overpowering to the point that you almost missed the tomatoes. The chicken parm should be called the chicken farm as the piece of chicken took up the whole plate. Very impressive size, covered in a red sauce and lots of cheese. This came with a side of pasta, but it was dwarfed next to the chicken. The penne matriciana (penne pasta with homemade italian sausage and meatballs, served in a homemade marinara sauce filled with, onions, sliced pancetta, white wine, garlic and parmesan cheese) was nice. Again a little too heavy on the garlic for me, but the serving of meatballs and sausage was nice as I tend to have to order an extra side of meat, depending on which is in the dish originally. Sausage was tender enough that I didn't really need a knife to cut it. While this was a nice dish, I didn't think that the $26 price was justified as it didn't come with soup or salad. For dessert I had the chocolate soufflé with a scoop of vanilla gelato. Nice flavor and texture...the gelato was nice as well. Lovely sensation of hot and cold going on. Food was solid, but a little too much garlic for my taste. I like that they are BYOB, but feel the prices for some of the dishes are too high considering that they are pasta. Also the charge to split a dish seems trifling considering the size of some of the dishes. Not sure what the charge is as I have heard that it is $10, but on the website it says $5. Food was good, but for the price, I feel that there are better options when looking at overall value and taste. I could eat here again, but would probably do take out, as I observed several people do. This way I could split a dish without the extra charge. read more

See all

Ordered through DoorDash. Got our order wrong. Called multiple times to speak to the manager to reimburse me. Was given the run around and told to call back. Worst customer service. Should have called me back instead of having me chase them around for my refund. Never received my refund. read more

Reservations are a must; saw a couple groups being turned away in the first 30 minutes there. It is also BYOB. Space is small and a little uncomfortable for larger groups. Service is okay but the food is addicting; each bite of pasta leaves you wanting more. Would definitely recommend the pappardelle con porcini. read more

Went with another couple, the pasta, calamari, and green bean salad were delicious as always. We enjoy that it is byob. The only issue is that the new space on Lincoln is tiny and they are so packed that it is a bit uncomfortable. You better like the people sitting next to you, because they are really sitting with you. read more

The lobster ravioli and lasagna are AMAZING! Bring your own booze so don't expect to be able to order a drink with dinner. read more

Wonderful, authentic Italian cuisine. I have tried several Italian restaurants in the area and this is by far my favorite. Kind staff. Fair prices. Giant portions. Free (yummy) bread. What else can you ask for? :) read more

Tuesday night 3 years living in neighborhood And we try this italian restaurant tonight He order lasagna I order the vesuvio chicken pretty good Is byob Porcions are huge enough to share Entrees $20 and up Next time i will try the lobster ravioli Service on point read more

See all

I've ordered in the past and the noodles were always homemade and fresh. This time around, they were over done and not homemade. Also since the chicken is so thin, it's pretty tough. Disappointed this time around. (This was a pick up order) read more

Caro Mio - Pollo Alla Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow! Authentic Italian. I needed a great plate of gnocchi for my husbands birthday dinner. Ran across this restaurant. Ordered by phone. Pickup was right on time. My husband said the gnocchis were wonderful. I had eggplant parmigiana, the portion was huge. The eggplant was well cooked and delicious. It wasn't overly breaded and the flavor shined. My adult son, not a big pasta fan had the chicken Alfredo. He loved the thin homemade noodles and said the sauce was excellent. Again the portion was huge. Plenty to share. Try it you will like it! read more

Amazing!! How many BYOB Italian places can you name? I can only name one.... I had a special of the night - rigatoni (home made) with Bolognese sauce and chicken Parmesan on top. It was absolutely phenomenal. The rigatoni was so homemade that it looked sloppy. My favorite thing EVER. the bread can use a little update - heat it up for us!!! But other than that, this is an extremely satisfying, tasty BYOB Italian place. Oh and the portions are so big you're getting 2 meals, so don't be steered away by the prices - you get an entire pound of pasta for each dish basically. read more

Really disappointed in our dining experience here. Made a reservation for a bday dinner, and we were sat next to the font door in December. It was freezing. I asked to move to another table. Then, the service was horrible, and our waiter barely checked on us. The food itself was good but very overpriced. Every meal is between $25-$30. That's a lot for a pasta. The place itself is very small and loud. Our chairs were touching the tables behind us. I had to remind the waiter that we were celebrating a bday. He brought out a dessert for the bday boy then charged us for it ($10). I asked if that was a mistake, and he replied no. There is no complimentary dessert for a special occasion. 20% tip was automatically included in our check, for terrible service. Definitely would not ever come back. read more

We went on a Thursday night around 7:30 and it was not crowded. The dining room was about 1/3 full and it had a nice atmosphere. The host (owner?) was very friendly and we were seated right away. We brought a bottle of wine (it's BYOB) and there is no corking fee. We started with the bruschetta special, which was fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. It was good, but I didn't care for the dried oregano which was sprinkled on top just before serving. Fresh oregano would have been much nicer. I had the a special, homemade rigatoni with Bolognese sauce and topped with chicken parmesan. The pasta and sauce were amazing! The rigatoni was the best I have ever had, thicker than what you get in the store and cooked to perfection. The sauce was was total comfort food. The chicken parmesan was just OK for me. It was pounded very thin and was a little dry, but had good flavor. My daughter had the pappardelle con porcini, which was italian porcini mushrooms sautéed with borolo red wine, parmesan cheese and cream. We all loved it! The sauce was very flavorful, but not heavy. My sister got the pappardelle all arrabiatta con gamberi, which was a topped with shrimp and a spicy red sauce made with eggplant, onion, green and red peppers. It was tasty, but not as good as the other entrees. We split the bill and it was around $30 each, including tip. Overall, it was a great experience and I highly recommend Caro Mio. I can't wait to return and try something else from the menu. read more

Caro Mio - Rigatoni in Bolognese sauce topped with chicken Parmesan. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If I could give a big zero to Caro Mio I would. The bread was stale, we told the waiter and he had the nerve to tell us it was fresh.. The olive oil on the table was low quality. The appetizer bruschetta was too thick and completely hard and dry. It was OK! I ordered the salmon piccata. The salmon was rubbery with a 1/4 inch fatty skin attached and the sauce was salty. My husband ordered the tender veal in a hot pepper sauce. The veal was far from tender we tried to tell our waiter but he never came back to check on us. Bad service, bad meal and above that expensive. We will not be back! read more

A number of our friends have had great experiences here. A number of our friends have also had poor experiences here. We weren't sure what to expect, but we'd decided we wanted Italian and put a few restaurants to a vote. This is the one that won, so this is where we went and I was happy to find that things went well for us. We reserved a table for 5 and it was ready for us when we arrived. I walked through most of the dining room to get to our table and got to smell all the delicious dishes and see what people had on their plates to give me some ideas of what I might want to order. There was one Entrée I kept spotting, so I decided to give it a try. It was one of the Specials of the night and I didn't catch all the names but I think it might have been the Agnelotti Rossini, though their menu doesn't mention the baked cheese top. Back to the beginning - It's BYOB and there's no corkage fee, of which I am a huge fan! We sipped our wine while we waited for Appetizers. We ordered the Bruschetta and the Calamari Frittii. I thought both were very good but seemed very pricey compared to other items on the menu. It was $15 for the Bruschetta alone, which was 5 pieces. I just don't think I could bring myself to buy a $3 per piece bread starter again. But that's me. The pastas are also not cheap but I think the portions and quality make it more justifiable. Main meals came out not too long after and we passed our plates around to try everyone's dishes. I was very happy with mine, but I found I enjoyed others' more. There was a pesto-stuffed pasta that was also a feature and my friend got a decadent Lobster Ravioli with a luscious cream sauce. There was a tasty chicken dish, but the winner was my other friend's Pappardelle con Porcini. I need to preface this by saying that I mostly loathe mushrooms, but this worked so well. The best way to describe it would be as the best Mushroom Stroganoff you've ever had. There was no rush to leave, so we sipped coffee and nibbled on a few Desserts. Their Tiramisu perfectly rounded off the evening. read more

See all

An absolute hidden gem! Don't let the prices stop you from enjoying authentic homemade pasta. My gnocchi lasted me for lunch and dinner the next day. My partner got the lasagna which was melt in your mouth delicious. Their tiramisu was a perfect ending to the whole thing. It is BYOB! Make reservations ahead of time as the place is very small and tight. Amazing overall. Will be back. read more

Caro Mio - my first visit with a large group size - highly recommended! A quaint Italian, BYOB (no corkage fee) restaurant with outstanding service and high quality food! My first visit for a milestone birthday with a group size of 20. From the first time walking in to see the place and discussing having my celebration there, to the actual event, all top-notch. My group was able to order off the menu, including their daily specials. Jean Pierre and team handled the night as if we were the only ones in the restaurant and we most certainly weren't. From the ice buckets to hold our wine and beer, to the food coming out timely and hot, to our water being refreshed - there wasn't a hiccup in service. While the following doesn't reflect all the dishes ordered, we started with the calamari and caprese salad, along with an order of the green beans app special - all fresh and delicious. Calamari was crisp, hot and tasty. I got the cannelloni special with a sausage and meatball in a cream sauce = excellent! The meatball and sauce stood out. I tried the osso bucco milanese and it was tender and tasty.... again, very good. Not a person in my group made a negative comment about our overall experience, food included. Street parking is available near-by as well. Caro Mio, you will see me again! Thank you! read more

My husband and I have been to dinner at Caro Mio several times. The food and service is always excellent. It's also BYOB with no corkage fee, which is a plus. We recently held an anniversary dinner with a little over 30 guests. The Caro Mio team did an amazing job for our casual get-together. The guests raved about the food and atmosphere. read more

My wife and I left a meeting in the city and used yelp to find a place for dinner. I had the raviolis and they were delicious. The pasta was definitely homemade and the filling tasted just like my wife's Italian grandmother used to make. So for the main dish I give 5 stars. I'm a big soda person and this restaurant charged 3 dollars for one can. They also charged 10 dollars for a bland bowl of minestrone soup. If I go again I'll just stick with water and skip the soup. read more

Very cozy ambience and very good dishes. Service is always top. Make sure you make reservations because it can get busy and the wait can be very long. read more

My husband and a friend were excited to see that Caro Mio reopened in Lincoln Square. We arrived yesterday at 5:00 p.m. It was too loud, too bright. read more

Went here for dinner last week and this place is nice and BYOB. We ordered an appetizer special, which was a green bean salad with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. It was good enough, but not for $15.95. The other issue I had was for my entree I ordered the Vitello Piemontese and my friend had the same thing , but substituted chicken for the veal. Both dishes were very good, but the chicken ended up being a few dollars more than the veal which turned me off. We all know veal is more expensive than chicken. read more

loved it! i got a mushroom pasta that was amazing. i've only been here once and plan on trying it again :)

I liked this restaurant more when it was in the smaller space with candles hanging from all the walls and plants everywhere. It is less charming now and the entrees are a bit too pricey for pasta, no matter how good. I wish they would offer half portions. Several of our friends have stopped going due to the price increases. And why cant they have a patio area? The neighborhood is so pretty and quiet...perfect for outdoor dining. Such good food, but not our weekly go-to spot anymore. read more

Took my wife here on our wedding anniversary and this place definitely won me some points. Great food Great atmosphere Friendly staff BYOB It gets pretty busy but we made a 6pm reservation and did not have to wait. read more

My husband and I love Caro Mio, it's our go-to with a bottle of wine on a cold winter night! Consistent food and service. I would like to see them change the menu up a bit for summer, offer a little lighter fare, the menu and specials don't change. Many of us work to avoid pasta especially on a warm summer night, I recently asked for spinach under my fish instead of pasta and waiter simply stated we don't have spinach and don't substitute. We will continue our allegiance in the winter but my husband and I agreed that this is not a go to in the summer months! read more

I love the atmosphere at Caro Mio!! The space was lively on a Saturday night, yet felt very intimate at the same time. My husband and I truly enjoyed the spacing of our meal and spent over 1.5 hours at the restaurant. (Maybe this is a turn-off for some, but I hate feeling rushed at dinner) As for the food, it's good, solid Italian food. It's not the best I have ever had, but it was very enjoyable. My husband's lasagna was delicious and my cheese ravioli with bolognese sauce was decent, but could have used more meat and a thicker sauce. The chocolate souffle we shared for dessert was fantastic. Next time I would definitely try one of their specials like the lobster ravioli. Service was good (attentive but not overbearing) and I look forward to coming back here in the future. read more

Had dinner with 8 of us. Nothing fancy, but food really good. Brought 4 bottles of wine and no corkage fee. Pasta great. Carbonara great. Others loved their food too. Great service. Would come back in a sec! read more

I've been to this restaurant many times, and recommend it to friends all the time. I didn't like a meal this time and sent it back for something else. The server came back to the table and said the manager will not take it off the bill, so I had to pay for two meals. I was beyond shocked to say the least! I've never been to a restaurant that would not accommodate their customers who's not happy with their meal. Mind you, I use to manage a restaurant, and would never do that to a customer! I guess management needs more training in how to accommodate/treat their customers! read more

Went there for dinner with a group of friends, was a very disappointing experience. The food is pretty mediocre and nothing like the authentic Italian that they claim to be. The food is also way overpriced in general. The bread tasted like chewing-gum and the olive oil was stale. Talking about the ambiance, the place is small and looks kinda dirty (quite a bit of dust on the lamps). I don't recommend this place. read more

I have been hearing about this place for years and was very excited to finally check it out. Ended up pretty disappointed. The first thing that I thought was weird was the olive oil on the table. It was a very light oil with basically no flavor. Why out that out for dipping with bread? I got basic spaghetti and meatballs because that is my fav food in life, and I won't judge based on that. What my fiance got, however, was very wrong. He ordered a pappardelle with shrimp and broccoli that was supposed to he Olive oil based. What he got was noodles in a watery broth with steamed broccoli on top. It didn't taste seasoned at all.i honestly don't know how someone can work in a restaurant and make that and serve it for $20. We took the leftovers home and sauteed them with roasted garlic and that was pretty tasted. My grandparents really liked their dishes which is why I'm giving them 3/5. But I would not waste my money here again when I can cook better at home. Also not sure this pasta is home made as they claim. read more

Went on my birthday, because of all the great yelp reviews. I am so glad that I listened to the reviews. The food was excellent. I had the gnocchi, and it was perfect. It was soft, covered with baked mozzarella cheese, and the sauce was tomato bases. Mmmmm, will definitely go again soon. I am a vegetarian, and they had many options for me. read more

Really, really delicious food. I had a rigatoni with tomato cream sauce and chicken (it was on the specials menu), my best friend (who is gluten free by necessity, not fad diet) had the half chicken Vesuvio. We both loved our entrees. We also shared the lemon sorbet which was nice and refreshing. Although the portions were huge, I think it was a little overpriced considering that the only accompaniment to the meal was 3 pieces of bland, white bread- no butter, no oil. There is another Italian restaurant in Andersonville that is similarly priced and includes foccacia bread and salad. The lemon sorbet was extremely nice but overpriced for the amount. It seemed like there was a trio of sorbets available but when we inquired the server didn't seem to understand and just brought us the lemon one. Overall, the delicious food outweighed that it's slightly overpriced. I would definitely go back. read more

Remember the best sex you ever had? Pillow-clutchingly, lip-bitingly, sweat-pouringly amazing passion that leaves you breathless and satisfied but always wanting more? Caro Mio is your real-life food-so-good-it's-like-sex restaurant. It's like a gang of pasta-and-sauce prostitutes that lures me back to the corner of Wilson and Wolcott for more and more and more. Although they have plenty of non-pasta options, I cannot helped but dive into carb overload here. My first true love was the agnelotti rossini covered in chunks of prosciutto in a cream sauce deliciousness. I was then tempted by the fruit of the gnocchi stuffed with asiago and pesto (a.k.a. gnocchi stuffed with ecstasy). Most recently I have found a new love with their "special" - breaded chicken parmesan baked in mozzrella topped with a meaty bolognese sauce set upon bed of house-made rigatoni! OMG. Seriously. Party in your mouth... party in your tummy... crazy party in your pants! Meat bonanza! If I could trade sex for this chicken parmesan every day, I would*. (Totally kidding. I could never do that to myself. Plus, that would severely piss the S/O off. And me, too.). I wouldn't be surprised if E.L. James's next novel was "50 Shades of Italian" and based it on Caro Mio. The food here is to die for. No wait ... dying sucks. This food is TO LIVE FOR! Don't be turned off by the prices - the quality and portion sizes are WELL worth it. The plates range anywhere from $15-$22 (with a few specialty plates higher) but it will easily be 2, maybe even 3, foodgasms. Unless you're hungry like Chris Farley in "Gap Girls"; in that case, 1 1/2. This is literally one of my top 5 favorite restaurants in all of Chicago, so if you've never had any Italian in you, swipe your v-card and head up to Caro Mio. It'll blow your mind... and... other things. read more

Caro Mio - Chicken parm with bolognese sauce an homemade rigatoni.... Holla! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I feel betrayed by the current rating. I came here for a friend's BYOB work dinner and there were about 40 of us so we ordered practically everything on the menu. The bruschetta was probably the best thing we had. The mozzarella was fresh and the tomatoes were seasoned perfectly. Garlic bread- Almost charred. Polenta- Tasted like nothing. Pizza bread- Totino's pizza rolls are better. Free bread- Sour tasting. I had the chicken parmigiana for dinner. It was one gigantic piece of flattened, dry, under seasoned chicken with a blanket of cheese on top. It came with a small side of pasta. Since the chicken triggered a gag reflex, I ate the 20 pieces of pasta and the cheese off the top of the chicken. I would never ever go back. I feel like Caro Mio is still in business simply because BYOB Italian restaurants are rare. Believe me, you are better off paying for a bottle of wine. read more

Caro Mio - What's the point of gigantic portions if the food is horrible?! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I like this place quite a bit. It is not as fancy as some Italian spots, but the food is quite good. The atmosphere is fun. I have been there twice and would go back again. read more

Caro Mio is cramped, super loud and crowded - just like the restaurants in Italy. (Ahhhhh, the memories.) That's part of what adds to the charm of the place! And, let's talk service, shall we? Our waiter was the cutest, most adorable man EVER. He kept attempting to sing 'Happy Birthday' to our friend and repeatedly questioned why our group of 9 was so quiet. I wanted to hug him and I don't like hugging people. Anyway, there were so many options that we were staring at the menu intently for a good 15 minutes. After much deliberation, I settled on the (homemade) wheat pasta w/ broccoli, cauliflower and carrots in a pesto sauce ($18). It was magnificent! The veggies were so fresh and the sauce was the best I've tasted! The gnochi and the risotto were also popular dishes. The portions are HUGE and yummy. Everyone left pretty satisifed and full, I think! My only regret is leaving my leftovers in my friend's car...Sadness. BYOB, but with NO corkage fees! If you'd like to bring in your own cake, they charge a $2/per person fee. And, here's a word of advice - if you have a big group, make your reservations waaaaaay ahead of time! We were only able to get a reseravation because a group canceled last minute! This place is popular....and with good reason! Bellissima! read more

Caro Mio - whole wheat homeade pasta! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois