Great food. Lots of choices. Friendly staff. Long time Evanston restaurant This is always a great place to go with friends. They treat you well read more

Recently made a destination TAKEOUT trip to Dave's Italian Kitchen in Evanston at its third location on Noyes Street. I'd not eaten there since the second location on Chicago Avenue or its premiere address on Davis Street and its sister restaurant "Three Doors Down" in the mid 70's! Yes...I've been acquainted with "Dave's" for a very very loooong time. Everything was ready when I arrived, service was friendly and prompt. Dave himself came out of the kitchen for a brief hello, but since it was Saturday night, they were rocking and rolling BUSY and the restaurant itself was PACKED! This neighborhood restaurant has a quaint cozy intimate atmosphere unlike the previous two...so be forewarned it is small. The 3 entrees I chose...eggplant parmigiana, chicken Marsala and fettuccine carbonara were very much the way I remember them from my youth...and at this writing, they are respectively favorited as listed above. The entrees were shard with my BFF in life and we arrived at the same conclusions. The eggplant was the most delicious and flavorful of all three...which is not to say the others weren't good at all. The eggplant was breaded, marina sauced and had lots of cheese. The chicken Marsala was a close second and we really liked the rich yet subtle wine flavor that Marsala imparted in the rotini noodles. The two chicken breast were moist and so glad each entree had a nice hunk of Italian bread to soak up an adequate amount of Marsala sauce...even though I wished there was MORE sauce LOL. Although third, the fettuccini carbonara was good also. I asked for extra onions, but I don't think they got in. We both agreed the carbonara just needed a touch more salt and pepper...or a saltier prosciutto/bacon...and just more of it. Nonetheless, I'm nit picking and overall everything was satisfyingly good considering the extremely reasonable prices and generous amount of food received. Just sorry I was away for sooooo long. read more

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I guess you get what you pay for. Clearly the target demographic is students. The prices are low but the food is nasty. I had the lasagna - made with some weird cheese and basically flavorless. My friend had pasta with pesto sauce - she said the sauce was very oily. Neither one of us ate more than a few bites of our meal. To add insult to injury, the server spent most of our time there leaning up against the counter studying her phone. Really gives off a bad vibe when your server can't manage to stay off her phone during her shift. I can't believe this place is still in business. We will not be back. Gave it one star because we didn't get food poisoning. read more

For the past 20 years, Dave's was at the top of my list when it came to Italian food. Unfortunately, my experience there today was so bad that I can no longer consider Dave's a favorite. Their bread has changed; the rich flavor every bite used to carry is gone, as are the lovely little seeds that used to adorn the bottom of the loaves. It's now just a regular, unremarkable bread. Incidentally, none of the loaves came fresh out of the oven. Secondly, the ridiculously cramped location on Noyes St. used to be somewhat redeemed by a carefully spaced layout that helped alleviate the close quarters of the dining room. Alas, atmosphere has given way to profit, as a slapdash pickup table for carryout orders now greets the guest upon his entrance. Lastly, the service was awkward in its best moments and ignorant at its worst. I ordered cheese ravioli with marinara, and it came out with meat sauce. Easy enough problem to solve. I pointed it out to the waitress and had to basically walk her through the suggestion that she order another with the correct sauce. This initiated a series of back-and-forth negotiations between the waitress and two of the cooks that seemed to center around an unwillingness to claim responsibility. After about ten minutes, a reasonable wait time, the correct order came out, and I recognized the familiar flavor of Dave's perfect marinara sauce, the one thing that hasn't changed and is still unparalleled by rival eateries. When the bill came, they had done nothing to rectify the error. No one had visited the table to ask how the new dish was, and not a soul apologized for anything. I lament how the mighty have fallen. Dave's at its height was an absolute perfection of dining enjoyment. I hope they can get their act together, because they used to be so good! Some of the same colorful oil paintings of jazz greats, migrated from the previous location on Chicago Ave., now vie for room on the tiny walls; but Charlie Parker doesn't seem to smile as widely as before. read more

Great food!! Love this restaurant. Order from there all the time. service is great,

This is my first time to the new location. It is much smaller than the old location, and the menu is also much smaller. But they have chosen some of their best items to keep on the menu. I actually prefer this location as it is not as dark and cavernous. It's more like a bistro now. read more

I found Dave's Italian Kitchen on Yelp while staying in Northbrook and decided to drive over for carryout. What I had is what I expected--pasta with sauce and garlic bread classic. Everything was delicious, and I was definitely in carb heaven. I also absolutely love the paintings on the walls! Space wise it's a bit crammed, so dining in don't expect privacy. The constant flow of delivery drivers coming and going can be a little distracting. I didn't get a chance to experience the service fully since I carried out, and I'd like to give the food a second chance. So therefore four stars hoping to return in the future and have five be earned. Despite the tight seating and lack of privacy, I'd happily return and try dining in next time. read more

We were looking for Italian options while in Evanston and Dave's Italian Kitchen came up in our search and decided to give it a try based on the reviews. The restaurant was winding down from dinner service so our food came out after a very short time. The pizza was indeed thin and the crust was crispy. Sausage appears to be fresh and was tasty. The Pasta Carbonara has onions and large pieces of bacon and was deliciously creamy. The Chicken Parmesan was smothered with cheese and the Angel Hair Marinara was bright and fresh. Very happy with our decision and will be back for more! read more

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Great food but we were disappointed that we weren't offered the fresh baked bread as the table next to us. That's one of my favorite things, and I thought maybe you cut back on it until the waitress served bread immediately to the table by us. read more

Returned to our favorite Italian place in Evanston. I tried the thin pizza since I didnt like the pan pizza. The crust is better but could be crispy. When I reheated it it became crispy. They give you a generous amount of sausage and pepperoni. I prefer Union to Dave's. read more

Dave's Italian Kitchen - Thin pizza - Pizza Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I'll say it again! You cannot beat Dave's gluten free pizza. Lots of rich fancy places in the area try but they cannot compete. Dave keeps the price reasonable and the size is large! read more

Dave's Italian Kitchen - Gf half bacon/half pepp - Pizza Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Such good service phenomenal food my new favorite food. Literally made me so happy. The garlic bread with the mozzarella is to die for. read more

Dave's Italian Kitchen - Wall - Pizza Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I frequented Dave's back when they were in a basement location, and only recently realized that they were still in business in a new location (okay, so I was informed they've been in this location for 10 years, but it was news to me). I always loved how they prepared Italian staples, swimming in delicious marinara, all at a reasonable price. With such fond memories, I wasn't sure if the food would live up to how good I remember it being. Weirdly, Dave's got somehow *better* than I remembered. I love their lasagna and garlic bread, and my wife enjoyed the minestrone soup and pasta. According to the menu, they're making more things in house, and it really shows. The service was great--attentive, but not overbearing. While I miss the cool basement location that had so much character, the (no longer) new location is still good. They had Coltrane playing in the background, which was an added bonus. Remarkably, the prices were still very reasonable. It's a great value and makes you wonder how a place like Oliver Garden stays in business with their generic, bland food. I highly recommend Dave's to anyone who likes Italian food. read more

From Italian Classic to "Budget Fillers" Most people think of that scene in Ratatouille where the food transports the critic back to a beautiful childhood memory. If I ate this today as a kid, that memory wouldn't be of the food--it would be of a spanking. I used to swear by this place in college. It was the gold standard for a good, affordable meal with real heart. But lately, it's clear that profitability is the new priority. They've swapped high-quality ingredients for "cheap" fillers, leaving the dishes feeling hollow. The Technical Breakdown: * The "Watery" Problem: Does the kitchen not own a colander? The dishes are swimming in excess moisture, which kills the integrity of the meal. * The Sauce: It used to be the soul of the plate; now it feels like a rushed accident. * Not So Pro Tip for the Kitchen: If you want to save the dish, cook the last few minutes of the pasta IN the sauce. It's a basic fundamental that seems to have been lost in the pursuit of the bottom line. It's a bummer because this place used to be so intentional. Now, it's just basic. Unless you're looking for a plate of lackluster pasta and budget-friendly veggies, you're better off looking elsewhere. read more

We are loving this new find having just moved to the neighborhood. It's perfect for a casual dinner. Cozy. Calm yet full of quiet jazz music and delicious smells of fresh basil cooking in marinara. No rattling sounds of plates. Old world charm. We will return for chicken cacciatore, homemade pizza and eggplant parm extravaganza! read more

I remember asking my parents-- no BEGGING my parents to take me here for my birthday to celebrate my 14th or 15 birthday and actually Dave's used to be located in downtown Evanston on a completely different street and I recall the restaurant was huge with a set of stairs you took to a dimly lit downstairs section. Now of course the restaurant is super tiny and cozy with a lot less seating but the portions and quality of food haven't changed nor the super friendly service you receive. Last night I had a craving for a traditional spaghetti marinara in meat sauce and I added a meatball in for good measure. They brought me a large portion of crusty bread with butter and my large bowl of spaghetti came out quickly and was extremely delicious like something your mother might make from scratch if she happened to be a good chef. I mean literally you get that type of home cooked meal vibe here like a close family member cooked with great love and care. For dessert don't miss the chocolate mousse. It's only priced at $4 not $9 or higher like other places that break your piggie bank. If you are craving a hot plate of pasta, a pizza for two or a huge salad the food here won't disappoint you! read more

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I used to go here and returned while visiting evanston the Italian dishes a really good and large enought to share. The service is good and timely. Love the wine bottles on the wall and the house wine. Deserts are the best read more

I was going back and forth about what to rate this. It's really a 4.5, but I decided to give it a 5 because the prices were really good and it's good to support a small business. If you are looking for a nice big bowl of pasta, this place is for you! There are a bunch of different pastas and different sauces. I had to be meatless today so I had Angel hair with the rose sauce (marinara and Alfredo mixed). Perfect! The most shocking part was that it was a giant bowl for only $10! I also got the cheesey garlic bread which was great. If there is any downside, it's that the place is super small. Also, I could see the service going down if the place was packed. It was fine when I was there, but a packed restaurant would be a nightmare. If you're looking for some seriously good Italian food, especially pasta, make sure to check out this place. The earlier, the better read more

Dave's Italian Kitchen was an amazing find. A quaint hole-in-the-wall esquié joint, the service was also great. For showing up later in the evening, food was still so fresh and delicious. My order of the pasta rose, baked, was phenomenal! The ingredients and flavors were just what I needed on a cold Chicago night. Pasta Diavolo was the best we've ever had. The mixture of flavors and ingredients such as the jalepeños and beef sauce were just right. 10/10 recommend for a warm and comforting pasta dish. read more

Food is consistently great each and every time. I have been going to Dave's since he opened on Davis and now into Noyes at least 2-3 times a month. Unfortunately, I now live in Wisconsin so not as often anymore, but every time I go to Illinois for a doctor's appointment in Evanston or Glenview, I try to stop in. Good Luck and thank you for letting me enjoy your cooking. read more

Great value high quality food. I enjoyed the spinach parpadelle and the chicken Marsala

We have been going to Dave's at his various locations for many years, and have many beloved memories of dining with friends and celebrating various occasions with wonderful food in cozy places. In its latest incarnation, we use Dave for takeout, as it has a smallish dine-in footprint. This allows us to focus on the food, not a bad thing. I must admit that we have gotten in a rut and tend to order our favourites....for me, it's the spinach ricotta cheese pie, and for my hubby is the pasta carbonara. Then we have to get an order of Lasagna con Amore, for another night's dinner to share, plus salads and spinach and...well, you get my drift. There are lots of options, and we end up buying for a couple of meals. It's a fantastic place where everything tastes like it was made in your Italian grandma 's kitchen. You may want to try the chocolate mousse. Just saying. read more

eat in or carry out, they are fantastic. Pizza, calzone, pasta, chicken, all hearty servings and reasonable prices. Been coming here since they moved and only had great food and service. read more

I ordered the rose with spaghetti baked with mozzarella and a meatball. It was so good! The cheese was melted and gooey. The mix of sauces to make the rose was perfect. I ordered door dash and it came quicker than estimated. read more

Dave's Italian Kitchen - Rose with spaghetti and mozzarella with a meatball - Pizza Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Good local place in Evanston. Every time we have been there it's mostly locals Vs students. However i think it's students waiting tables. The food is really good. If you want leftovers get the large calzones. The service is why this place gets 4 stars. The last time there the waiter was literally asking what the tip was so he could figure out the bill. Like the guy is paying in cash just bring him his change .... Just strange. Food makes up for the weirdness but pay with a card. read more

Dave's Italian Kitchen - ##4 LG Calzone - Pizza Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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It's all about the food. Home style classic Italian. Dave's has been an Evanston institution for decades. Great dishes at fair prices.

We did carry out. That's what we pick because Dave's is just so tiny now. The amount of business they have warrants a bigger place if you ask me. There's always a line to pick up your order. But I go back. You can't get the spinach/ricotta pie anywhere else. I liked the previous 2 locations of Dave's, too. I maybe liked them better, but as long as they make this food, I will follow them. read more

Great food! Always packed so arrive early! The service is very good. The tables are close together and if you are looking for elegance you won't find it here. We are regulars and find their pasta unbeatable. And the pricing is super reasonable. read more

Been a customer for over 40 years and have been to all the restaurant locations...what keeps me coming back is the food quality, taste and customer service. My go to is the eggplant parmigiana with marinara. And they have the tastiest creamy garlic dressing-get it with their salad or as a side to go with your own salad! read more

[Dave's New Kitchen] Local small Italian restaurant in Evanston This place was small was jammed packed so you know this is a local favorite. Recommend to us by our friends Ordered the Pasta Bolognese but I subbed the pasta for ravioli, also ordered the Pasta Rosé, Garlic Bread with Mozzarella, and of course can't forget about dessert with the Tiramisu cake Everything was so good, so flavorful and most of all super insanely filling. I had like 3 ravioli and I was full. Those things were packed with cheese. The pasta rosé was good but I personally think alfredo is very heavy in general so I get filled so fast. The tiramisu was good not too sweet. Most of all importantly this was good food for relatively cheap pricing so definitely well worth it. 8.5/10 I wanted to get a picture with Dave to complete the food review but he was in the kitchen last time so I didn't get one. https://www.davesnewkitchen.com/_files/ugd/985e0b_c778ffcc073846869b6f07c7f48cde70.pdf 815 Noyes St Evanston, IL 60201 read more

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Hi everyone who is interested in having a Great experience back to when we were young and worked on spaghetti strings with that wonderful sauce that we all used to spoon to scoop up when all the pasta was gone I gave a relatively long review of Dave's six months ago. I'm an old guy and remember Dave's when we took our children there on Sunday afternoons and I gotta tell you that same feeling came back to me when I. ordered one of my Legacy meals. I'm really old now and I doubt Mandy will listen or read this. I just wanted to say that this allowed me to revisit those many decades ago with my children my dear wife and all of the spaghetti slurping contests children invented. I dictated this as I don't have a finger dexterity to punch in the letters, so please forgive me for the money, misspellings and bad grammar. I, please would ask you to go to Dave's and remember what I did that and there's many many years ago. to slurp up our spaghetti and laugh at each one of our siblings and mom and dad. God bless you, Dave. read more

I love this place! Lasagna, cheese and meat was the dish I got. It was toooo yummy! The dish was fresh made, cheesy and a delight. I love the portion as it was not too much. I had the restaurant yet to myself on a hot day as I was the first customer in the shop. However, they were busy taking pick ups from the start of the day. I knew I had come to the right place. The staff was very nice and pleasant. It would have nice to have music playing but that's OK. They serve free bread as well before your meal. Love it here, stop by and try. read more

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Dave's Kitchen is perfect for both a casual meal and a special occasion. The food is delicious, with generous portions at great prices. The cozy ambiance and friendly crowd make it even more enjoyable. Highly recommended! read more

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This is a small, charming, affordable, family owned business! The food is absolutely delicious and you get so much value for the price. Everything is homemade there. Everything. The bread. The pasta. The pesto. The sauces. We thought the service was great. Two adept, young and friendly people waiting on tables and hustling with take out orders. They were great. I really can't say enough about this treasure of a local place. If you prefer a big, glamorous, high end stylized restaurant, I don't think this is for you. If you like to go where the locals go for no frills, incredible, affordable food, this is your place. I recommend the (spinach & cheese) lasagna con amore. My kiddo loved his Chicken Saltimbocca. My husband loved his whole wheat pasta carbonara. This would be nice for a date night, especially if you're on a budget. We'll be back! read more

My husband and I had been wanting to come here since we moved to Chicago in late 2020. For a long time, they only did pickups, but now they have table service (9 or so tables). The ambience here is really pleasant: warm lighting and paintings of musicians on the walls. Staff is friendly. It was very busy on a Friday night, so if they forgot to bring out salad plates, you just asked them and they brought them right away. EVERYTHING here is homemade, including the bread and salad dressings. The Italian salad looked and tasted very fresh, and we chose the Italian vinaigrette which featured herbs and grated cheese... a fantastic start. Nice bread too. My husband was very happy with his lasagna with sausage and added meatball, and I liked my gluten-free pizza, especially the toppings, marinara sauce and ricotta cheese. It's tough to find a really tasty gluten-free pizza crust - there aren't many ingredient options... Spacca Napoli probably has the tastiest GF crust in town, but I don't think it's 100% GF. In any case, the toppings and sauce of the pizza here at Dave's were great. We came here to celebrate a double birthday, and mentioned this to them. As a surprise, they brought out a lovely chocolate mousse for us to share. With our table right by the big window, we had such a great experience. With salad, main courses and two glasses of wine, we paid about $60, which felt very reasonable for the quality. read more

Our take-out food was well prepared, in substantial portions and very fairly priced. What's not to like?

Stopped in for a very late lunch on a rainy day. Ordered a pumpkin soup and the carbonara. Pumpkin soup was delicious. The carbonara, although not the best I've had, was satisfying and came with a huge portion!! They give complementary bread, although I had to ask my server for it vs. being offered it. Overall the meal came out to be under $25 - which is a great deal for that much food. read more

Dave's Italian Kitchen - Carbonara Pasta - Pizza Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

The food was amazing. The service was exceptional. We got there just before last seating and they were able to accommodate all 9 of us with no complaints. Jeff, our waiter was a wonderful host which added to the ambiance in a fantastic way. The food came out in a timely manner and they didn't seem upset that we stayed past 9. Thanks Dave, keep doing it right. read more

Dave's is a quaint little spot in Evanston. While the quality of the food is good (nothing insanely special I'd argue), the portions and prices make it absolutely worth it. Lots of great classic options done well. I think it's leaps and bounds ahead of Trattoria Demi, so if you're between the two local Italian spots in Evanston I'd recommend Dave's to be on your list. read more

I'm very glad that Dave (and his family) decided to give it another go... the place feels like the original location (albeit not underneath the train tracks). Everything I have had here is fantastic - from the pizza to the lasagna to the pastas... you can't go wrong. Small place, Not a lot of seating, but worth the trip (and the wait if it's busy). read more