I enjoyed the ambiance; it had great live music and a comfy vibe. That said, our food was pretty mediocre. The pasta was over cooked and lacked flavor. None of our meals were appetizing. We were there on the late side, so maybe the kitchen was trying to close for the night. I'd definitely come back for drink and a snack, but probably go elsewhere for dinner. read more

Wiener Schnitzel was AMAZING. A great experience overall. I will definitely be back to try a few other very tempting dishes. Fair prices for fabulous food! read more

Himmel's - Wiener Schnitzel - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Himmel's is unique- the menu combines Italian and German cuisine and excels with both. Great wood-fired pizza, too. Friendly atmosphere- must be a nice place to work because the staff is always cheerful and relaxed. Try the braccio di ferro- heavenly. Sometimes live jazz. You can't beat it! read more

Himmel's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I can't believe this place is profiting Bad service Filthy restaurant Food is subpar Staff all hanging out at the bar drinking instead of providing customer service Waters not refilled and never asked if we wanted more wine We sit down at a table and book around every table around and not been cleaned yet. There's about five other couples in the restaurant at the time and the staff was all hanging around gossiping and drinking shots. The waitress comes over and get your pad of paper out does not say one word to us. We figure she's there to take our drink order, so we order wine. She brings the drinks over put them on the table get your pad of paper hour and again does not say one word so we figure she wants our food order. We order food wait about 30 minutes for the pasta, even though were the only table there that has no food. She brought bread to us also it was stale.The tables around us have still not been clear and basil we were sitting around at least eight tables that I have all the food and dirty plates all over. At this point we asked to speak to the manager and another waitress came over claiming she was the manager. We complained about the dirty conditions of the bad service and her response was well it's the busboys responsibility to clean the tables. We looked at her and said well you're the manager of your job to manage the bus boy to clean the tables. how would you feel if you were out to dinner and had to sit in these conditions ? Didn't seem too concerned about her complaining as I went back to the bar and drink with your coworkers. The waitress came back with a handwritten bill with only an amount on it and not itemized bill. Was an unbelievable dining experience I will never be back. I will post pictures if I can to prove my review is accurate. read more

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Went here on a Thursday night. Not full by any means but the atmosphere seemed cozy. Loyal group of locals at the bar and a one man band operation going on. Say at a table to look over the menu. After about 10 minutes, one of the wait staff brought water. Our server came over to take our drink order then our food order. After we ordered, four top came in and the server immediately went to them. That was pretty much the end of our service until we prodded about our appetizers and entrees. The other table got their appetizers and entrees before we got our appetizers. Getting drinks became a labor as well. Finally got our food and it was good except by then the group of locals felt it necessary to start singing louder and blowing on a German Jägermeister horn and clapping loudly to music that wasn't even in tune. Tried getting the attention of our server for another drink but the staff an apparently the owner were too busy taking shots at the bar to be bothered with the paying customers. Paid the bill the next time the server came around and left. The staff and "cheery locals" certainly didn't make customers feel welcome there. Though the food was good, I'll take my business down around the corner into the square. read more

The food was yummy and the atmosphere was pretty, as it was decorated for the holidays. Unfortunately, I experienced slow, incorrect service. It took a long time to get drinks and even longer to get food. The Manager (?) took down the wrong order and then seemed to be having fun at the bar. Pretty sure she was tipsy when she was asking how our meals were. Awkward. Then we got charged for the wrong item. read more

This is a GREAT place to eat! The food is soooo good. I have been a bunch of times and every time is amazing. I don't know what is better, the steak, the salmon, the pizzas and oh the bucatini, it might be my favorite pasta ever and then there is my favorite meal, the veal schnitzel, it's AMAZING! Great family restaurant to take the kids, super laid back! Go! Now! Oh and they just joined post mates, now I am happy! read more

This restaurant is amazing! The best Chilean Sea Bass I have ever had. Beautifully julienned veggies. I highly recommend this restaurant.

I was excited to try the German food at Himmel's. The food was fine. I wouldn't say it was excellent, but it wasn't bad either. The cabbage was the best thing on the plate. The biggest problem was the service. Between the time we ordered and the main courses arrived was easily 45 minutes. Our four entrees arrived at 3 different times, with a 10 minute delay between the first and the last. Some of the food arrived cold. Nobody asked how the meal was. After the check arrived, it took 10 minutes to pay. I understand this is actually not a long time, but it could have taken half the time. On the way out, there was a group of about 8 people sitting at a table by the door. One of them thanked me for coming. I inferred that they must be the owners. It was really infuriating to see them relaxing and lounging after the service was just so awful. read more

I've been to Himmel's before it was Himmel's-I liked it then and I like it now. Italian and German may be a bit of an odd combo for a restaurant but everything I've had is really great. Most recently I ordered the salmon and vegetables and it was really, really good. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the veggies were very flavorful. The super thin, personal size pizzas are also a great choice. Service is always above par here, everyone is very friendly and helpful and very kid-friendly. Great family restaurant where you know you'll always have a good meal. read more

Really good food,Italian,German they bake their own bread!!! Live entertainment some days,big portions I will recommend this place for a great lunch or dinner!!! read more

When one door closes, another one opens. Such is the case for Pizza D.O.C., which was recently reinvented into Himmel's, focusing more on European style fare versus the much loved Neopolitan specialty. The decor remains the same, warm and inviting, with a toasty, brick oven as one of the main focal points. I attended a private event here, so the menu was a bit customized. We started with an addictive brandade boule, deep fried to crispy perfection. Hofbrau and gruyere fondue accompanied a bright display of crudites, and a savory pate with house made rye crisps, pickled green tomatoes and pretzel bites set the stage for the evening. This spread could easily have been my dinner, but we were just getting started. A beautiful platter of roasted pork, oven grilled salmon, duck, beet and goat cheese salad, green beans, and dumplings magically arrived, all calling my name. Of course, all this food needed some cocktails, and Himmel's did not disappoint. From a server's suggestion, I tried their Bloody Mary, which I was a bit hesitant to do since it was well past brunch time, but the savory gazpacho-esque nature of it was a pleasant surprise. They also make a mean margarita, which I would typically order only with a Mexican meal, but here, there are no boundaries. read more

Himmel's - Duck, duck, goose....ok, no goose. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food is good but on 2 occasions we waited for over 90 minutes for our food with no explanation or reasons given

Really enjoyed dinner here on a Friday night.stopped in without a reservation and they worked us in. Really enjoyed a salad and a pizza which I thInk rivals Spacca Napoli. We enjoyed eating here before they changed the name from Pizza D.O.C. We will be back read more

Oh boy, I really wanted to love Himmel's as much as I loved Pizza DOC but it's just not the same experience despite the same ownership. I was recently there with friends and we had to send the first two bottles of wine back because they were terrible (and, I am not a wine snob - I'll drink the $3 bottles from Trader Joe's). We were there in October and the menu is an Oktoberfest menu along with a few pizza options. Don't come in October if you aren't looking for German food. Our service was really poor - our waiter didn't check in on us and we had to wave someone over when we wanted to get our water refilled. I was expecting our bill to be comped by a few dollars since we had the hassle of sending two bottles of wine back and settled on a mediocre bottle - but, nothin'! If you're this close to Lincoln Square, head over to one of the restaurants there for a more attentive wait staff and better wine. read more

I really like the food and vibe. My fav is carbonara, Caesar Salad, all wood burning oven pizza especially Pizza Quattro Formaggi --Mozzarella, blue cheese, Swiss & Parmigiano, schnitzel, Shrimp wrapped in Prosciutto, grilled calamari & everything else on the menu. Great bartender and drink selection. Dine in or pick up and it's delicious. read more

My husband and I have been going to Himmel's (previously called Pizza DOC) for a couple of years now, and it is consistently fantastic. The ambience is cozy, the food is delicious, the pizza oven is entertaining and the staff is the friendliest in Chicago. Yesterday was my son's 3rd birthday and we decided to go to Himmel's for all of the above reasons. Upon entering, the staff immediately made my son feel special - and I mean the whole staff, including the owners. The entire wait staff stopped by intermittently to give well wishes, the employee working the pizza oven let my son ring the bell for orders, and the acoustic guitar player sang happy birthday while our waiter brought out a special dessert. To top it all off, the owners brought out a brand new Melissa and Doug wooden pizza set for my son to play with and then gave it to him for his birthday. I was so touched! Himmel's absolutely made my son feel special on his special day. Go to this restaurant!! read more

We were really impressed after our first visit to Himmel's and now, after about a dozen visits this past year, it has turned into one of our favorite restaurants. We have tried many of the German and Italian dishes on the menu and each one has been so flavorful and perfectly prepared. The homemade Italian and pretzel breads baked in the wood-fired oven and served with olive oil and fresh shredded parmigiano cheese are so good. We always start with an order of the grilled calamari served with mixed greens and a wonderful balsamic / lemon dressing. The German dishes are outstanding and perfectly complimented by crispy spaetzle and red cabbage. You must also try the roesti which are shredded potatoes with swiss cheese and onions fried much like hash browns but with so much flavor. Some German favorites are the sauerbraten, bavarian pork shank, champignon rahm schnitzel, and roast duck. On the Italian side the wood-fired pizzas are excellent and we love the pasta dishes as well. A couple of favorites are the bucatini allamatriciana and the linguine frutti di mare. A small selection of german beers on tap along with a clean, inviting and cozy atmosphere - and wonderful German and Italian dishes make Himmel's one of our favorite places to eat in Chicago. read more

We recently had a private family celebration at Himmel's and thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful buffet that Carol and Diana arranged for us. There were several appetizers including salmon toasts, sausage bites, then salads such as cucumber in a creamy dressing, carrot-parsnip, mixed greens, etc. The hot food selections included crispy chicken schnitzel, sausage and sauerkraut, spaetzli that were just lightly sauteed for extra irresistibility, just right spiced red cabbage, rich mushroom gravy, and roasted pork shanks. The food here always satisfies my hankering for an authentic, well-made, delicious german meal. Great atmosphere, gemuetlichkeit, at this neighborhood fixture. read more

Came here with my parents and my husband for a nice Saturday evening meal. Originally we thought we were going to Pizza D.O.C., but the front said Himmel's. We were slightly confused but after entering the establishment, the hostess assured us that we were in the right place! The owners just wanted to honor their German/European heritage and make it more their own. Fair enough! The menu itself is very large, there's really something for everyone! Like Erin E said, the menu is mostly Italian but you can find other Euro dishes as well. The bread was really tasty, almost like a pretzel bread. We ordered the soup of the day which was a spaetzle soup with beef broth. Very basic but very good! The waitress told us each bowl is very large and she suggested we split two bowls in half for the four of us. I love when this happens; waiters and waitresses put their knowledge to good use and actually service and help their customers. If we ordered 4 bowls it would've been way too much! Kudos to her! My parents ordered German beers and i had the Riesling which was very sweet but very good. All of us but my husband ordered pizza. He got the chicken parm and it was HUGE. I'm talking at least 10 inches wide (not even kidding here). Their portions are very large, might be a good idea to split an entree or be prepared to take some home! My only gripe was that the margherita pizza I had...wasn't an authentic margherita. The way pizza began was an Italian queen was traveling to Naples and the locals wanted to make a dish to celebrate Italy. They created the dough, sliced up tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, and topped it with fresh basil leaves. The colors looked like the Italian flag and BAM, pizza was born. However, my margherita pizza was more like a regular cheese with tomato sauce and shredded basil on top. Blah. Not the way a true margherita should be made!! Even with the disappointment the pizza itself was very very good. I love the wood-burning brick oven they use, it gives the flavor something special along with the bottom having a nice blackened flour look that just makes it all blend beautifully together. Overall for the four of us including a bottle of wine, the tab was just about $170. Not too bad! affordable for a casual dining experience with good food and great service. Wish they would read up on thier pizzas though! read more

Absolute worst pizza ever! Went there a couple years ago when it was Pizza DOC and it was crap then. Fast forward 2 years and we mistakenly decide to try again - wrong answer!!!! The pizza had odd tastes, the chocolate torte was just a frozen grocery store desert and threw most of the meal out. Never again !!!! read more

Came here for drinks and coal fired pizza. Pizza was great and service was good. They had a musician playing on a Friday night and I thought it was a nice chill atmosphere to start off our night. Arancini was really good too. I'd definitely come back to try some more of the menu! read more

5:20pm on a Sat for family dinner. Second time visit since they changed concepts (still don't understand the German/Bavarian and Italian mix), might be the last. Overall, food was average. Gorgonzola salad w/ pear was drenched in vinaigrette. Mushroom soup was tasty as heck. Pizza good, as expected. Pasta underwhelming. What was disappointing was the service. Our server seemed like she was trying too hard and/or trying to get us out the door: we were approached immediately after being seated, asking what we wanted to drink (replied that we needed a minute). After serving drinks, asking what we wanted to order (replied that we needed a few minutes). When I took a typical mid-meal break, another server asked if I was done. This time, I just gave a look. It's too bad. This place had a wonderful legacy as Pizza D.O.C., has terrific decor and ambience, and is very versatile as both a casual joint and a classy place. I wish it could leverage its identity more rather than trying to be something that it's not. read more

Heavenly food!!! Seriously yummy! We enjoyed a delicious pizza with a light crust and the perfect pear & gorgonzola salad to start. The duck is amazing-- cooked perfectly with a golden, crisp skin. Highly recommend also the pork tenderloin medallions in the mushroom cream sauce. So so good!! The staff is courteous and Himmel's is child-friendly, at least on the early dinner hours (haven't been there late with the kiddies). We've eaten at the former Pizza DOCs many times before and always enjoyed their salad, pizza and pasta dishes-- they are all good! Very consistent. Definitely one to visit over and over again! read more

The food we had is the main reason this restaurant deserves 5 stars. My wife and I dined here after having a few drinks at Maifest this weekend. The place was swamped as I'm guessing they didn't expect such a turnout of people coming for dinner from the nearby street festival. My wife had the pork shank and I ordered the veal saltimbocca. Both dishes were excellent and we'll definitely go back. read more

This was an impromptu visit but will be on our list of favorites from now on. The specialties are German and Italian. We had both at our table and were impressed with the preparation and presentation. Every item was perfectly prepared. Delicious red cabbage and spaetzle. Our daughter's mashed potatoes were light, fluffy and delicious. This was one of the best reataurant meals we have had ever. The restaurant is clean and attractive. It looked like there was a brick oven for pizza. read more

A new favorite for a relaxing meal. Himmel's unique Italian and German menu offers something for everyone. This neighborhood gem is mostly filled with locals that have ventured off the main street in Lincoln Square. The atmosphere is inviting with live music playing in the background that contributes to the experience. It was difficult to decide between the Italian and German items on the menu. Ultimately, I settled with the Wiener Schnitzel with a side of Spatzle. Even after trying this at Laschetts, Chicago Brauhaus, and Berghoff's, I think this was the best of the bunch. I will definitely be back for more and look forward to trying their pizza as well! read more

I go with my family to this great spot on a pretty regular basis. My faves are the German dishes. You HAVE to try the chicken schnitzel, I guarantee you will be having leftovers the next day, it's so huge and delicious with fresh squeezed lemon! Once in a while we veer over to the Italian side of their menu, and again, the portions are extremely generous. I really like having that extra to take home, it's always perfect the next day for lunch at work...one less thing to think about. From the time you walk in and get that delicious homemade bread, to the time you walk out the door with your goodies, you're treated like family. Eating the German dishes is like being back at Mama's dining room table. You CAN go home again...thanks Himmel's! read more

Price - average Food - meh Service - absolutely awful! My wife and I sat for 45 minutes after ordering, waiting for gnocchi and chicken schnitzel. It was a slow night (3 other tables eating, 2 already served) and a simple order. Our waiter never came to check on us or explain the delay, even after multiple eye contact moments. He finally brought out the gnocchi and said that the chicken will be a few more minutes. He waited until we were nearly done to come by and ask (in a strangely panicked voice) "is it OK?". So, from the people who ruined Pizza DOC, OK food at average prices that you should bring in carry out to tide you over until your food arrives. God forbid you should want a refill on your drink. A shame too, it's a nice little place. read more

Very disappointing dining experience. The menu is a mix of German and Italian - a fusion that one rarely comes across for good reason. We tried the sauerbraten and wiener schnitzel... Both were well below average. The accompanying spaetzle was greasy. The appetizer "Obazda cheese spread" was probably the worst part of the experience... I've had good Obazda, however, this was a lump of bland spread with pretzel sticks stuck in it... There wasn't a single 'real pretzel' on the plate. And for $9??? Also: they only had three beers on tap (Stella, BBK, and Hofbrau). I don't know know how one can think to open a German restaurant and serve only two draft German Beers! The service was a bright spot. Everything else was horrible-- especially the value. read more

By far and away one of the worst restaraunts in the city. I dont think Ive ever had worse service anywhere in my life. They had to search for a place to seat us for about 20 minutes in the near empty dining room. Drinks took an hour to come out. When I ordered the grilled salmon, the horrendous waitress responded in a repulsed tone "the grilled salmon"? The food then took about an hour and a half to come out. After we had finished the remarkably average meal, it took about an hour to get the check. I will be actively discouraging any friends and family from ever coming to this place. read more

Gnocchi ai formaggio is one of the top 5 things I've ever had in my mouth. Delivery was speedy too!

I love this place. The owners are welcoming, the food is amazing, & the spirits flow freely.

The food is absolutely amazing and the service is borderline terrible. I made a reservation and went on Maifest weekend. It took over an hour for hour food and the manager explained they were unusually busy and we needed to come back another time and give them a second chance. We went back a couple weekends ago and the story was the same, the food was so good but it took an hour and a half to order and pay. I ordered the Chicken Marsala and it was easily the best Marsala I have ever had. Unfortunately the waiter seemed to forget about us and didn't provide good service. read more

We live in Las Vegas. Here visiting Chicago. Found ourselves in this authentic family owned European style restaurant who also happens to have KILLER thin crust pizza! Also they have BBK beer on tap. You really can't find that in many places outside of Germany. Salmon was outstanding on the Sunday brunch table. We will come back the next time we come to Chicago. read more

We've been coming here for years but haven't been able to make it work for the last six months or so. Went last night and we are so pleased with the transition to German food vs the Italian / German mix. Excellent service and awesome food! And we love the Hofbrau chairs! read more

My group of 4 tried a gnocchi, a pork dish, the sauerbraten, and the duck. Everything was outstanding. The appetizer platter was gorgeous, and everything on it was tasty. Our server was terrific; knowledgeable and attentive. read more

This place was amazing! I was soo blow away by the food, service and the live acoustic music-the gentleman singing was soo talented and then what looked to be the chef joined playing the bongos(?) joined in and she was just as amazing. The schnitzel blew my mind-will def be going back. read more

This place has gotten better since its "fusion" began. Personally, I love the combo of German and Italian. Anywhere I can get snitzel with Italian bread and appetizers I am in! The chicken snitzel is better (and cheaper and bigger) than both the Brauhaus and Lachettes. Highly recommended. Also our waiter was great and very accommodating for our little picky 3 year old. read more

Great neighborhood gem! Very friendly service and food all 4-5 stars. Don't miss the Bavarian Pork Shank and Champignon Rahm Schnitzel. They could use a better wine selection though. read more