our first visit to La Dolce Vita was a grand slam. we had a drink at the bar and and Alex was an amazing bartender and host. He made us feel right at home and like regulars in the making. The atmosphere is very cozy and there is al fresco dining available. We had the baked clams which were delectable. The service was excellent in spite of the fact that it was a busy Friday evening. Our entrees were very good and what was particularly impressive was that there was sufficient staff on duty to serve the customers. We plan on returning and highly recommend this establishment. read more

Eating and drinking in the restaurant portion is always a lot of fun, however, the bar is where it's happening. We always have such a great time at the bar with our two favorite bartenders, Alex and Liz, where we always meet new people! read more

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This is our first visit. What I liked most about this restaurant is every patron seemed lively, were laughing, and enjoying themselves. It was wonderful hearing the laughter and seeing people having fun. I liked the oil and water color paintings as well as the Italian vibe and ambiance. My Pinot Noir was delicious. I ordered shrimp over pasta with lemon wine sauce and spinach. I've ordered this at other Italian restaurants but for some reason it tasted very bland and tasteless; the shrimp was chunky and tasted fishy. It could have used more garlic or a rich cream sauce. Would I order it again? No. The menu wasn't that appealing (phone ran out of juice so I couldn't take a photo). However, the atmosphere was so enjoyable that I think I'll skip the food and drink wine at the bar if I return again. read more

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Service was friendly but slow. Three entrees...the special chicken was mediocre - lots of garlic and the noodles were fine, just a bit bland otherwise. House salad was excellent. The shells were not good (sauce was bland, no flavor, limited filling), and the orange ruffy entree was considered 'terrible.' The restaurant has a nice vibe, and the portions are huge, but the quality of the food isn't worth it. Won't be back. read more

It's one of my favorite restaurants! Charming, cozy and great food. It is beautifully decorated at Christmas! You're welcome! read more

After living in Frankfort for 47 years, this is our go to. Amazing staff, great ambiance and the salad is to die for. Try the Veal Milanese the old way, you won't be disappointed. read more

Love this restaurant, casually classy, great food and always great service! Never a bad meal or unfriendly staff. read more

This is a very good Italian restaurant. Portions are generous. Excellent & very friendly service! We all really enjoyed the delicious beef arancini appetizer. Hubby loved his meat lasagna & minestrone soup. Uncle really enjoyed his Caesar salad, cavatelli al forno (he requested no sauce) & cheesecake with brûlée topping. My Dad loved the sausage and peppers with spaghetti & meat sauce. Daughter really loved her cheese ravioli (she requested no sauce) & lava cake with vanilla gelato for dessert. I would have given 5 stars but the noise level was way too high. We could barely hear each other. Also, the tables were super small, so we were all very uncomfortable, especially my hubby who had to sit next to the specials board which cut into even more of his space because the board stuck out, so try to avoid that table if you go here... read more

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Update: Ordered takeout yesterday. The food was hot and delicious after a 45 min ride home! The salad was kept separate from the hot food and was fresh and had great ingredients. This is how a great restaurant is run! Best Italian food in the southwest suburbs. read more

Celebrating twin 21st birthdays! A wonderful place we decided to come back. It always is a wonderful place with nice ambiance. The food was delicious throughout the 8 person party. It was almost as good as our Italian vacation dinners. :) The special desserts for the 2 birthdays was an amazing ending to the dinner experience. The server was very attentive and provided outstanding service. I wish I remember her name to ask for her the next time we come back; much sooner than we waited last time. Thanks LaDolceVita for your continued service with wonderful Italian cuisine. read more

We love it here!!!! Very sweet employees and great service! Love their food and ambiance! Very generous amounts of food and the bartenders are also very generous as well with full glass service! As an Italian, it fulfills my expectations. We love bringing family and friends here and they request it whenever they come to visit. read more

La Dolce Vita - La Dolce in Frankfort - Italian Near Me - Frankfort, Illinois

I'll start by saying their food is absolutely delicious, was hands down my favorite restaurant before today. Never had a problem with their service in the past, everything was always amazing! Had a reservation for two at 7pm, called 15 minutes after opening (saturday @ 4:15pm) & switched it to 6pm, arrived at 5:55pm; waited until 6:25pm. Two tables of two and a table of four, who arrived after us, were sat before us (one of them not even having a reservation-apparently if you say you will sit at the one high top then you get a fast pass) We were upset watching everyone get sat and left. The woman hostess then tried to claim that our reservation was never changed, which was upsetting bc why would we make that up?- so careful on their word when you call. On top of it, I came on my birthday & now my husband said he will never go there again-so there goes my favorite date spot :( Upsetting to say the least. read more

Lovely spot, can always count on getting a delicious meal. Husband had chicken parm with a side of ziti, said it was great. A green salad for the table and a nice bread basket is a nice addition to the meal.. my dish of sausage broccolini ravioli was outstanding. read more

#16/2024 Frankfort Illinois. Old Town Frankfort kind of a nice area with independent shops and nice little restaurants all around off of the main road. This of course is one of the four La Dolce Vita in the Chicago land area. Three of them are in the far south suburbs one is closer to O'Hare. Having dined at the original in Lemont a few times decided to come to this one for a change. Had reservations for 5:30 arrived on time or seated immediately. Put in a drink order. I had a peroni. Folks had wine. They brought out nice hot fresh bread along with butter and also olive oil and cheese. Decide to have an appetizer went with the bruschetta. For dinner I had one of my favorite meals the chicken vesuvio half chicken along with the vesuvio potatoes they threw some peas in there excellent vesuvio sauce. I also had a side order of sauted spinach I split with Mom there was a lot. You also got to decide a pasta I opted for the mostaccioli noodles with the Alfredo sauce. This is a smaller dining area (reservations highly recommended) here they do have outdoor dining if you like to sit out in the heat but for the most part it's got a nice bar a very strong local clientele it seemed to for a Friday night. Quality the food was excellent. For dessert and had a fantastic creme brulee. Nice and crispy with some strawberries and whipped cream to add and cawfee. Folks had expresso. Would definitely come back to this one over Lemont I seem to like the ambiance a little better personally. Some of these reviews I don't quite get but when we went there it was fantastic five stars all the way. read more

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My bride and I went here Sunday night. We were afraid they would be closed for the holiday, but they weren't my bride ordered a chicken marsala dish which she loved and took home half because the serving was so huge. I ordered a special dish that they made for me With penne, pasta sauce, broccoli and blackened chicken breast. It was terrific. I ate about a quarter or 1/ third of it and the rest will be had for dinner on Wednesday night. My wife and I will share. It was tasty. Stephanie the waitress was terrific is bright and cherry, love the painting on the walls. I can't think of anything bad oh and I forgot to mention that the spumoni is the best I've ever had anywhere and the coffee is great so this is an incredibly easy five star. read more

La Dolce Vita - A shot of the restaurant and the paintings on the wall - Italian Near Me - Frankfort, Illinois

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Expensive for what you get. Food was fine. Service was just okay, the waiter hung out at the bar. Wasn't as attentive as he should have been. read more

When we dined here everything was above expectations. The service and Food exceeded what we expected. They do a great job! We will be back.

The food was very good and the restaurant accommodates kids of all ages. We had Arancini which was a ball of spinach and rice and it looked and tasted appealing. The calamari was up to standards. I ordered twisted pasta which was a thick noodle with a sausage and vodka sauce and my kids loved the chicken Alfredo. read more

Outstanding!!! I had Capelli D'Angelo Alfredo with scallops and shrimp. Absolutely delicious. It had a just a hint of smokiness and a ton of flavor. The sauce was a perfect richness without being overbearing. My wife had veal Marcella and also said it was fantastic. A nice ambiance and our server was wonderful. I highly recommend. My be go to Italian spot. read more

Food was very good as was the service. A little noisy but to be expected as it was busy. Prices are a little high but nowadays it is the new normal. read more

the arancini is to die for best special ever I will be getting this every time the cavatelli was also good a little bit heavy read more

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Fantastic! Food Service and Ambiance - all top-notch!!!! Fantastic - every time is as good (often better!) than my memory of the previous one!! 6 STARS in my book! (Scale 1-5 !!!) read more

We ordered takeout last night, and it was our first experience with this restaurant. The wait time was about twice as long as we were told. They said pickup in 30 minutes, we waited for another 20 minutes when we arrived. The wait isn't a huge deal -- this was mostly a bother because we ordered takeout in an effort to continue to social distance, and ended up sitting in a crowded restaurant for an extended period of time anyway. By the time we got home (less than a 10 minute drive) everything was already cold, so we're guessing our extra wait had to do with the restaurant being very busy. Perhaps our order was forgotten about? We were also a bit surprised at the price for two entrees and some garlic bread. We were not given a total when we called to place the order, nor did we receive an itemized receipt, unfortunately. We also received a salad that we did not order -- it's unclear to us whether this was a complimentary item that came with our entrees, or if we were charged for something we did not order. That said, everything was delicious. The seafood in the del mare tasted fresh and the beef tips were very excellently prepared and very tender. The vinaigrette on our mystery salad was quite tasty as well. All in all, we will probably be back, but we will dine in next time as most our issues/questions seemed to be related to the takeout process. read more

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My son and I remembered Joe the manager from PF Chang's. What a fantastic guy! Couldn't be more gracious or attentive to the quality of and service of the food. We recently learned that he was now the manager here. We are looking forward to seeing him either Christmas Eve or New Year's . I hope he remembers me and my son. We felt like he was part of our family. I know we can be assured of great food if Joe is in charge. You won't be disappointed . Congratulations Joe. So glad we found you again. We'll definitely be regulars again. Jim F read more

The food is amazing and they consistently add new specials to the menu that are always impressive. Lasagna is a staple! Don't forget the cocktails - caramel apple martini is the best!! Outstanding service as well. read more

Great place for a quiet family get together. Food is excellent. Large portions - plenty for a second meal. All desserts at our table were excellent. Tiramisu was the best! Service was top notch. read more

Nice little Italian restaurant in Frankfort. Thin but well-curated menu of Italian items in a noisy little dining room. Clean as a whistle. The waitstaff was excellent as were the busing people. The owner who seated us and the lady running the bar could have been a bit more welcoming. They did serve us but they were not friendly, but that's ok we came here for the food. We had a couple of glasses of the house Chianti (4 star nice). We also shared a Caprese salad (3 star very nice as tomatoes are starting to come around but could have used more balsamic). For entrees one in our party had the spaghetti with marinara sauce (3 star nice and reliable), one had the Fettucine Alfredo (again 3 star nice), and the last had the Risotto Bolognaise (3 stars because it is a different way to serve risotto, but very nice). All in all it was a nice visit and we will come back to try some of the other offerings. read more

One of our favorites in Frankfort. They always accommodate us. I'd recommend reservations as they have a smaller dining room. They has some outdoor seating as well. read more

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Excellent food, drinks and service. Great wine selection and the aperol spritz I ordered tonight was perfect. The linguine del mare was amazing! The seafood was cooked absolutely perfectly and so was the pasta. Also, the whole dish was hot like it didn't sit for a second before arriving to me--a rarity in such a lively, bustling restaurant. The bread and salad are also fresh & excellent, too. Loved it all! read more

La Dolce Vita - Linguini Del Mare - Italian Near Me - Frankfort, Illinois

I was looking for a place to have dinner on a weekday and fold this place. I enjoyed the food, service and drinks. The portion sizes for dinner were huge so I had enough to take home. Will definitely come back! read more

La Dolce Vita - Key Lime Martini - Italian Near Me - Frankfort, Illinois

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The service was very slow even though there wasn't much business. There was a faint smell of garbage wafting from the kitchen. The Bus boy was taking a salad away before a guest was even done. They completely over sauced the pasta in sauce, it was more like a soup. It took 17 min. To receive the check after we asked for it. Completely mediocre restaurant. I do not know why people would go. read more

I would not recommend. The food is not good. The dishes are tasteless. Pasta primavera was too saucy, spaghetti was underwhelming, chicken dish for my husband came out looking like death warmed over (and for $25!). Martinis are though and the service was as well. read more

Intimate spot. Great for a date night. Love the rigatoni alla vodka. Good service. Nice staff. Small business vibe

We get food here on a regular basis mostly for carry out for the past three years. The food is always spot on and packaged very well. The only complaint would be the bread as it is a small piece and not fresh. They pack the cold food separate from the hot food. A nice salad goes with your meal. The host that takes the order is always polite on the phone and in person. read more

This was my third time here . i always thoroughly enjoy whatever it is i get whether it's the arancini , pasta dish or dessert. the caramel apple martini was excellent ! service is always prompt and the manager is always very friendly making sure you are satisfied. the atmosphere is quaint and cozy. you can't go wrong here . wish it was closer to my home but it's worth the traveling . read more

Overall everything was just very underwhelming. Somehow every single dish tasted bland while still being over-salted including the mussels and the chicken portobello dish. Service was fine although lack luster. Dining room was crowded and noisy with a lot of drunken loud mouths shouting at the bar. This is officially my least favorite restaurant in Frankfort. read more

Tonight there was something way off...We got there at 5pm, asked if they had Belvedere vodka, which I recall them having, was told no, out. Asked for Grey Goose, no out, went with kettle one, that or Tito's, and my head is already hurting;(. Ordered crab cakes 30 mins after sitting & it took forever, a special though tonight? Ordered entrees at 6:10pm easy large shrimp pasta, the 5 shrimps not large at all...And hubby went with chicken parmesan...Took almost an hour to get our food to our table had to ask our server Mark, as soon as he brought plates for take home containers & the bill. Management needs to work on a timely manner with this place & adjusting their menu..If you don't have LARGE protein shrimp to serve change the menu to just shrimp scampi! read more

La Dolce Vita - Italian Near Me - Frankfort, Illinois

I just picked up a call in order. As I'm picking up my $30 to go meal. They didn't give me a choice of salad dressings, so they gave me Italian. I asked for any other options, the girl said Caesar. I said, I'll take it. She said the guy was bringing it from the kitchen. He appears to be the manager or owner. As he's handing me the salad dressing, he drops it trying not to make hand to hand contact. I asked for another, he replies, but it's Saran wrapped. Yuck!!! I looked at him as if this seemed normal. I just said, no thanks and left. That was gross read more

We celebrated my daughters 18 birthday here and they clearly stand head and shoulders above their competition throughout the suburbs. Every part of the dining experience was exceptional. The food is truly authentic Italian, ambience was warm and casual. Our server was very attentive and the owner stopped by our table to make sure everything was to our liking. This was one of the only nice Italian restaurants open on a Sunday, it may have been our first time there but guarantee it has become new favorite go to for Italian in the suburbs. read more

Great food and service, servers are always pleasant. Atmosphere is always a pleasure. Great wine and drinks.