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    Mino's

    4.2 (217 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, Bars
    Closed • 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    About Mino's

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    MINO'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Mino's

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    Outdoor seating
    Ashley H.

    Overall we enjoyed our experience. The food was phenomenal. We came here after spending the day at the Chicago Botanical Gardens and it was a perfect treat. We were all starving after walking around. And the outdoor seating is perfect for kids. The food was LEGIT. I personally love Italian - pizza, pasta, salads. And all so fresh. We started with baked artichoke and the shredded brussle sprout salad. The baked artichoke was damn delicious and we al joked we could eat a few more plates of them. The brussle sprout salad I'd skip next time. It was shredded enough and the brussle sprouts needed to sit in the lemon juice a little longer to loosen up. It was too hard to eat and because some of the pieces weren't shredded enough you couldn't bite into it. The kids both got rigatoni in a red sauce and finished their entire plates. The only thing I wish is that they had a kids menu because if they want a drink to it comes out to $16 a kid ($12 for pasta and $4 for drink). And the kids soda is just as much as the adults soda. But the pasta itself was freshly made and the red sauce was so good I could drink it. And prolly the most frustrating part of the meal was asking if they had bread to be told that they don't except we watched baskets of bread be brought to our tables. When we asked our waiter Jeffrey if they had bread he said no twice and told us they have focaccia. The kids obviously didn't like it. After being lied to we decided to ask someone else who then brought us the free bread ??? So don't get tricked to order focaccia because they do have bread. This was really frustrating to be straight lied to and the focaccia in my mind wasn't worth $12. It needed more oil while being baked because it was dry. But in all my dining experiences I've never been lied to about getting a basket of bread just to get us to buy focaccia. It was so weird. I ordered the tortellini with balsamic and I enjoyed the tortellini themselves but the sauce lacked flavor. It almost needed a mushroom base or something that had more a punch. My husband got the bolognese and really enjoyed it and he is the last person to order pasta out. My best friend got the eggplant lasagne and damn it was good. I forget what her husband got. Then we also ordered pizza for the table and shit it was so good. Next time I'd try the mushroom pizza. We sat outside and the ambiance out there is much more livelier than inside especially if you're traveling with kiddos. They also had a magician who came to our table and really made the night enjoyable for the kids. We plan to head back at some time and have learned our bread lesson lol. Next time we would just ask for another waiter because being lied to is just odd.

    Avery J.

    All I can say is WOW. Mino's does not feel like a suburban restaurant. The quality of the food is absolutely through the roof. Everything from the apps, to the main course, to the desserts are pricey but absolutely delicious. If you're lucky enough to sit on the patio with the sun shining, you might just have the best restaurant experience of the year. They have a bisteca on the menu which is absolutely immaculate. And I've had hundreds of steaks around the country. It has to be one of the top 3 steaks I've ever had. Perfectly aged, perfectly cooked, perfect texture, perfect aftertaste. Top notch all around. My only criticism is that the indoor dining area is lackluster. I'm not sure why they don't dress up the decor and the lighting a bit. Otherwise, this is a wonderful night out that shouldn't be missed!

    Nazia C.

    Back for mother's day celebration. This is a family favorite of ours. The service is spectacular every time. The drinks and food are delightful every time. My children love coming here and they say it's their favorite restaurant.

    Rigatoni
    Ritti T.

    I love handmade pasta! We came with our neighbors who have come here a lot that they knew they menu really well. But unfortunately they had recently changed some of the items that they usually get. But still the food was delicious. My husband and I had the rigatoni and bolognese. The rigatoni was the star with the penne vodka sauce and the little spice in it. The drinks were delicious!! They have a patio that when we got there it was raining too hard to sit but by the time we left the rain stopped and the patio was almost full! This place can get super busy, so make reservations. Can't wait to come back here and be able to sit outside next time!

    Negroni
    Michael W.

    To date, bev and bite at bar and both were lovely, will return for deeper dive To date, bev and bite at bar and both were lovely, will return for deeper dive To date, bev and bite at bar and both were lovely, will return for deeper dive To date, bev and bite at bar and both were lovely, will return for deeper dive To date, bev and bite at bar and both were lovely, will return for deeper dive

    Seafood appetizer
    Richard Y.

    First time here with another couple and we had a lovely dinner. A cool vibe inside as a converted auto shop with semi industrial decor and a lively atmosphere. The service was excellent and the staff was friendly too. A nice menu and a great wine list. We enjoyed our burrata and calamari/ shrimp appetizers-- the latter was unique with veggies and 2 sauces. Everyone enjoyed their entrees -- all pasta dishes. I had the linguine with clams in white sauce and really enjoyed the handmade? Pasta -- just perfectly cooked with a generous portion of clams and plenty of shaved garlic. We were too full for dessert and left happy. The only wrinkle was that it was a tad difficult to hold a conversation given how loud the room was. The patio looked inviting and is on the list perhaps for warmer days next years.

    Fritto misto

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    6 years ago

    This place goes so hard. No body NO BODY deserves this place. Fellas, you will never not have an answer to where to go for date night

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Excellent food, great service and fun atmosphere. Enjoyed the mushroom risotto last week

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    5 years ago

    Excellent selection with great quality. Excellent service, not too much not too little. Great to have outdoor dining option

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Great service and delicious food every time. This is not one of those hit or miss places, they always hit it out of the park!

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    9 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Gotta say that their pizza is among the best anywhere. Had their charred pepperoni pizza and it was absolutely on point. Try it!

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    Page 4 of 6

    Mino's Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Mino's

    Are kids ok?

    Yes! We usually go early. They can make a cheese pizza or split a Bolognese pasta dish for the kiddos. My kids love it here.

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    Merlo's

    Merlo's

    4.0(31 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    We came for the first time on a Wednesday evening. We sat outside because the weather was decent,…read morethe only issue was the cars are parked so close to the tables, that if someone has just pulled into the parking spot, the heat emanates from their car right onto your chair. Wish the tables were a little bit further away, or maybe along the wall, anyway, that was probably the only issue with the tables outside. The menu is extensive, with a wide variety of dishes. My better half got the pork chop, which was pounded thin yet still on the bone. It had a very nicely seasoned breading with lots of garlic and a few herbs. It also had three or four fresh cayenne peppers, which were sautéed with a butter type sauce and poured over the pork chop. It was nicely spicy with very good flavor. My entrée was the chicken Milanese, which was virtually identical in preparation as the pork chop, except obviously no bone, and no peppers or spicy butter sauce and was served with an arugula salad, which was delicious. Our two table mates got salads, one with grilled chicken, which was nice and warm and the other with shrimp. We also shared an order of the sautéed broccoli. It was amazing! It had nicely crisped and toasted garlic pieces, some lemon and olive oil. It was one of the most delicious broccoli side dishes I've had at a restaurant. Even though I took a pass on dessert, they ordered the cannoli which came two to an order. Am going to have to say that the cannoli shell itself was not very good. I tasted a tiny piece of it, and it seemed to have a little stale/refrigerator flavor and was not crisp or fresh tasting. That was the least favorite part of the meal. Everything else was delicious. Service was solid and there were a decent variety of wines by the glass available. We will definitely return to try other dishes that sounded great!

    We had a hard time connecting to make a reservation. Open Table has no availability. We called and…read morewaited then got a call back that they were closed and remodeling. It would be nice if they updated their website about this.

    Photos
    Merlo's
    Merlo's - Brick  chicken

    Brick chicken

    Merlo's - Salmon  entree

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    Salmon entree

    Olivia's Italian Restaurant

    Olivia's Italian Restaurant

    4.5(134 reviews)
    18.8 mi
    •$$

    I really wanted to like this local spot. Having its own parking lot is definitely a plus, and there…read morewas plenty of seating when we visited. The interior, however, is very dark and could benefit from better lighting. Service was disappointing. Despite having plenty of wait staff and not many customers, we waited long and had a hard time getting attentive service. The food itself showed promise and was flavorful overall. Unfortunately, the pasta was cooked too al dente for my taste, especially the ravioli, which was on the verge of being undercooked. The biggest letdown was the cleanliness. An ant crawled up my arm during our meal, and we noticed several flies, bugs in the dining area. I truly wanted to enjoy and support this local restaurant, but the lack of attentive service and cleanliness issues made it difficult to overlook the negatives.

    We were excited to finally try Olivia's. We decided to go for an early dinner (5:30ish) on a…read moreFriday evening. First impression, the parking lot was empty. We had heard they were busy, many times with wait times. So we were surprised. The ambiance is really nice, A really nice Italian dinner restaurant. I started with an Old Fashioned and it was one of the better ones I have had. They really nailed it. There are a couple on their menu so I was sure to say "not the one with soda/selter". That a Wisconsin one :) We asked if the Caesar was large enough to split to start. They said yes. Great. There were 3 tables filled so it was finally not empty. Not sure why the bar seating was empty- looked like a great place to sit too. After ten minutes we gave our order, Chicken Piccata for my wife and I had the Pork Chop special. The waiter didn't come by and we didn't get our salad. He was busy making drinks for one larger party (the 4th table). Finally our entree's came. I asked what happened to our salad. He looked confused. I reminded him we asked if it was large enough to split and we would start with it. He was genuinely sorry. It happens. Then we ate the entree's. My wife's Chicken was flavorful and served hot. It was very good. My pork chop was closer to room temp rather than hot. The flavor was really good. Unfortunately I have a thing about eating my food hot, not on the cold side. I told the waiter. He was sorry and asked if he could have them heat it up. I passed .... Didn't want dryer food while my wife ate alone. The manager came over and insisted it didn't sit at the window. Not sure WHY he wanted to argue this point. I offered the plate so he could taste or even feel the dish at that point. He seemed genuinely wanting to help, but he didn't need to make us feel like we were wrong. Again - not the end of the world. So why 3 stars? My wife's food was great. The taste of mine was good. They didn't charge us for my dinner. Their Old Fashioned was out of this world (ask Omar to make it). The truth is we want to try it again and see if this was a glitch. If it wasn't a glitch, it's why they weren't packed on a Friday night.

    Photos
    Olivia's Italian Restaurant - Main dining area.

    Main dining area.

    Olivia's Italian Restaurant
    Olivia's Italian Restaurant

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    Nico Restaurant

    Nico Restaurant

    4.0(128 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    •$$

    For years, we have eaten at Viaggio before attending summer concerts at Ravinia. This year, we…read morelearned that Viaggio had "evolved" into Nico, so we didn't know what to expect. It turns out, Nico is GREAT! Many of our favorites from Viaggio remain on the menu; the crusty bread, the Caesar salad, the gnocchi, the chicken Parmesan, all were top-notch. Terrific seafood dishes remain, too, although we didn't try them during this visit. And some new items that will be fun to try have been added, such as pizza. As always, the service was friendly and efficient. And best of all, the spumoni bombe is still on the menu! (It's our favorite and SO delicious.). Other delightful desserts, such as Tiramisu, are also available. We loved Nico and we will return soon!

    Nico's, formerly Viaggio's, underwent a full renovation and change of ownership. Thankfully, much…read moreof the excellent staff remains. We loved the old Viaggio's and really wanted to love Nico's, but one major design decision has completely changed the experience for us. The bar was always the heart of this restaurant. It was a comfortable neighborhood bar where locals could have dinner, drinks and conversation. The new owners installed the pizza oven and pizza-making station directly in the middle of it. As a result, the bar is now literally a pizza counter. When you sit there, you are sitting directly in front of a working pizza station, watching pizzas being prepared, with boxes and supplies around the bar. Instead of feeling like you're having dinner and drinks at a neighborhood bar, it feels like you're sitting at the counter of a pizzeria. For us, that simply isn't an appealing or relaxing way to spend an evening. The layout also makes normal bar service extremely awkward. The pizza operation physically separates the bartenders from many of the customers sitting at the bar, requiring them to walk around the bar to take orders and serve patrons. Finally, you are sitting directly in front of a large, very hot pizza oven. The heat is significant. The pizza maker working in front of the oven was, quite understandably, sweating heavily throughout the evening just a few feet in front of us while we were trying to eat dinner. That's not a criticism of the employee--it's an illustration of why placing a commercial pizza oven directly in the middle of a dining bar simply doesn't work. The frustrating part is that so much about Nico's is good, particularly the staff. But putting the pizza operation in the middle of what was previously the heart of the restaurant fundamentally changes the experience. I hope the owners reconsider the layout and return the bar to being a bar. We would happily come back.

    Photos
    Nico Restaurant - Chicken Marsala

    Chicken Marsala

    Nico Restaurant - Nana's Gravy

    Nana's Gravy

    Nico Restaurant - 8 Eight Finger Cavatelli Pasta

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    8 Eight Finger Cavatelli Pasta

    Campagnola - Orecchiette. Quite filling, and delicious!

    Campagnola

    4.5(381 reviews)
    6.8 mi
    •$$

    We went there with another couple. Even though we arrived an hour before our reservation, they were…read moreable to accommodate us. This was our second time there, the previous being as outstanding. My girlfriend and I both opted for the halibut with farro special. I'm a pescetarian and picky about my fish and this was perfectly cooked. The basmati reduction was mellow and savory. The couple we were with had pasta and both loved their dishes. This is the quality of food one would hope for in a downtown or River North restaurant, but it's in Evanston with more reasonable parking. The menu leans towards elevated Italian, and not the heavy red sauce stuff (not that there's anything wrong with that). Everything has been great. The restaurant itself is in a vintage building with nice high ceilings. It's much larger than what it seems from the outside. All in all, a nice place to take a date, or for a special occassion or even if you just feel fancy. Not too spendy considering the food quality and service. Can highly recommend.

    Good pasta, great service, lovely intimate dinner ambience. We were traveling and definitely…read moreunderdressed for such a lovely setting but didn't feel judged by the staff, they were just as kind and attentive. Very fast service. We had a radicchio appetizer with goat cheese that was very unique but the bitterness was unbalanced. We LOVED the bread and butter basket that was free for the table, genuinely some of the best bread I've ever had!! My friend loved his pasta dish with a red sauce and another liked the halibut, it was satisfying and cooked well. I didnt mind my penne red sauce pasta, it just didn't wow me. I would have loved a pesto or similar option on the pasta menu. Very kind waitress as well. Overall such a lovely dinner that we were excited we didn't have to go searching for in Chicago itself, right in Evanston! Would love to go back, especially if they rotate their pasta menu.

    Photos
    Campagnola - Dining area

    Dining area

    Campagnola - The leek soup was very good.

    The leek soup was very good.

    Campagnola - Inside

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    Inside

    Mino's - italian - Updated October 2026

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