Can I tell you how much I absolutely love this place? No, probably not possible. The bruschetta (sp?) is impeccable and the half chicken my husand orders everytime is incredible. (We usually ask for extra bread just so we can soak up all of the extra sauce on the dish). Their pasta specials are always great and the kitchen will add chicken or shrimp to them if you ask. I also had my best dining experience here last year when they carried their skate fish plate. I still have wonderful memories of that meal!! Please also leave room for their desserts. Gelatto or sorbet is always available as well as an amazing creme brulee and other assorted yummies. And the tall pretty blonde server who is there during the weeknights (the usual time we get to go) is wonderful. She always remembers us and makes us feel at home. Great job all around! read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Saint Charles. The carpaccio and prosciutto starters are really good, as is the fresh warm bread and olive oil they serve when you sit down. Favorite entrees are tilapia and veal medallions. When I was married, Francesca's was our favorite place to go on anniversaries for a delicious glass of wine and an always delectable dinner. Now I take the occasional girl friend here, (but only if I keep her for more than two months.) The wait staff have generally been very knowledgeable, but quality of service and attentiveness have varied widely. As other reviewers have noted Francesca's by the River is often quite crowded (always a busy place between 5:30 and 8:00 and the tables are close together). Only once in ten years have I been disappointed with a meal at Francesca's (I recall it was a rigatoni dish with sausage in a cream sauce, or something like that). With that one exception, the food has been outstandingly good. Strongly recommended. read more

I know Francesca's is a Chicago area chain but their food is wonderful! We have eaten there many times and have never had a bad experience. Every dish they make is fresh and tasty. Portions are generous. The only complaint I have is that the main dining room is noisy due to the building design. We always ask for the back room if possible. read more

This place is great! My friend and I went there on 05/13/11. I had forgotten to make a reservation, but there was no wait during the time we arrived. That said, the place was about 80% full. Later it was 100% full. After we sat down, we were given a paper menu and a thick menu. The paper menu organization could use a little work. In fact, they should get rid of the black and white standard paper thing and instead use a laminated color double-sided menu for better organization. But it's not a big deal. I didn't even look at the thick book menu (could've been drink choices for all I know). They also gave us a folded piece of paper with today's specials. Well, enough about the menus. Also, it was kinda hard to remember the names of the dishes cause they were named Italian (still in English words though). They served us a 5-6" bread sliced into 6 pieces and gave us some butter to share. Well, it was 90% cut...the rest was upto us. We tried using knives but it wouldn't cut. After 2 minutes, I just ripped the bread off with my hands, applied butter, and ate. Not a problem for me :D After 2 minutes, the waiter comes up and asks for our drink of choice. We got two cokes. We also ordered an appetizer: the Bruchette con Ricola, which was 4 slices of bread topped with some special cheese and veggies. Got it within 8 minutes. IT WAS GOOD! Something so simple, yet so tasty. :D After 2 minutes of finishing our appetizer, we ordered our main dishes. I ordered Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo (something like that) and I dunno what my friend got. It took 12-15 minutes for food to arrive. Both dishes were GREAT! The portions were kinda big for both of us, but I finished mine by eating slow towards the end. My friend packed his leftover. I must say, the food is just AMAZING! If you want Good Italian Food, come here! So it was a great experience for me. Though their name is sorta deceptive because "by the River", you expect a river view. They simply mean that they're really close to the river. Still, you have to come and try the great food. You'll love it! read more

This was the first time we have been to Francesca's and went on a Wednesday evening at 5:30p. It was not crowded and were seated right away. The pasta dishes that we ordered were very good, but I have to agree with the other reviews that it was a tad pricey. The portions were generous, but for the price, I would have thought a cup of soup or house salad would have been included. Bread was served and was warm and delicious. I felt the liquor prices, especially the beer prices, were quite inflated. However we opted for the martini's that were on special that evening for $5.00. The place started to fill in as we finished our dinners, but the noise level was not as loud as I had anticipated. Service was fine, no complaints there. We both enjoyed our dining experience, but it will be more of a special occasion place due to the prices. read more

All I can say is don't go here on any Holidays!! we went on Valentine's day...big mistake! we were sent to the back room. We were sat a 2 round tables for 3 of us, and then told, NOPE we could not have a square table, none of the EMPTY ones were avvailable. The waitress got snotty after we ask her and from then on, we got crappy service. We got mediocre food, luckwarm, and bland. This was not our first visit, and we were hoping for the nice attentive person we had the first and second time, but, no such luck. THEN as we were waiting for dessert, we got the "when are you leaving" staredown from the matre' de... He ask our waitress "how long?" very loud and pointed to us... who must have informed him that we were not even done, and he left. How rude! It will be a very long time before we go back and dump over $150.00 for dinner in that place again! I mean, the pasta was OK, I had the lobster and linguine, the lobster was not fresh, and my husband has gnocchi, it was good, and my Son had ravioli in cream sauce which, was wonderful! too bad the service sucked! and so rude! Oh, andd take note of teh parking, it is terrible, just don't even try the lot, go park behind the place, and walk. read more

We had a team dinner there last night. The food was good, the wine was very good, and the service awesome. The lead server to our group had a great attitude. I would definitely do another team event there again, or take my wife for a time together. read more

Being an Italian man myself I can appreciate good Italian food and this was great. Only a 1 mile from our home My wife daughter and I found our new hot spot. We took My wife father with and he actually said it was the best meal he has ever eaten. He's hard to please. The menu is small which is great because you'll probably want to try all the meals at some point. The best of the best. The price was reasonable and well worth it. The atmosphere is quiet and cozy which makes for a nice evening. My family and I are now loyal and will come back again and again. read more

Went there with three of us. Two people had the steak salad. The steak was like leather For a 14.00 salad you would expect the steak to be tender Very disappointed read more

One of my favorite restaurants. I've been coming here for years. The food is very good and most importantly, consistent. The staff are very knowledgeable and very good at taking care of your needs. The menu has many options, from inexpensive and casual, to unique fancy and flavorful. I love that you can stop by for a quick inexpensive dinner or entertain a group for a special occasion. I recommend francesca's by the river to everyone visiting St. Charles. You won't be disappointed! read more

Great food, excellent atmosphere and the service is friendly and helpful. Perfect place for a special event like a birthday, anniversary, new years eve, etc. Helmut, the manager, rocks!!!! read more

I had the linguine with mussels. It was very good and enjoyed the fresh bread. Our server surprised us with a champagne toast for our 9 year wedding anniversary. We can't wait to return. read more

The food here is delicious BUT the hostess's are not so friendly. I have been to this restaurant many times and the female hostesses are not welcoming on a consistent basis -we go back because of the food honestly. This holiday was our last visit. The hostess was NOT friendly and I asked why she was not smiling and why the "sour mood"....she told me she has been very busy with the holiday season. Being a nurse I also work holidays and AM very busy so the excuse was ridiculous. We all are busy! The restaurant obviously was making some money being very busy so everyone should be smiling! Our waitress was great though. read more

Our family had Christmas Eve dinner reservations at the St Charles Il location and waited ONE hour to be seated. When we were finally seated it was in front of the kitchen and due the clatter of utensils and kitchen chatter as well as the poor acoustics in the restaurant we literally could not converse with each other without shouting! The staff were hustling and tried their hardest to meet our basic dining needs. However unfortunately MANAGEMENT did NOT consider that OVERBOOKING to the extent that they did with people standing in doorway waiting to get in (even after reservations were reconfirmed 2 days prior) is unacceptable! Needless to say it was not a pleasant dining experience! read more

Poor service soup luke warm, pasta was anywhere from hot to luke warm to actually cold depending on where you placed your fork for next bite. Ordered coffee and was never offered a refill until I asked after the meal. Asked for cream for the coffe and was give a small creamer that had less than half full. Asked for parmesan cheese for the soup and got about 2-3 teaspoons on a saucer. There were 8 in our party and we all agreed never to return. Oh if you go in bad weather shoveling around the Restaurant is poor and no parking was a available small lot so be prepared to walk. read more

I was here recently for my aunts surprise 65th birthday party. And omg goodness was the food sooo delicious. We had calamari, caesar salad, salmon, and all assorted dishes of pasta deliciousness! It was served family style and there was plenty of food to go around. We were in a private room and our servers were on top of their game, no glass was left empty. I'm pretty sure everyone left in a food coma that afternoon. :) read more

One of our favorite restaurants that we have been going to for 10 years. Service is always great and the food is consistently very good. Great menu that frequently changes and the ambience is always satisfyingly active. Ask for Mary Beth, she's the best server in the business. read more

Always enjoyable. I love their salmon dishes and my wife has enjoyed the homemade pastas. Nice ambience and kind staff makes it a total winner. Highly recommended. Priced a tad steep on some items but the quality makes it reasonable read more

Last weekend we hosted a wedding rehearsal dinner in the small private room. From Event Planner Gabriela B., to server Mary Beth and her team, to the chef and kitchen staff, we owe a huge thank you for making this dinner event one of the best we've ever had! The meal, served family style, was PERFECT! And the service was most excellent. Having come from out of town, I stopped by the day before our event. I wanted to see the room once more for decorating ideas. It was a good thing I did, because I found out that St. Charles was setting up for a huge festival. I got great driving and parking tips from the (I'm assuming) manager, so our guests could avoid the mess the next day. We can't say enough positive about Francesca's by the River! We wish we lived in this area just so we could make this our regular "special night out" restaurant! We highly recommend this restaurant for special dinners, and private events. And yes - like the previous review, ask for Mary Beth!! read more

Francesca's is a good ol' standby in St. Charles. The food and flavors are above average, though not superior. The ambiance is warm and comfortable. The small bar area is nice to meet up with friends for a cocktail. The service is efficient, sometimes too efficient: The waitstaff has a tendency to hover and hurry (my best friend once gave our waitress "the hand" because she kept lurking around our table non-stop). Overall Francesca's is a fairly tasty, reliable Italian restaurant in the Fox River Valley. read more

We've had dinner at Francesca's a few times before heading over to the Arcada theater for shows there. The Arcada is either a long walk or a short drive from there. Excellent Italian food, good variety, very good service. read more

This 2 stars is being a bit generous. It started out looking small and cramped when you walk in. Like, bump elbows with strangers cramped. And it was extremely loud. So we sat down and looked at the menu and literally couldn't read it. There also weren't any drink choices shown at all. So I went simple and ordered plain buttered pasta, cause they can't mess that up right? Wrong. It just tasted weird and there were random substances in it, including something red and squishy and a weird hard black thing. But the portions were huge so I continued to eat. If not for the large portions and ok-ish service and decor, I wouldn't have rated it a 2. Will not return read more

Our go to place for family nights out. Excellent food and great service, though on busy nights the service is affected, the service has always been friendly. Menu changes with the seasons and there are some fantastic choices. It's one of the few places I eat where I don't have a go-to dish. I'm always tempted by something new and I've never had a bad experience. Their salads It can get a little loud especially in the front dining room.but otherwise it's a great place to enjoy an evening out. read more

$27 for Halibut? It was 1/2 the size I expected. Plus, as stated on the menu, garnished with yellow & red grape tomatoes. I mean, c'mon...they can't even place it on a bed of rice, or give some pasta. Yes, I ordered a salad. That was delicious. My friend ordered the entree of shell-type pasta. I tasted it. They take the term ala dente a little far. It was way under cooked. This reminded me Incontro la Tavola in South Barrington, owned by the same person. My pasta there was also undercooked. Yes, for anyone wondering if I like mushy pasta, no. I like it anywhere between ala dente and cooked another minute or two. And, my friend and I had different veal dishes there which were not good. I like good food, good service. But, this is very overrated and much more expensive than it needs to be. I need to give the waitress credit. When asked what her favorite thing was, she did not highlight the most expensive items, she was honest. Wish I could be more positive, wish I had better luck, as others had. read more

Great Service and Great Food! I had the Pollo Romana and it was fantastic! Others ordered the Spaghetti and Meatball special and they loved it. It was a lot of food. This is a nice place to sit and enjoy time with friends. Will be back soon! DC read more

Went to dinner last night and the staff was amazing. Food was superb as usual and the service was outstanding I highly recommend going there every chance you get with the delicious Italian food and the best service ever! read more

My local favorite for great Italian food. Make a reservation on the weekend or you'll need to to wait. Huge servings -- enough to share. Excellent. read more

Two stars awarded because they picked up the entire check without us asking. Dinner was uneatable. Both manager and chef agreed. Raw pasta, horribly salty chicken salty chicken. Soggy salad. Poor service by wait staff. read more

Just this past Saturday we had my Mother's Memorial Luncheon at Francesca's after church, 60 people attended. I cannot thank Francesca's staff enough for the incredible service I received from booking this event to the very end. Everyone of my guest was greeted with a warm and welcoming smile by Nicole, drink orders taken (Stella you are awesome) immediately, food was delivered hot and absolutely delicious!! All my guest could not stop complimenting how wonderful everything was. Thank you for making my Mom's Memorial so special. It was certainly a pleasure to come to such a fine restaurant, enjoy some delicious food, sit back and relax and enjoy our family and friends. read more

food is amazing and so is the service. great ambiance. One of our favorite restaurants in the area.

We moved to Geneva 6 weeks ago and since we bought a fixer upper, we have yet to prepare a home cooked meal as we've been remodeling the kitchen. We've either eaten in restaurants or ordered carry out or delivery. Francesca's is, by far, the best meal since moving here. Ambience? Well, you can't eat ambience. read more

Mixed emotions about this place. The first thing that hit us when we walked in was a very strong bathroom odor. We could still smell it after we were seated across the room from the hallway leading to the bathrooms. The food was good, but could have had a nicer setting for the price. Our waiter was friendly, however, the busboy continually tried to clear the table while we were still eating. I doubt we will be returning to this location. read more

The waitress was horrible she took forever to get us our drinks. She only came to the table one time to take our order. When she took our order I pointed to the dish I wanted, but I got the complete opposite dish. She did repeat the name and I thought it sounded funny but she ran away before I could even stop her and tell her that was the incorrect . She didn't even drop off the food, and there was no one to flag down to tell them I wanted a different dish, so then I was stuck with this disgusting chicken breast that was undercooked and tasted like rubber. When I placed the dish on the side of the table to be taken away, because it was so gross, the bust boy took my FULL drink. He then ran away and at that point it wasn't even worth asking for another drink. The lady finally came back only to give us the check. There was not even a manager or anyone that I could complain to about the crap service we received. read more

Don't miss out on a great dining experience. One of my favorites. Fresh flavorful meals every visit. Perfect place for events. Enjoyable staff too. read more

This is a great Italian restaurant. The calamari was great had the chicken lemon for dinner it was great.

We dined here this past Valentine's Day. We dine here about four times a year. As usual we loved the food. The one problem I had was the filet. I ordered it rare, and it came to my table medium. Now, I order my steaks rare to ensure that it comes to me medium rare. If it comes back too rare, just send it back for a little more time on the grille. Although it came back medium, I tasted it and it was fine, but steaks should come to you as ordered. We will continue dining at this fine restaurant. read more

Had Christmas Day dinner here yesterday. Haven't been here in a while and was looking forward to it. I was so disappointed! Service was bad (as I remember it always was) and no one was friendly...almost rude including our server. We had 7 people and 4 of us had the wrong meal brought out and no apology! After our table was cleared another server brought us menus and we said we've already eaten. Our table was cleared and the check was given to us...no offer for dessert or coffee! Bathroom was a wreck. Definitely needs some paint and updating! Absolutely no Christmas spirit! Not even a candle on the table. Won't be back. We will go to Zaza's down the street! read more

The food was very good. The portions were perfect. I had the pasta with shrimp and scallops and husband had the rigatoni with a white meat sauce. Both were very good and the Caesar salad was excellent. The oil for dipping bread had way too much rosemary in it recommend ask for plain or just butter. We had no room for dessert. read more

We booked reservations for a party of 6 for Mother's Day brunch. As the brunch menu was not online, we called to find out what was included. The person who answered sounded like she was reading from a list, which included an omelette station and carving station with prime rib, ham etc. When we entered the buffet room, we were underwhelmed with the lack of items. There was not an omelette station or ham on the carving station. They were also out of scrambled eggs, bacon and meatballs on several occasions. Mimosas were also an extra $5. Not what I expected for $42 per person. On the plus side, service was very good and the food they had was good when they actually had it available. This buffet/brunch was not the bomb.com, more like a dud. read more

This place has pretty decent italian food and good drinks. I think the food here is much better than maggianos.