Quick service and cheap eats in Chicago! I was shocked to find that two people could come here for lunch and order soup, a main, and a coffee and it was less than $50 for both of us!! read more

The gnocchi with vodka sauce was absolutely beyond delicious. Absolutely incredible every single bite was joyous. Highly recommend that! Great service too! read more

Orso's - Gnocchi with vodka sauce. Absolute must have. Get it! Don't ask any questions just get it with vodka sauce! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love orsos! One of our usual meals that we get delivered, but love the local ambiance of eating at the restaurant. Our usual order consists of a caprese salad, jalepeno gnocchi & fumigato. The jalepeno gnocchi is like nothing I've tried before and I would 100% recommend - I've only ever ordered with olive oil & garlic as the sauce, but it's perfect, so I haven't found a need to try something new. Portions are on the larger side. Between 3 people, two pasta dishes were more than enough Should also note that we once had a horrible experience via grubhub where our order was never processed. We ended up on the phone with the restaurant where they asked for our address. A few days later a gift certificate and a handwritten note made it to us. They offer their own delivery service if you want to extra support local! read more

Orso's - Fumigato - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We went to Orso's in Old Town for lunch during Restaurant Week and what a great surprise. This was our first time there and everything was delish! We ordered the Calamari and the breading was so light and crispy. I ordered the Jalepeno Gnocchi and my husband ordered the White Fish with Lemon and Capers. Both dishes were so flavorful and fresh. To end our meal we had the Canoli and Tiramisu. The tiramisu just melted in my mouth. We will definitely be back! read more

I've gone to this restaurant many times and it is ALWAYS an amazing place to dine, as well as the first Italian restaurant I suggest to people in Old Town. Whether it be the penne alla vodka, tortellaci al prosciutto or jalapeño gnocchi, this place ALWAYs serves the best pasta. The starters are the best on the street with my favorites being the steam mussels in a white wine sauce, the calamari fritti or the portobello mushrooms served with a reduction sauce. The servers know the menu well for when I need a suggestion on something new to try and ambience is always great. If I had to put a number to it, I probably have gone to Orso's at least once a month for the past three years. I always regret choosing any other Italian restaurant down the street-- even my partner suggests Orso's over the other Italian restaurants in the Old Town area now! I can't believe the rating on Yelp as this is a great restaurant to me--but after some digging it looks like past waiters were the issue. Lucky for me I can confidently say I haven't had a waiter issue in the last 3 years of going to Orso's. Unfortunately I am moving from the area and won't be able to have dinner at Orso's monthly, but I will be returning when I come back to Chicago! read more

Orso's - Outside of restaurant during the holidays - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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-we had a great lunch/dinner here while visiting. The ambience is old school with dark wood and cozy. Our server was very good and sweet also. calamari--71YRSOLD, BEST WE HAVE 'EVER' HAD, seriously & we've had many cheese ravioli -good and tender lazagna- incredible, delish clams casino-the only not perfect dish, very tough, didn't eat The calamari took the winning prize!!!! read more

This place looked super cute and finally was able to make it there. I had there well known jalapeño gnocchi and my friend had their ravioli. We also had bruschetta in the beginning which was alright. Didn't know Tuesdays had half off apps so that was good to know! Overall great ambience! The gnocchi was pretty good and definitely had an unexpected kick to it but just super dense for one person to eat by themselves. Ravioli wasn't too bad either. I may go back again to try another dish but wasn't super overly impressed by it. Service was great overall and it was a good time. Probably would want to come back for the open patio seating in the summer! read more

Orso's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First time at Orso's! The ambiance was pretty/cozy, our waiter was attentive, and the food was solid! I ordered the rigatoni dish. The portion was pretty big and it came with a hearty sauce. Curious to come back and try their popular jalapeño gnocchi or their seasonal specials. If you have bad vision, bring your glasses! The menu fonts is small and hard to read. Great experience overall. read more

Orso's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place looks lovely and inviting when you walk past it, and the ambiance is actually great! The patio is full of plants and feels relaxing. It's also in a nice location in the heart of Old Town. However, the rest of the experience was pretty meh. The service felt rushed because they were understaffed which was understandable. Unfortunately they didn't serve bread before the meal like you would expect from an Italian place. Cocktail tasted artificial, like drinking a gummy worm. The food was also pretty much flavorless. The chicken parm tasted like it had been frozen--not crispy at all. Probably not coming again read more

The penne vodka was super yum but the pizza was okay in my opinion. Still tasted good, and made good leftovers! The calamari was good though, and I enjoyed my red sangria as well. The portions were reasonable, the service was quick and friendly, and this place has an old school Italian family feel to it. I was part of a large party where one person ordered a bunch of things, but I didn't try all of it. I'd like to come back and try more pasta dishes to give a full review. read more

Orso's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Orso's was really good! The back patio had awesome plant vibes! The pizza was excellent thin crust! I loved the sausage they used. We got the chicken vesuvio also which was super tasty. The next time I come am getting the rigatoni ala vodka. The pictures online and on Instagram look amazing for this dish! I had a great dinner! Service was good too! read more

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Been here few times but will not be back. The pasta we are ordered was so dry we asked for a side of extra marina and were then charged $5. It's not the cost, it's the principle. Totally ridiculous. We sat at the bar and we were not served bread but the bar area tables were given bread. The white wine options are the same as Trader Joe's but double the price...expected... but super average wine. Service was just ok for a nearly empty bar area. Go to Topo Giggio instead! So much fun sitting at their bar and the food overall is much better quality, read more

Ambiance was quite nice. Piano player, beautiful decor. First, I've never been to an Italian restaurant that didn't offer bread. The portion ls were generous, but the taste was mediocre. Got chicken Vesuvio, and in the waiters suggestion did the split chicken breast version. The meat was very tender and juicy, but overpowering with salt abs oregano. It was a salt bomb. The lobster fettuccine had fresh pasta and a good amount of lobster, but they masked the lobster with red pepper flake. It was so diavolo that my mouth was on fire. The lobster had to issues. Old and overcooked. Tail oars were rubbery, the claw piece was dry and felt like a dry chicken breast. Had a fishy taste meaning it wasn't fresh. Being well versed in cooking, i know what to expect from a properly prepared lobster and this wasn't it. Would have given them a second try, considering the season and not being able to get fresh all the time, but for the price I'd expect at least a basket of bread and oil. Only reason we tried them is because topi gigio had an hour wait. Should have waited. Wasted $160 read more

Located in the upscale and trendy Old Town neighborhood of Chicago, Orso's is a romantic Italian eatery with traditional Italian dishes. Great restaurant to eat at during the spring & summer as there is a large outdoor patio. Overall, Good food and service. 5 out of 5 stars. read more

Orso's was the perfect cozy spot for Valentine's Day. Their Penne alla Vodka was amazing, and they even handed out roses as guests left the restaurant. read more

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Cali Mari was delish and bruschetta was on point. Highly recommend for a weekday lunch. read more

We came for a nightcap and dessert after a second city show. No trouble getting a table, the cocktail and wine selection were great! Same with the desserts we got the death by chocolate and the tartufo, both delicious! There was a live piano player too! Will be back to try the entrees read more

Orso's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was below average. Service is very bad. Was here for brunch and our simple order took over 30 minutes to prepare. When asked, they unapologetically said that our ticket did not print. Note to the manager/ owner - please take some pride in your establishment. Your employees are an embarrassment to this foodie town. read more

A solid Italian place on a busy street - we went here for a last minute Saturday night dinner and had a lovely meal! Food - 3.5/5 - everyone was happy, loved the olive oil for the bread and the vodka sauce. The Caesar salad was underwhelming, the noodles a bit mushy and the entrees were a bit overpriced given you had to order a side or app to fill out the meal. Loved the amalfi 75 and espresso martinis as well! Service - 4/5 - a surprisingly well staffed place in these times, but lots of new people - all happy and eager to help, just usual new people hurdles. Ambiance - 4/5 - fascinating. Traditional rich Italian and dark wood interiors. The bar was popular and there were some mysterious hallways presumably to other bars or sections... read more

Orso's - Amalfi 75 - like a French 75 but with grapefruit gin - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a tough one as my experience may be skewed by the fact we hit this place on a crazy busy night--Chicago Marathon eve. We made this res months ago as I came with my wife and kids, ages 16 and 11. The vibe of this place is great as we sat out on the patio. Feels like an old time Italian restaurant with great vibes and great smells. For apps we had the calamari, sausage and peppers, and some bread and oil. It was all very good and came out in good order. Carafe of wine as well. While the vibe was great and we were having fun, our main course took one hour to come out after they cleared our apps. It was rough. A manager came over to apologize as they said the marathon runner pasta dinner delayed everything. Quite a delay. Once the food came we found it a bit disappointing. Not terrible, and not sure if it is because of how busy they were, but not what we had hoped. My kids had the ravioli and the fettuccine. They enjoyed this and I tasted the dishes. They were very good. My wife had the tilapia and it was over cooked. I had the tortellini with veal. It was very dry. Again, this all could be because of the marathon, but we left wanting better. We may be back but it would not be our #1. Marathon or not, we should not wait one hour for a main course. All in all we were there for 2.5 hours. Sorry. read more

I was actually here for a wedding and I Have to say it was a great place for a wedding, the food was good , the bartenders were awesome and the rest of the staff was wonderful . I will come back here on a regular visit as it impressed me so much. read more

Service was so slow. Food was good! But my friend's order was messed up and waiter tried to argue with her and was upset when he returned it to the kitchen. Waited over 30 min for him to take our check, swipe the card and bring it back to us. read more

Vibes are unreal. Felt like I had walked onto the set of the Soprano's or Goodfellas or something like that. We sat on the tented patio on a Sunday night and had the delightful MJ as our server. He provided EXCELLENT recommendations. None of them missed at all. We did their season apple cider cocktail which was awesome. Had some bruschetta to start and then dove into main dishes. Per his advice, I chose the tortellaci al prosciutto. I can truly say that I haven't had many pasta dishes better than this in my entire life which is saying something since I am in an Italian-American family that takes their pasta very seriously. You ever had a dinner that you didn't want to end? This was one of them. I can't freaking wait to come back. read more

Incredible food and service! Perfect for date nights and family gatherings. The cocktail and wine lists are quite good and the gelato dessert options are unbelievably good! read more

Love the place! It's the oldest family-run restaurant in Old Town. Can't wait to go back and visit Frank, the proprietor, who makes every guest feel like family. The food is amazing, service is friendly and prices are fair. You gotta go! read more

Orso's was quite a disappointment, in terms of service and food quality, especially for its price. I reserved an outdoor table for three at Orso's at 7:30 p.m. on a Tuesday and when we arrived a few minutes early, we were seated immediately. The atmosphere of Orso's outdoor patio was so incredible! The patio is covered by a roof made of plants, which was adorable! This is perhaps the only redeeming quality about the place. As for the service, it started out really rough. We sat at our table for nearly 20 minutes before our drink orders were taken and then another 10 or so minutes before our food orders were taken. Afterward, our waiter was fairly attentive, but how long we had to wait to be helped initially was extremely uncalled for. As for the food, we ordered fettuccine Alfredo, chicken Parmesan and spaghetti with meatballs. For drinks, we ordered an espresso martini and two Sadie's lemonades (speciality mixed drinks). In total, our bill was a just over $100. I certainty did not think the food was worth that price. Somehow we ended up paying $100+ for Olive Garden-quality cuisine and bad service. Our table was never served any complimentary bread either, but it appeared other tables were. There was not an option to order normal bread and butter as an appetizer, so I'm just assuming our inattentive waiter forgot that too. It's unfortunate we had such a negative experience at this restaurant because we were very excited to try it. I won't be recommending this to anyone. read more

This was our birthday/celebration/hangout place back in the day. we really liked the outdoor back area in the spring/summer/fall but it was snowing like crazy this day so nuts to that! We don't make the trip too often these days, we just like to experiment, and it's not cheap! But some great friends of ours were celebrating a big birthday so 5 of us got together. We arrived early on a Sunday at 6 and were seated by the window in the back. It's a good view looking out and in, and it felt more 'private' but when it snows like that, make sure the heat is on! We got a bottle of Moscato wine of all things (I would have preferred a spicy red) but one of the party preferred sweet wines. It was very good, an ok markup. I got the minestrone and Fumigato (rigatoni, chicken, cream tomato sauce). Others got the vesuvio potatoes which everyone RAVES about, for good reason. Our food and service were good. The waitress brought cupcakes with candles for the birthday folks. I shared the Spumoni and Tiramisu. read more

Orso's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We went to Orso's after 5 years and the food quality has worsened significantly. We ordered pizza and for a thin crust pizza, the crust was very thick. We ordered chicken Marsala and it didn't have any flavor. Pasta alla vodka, felt like it was pasta boiled put in bottled sauce. You can cook better pasta at home. Really disappointed with the food and service. read more

Came here on a 30 degree day and the outdoor seating was comfortable. You definitely need warm clothes, however, there were plenty of heaters and never felt uncomfortably cold. The $20 bottomless mimosa deal on Sunday is great. The drinks were kept flowing and the outdoor christmas-y vibe added to the fun experience. I was pretty disappointed by the food. I got the steak & eggs and definitely do not recommend it. The portion was very small in comparison to other dishes and the food was very bland. The Caprese sandwich and green eggs looked pretty good however and I would probably get that if I come here for brunch again. read more

Orso's - Outdoor winter seating - plenty of heaters - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Hands down the best Italian restaurant I've ever been to! My two daughters live in Chicago and we always try to make it here for special occasions! Have never had any problems with anything, staff food service! In pleasant weather their outdoor area is wonderful! Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food and services you receive! read more

We go to Orso's as often as we are able. Delicious Italian food friendly atmosphere. It's definitely yearly visit after a trip to Lincoln Park Zoo. Super location and food never disappoints. Service was excellent. read more

Orso's - 1st birthday after zoo visit - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was amazing and not too pricey. The inside of the building was cool - loved all the stained glass windows. Waited an eternity because we didn't have a reservation, but I will likely return (with a reservation). read more

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I actually enjoyed our large party gathering at Orso's last night. The servers are super friendly & very willing to please, the atmo is "old school Italian" and reminds me of the restaurants my dad used to take me to when I was a kid. But keep in mind, the fare is typical Americanized Italian food ~ over oily, over salty and over saucy. I've spent a lot of time in Italy, and none of Orso's dishes (Pasta, Pizza or Chicken) would pass muster in the old country. To me this is a "blast from the past" kind of place......looks like it belongs in a Scorsese movie. If you're looking for a good time and a bit of nostalgia, you'll enjoy. But if you're looking for authentic or creative Italian fare........there are many, many other options in Chicago that do fit the bill. read more

One of our favorite places in the city. Dinner is our go to for the prosciutto tortellini (got it our first time and every time since) but we also love their brunch. $20 bottomless mimosas and some really unique breakfast dishes. Steak and eggs pictured and did not disappoint. read more

Orso's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Victor was an amazing server. The food was timely and fresh and the service was impeccable. At no point did we feel unattended. This guy killed it. read more

Came here on a Saturday for lunch and sat on the outdoor patio. The vibes outside were so lovely! Otherwise everything else was just average. My fettuccine was good but not amazing but we loved how affordable everything was. read more

I came to Chicago to visit my son and we were literally driving around trying to find a restaurant that allowed patio service since restaurants were really just starting to open back up after the pandemic started. We looked at the lunch menu here and it sounded fine for our purpose. They had a back outdoor patio was was quite large so we were seated far enough away from everyone else. They give you little bags with individual servings of Italian bread and offer you oil for dipping. My son got the Manhattan clam chowder and incredibly delicious jalapeño gnocchi! He ordered it with the sauce on the side based on the advice of the waitress and she was right on. He used the sauce for dipping. I got the harvest salad with blackened chicken and it was very good. read more

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Thinking of going to Orso's for dinner ?, think again ! Our party had to write this review because how bad the food was and how our party was treated. On Saturday June 4, 2022, we had a party of seven for dinner at Orso's. It was one of the worst experiences we had ever encountered and the food was terrible. If you order the grilled Calamari, you should Just eat a Michelin tire because it was like chewing rubber. They don't know how to grill the calamari and they overcook it. When ordering our meal one of our guests requested that they butterfly their steak, the reply from the waitress was "what do you mean Butterfly" ?. In addition, another guest asked to add peppercorn. Again, the reply from the waitress was "what's that" ? Both guests ordered one steak well done, the other rare. When their entrées arrived neither of their steaks were done correctly. When the guests complained, the female server said, "it is what it is". As a result, we said this is unacceptable and asked her to send the steaks back and cook them correctly, which resulted with this server having this condescending attitude which was totally uncalled for. We immediately called for the manager requesting to change servers because of her attitude. When leaving the restaurant, we requested the owner of the restaurant, which never happened. Customers should never be treated this way and customer service should always be a priority. Obviously, the staff, management and the owner should have resolved this diplomatically with us. Ed M . read more

The gnocchi was very disappointing in my opinion. Too much cheese filling, made it very dense and not very enjoyable. I expected so much more from this place given all the great reviews I read. read more

After hearing great things about Orso's, we made a reservation for a small, Sunday morning family brunch. The restaurant was pretty empty at the time and even though we were the only table of customers, the service was very slow at the beginning - we sat around for maybe 10 minutes before the server finally came back to take our order. After the awkward start, service was fine. The food, however, left much to be desired. The farmer's salad and steamed mussels were good, but both our Capellini Melissa and Rigatoni Paisano were actually overcooked - the pasta was too soft/mushy and not at all what we would expect from an established Italian restaurant. The salmon vesuvio was okay as well. Everything was good but nothing exceptional. We will probably give Orso's another try some day, but are definitely not rushing back anytime soon. read more

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