The calamari here is fantastic. Crisp and seasoned to perfection, accompanied by a very tasty marinara. The setting is incredible -palm trees and waterfalls. The service is terrible. Let me explain. My gf and I sat down for lunch at noon on a Wednesday. Our server was a tall slender gentleman, perhaps late forties, early fifties with kind of a hook nose. Could have been Arabic or some kind of Hispanic, who knows. Anyways, he seemed OK at first, not friendly, but cordial enough. After receiving our food, he did not check on us once. Mind you, their lunch hour was not that busy. When we finished, he brought the check and I gave him my card. Now, I rarely keep more than a couple hundred in checking, as I'd rather just move over what I need from savings as it comes up. This is just a quirky precaution in case I happen to lose my card. I had made a purchase earlier that morning and my balance was lower than the bill total. So hooknose comes back, tosses the card on the table and says "this is no good". Knowing I had more than enough in my account (but forgetting my earlier transaction) my first reaction was to ask what the problem was, to which he responded by throwing up his hands and yelling "there's no money on this card!". Rude. Just plain rude. Psychological assessment: a sense of superiority from working at a semi-upscale restaurant, combined with a sense of inferiority from being a server at his age has adversely affected this gentleman's behavior. If the proprietor of this restaurant is reading this, I strongly recommend a reprimand. Final note: the Caesar salad, while plentiful, was mediocre. Try the Asian. read more

I'm having my wedding here next year. I love this place and the staff are great to work with. They handle all the details for you along with answer questions you wouldn't think to ask. The two women who'll help you plan are Fay and Andrea - and I can't imagine it's in their personalities to sweat or outwardly worry. I look forward to updating this with even more compliments after the big day. But so far, for the price, location, included details, and beauty of the space - I'm truly excited. read more

We were here 2 weeks ago for a wedding and it was amazing! The set up was spectacular, in the lobby area right outside of Pazzos. I can't speak for the bride's planning process, but from what she has told me it sounded painless and she loved her planners. It is a unique space. If you're looking for a city wedding experience Pazzo's is a perfect place. The food was great and I'd be interested in trying it for a regular night out. I think it's a great spot because not only is it stunning, but I think you're the only wedding there. read more

Great atmosphere and location, however if you don't eat pork or allergic to nuts, PLEASE be sure to ask for a newly washed salad-making bowl. I ordered a Spinach Chicken salad was shocked that the salad maker used the same bowl that made the previous customer's salad for mine without even rinsing it out. There were a number of ingredients that would cause a situation like this to become even more troubling: Ham (at least it looked like it), Pecans and Pine nuts. What if I didn't eat or had an allergy to any of those items and a stray piece ended up in my salad? What if I were vegetarian or vegan? Is this sanitary? I'm sure we can do better than that. read more

The atmosphere was amazing but the food was not good. Didn't meet my expectations at all based on how it was described.

I work in the building. The restaurant is charming inside and out. The service is good. The food is consistent. The dish I order the most is the custom pasta service. The restaurant also has a take-out cafe attached for breakfast and lunch, which is OK. They tend to cook with too much oil - even if you ask for "easy oil". read more

My husband and I recently got married and chose Pazzo's for our wedding locale. We live in the burbs now, but were intent on having the wedding in the city. After spending a day looking at various venues I had found on a Chicago wedding site, we had one that we liked. Unfortunately, by the time we started looking (May 2012), everything between April - September 2013 was booked. The place we liked an opening, but only on a Friday night. Not ideal, especially when asking guests to come down to the city in rush hour. At the end of the day, there was one place we hadn't checked out yet and we decided to stop by. That was Pazzo's. The first thing my husband said when walking in the door was "this is the place". Plus, they had a Saturday opening in March. From there, it was smooth sailing. Fay Sweeney is AMAZING! She does this every weekend so its second nature to her. She answered all my one-off questions I had as we went all-in w/the planning. Most (if not all) my vendors had worked at Pazzo's and knew of Fay. That made things that much easier for us. The venue itself is unique. You're in an office building atrium, yet at no time did I feel like I was anywhere but a unique ballroom (okay, maybe when I had to walk down some escalator steps). The layout was perfect in that the bar and dance floor are in the middle of the reception area. We could put our photo booth in the lounge area and not interfere with the all important DANCING. The food was EXCELLENT! I sampled everything at the tasting because my husband is a picky eater, even though I knew we were going the steak route. Which was fine! We got so many compliments on how wonderful the food was that night. I wish I could've taken the credit! At the rehearsal I gave Fay a big box o' stuff for the ceremony and reception; when i saw everything the day of, it was all placed perfectly. Fay assured both my husband and me that the room where our gift box would be was in a secure room. THere were security cameras in place and Fay had a key to lock it up during the reception (we would just need to ask her to unlock for any reason). I felt so at -ease with Fay at the helm, that when I saw I had ripped the hem of my dress PRIOR to the wedding, I didn't freak out because I thought "Fay can help us". And by goodness - she did! She had a sewing kit, basted that puppy up and no one would notice. Highly, highly recommend! read more

After looking at what seemed like a million places, I can't believe I found Pazzo's311 and its hidden gem: Fay Sweeney! She is truly an amazing person to work with; sweet and kind, very knowledgeable, extremely accommodating, has great advice and always available even for the silliest of questions!! In addition to a having a great event coordinator, the food was also fantastic! Everyone should seriously consider holding their next planned event here at Pazzo's311. The experience will be unforgettable! read more

We had my wedding here and from the initial meeting with Fay to the last minutes of our reception, our experience was phenomenal. The staff is extremely accommodating, going above and beyond for the couple to make their day extra special. No request was too large and Fay and her entire staff were amazing. We had a fairly large wedding there (275 guests) and although tight, you could still walk through the main floor comfortably and it wasn't necessary to put people on the second level. We were married in December and the existing decor that is put up in the building is beautiful and added so much to the evening. The space is unique and not your typical ballroom. We were looking for a "different space" and we found it at Pazzo's without spending a fortune on bringing in tables/chairs/silverware/etc. Food was delicious and loved that they had delicious and unique choices. The vegetarian option was amazing! I am still receiving compliments about the venue. If I had to do it all over again, I still would have it at Pazzo's. I actually plan events for my job and have seen many venues throughout Chicagoland. If you're looking for a "city" wedding with style, great food and an overall amazing experience for your guests, you'd think you'd have to spend a fortune. Pazzo's is in a wonderful location, close to expressways, has parking, is beautiful/unique, staff is wonderful...I could go on and on - and best yet, fairly reasonable in price. The only negative about the space is the acoustics but it is to be expected in such a large space. The staff turned the fountain off for speeches which helped a bit. I would suggest talking with your DJ about setting up extra speakers. If you're looking for wedding venues, absolutely look at Pazzo's!! read more

Great venue, Great location, Great people! We had an amazing wedding on 10/6/2012 Faye and her staff are awesome. They made sure that everyone was comfortable and treated well. Most wedding venues have low ceilings and you feel trapped. Pazzos is an open atrium and comfortable. If you are shopping for a hall and are looking for an affordable downtown location please take a look. read more

What a fabulous place to have a wedding! My husband and I got married there in December of last year. Fay is so great to work with and the prices just do not compare to others in the area! I told my friend who attended the wedding to guess how much everything cost and she estimated about +$20K more than it actually was! That is because the food, the venue, the bar and everything was top notch. Fay is definitely an expert at this and will make everything so easy - we were amazed at how little we had to do to guide her on exactly what we wanted for the day and everything turned out perfect. The one thing I will add is that they do close the bar during dinner and will not serve shots - this is very minor, but if your guests are really into this type of thing you might just give them a heads up! Thanks, Fay and team for everything! read more

The grilled vegetable wrap was good, but not very filling. The courtyard is a lovely area to sit, but I wish they offered more tables.

Fine in a pinch, but the food is lacking and they dont have any option to get a cup of water. I tried the Chicago Style Hot Dog and is was bad, and they didnt seem to understand what Chicago style means. Also had the BLTA and is was just blah, cant even say it was ok. I probably will not return. read more

I love the sandwiches at Pazzos. My favorite is the pesto chicken- yummy. Such a great lunch spot. The line moves pretty quickly and it nice to see your sandwich made to order. This is a great spot to go with coworkers as there is something for everyone and the seating by the fountain beats the cafeteria style places with a bit of atmosphere. If you are in this area this is an excellent lunch option. read more

I've long strived to review more places, and while I've been remiss, other folks seem to get it done. Hence, my 2015 resolution is to write more reviews so I can judge other people's taste! Today's edition: lazy review of the place I head when I want a lazy work lunch. As a food snob, I overthink most meals. This probably causes the most difficulty / letdown working in the loop, where the good to mediocre ratio is too damn high. Hell, I'm not even looking for anything exceptional most days, but since my job moved to 311, I haven't had much luck finding somewhere to go when I need quick but not terrible. Enter Pazzo's Express. Since I'm always trying to eat healthy, the salad options are my go-to here. I'm a big fan of BuildYO salad, but most places either skimp on the components (e.g. Au Bon Pain) and/or completely overcharge (e.g. Freshii). Not at Pazzo's Express, where you can get small sized speciality salads that are completely filling for under $5. A small spinach Cobb salad with mushrooms instead of cukes and a half portion of dressing keeps me under budget in calories and the wallet -- yum! I've had a few other items, both were good. Pasta of the day was well sauced (aka you can taste it but it isn't drenched) and also a great value, though the mozzarella is just okay. Breakfast burrito was very tasty and filling, though it felt a bit heavier than it needed to be. Part of this is my fault, a bacon/sausage burrito is not the healthiest menu item, but did something I requested with egg whites and veggies really need to be prepared such that it sat in a pool of grease? I'm a fan of Pazzo's express, but I'm going to roll with 3 stars for now, though it's a high three. In fact, any of these minor improvements would bring it up to a 4: * Turn your other menu TV on. This place does a digital menu with two flat screens mounted on the wall, but only the one with the daily specials is ever on, leaving 1/2 the menu off. I haven't memorized your entire menu, I'm not going to hunt for a paper menu, and it is going to dissuade me from trying new things, hurting revenue and Yelp Score! * Better bread: By far the weakest link is the breadsticks that come with menu items, which look like they took a box of Sysco breadsticks and just dumped them by the door, most likely b/c that's exactly what they did. Again, being cheap hurts revenue; I've had coworkers refuse to join me for a quick trip to Pazzos in lieu of going to one of the italian equivalents in other buildings because the competitor had a better roll. * Allergen warning: A reviewer below points out that they reuse the same bowls to make the same kinds of salad. I have no problem with this, but I am sympathetic to folks with allergies. Now, giving 1 star like that hater did is overly-dramatic; 1:1 bowl to salad will no doubt significantly increase costs, and when you have an allergy it's your responsibility to inform the establishment of this. However, someone with food sensitivities may not notice the preparation. Put up a sign or something offering fresh bowls upon request. So, solid food at great prices, with some small improvements very possible Are you reading this Pazzo's? You can turn a TV on and print out a piece of paper to bump this review up, PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS! read more

I think I watch too much 'Food Network'. About 5 minutes after I walked into this place, I expected to see cameras and be told that we were on 'Kitchen Nightmares'. We were greeted by a clueless hostess. Seated, then served by a series of clueless waiters. Food took a very long time to come out, and didn't all come out at once. When it was time to pay, we had to wait a while to find one of our servers to pay! No need to go back - I'll go to Roti or one of the Sears Tower restaurants before I go back here. read more

I wish there was a half star. I would say food is 4 stars, but service is only 3 stars to give the place an overall rating of 3.5 stars. Great place for a business lunch. Service is usually mediocre though due to the lunch rush. The fish dishes are always good. My favorite is the spaghetti and meatballs. read more

Nice and convenient place for a business lunch in the loop. The menu has a broad selection of salads, sandwich's, pastas and entrees, and the service is efficient. The portions are ample and the food while nothing special, is always good. This place never seems crowded, so it is always a good last minute place to schedule a lunch. read more

Great spot for Italian dishes. Try the risotto with four cheeses.

My food tasted great and the food of everyone I was with also looked great. A little pricey for a lunch place but I do think the quality of the food is worth it. Will most likely try their alacarte sometime. read more

This is in response to Kristen's review. I have gone to Pazzo's many times and the service is great. The staff is very professional and helpful. I know you state that you didn't want to creat a scene because you were on a business lunch. But yet you were able to take a picture of the food?? Didn't your client wonder why you were taking a picture of your food? In my opinion it's not a big deal to have a legitimate complaint. I would have been curious to hear what the management would say if you gave them the chance to respond. read more

Great atmosphere, great food! Stopped in while downtown for the day and was very pleased we found this place.

Pazzo's is an amazing venue, absolutely breathtaking even without a wedding set up in the space. Fay is great and we loved working with her. She was so hopefully and responsive during the entire process. She gave our wedding great attention and detail. All of our guests are still telling us about how amazing the venue was and that they loved the food and dessert. We would not change a thing about our wedding, everything was amazing! We would recommend Pazzo's and Fay to anyone looking for a wedding or special event space. read more

Good place for a business lunch. The tuna tasted fresh and the penne was good. Nothing spectacular though.

Faye is the best event coordinator that I have ever worked with by far! She is exceptionally efficient and a pleasure to work with. If you are a looking for a place to host your next large event, look no further than Pazzo's 311! read more

The venue is beautiful, whether by day or by night. Our photos of wedding party and guests look awesome; ceremony, dinner or dance, every background is attractive. Showing photos later to friends back home, all comment is that it's so classy. The only criticism was sound; the piano should have been tuned, and the acoustics made listening to speakers a little challenging. But overall the music was lovely and our speakers were understood just fine. The food is attractive and beyond-belief delicious. Portion size is generous. One guest said that the steak is in running for the best he's ever had. How do they do it? You don't need to know - just sit back and enjoy. Fay is pleasant, responsive, and helpful. She runs a great crew of workers who serve efficiently and change quickly from ceremony seating to dinner seating. We had a surprise addition of six guests but Fay set another table and we were able to welcome those walk-ins to eat. What a big relief that what could have been awkward became, because of Fay's calm demeanor and accommodating attitude, a happy development. I'm really happy that our wedding was at Pazzo's! read more

I am a huge fan of the pazzo's on Jackson blvd near DePaul university's loop campus. I heard this location had a nicer atmosphere so that's why I came. However, the service was not as attentive, the atmosphere was not as nice, and the presentation of the food was not as nice either. Also, they didn't even offer us dessert - just brought the bill right away (not busy or close to closing time either). 3 stars to this location - 5 starts to the other!! read more

Pazzo's is a great spot for lunch in the Loop. I've come here a couple of times and have never had a bad dish. I've dined on both the Pazzo's Express which offers fresh sandwiches and salads to go, as well as at the actual restaurant. Today I ordered from the Lunch Menu for carryout online, I got to the restaurant to pick it up but it wasn't ready. It happens that there are four Pazzo's locations and that I had picked the incorrect one. Instead of turning me away I was offered the food I ordered from the other location at no cost (since I had paid online). The staff was very friendly and helpful during the confusion. Great customer service, along with the food is one of the reasons I will keep coming back here! read more

Great place for a business lunch. Plenty of seating and service was quick. Had their risotto specialty and it was excellent. Great seating option in the atrium of the building as well, but I opted to sit inside where I suspected the noise level would be lower (it was). Food was a hit for everyone in my group and I will definitely be back. This place is a little off the beaten path and much less boisterous than a lot of sit-down restaurants in the Loop. If you want a place with good food where you can easily hear your dining companions, this is the place to go. read more

Really good food, very convenient, clean and a large selection of food.

Pazzo's is the best reception venue in this City. My husband and I got married downtown and had our wedding reception in the giant glass atrium at Pazzo's with 200 guests. The entire event was flawlessly orchestrated by Fay Sweeney, the events coordinator at Pazzo's. For ease of reference i will list some of the key factors that make Pazzo's easily deserve a 5-star rating: * Competent, efficient, friendly service-- Fay is extremely gracious and kept us informed from the beginning on all relevant logistics, including reception to-do's and no-to-do's that proved invaluable. She directed her focus toward what we wanted and how to make our wedding exactly what we hoped for. * The venue is spectacular, especially in Advent with all the Christmas decorations! Tall palm trees rise into the heights of the glass atrium, and a shell-shaped fountain with a mythical god pouring water, add grandeur to the atmosphere without being excessive. An escalator runs down the side of the atrium, which makes for a dramatic entrance for the bridal party. * The food was excellent and I continue to hear rave reviews, including from my father who told me he will eat at Pazzo's every time he and my mother visit the City (they live nearby). * The staff was competent, discrete, and gracious. * The price was reasonable, considering the extraordinary venue, and compared to other locations in town-- even ones without any of the perks and looks of Pazzo's. Everything was perfect about Pazzo's and although I won't be getting married again, I am certainly going to recommend this place to all my friends who marry in the City, and will use it for any other big event I may host in the future. THANK YOU FAY!!! read more

Our wedding day was more than we could have ever imagined and we owe it to our venue Pazzo's 311 and especially Fay Sweeney. If you read through reviews on Pazzo's almost every review says how unbelievable Fay and the Pazzo's team executed their wedding plans. Fay was even more amazing to work with then the great reviews said. The evening went flawlessly and it's because of Fay and her team. She perfected every detail we asked for! We knew we were in great hands from the start and everything went even more smooth than expected from the initial meetings with Fay, contacting Fay by e-mail and phone, tasting, drop off, to the actual reception. We highly recommend Fay Sweeney and Pazzo's 311 to host your wedding reception. Our wedding was a dream come true! Scot and Sarah Rybarczyk - July 18th, 2014 - Pazzo's 311 read more

Their bar food is great! Especially the pizza and its reasonably priced. Good place to frequent if in the area.

So our wedding was this past weekend and we had the most amazing reception at Pazzo's! Let me tell you that I was so worried that Transformers 3 was going to crash our party (considering that they dropped stunt men onto the glass atrium where our reception was to be held earlier in the day)...but Fay and Pazzo's made it all OK. First, Fay sent someone to lead our guests from the church to the reception because of all the street closures due to filming. Then, our guests arrived at Pazzo's to be greeted with hot and tasty food and a beautiful set up. There were even fresh flower arrangements at the bar! Fay placed candles everywhere, even on the staircases and was happy to set up our favors, centerpieces, etc for us! We were so impressed with her hard work and the reception space is so unique! All our guests were left in awe of the space and told us that they had never been to a wedding like this! We couldn't have asked for anything more (well except to be wedding extras in Transformers 3!) Thank you Fay! read more

Love the venue ! We have worked with Fey several times and the service has been impeccable! She's a top Pro that caters to her clients and their needs . All of the clients I've worked with were so happy they were in good hands ! read more

We decided on Pazzo's our wedding venue after attending a wedding there the year before. We knew right away that it was the perfect venue for us! After speaking with Fay Sweeney, their wedding coordinator, we knew we were in good hands. Fay was on top of everything and was so helpful through the entire process. She was great with answering the 1,000 questions I had and also helping me with ideas for what might look best in the space. The venue itself is such a great bargain, as it is one of the only venues in Chicago where you do not have to pay a HUGE venue fee, as long as your meet their very reasonable F&B minimum. Fay planned a great tasting for us and was also great during the final walk-through. When I arrived at the venue, I was totally blown away by the space, everything was done almost exactly as I would have done it myself and was so happy with how everything looked. Fay and her team did everything and assembled all of my items. You don't even need a wedding coordinator with Fay by your side. The only thing I would recommend for future brides is to have your cake table out by the entrance to Pazzo's instead of by your head table/sweetheart table, as not everyone will see it. You really cannot go wrong with this venue, so save your money with some of the other swanky venues in the city, they don't compare! read more

I recently had my wedding here and of course the venue is unique and beautiful! Overall Fay was responsive and great to work with! She works really hard. The only reason I am giving 4 stars is for the day of the actual wedding service. No plates were provided for the dessert table we had (which is not exactly cheap). Several guests complained to my husband who approached one of the staff members and requested plates - he was told "I'm not in charge of the dessert table for plates." Oh okay, thanks. Then prior to the end time of our reception 11:30pm the staff was cleaning up and taking down decorations. That does not look good when the reception is still going, we have paid for the reception to go on until a certain end time, and guests are still around. So aside from that- beautiful venue and we received lots of compliments. read more

I cannot say enough great things about Pazzo's! My new husband and I had our ceremony and reception there is June and the day could not have been more perfect. Fay Swenney is absolutely amazing, and doubles as an awesome wedding coordinator. She made sure everything was just perfect the day of, and made the whole planning process so much easier. I would highly recommend Pazzo's to anyone looking to get married in the city, but not wanting to pay the city price tag! read more

We had our wedding reception at Pazzo's on 05/23/15. For starters, this venue is beyond gorgeous. It has an ambiance to it that I have never noticed anywhere else. Planning our reception with Fay was simple. She has worked with so many couples and knows what works and doesn't work for this venue. After meeting this wonderfully sweet planner, we were stress-free. Throughout the planning process and the wedding night itself, she was there to make sure everything was perfect (and it truly was!) We served Mediterranean Chicken/Petite Fillet as our entree and Eggplant Parmesan as our vegetarian option. In addition, we had the pasta starter and house salads. All of the food was delicious and I can't wait to go back for a dinner date soon. I knew I wouldn't have much time to eat and asked for a box for my dinner- they gave me one! We loved our midnight snack when we got back to the hotel! One thing I would recommend is to pay the extra fee to have the staff wait to clear the tables at the end of the reception. This was definitely worth it as we have heard people say they felt like they were getting pushed out at other events because they walked away from their tables and came back to no table. We also asked that they wait to serve food during speeches and it helped so we could hear everything. Honestly, this was the most perfect day! Not only is the venue amazing, but so is the staff. We wouldn't have changed a thing about the day. This venue is fairly priced for what you get and Fay is the best person to work with. Ask her advice and you will not regret it! read more

Although I've eaten here for lunch multiple times and enjoyed it, the reason I'm reviewing this place is because of the wedding we had there on 7/6/13 and the amazing experience it was. If you're looking for a downtown location, this is by far your best bet. Fay and her staff are amazing and were helpful the whole way. Fay herself really puts her heart into the wedding and was there all night to make sure things went smoothly. We never had an issued with where our presents were being left or where the cards were. She gave us access to the rooms when needed and did it all with a smile. She was really like a third mom to my wife and I and we can't thank her enough. Finally, the food and service were outstanding. We had a vegetarian wedding and, of 130 people, only one stubborn meat eater complained! It's no wonder this place is usually booked a year out for summer Saturday weddings. John read more