A Chicago staple in the Loop! This is the perfect spot for post work happy hour at the bar or a sit down meal before a show in theater district. The food here is consistently delicious. I love the vodka rigatoni and always get a limoncello martini to drink. They are also known for their peppermint ice cream which is served year round. The portions are large and the meals are well paced. The service is excellent and they used to serving large crowds before eveyone heads over to see their show. The ambiance is classic and comfortable. Caricatures line the dining room. Would recommend sitting in one of their big red leather booths if you can! read more

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Petterino's just gets it! We started with the house bread--warm, soft, and served with that creamy spread you keep reaching for without even thinking. Then the arancini came out and instantly set the tone... perfectly crisp on the outside, golden and cheesy on the inside, sitting in that rich, savory sauce that makes every bite even better. Then came the lobster risotto and WOW... easily the star. Creamy, rich, and packed with flavor, topped with perfectly cooked lobster that melts into every bite. It's buttery, slightly sweet, and perfectly balanced with that deep, savory risotto--so, so good. The truffle fries were crispy, golden, and completely addictive (especially with the dips), and the steak and eggs were just as good--juicy, tender steak with that fresh herby drizzle, fluffy eggs, and crispy potatoes that hit every brunch craving. And dessert... the carrot cake absolutely delivered. Moist, layered, and topped with the dreamiest cream cheese frosting--not too sweet, just perfect. Everything felt elevated but still comforting--classic Italian dishes done right. Great food, amazing service, beautiful ambiance, and one of those spots you leave already planning your next visit #Petterinos #ChicagoEats #FoodieFinds #ItalianFoodLovers #BrunchVibes read more

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Late of my review for Petterino's Restaurant Week menu, but overall it was a solid experience. The menu offered a nice variety of options, which made it easy to find something appealing for each course. My girlfriend and I decided to choose different items for each other to get a variety. The portions were huge for a prix-fixe menu. The appetizers were the most enjoyable and left the biggest impression on me. Calabrese Shrimp & Meatball was fantastic. For the main course, Frutti di Mare was more enjoyable than the steak. It was lacking more flavor. Dessert was a meh. I felt like the tiramisu wasn't moist enough, more on the drier side for my preference. The presentation was nice, and everything came out at a good pace.The service was attentive and professional. The atmosphere was lively and comfortable, making it a good spot for a casual girls night out. Overall, Petterino's Restaurant Week menu was a good value and a pleasant dining experience. read more

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Definitely an old school gem. When you walk in you can't help but to see the caricatures on the wall of so many famous people. Seems like a lot of people come here after work. The bar was full but we were able to get drinks while we waited for a table. They make a great old fashion and Manhattan. We just ordered appetizers once we were seated because we just wanted a bite before going to a concert. I order the tomato bisque and the meatballs. My friend had the crab cakes and I forget what soup she had. The tomato bisque was delicious my friend's crab cake was fresh. My only complaint is I had to send the meatballs back because they were cold but once they came back warm they were delicious just needed to add a small amount of salt and pepper to my liking. read more

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Really excited to have stumbled upon Petterino's for a bite after seeing Hamilton. Lucky to have gotten there when we did since about 20minutes later it was packed with people coming from or going to other shows! I would highly recommend a reservation. We got a great seat near the bar, the service was quick and very friendly. Someone who I assume was the manager was wandering around checking in and chatting with everyone which was nice. The food was absolutely delicious and very fresh - great Italian food. I got the Rigatoni Vodka, we also got the Burrata Special and my dad got the Meatballs. Everything was wonderful, I would definitely go back and highly recommend. The location near all of the theaters is great! read more

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Second time going to Petterinos before a show with the family and we are still so happy that we found this restaurant! It's super easy to make a reservation for even a table of six, just call in advanced and they'll book it for you and your confirmation will go through on opentable. Huge restaurant, quick service, and super cute front bar area. We love all the caricatures throughout. Food is exceptional, here are our favorites: -Rigatoni Alla Vodka: Add chicken but holy crap this is delicious. The rigatoni noodles are gigantic too. -Short Rib Pappardelle: We ordered two dishes and they were a huge hit, they were wiped clean -Bucatini alla puttanesca: Perfect for red sauce lovers who want a more bitter profile (olives, capers, anchovies) -Panna Cotta: Good and easy to share Two orders we were not impressed with: -Steak frites: The hand cut fries are wonderful but there's something weird about the sauce. This is the second time we ordered it and for some reason we are not fans. The Gorgonzola butter is jarring for us. -Brownie Sundae: Comes out cold :( please warm this up for people in future. It just wasn't that good sadly compared to the reset of the food. read more

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The ambience is very cool. Our waiter was very helpful and he advised on great drinks which I had a Sicilian margarita so so good we also had the four cheese ravioli and the fried calamari that was really good. Very fresh and crisp. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and friendly all the staff was very pleasant as when I was waiting to be seated. A gentleman tried to go off on the host and turns out he was wrong and she remained friendly and kind to him the entire time. read more

Petterinos - Four Cheese Ravioli - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We wanted to come here a few weeks ago when we were in town for a show, but we didn't plan in advance and they had nothing available prior to showtime. This time I planned ahead and still had to make reservations for 4:15, which was a little early for a 7 pm show. As it turns out, it was perfect. Though the restaurant wasn't completely packed when we arrived, it was certainly busy. I considered us lucky to get a table at all, even on a Sunday. I had to wait in line just to let them know we had arrived. Once I made it to the front of the line, we were quickly seated at a nice booth. The restaurant walls are covered with caricatures of famous people, mostly local I'm guessing. The red, white, black and wood tone decor was tasteful. The restaurant felt fancy and comfortable all at the same time. Our server Heidi was cool and chill. Her vibe was as comfortable as the decor. She made us feel at home, which was easy for my friend who lives in Chicago! We started off with three appetizers. We ordered Shrimp Cocktail - four plump, beautiful shrimp. We had the Crab Cake, which was more than enough to share and it came with a decent sized salad. This could be a meal. Finally we had Arancini - Fried risotto balls, fontina cheese, prosciutto chip and marinara. I found this appetizer to be absolutely delicious. If we come back, ordering Arancini will be a must. We all went with pasta for our main meal. I had Short Rib Pappardelle - Homemade herbed pappardelle, slow cooked short rib ragu, Parmesan cheese. It was delicious, but after three appetizers I found it to be more than I could finish. The serving was heavy with short rib meat and it was all very delicious. The pasta was perfectly cooked. I took a bite of my friend's Rigatoni with Bolognese Sauce. This was not on the menu, but prepared as requested. It was good, but mine was much better. Mark had Spaghetti and Meatballs (3), which was another meal not on the menu. Heidi did a great job of making sure we had exactly what we desired. As full as we were, two of us opted for dessert. David had Panna Cotta - Nutella|Crème Anglais|White Chocolate|Berries. It was beautiful and pretty tasty, but not as good as my salted caramel gelato. The Panna Cotta was small compared to my gelato. There were three big scoops in my serving. It was a lot, which I appreciated. And it was absolutely delicious, which I appreciated even more. Soooo... we arrived right around 4:15 and we didn't leave until after 6:00. We were there a LONG time and, as busy as they were, we were never rushed. Timing ended up being perfect. There are a lot of restaurants in the area for a pre-show dinner. We'd come back to Petterinos without hesitation. read more

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I was downtown for Jury Duty and stumbled across this small & cute coffee shop on Dearborn. The coffee shop is apart of the restaurant. Located right across the street from The Daley Plaza. The decor inside is s pretty and full of color. A mini outside patio to sit out and enjoy the weather. The menu options have a variety selections of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, lattes, and other tasty treats. The service was cool and prices were suitable. read more

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Food was ok, certainly not the best Italian food in Chicago but it was lively and the decor was great. Disclaimer, we came here after a show at the Goodman theater because they offered a free prosecco toast, the prosecco was decent. Had a few apps: arancini was solid and the sauce was delicious. The calamari tasted like it was premade and quickly reheated, the breading wasn't all that crispy and easily fell off. The chicken Caesar salad had good flavors but the cold chicken was a little offputting In total paid around $75 for the three apps including tax and tips, which felt pretty overpriced for what we got read more

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I went here before a show at the theater on a Sat afternoon. Super convenient location. I sat at the bar. I ordered the Rigatoni alla vodka with chicken. It was just ok. Not a lot of flavor without the cheese. I paired it with a Sangiovese which was on sale due to the Olympics and very good. I heard a different bar tender tell an elderly women it was only on sale during happy hour but the bar sign does not say that so I would double check with a manager. I love how the hostess stand has a sign with all the current shows. read more

Petterinos - Rigatoni alla vodka with chicken. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had an early lunch before seeing a matinee! Amazing service. The restaurant was very busy, but our server took our cues, placing our salad order first, even splitting it on different plates when we said we were going to share. My steak frites was 4/5, I'd probably try the pasta next time, my friend ordered one and was drooling. Great wine selection, and the cocktails also looked fab. read more

Petterinos - Beet salad - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came here for Chicago restaurant week and enjoyed every second of it. The food was absolutely delicious and so filling. I really liked the shrimp, risotto, and branzino. The tiramisu was also delicious. I would recommend this place for small and large parties. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated with lots of seating. The staff are all very friendly as well read more

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Petterino's was a really solid experience overall, especially as a pre-theater spot. The food hit most of the right notes. The rigatoni vodka was solid, comforting, reliable, exactly what you want from that dish. The burrata was great, fresh, creamy, a strong way to start the meal. I ordered the steak frites & I gotta say the cheese wasn't necessary for me, but now I know to get it without next time. The steak itself was well cooked, the fries were good, just better without the extra layer. The space feels classic, lively, & buzzy without being overwhelming, which makes it perfect before a show when you want energy but not chaos. Service was efficient, friendly, & very used to the pre-theater crowd, which kept everything moving smoothly without feeling rushed. Overall, a dependable, enjoyable spot that does what it's supposed to do. A great choice before a show when you want solid food, good vibes, & an easy experience. read more

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TLDR: mediocre food and drinks...but great service! Definitely tourist trap. We came here before our Magic Parlour show (which was PHENOMENAL) to get an early dinner. We sat down, looked at the menu, looked around, and nothing really looked/sounded great. So we ordered a drink and some appies. The arancini was actually not bad but the burrata was pretty mediocre. I didn't even know burrata could be mediocre but there it was. The worst part was that our drinks were pretty awful. My Gin Ricky had (what tasted like) limeaid in it... and his Negroni was just not balanced and oddly sweet. Listen, we both cherish alcohol and we would never do this lightly--but we had to leave our drinks unfinished!! Do what you will with that info. I think Olive Garden would be comparable to this place. Our server was very friendly and sweet though. She was on top of things and helpful! So she gets 5 stars for that! read more

Petterinos - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Awesome place! Charlie is a terrific waiter! I wanted risotto and scallops. It was not on menu but they made it special for me! It was so good! The deck outside is perfect! Great views of city! Love this place! read more

Petterinos - Patio - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely loved this restaurant for a pre- theatre dinner. Location was great, very near Goodman and Nederlander theaters. Service was very efficient and no worries about being late for the show. Petterinos featured festive xmas decorations too ! I would recommend the calamari appetizer as it was delicious. We enjoyed the fresh pasta dishes including the rigatoni ala vodka sauce at the braised beef ragu pasta dinner. Yummy! Also, many local craft beers on draft. Would recommend. read more

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While visiting Chicago, we were looking for dinner spots within walking distance of our hotel in the theater district. Petterino's is almost next door to the hotel, so we thought we'd try it. Since portions in most restaurants are usually large, we decided to split the Italian Chopped Salad and the Rigatoni Vodka with Sausage. The salad was decent, but didn't have a lot of flavor. This was surprising, since it had so many ingredients, all usually with lots of flavor. But it fell short. The Italian dressing seemed like it was just oil and vinegar. We'd give the salad just three stars. The Rigatoni was good, but not great. I liked it better than my wife did. We would give it four stars. Service was good, atmosphere as well. Definitely make reservations, since it's the Theater District and all the restaurants are packed from about 5:30 to 6:45, then they're mostly empty. NOTE: the pictures are of the half portions, not the full meal. And, they did not charge for splitting, even though they split it in the kitchen. We always appreciate that. read more

Petterinos - Rigatoni Vodka with Sausage (half portion) - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Petterinos is a great place to stop before going to a show- an easy walk from all theatres. I have been coming here for years and all of the food is always consistent and top notch, and the service is friendly. Definitely recommend a reservation if going before a show. It gets crowded around 5/530, but they get you in and out quickly so you say you're going to a show. The special fall risotto is excellent read more

Petterinos - Apple and squash Risotto of The Day** - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have been wanting to go to this place for such a long time! The ambiance and food were amazing! My Aunt and I split the chopped salad and the chicken pot pie! I highly recommend checking this place out! read more

Petterinos - Chicken Pot Pie - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The appetizers were great. Very flavorful. Service was a little slower than we would have liked. Granted, our party came at an awkward time, but the restaurant was pretty and the decorations are cool. read more

It was very mid from the food, service, and ambiance. I came here before a musical because my original destination was closed. I ordered the chicken caprese sandwich with fries and a Diet Coke. The sandwich lacked flavor and the fries were very plain, unseasoned, and in my opinion looked like they probably came frozen. The service staff did a poor job refilling my drinks only offering one refill after I was finished. They also charge a 3% surcharge on the check just for the sake of a surcharge which was off putting given the food was already expensive and not particularly good. Bottom line- if you're looking for a place to satiate you before a show, this place will provide food with modest expectations. Next time I'll probably make a reservation for a pre-show meal and not rely on the closest option I find. read more

Came here with my river north bestie for happy hour! Yummmmmmm. It's in the theater district so perfect for something before a show. Service was very attentive as well read more

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Great service and the food was fantastic! Of your going to the theater district Petterinos is the place to eat

First the service was first class! The staff starting at the bar led by Jesse Blancas was welcoming and attentive Our server at the table was amazing , took great care of us and didn't miss a beat The food was so good. I'm from NY and know good Italian food. Petterinos exceeded my expectations I would come back for sure The Pasta, Salads, Seafood all homemade and delicious read more

My coworker and I were overdue for happy hour in the loop right after work. Most places here open at 4pm for happy hour, but we found Petterino's host theirs from 2-5pm. Their drinks are less than $10, and food is between 6-12$. We began with 2 lemon drop martinis. We ordered the cheese and pepperoni pizzas, more than enough to share. Our 2nd drink was a cosmopolitan, and we got the basket of fries. They're my favorite type, beer battered and crispy with rich truffle sauce. The buffalo chicken wings were huge, not very crispy on the outside how I like them. We need to come back for oysters! read more

Petterinos is perfectly situated in the Loop in the theater district. It was easy to make a last minute reservation for a Friday night as we saw a musical at the CIBC Theatre. They offered us to sit outside, but it smelled like sewage and I figured there's no amount of flowers that can cover up that smell. It isn't the restaurant's fault, but they weren't doing anything to blow the scent away from them either. We had been here a few times in the past when going to the theater, but I gotta say, Petterino's is dying a slow death. This place used to be packed before a show and now its a former shell of itself. We had a server that was either new, or just not very attentive as he left drinks unrefilled and empty on our table He never checked on us. Never checked to see how the meal was. He was just not there. A different server/runner brought our bread to the table and then refilled it for us. I ordered the Steak & Frites (steak & fries for the English readers out there). The steak was a terrible cut of beef. I ordered it medium rare and it was cooked to perfection...that is to say, if the steak itself wasn't tough, ultra-chewy, and had cartilage or fat coursing through the entire cut. The fries were a bit limp and not very flavorful or warm. My wife got the rigatoni a la vodka with a gluten free noodle, and said it was fabulous. So not all dishes are cooked terribly. And I know you're wondering why I didn't send back my steak. Well, our server never showed up until half our meals were eaten so that we couldn't return them. The one thing he did deliver rather quickly was the check and he kept checking up on whether we paid it our not. There are just so many better places in the area now that it's not even worth visiting for a drink on Game Day. read more

Our service was fantastic. Our server was attentive and offered plenty of opportunities to refill beverages. I also appreciated that they gave me a birthday dessert even if we totally forgot it was added to the reservation. This outing to the theatre was my birthday present from my birthday in October. Since it's been a bit we had forgotten. The food was delicious. I loved my Chicken Parm and the bread they gave us was delicious. My mom got a salad and enjoyed that as well. The ambiance was beautiful for the holidays and I loved looking around to see who was in each illustration. Definitely would be back! read more

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What an iconic Chicago restaurant! The location can't be beat, but if you're trying to get in for dinner on a night there's a show at the Nederland, book ahead! The food is so good. If you can make it for lunch, you can avoid the bustle of dinner and won't be disappointed. An excellent cocktail and wine menu, with entrees I salivate over just thinking about. I've never had the room for dessert, but oh how I hope to try it on my next visit. read more

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My wife has been to Petterinos several times and suggested we stop in last week when we were passing by. I'm so glad she did! It was Veteran's Day and we were just kicking it in The Chi. We walked in the door at 1:59 p.m. and unbeknownst to us...Happy Hour starts at 2:00 p.m.! This must be our lucky day! When I walked in the door I felt like I was transported back in time, and that the Rat Pack could walk in any minute. The space is very attractive. Photos of famous guests adorn the walls. On to the food: As I mentioned it was Happy Hour, so we stuck to the featured items. Blue Point Oysters were $1 each! We got 1/2 dozen and they were great! We also had an order of Meatballs and an order of Fried Ravioli. Both were $5 off and both were delicious. My wife declared the Fried Ravioli the best she's ever had! Service was very good and the prices were reasonable. Petterinos is located in the Theatre District; and I would highly recommend it if you are in the area. read more

Just went for drinks. Sat on a high top in the bar area, nestled by a window. Great drinks, great staff. Older crowd but good vibe. read more

Petterinos - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Perfect restaurant to stop into before or after a show in the theatre district. We had made a note it was our anniversary and they greeted us with a glass of champagne on the house! The service was 12/10 staff is extremely friendly and helpful with navigating the menu. They made note of our time restraints and everything came out timely, but I didn't feel rushed at all. Very cute interior, very typical Italian vibes. Overall fried ravioli was my favorite and it paired well with the recommended red wine bottle we got! Definitely would return!! read more

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We dined here on Dec 6,2025 prior to the matinee at the Goodman, the service and food were excellent, and the valet Carlos was so kind and gracious, ensuring we were able to exit into traffic without issue. We had a wonderful time and I would highly recommend this establishment. Grace Butkus read more

Beautiful cozy warm and attentive and friendly staff. Indoor and outdoor seating. Nice interior and comfortable booths. The pasta (4 cheese ravioli) was good... a bit salty but tasty. Wait staff were wonderful. Fun place for drinks and dinner right before a show (it's directly adjacent to the Goodman theater) as well as just a big party of fun people eating and drinking. The place is huge and it sits on a corner of the street. Street parking w meters are not really there so only mostly garage parking (you can use Spot Hero to get a discounted spot) or use CTA trains and buses. read more

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Dinner with workgroup was fabulous! Everyone has such a good time. The service was excellent and the food delicious. What more can you want? We were seating quickly. We ordered a wide variety of appetizers for the table. We could have stop with these and been happy. Our group ordered a wide variety of dishes and everyone loved what they got. We got to take a bite of each other's dishes and I would have been happy with anything. The first was amazing. My seafood pasta really hit the spot. I thought the restaurant was fun and inviting. read more

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3.75 - the inside is very Italian with caricature drawings all over. This is super close to the James Nederlander theater so if u r watching a show, this is a good dinner spot beforehand. The food itself was pretty good. We got the fries, Brussels sprouts, chicken parm, salmon and buratta. I would say the food itself was good but nothing special. The server was nice but he didn't stop by too often to refill a water or check on us. Nothing too crazy but something I noticed. I would recommend to someone who needs a bite and some drinks before a show but I wouldn't go out of my way to come again. read more

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I would give the food 5 stars, but our experience here was pretty awful getting our table. We had made a reservation weeks in advance along with our broadway tickets; however, they seated us 30 minutes past our reservation time so we were very rushed. The waiting area/bar area was chaotic so we couldn't even get a drink while we waited. Terrible mixed communication about our wait time from the host staff as well. When we finally were seated, we put in our orders right away and got food pretty quickly but drinks took forever. So we couldn't even finish our drinks. We got the Brussels and shrimp cocktail to start. Great shareables and delicious. We also shared the Italian chopped salad and seafood pasta. The squid ink noodles and sauce were tasty with good shrimp and calamari and a nice kick overall. Definitely recommend all of these dishes - just make sure to expect quite the wait and time it out even longer than you'd think! read more

Petterinos - Seafood Pasta - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great Food. Attentive staff. Enjoyable atmosphere. Wish we would have browsed through the entire restaurant. Hundreds of celebrity caricatures many autographed. read more

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We are out of owners and easily impressed but the vibe at Petterino's was perfect. Prices were very reasonable for a linen tablecloth and a real Italian waiter. Loved the caricature drawings on the wall. It was crowded but the hostess found us a table without fussing. Can't go wrong with the Short Rib Pappardelle! read more

Rating 3.5 We really wanted to love this restaurant. It's on the corner of a busy street in the theatre district. There is limited outdoor seating and mostly indoor seating. We had made reservations for dinner before heading to the theatre. We arrived early and were asked if we wanted indoor or outdoor seating, since it was such a beautiful night we opted for outdoor seating. The outside area is along the indoor bar area and consists of a few tables and several two tops along the perimeter. Our server arrived quickly, and was polite. We didn't order additional Drinks and placed our order - fettuccini Alfredo with chicken ($29) and large Caesar salad with chicken ($19). We were amazed at how fast our order arrived - maybe 5 minutes after we placed the order. Starting with the Alfredo - I think the pasta was homemade but the chicken was diced and premade and very dry. It seemed like an afterthought of the dish. The salad was okay, the dressing tasted homemade too, but they used the same dry chicken on it. Now this is when service really slowed down. Our server stopped by with the dessert menu and we ordered the Brookie, it's a chocolate chip cookie and brownie with gelato. Next time we'll pass on the dessert. It didn't taste fresh and was pretty hard. Overall the food was okay, but expensive for the quality we received. The ambience is excellent and loved the nearby location to the theatre. read more

Petterinos - Brookie - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois