Food was good. We ordered Chicken Francese and Rigatoni Al La Vodka to go and enjoyed it even though we had to heat it up a bit at no fault to the restaurant. I mention this because reheated take out food is typically not as good as fresh. read more

The old team from Basilico ( now closed) moved down Irving and opened Raffis Locale. We arrived early and ordered the Arancini and baked clams. Both were excellent and served with hot bread. Raffi ' s still doesn't a liquor license so remember to bring your own bottle of wine. For the main course we ordered Filet Marsala, chicken Marsala and the 8 finger Cavatelli with vodka sauce. All three were perfect and the large servings allowed us to pass around and take some home. I liked this meal a lot. Give Raffi's a try read more

Raffi's Locale - Appetizers - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Raffi's is perfect! Nice, cozy, local ambiance coupled with wonderful food and service make this an ideal night out!

Authentic & Delicious! Have been happy with every meal we've had here on many occasions. Owner is a great guy. Staff is friendly and accommodating. One of our very favorite restaurants! read more

We had a great dinner here earlier this week. We started with the risotto with chicken as an appetizer that we split between us and we enjoyed it. The veal limone I had was probably the tenderest and most flavorful that I have had in a long time. My wife had the carbonara and it was delicious and prepared perfectly. My brother in law had the fillet and it was amazing medium rare and seared perfectly. Each dinner was served with soup or salad, the clam chowder was good, the minestrone flavorful, the Italian seasoning on the salad was perfect. Ambiance was casual and a little loud at times because of a group of friends having a little birthday party. Very friendly atmosphere. Our server, Mia, was great and answered all of our questions. I didn't get the busboy's name but he was constantly floating around and picking up things off all the tables. I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures. BYOB works for us especially when the food and service is this good. We will definitely be back. read more

We had a amazing Sunday Dinner , My daughter she is a very picky eater ,Is hard finding a place where she will enjoy the food . But she love the food here 100 % will come back . The customer service was amazing . We loved this place !!! read more

Raffi's Locale - Vanilla ice cream (it was a little surprise ) - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Always remarkable food and excellent service. Raffi works very hard to make sure every customer knows he appreciates their business and will go to any length to satisfy. It's a small place and can get very busy so reservations are pretty important. read more

First time here - food was excellent. Arancinis, chicken francesse, chicken parm and tiramisu looked great and were wonderful - service was great and were also greeted by owner. Will definitely be back and also BYOB - can't beat it. read more

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Okay, j just had to post a review in the middle of dinner, partly coz it is so good but also because I don't want to forget. Lol! Traveling to Chicago from Atlanta on business and was looking for non chain small business local restaurant to dine in and found this little gem. Quaint little intimate restaurant serving authentic Italian in insanely large portions... not just of pasta but also the seafood inclusions. Much appreciated! I ordered the fettuccine fruitti de mare and asked for extra spicy and they easily accommodated and didn't disappoint as it was bursting with flavors. Mussels were plentiful but smaller than expected but maybe not in season... guessing because you can tell they were not trying to skimp on anything. Customer service was amazing from my server Franco. Also Raffi the owner stopped by to visit. Felt very welcomed. Only feedback, maybe go lighter on salad dressing or serve on side, not a big deal in the grand scheme of the experience. And then there was Raffi's grandma's Tiramisu recipe....3 words. Just order it. It is my normally my favorite dessert and this might be one of the top 3 I have ever had! It is BYOB.... So options are limitless. Thank you for a lovely experience! read more

Raffi's Locale - a plate of pasta with clams - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Fantastic little Italian restaurant!! The food was amazing! Service was great, plus it's a BYOB so i get to bring my favorite wine! read more

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The service is ok, Not the most friendliest, but accommodating. The food was not the best, I ordered risotto and there was no salt in it. Can be very crowded, rsvp to ensure you get a table. It's BYOB, I liked there was no loud music so we could enjoy chatting. read more

Great food and great service! The best fried calamari I've had in Chicago-land. Owner and staff were very friendly.

The sign wasn't lit when we got near so we almost missed it. We had 6 in our party based on a recommendation. it's not very big and not very fancy. Its BYOB, which I love, but it is without question one of the most authentic and fabulous Italian restaurants I have been to in Chicago. The lobster ravioli was excellent as was the chicken francais. In fact we tried each other's entree and they were all superb. Service was spot on and the prices very reasonable. Each couple brought their favorite wine, opened and decanted by the server. A terrific evening for a fraction of the cost. read more

Giambotta was filled with lots of perfectly seasoned sausage and was amazing. Pasta was cooked perfectly. Shrimp risotto had a wonderful white wine sauce. We will definitely come back. BYOB is a welcome addition. The food and staff are remnants of Basicilo. read more

I came here on the strong recommendation from a local. Ive been desperately looking for a great Italian restaurant in the Dunning neighborhood and was hoping this would be it. The decor was nice and the service was good but was a bit miffed when the starter salad was iceberg lettuce and the creamy garlic dressing was way too sweet. I had the sea bass over angel hair pasta. The fish was disappointingly bland and mushy. My girl had the spinach stuffed gnochi in vodka sauce which she liked but I found the pasta to be over cooked and the spinach lost. The vodka sauce was ok. I will give this place another shot and perhaps change my review but I wont be holding my breath. read more

A hidden gem on the northwest side of Chicago, just across the street from Norridge. Our visit came on the recommendation of Enzo, former owner of Sabatino's (damn, we miss that place). My wife and I loved the expertly prepared food and friendly service. Unlike many restaurants that don't substitute or veer off the menu, Raffi could not have been more accommodating! BYOB with no corking fee was a nice bonus. We'll be back!!! read more

Really great find, 5 stars. Ordered the Braciole and was blow away. Friendly waitstaff and service as well. It's BYOB and wasn't charged any "corking" fee which is always appreciated. Looking forward to going back soon. read more

Raffi's Locale - Braciole - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place was so quaint and inviting. I had originally made a reservation for about 7 people and another joined us last minute, they were able to adjust it for us. We were so grateful, our waiter was very nice, I honestly forgot his name because it was over a month ago but it was a Latino man. The food was amazing. Great portion sizes, I cannot wait to go back to try more. read more

Restaurant was able to accommodate a large group which was in town for a volleyball tournament. The food and service was top-notch. Kids and adults has a great time and loved the food. Additionally, we won all of our matches on the final day... coincidence? I will let you draw your own conclusions, but we will be back next year! read more

We had an absolute fantastic meal. Service was great. I would recommend the calamari in the lemon garlic sauce. I would recommend the eggplant rolls for sure as a meal. All of our meals were outstanding but those two items were simply amazing. Weekends evidently need reservations but during the week you should be able to do a walk in. read more

You won't be disappointed. Better than The old Basilico on Cumberland! Service was top-notch. Making you feel very welcome. Our meal started with some freshly baked bread. Appetizers baked clams, and Rice balls, next Fillet was delicious and the steak and chicken Marcella also yummy. Portions were good. As a matter fact we are going to have lunch tomorrow with the leftovers. Desert homemade, tiramisu and cannoli, and I am not a fan of cannolis. But here I will order it again. read more

Raffi, the owner is more than accommodating when I was trying to plan my husband's 50th birthday party. The food is always excellent I highly recommend the baked clams and fried calamari appetizer and BYOB is plus. read more

Cute little Italian place, delicious food and friendly staff. We had a problem with our reservation, the restaurant was packed.. but the owner was super friendly and went above and beyond to ensure our experience was positive. He gave us a small table and offered to change it once the first one was available. Food was lovely. The whole experience was very positive. Totally recommend it. read more

The food was good but it took forever to get service at a non-peak part of the afternoon. Overall, the setting was nice as well with booths for more intimacy on a date or tables in the middle for larger groups read more

What a find! Some of the best gnocchi in Chicago! So friendly, too! And BYOB! Will be back!

I found this place on yelp and I have been going back almost every other day because the food is that good! I ordered the Chicken Francesse and mussels. Wow. A nice big portion of chicken and the mussels were not tiny or over cooked. And they have this spinach / italian egg drop soup that Is absolutely perfecto! It's a BYOB place but they will be serving liquor hopefully soon since its new. So grab a good bottle of wine and bring it and enjoy amazing 100% pure italiano food! read more

Raffi's Locale - Angel hair Frutti di Mare. Calamari, mussels, shrimp, butter white wine garlic! Delicious! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Dinner at this place over the weekend was FABULOUS!! To say the least.. it is a hidden GEM that recently opened with a WONDERFUL owner (previously the manager of Basilico Ristorante) and DELICIOUS food. We can't wait until our next visit there. Another bonus it's BYOB! So to all my friends who LOVE BYOB places this restaurant is a must try! Everything is made fresh and believe me you can taste the difference. Their coffee/espresso is outstanding!! They grind the beans on the spot for the perfect cup. P.S. Free parking in the diagonal spots across the street, but do not park in the actual Dollar General parking lot. read more

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We love Raffi's. The most delicious tomato/basil soup is their soup special on Wednesdays. Minestrone is on the menu everyday as they rotate a second daily soup. The sea bass is lightly egg buttered baked in a lemon wine sauce, it literally melts in your mouth. (soup or salad is included with each entree) Ask for John's Special (not on the menu) named after my wonderful godfather. He can't get enough of the Sea Bass & has a special side! You will NOT be disappointed. It's my favorite! My husband loved the Tortellini Ala Panna. The cream sauce is amazing. The stuffed gnocchi with the tomato cream sauce is also fabulous. read more

An amazing surprise with food I have been longing for throughout this lockdown. Clean, refreshing, friendly, and charming. Still BYOB, but well worth stopping by with your favorite refresher. read more

Passed by this place but never tried it and then the whole family went there for my brothers birthday. Loved it! Even the children who are usually picky about food were clearing their plates. read more

Raffi's is absolutely the best Italian restaurant around.... The food is so good, The Seabass and angel hair pasta is to die for..... it is perfectly done every time, The wife had the lobster Diablo and it was very pleased with it also.... Rafael is a very friendly owner and engaging. We come early afternoon so there's always seating. I would strongly encourage anyone to stop in for a meal..... you will not be disappointed.. lots of free parking too... Our waitress Maya was very adept at her job and very friendly and helpful..... Give her a raise Raffi read more

First time. A nice add to the local options.great service. Baked clams great, except a little gritty. Lobster raviolis were good though overcooked. Veal limon lacked breading. Busy night. Definitely will try again. read more

The food is fantastic and authentic. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was Just right. Of the many restaurants I tried on my trip to the Windy City, Raffi's tops them all. read more

great food and service! We went to a late dinner near closing time and they never rushed us!

WHAT A GEM! We picked this restaurant because of its proximity to the Rosemont Theater. But we will definitely make it a destination in the future. Amazing food! Great atmosphere! Delightful staff! One of our favorites! It is BYOB by the way, which added to the casual/intimate atmosphere. read more

The guy that took my reservation, said it was so good, we brought any proceeded to act, weird, not very welcoming. Waitress was nice, but the host needs to work on his presentation and how he makes some gas feel comfortable and some not. You spent good money on a place and the food was not good and the host not good. Get some better food options and better customer service. read more

This is my 5 th time and it will not be the last. Great food in a very nice atmosphere. Owner is there to greet you and will come by to check on us. Highly recommended. read more

Awesome! Just eat here. Food is so fresh had delicious. Owner Raffi is a delight. Very clean.

Amazing place to eat! The best Italian food in Chicago and totally recommend coming here. The prices are fair and the food so good. 10/10 would come again read more

A little hard Hole in the wall and parking is not the greatest but this is hands-down the best Italian food ever!