I came here excited and wanting to love this place. The restaurant it's self is very nice . When you first walk in there is a huge bar, what better way to be greeted if you ask me. The hostess stand is a little further back where we were greeted by a nice gentleman and brought into the dining area. We ordered calamari for an app that was extremely good. I ordered chicken parm because " hey when in Rome" it was a huge portion but not that good. It was dry and tasteless. Chicken should always be moist and exploding with flavor. My fiancé ordered the veal parm and said the same of his entree. However our friend ordered the special...steak and wow talk about moist, cooked perfectly and exploding with flavor. They should become a steakhouse because they were spot on with that. read more

Rosebud - Over cooked, dry Chicken Parm. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The first thing that caught my attention was the atmosphere. Everything was beautiful, dim, and quiet.. Well, until we had a group sit behind us, but they weren't a bother. I felt totally underdressed, by the way. I didn't know what I was putting myself into because my girlfriend and I were feeling spontaneous. The food was delicious! I don't know what it was called, but it was goood. We did have an appetizer beforehand, the bruschetta. I didn't expect the appetizer to be much, but when it arrived it popped and looked pretty fancy. I did forget to mention that while being "spontaneous" we didn't know the average price for each plate; not very cheap, so we shared a plate. Forgive us. I loved the waiter. He was informative and polite. He looked clean and straight. Too fancy! I'm totally coming back dressed better than casual and ready for the prices. read more

Calm and romantic place. Perfect for date night. Food was not that great. Service was good. Please remember if you go for there todays special make sure to ask price (if you find appropriate) because they are little pricey (which i think is not worth paying). read more

Been here a couple times now, and I forgot how cheap it was with such good service. Kind of like getting a fancy Italian meal for half the price! Lunchtime was pretty quiet on a Thursday except for some chubby couple necking in front of us. Lot of food! read more

What can I say about the Rosebud? Wood paneled elegance, lovely ambience, good drinks, nice wine list, superb service, excellent food, generous portions, variety of desserts, wonderful cappuccinos...music by the Chairman, whose portrait in the dining room raises a toast to this fine establishment! Hubby and I have been here on many occasions, and have yet to be disappointed. Most any menu selection will be well prepared and delicious. Rosebud provides warm bread-focaccia and crusty Italian-with olive oil and grated cheese. We requested antipasti, and were presented with a lovely selection of Italian deli meats, cheeses, veggies (including eggplant) on a bed of arugula. We highly recommend the ziti-pasta, tomato, basil, cheese, crumbled sausage, perfectly sauced. In the past, if we did not see a dish on the menu, we asked, and our requests were accommodated. Great service from all staff! Server Tony was knowledgeable about menu items and answered all my questions. Valet parking is available and recommended. read more

Went here to eat with friends because we were craving Italian pasta and we were near the area. My best friend is Italian, so I know what authentic Italian should taste like. Needless to say, I was very impressed with this place. I ordered Rigatoni with Vodka sauce and I completely recommend it! The portions were huge, the service was amazing, and the pasta was delicious! I'm picky when it comes to food and my vodka sauce (every place makes it different), but I was fan of this. The leftovers even tasted amazing! read more

What an amazing dinner we had this past Saturday. From the start, it was great and just kept getting better. The quality of the olive oil for dipping your bread, and the bread...it was great. We highly recommend the baked clams but beware that they are the small clams, and you want to get a dozen. They are terrific. We highly recommend the Veal Bracciola. It is a veal cutlet wrapped with seasonings and cheese and baked in a red sauce with incredible depth. Not to mention accompanied by really wonderful home made noodles. We also had the Veal Saltimbocca and it was very good, although had a stronger sage flavor than I have had elsewhere. Service was outstanding and all in all, a wonderful experience. read more

Rosebud?! Try more like dying rose. All i can say is that I was thoroughly disappointed about every aspect of this restaurant. My friend was visiting from NY and it happened so that Italian was his favorite cuisine. I thought hey, Chicago, Italian food?! How could you not?! I personally had never been to Little Italy, so I looked on Yelp and found Rosebud. The reviews seemed to pretty good so we decided to check it out. It was pleasantly busy for a Sunday so we figured that was a good sign. As soon as we were seated, the server brought over a bread basket, but no olive oil or butter. We tried flagging him down on a couple of occasions, but to no avail. Literally about 8 to 10 minutes went by when our actual server came by and realized we had no oil. As she went to get our oil and our drink order (consisting of 2 waters and a diet coke) we decided to check out the menu. It is pretty clear that this place caters to "regulars" or connoisseurs of Italian food because there was absolute no description of the dishes on the menu. It took her another 5 to 10 minutes before she finally returned with the oil and our drinks, but not the diet coke. When I asked for her the diet coke, she seemed slightly annoyed but went and got it. Note, in the mean time, she went ahead and took the order of the people behind us, but ignored our order. We had to flag her down just to order appetizer and our food. She was also not very enthusiastic over the 4 questions we had on the menu items. Normally, I am not one to comment on service, because everyone is entitled to a bad day, but this individual really upset me because it was very apparent that she was attentive and nice to all tables except ours and we were not even bothersome. So....the food.... bruschetta- lackluster at best. There was so much oil that the tomatoes were soggy and I am pretty sure my arteries were clogging as I was eating it. I ordered lasagna, my friend ordered chicken parmesan (and asked for the sauce to be spicy) and my fiance ordered their brick chicken. I am pretty sure they hijacked Sbarro's recipes because the sauce and meat in the lasagna tasted like they hijacked it from the mall. There was little to no flavor and it was pretty greasy. My friend's chicken parmesan was so undercooked that it took on a rubbery consistency. He barely took a bite and ended up leaving it. Plus, to top it off, they never gave him the sauce he asked for. My fiance's chicken was probably the best thing on the table and even that wasn't anything to die for. Towards the end of the meal, our waitress came by and asked if we were interested in dessert. We all said no, but she left a menu on our table and walked away. We were all kind of stunned. She probably took another 10 minutes to come back so that we could tell her we weren't interested in dessert. Sadly, it took us another 15 minutes or so to pay the bill due to the unattentive service. Despite all of that, we still gave a decent 18% tip and she didn't even have the decency to wish us a good night. Robert Irvine, if you reading this, the food and service need saving! read more

Food and atmosphere are great. David was our server and he was fantastic!! Support staff are also are very nice and attentive. Will definitely be back! read more

MAKE A RESERVATION BEFORE YOU GO. This place gets PACKED! It's as if your going to an Italian family dinner with your... Italian friend. The Rosebud is great! The place is cozy with soft dim lighting and it's fabulously unique. The waiters and waitresses know their stuff! The menu doesn't give an explanation of each item therefore you will probably ask your server 100 questions. We did. Again, aur waitress was very informative and did not disappoint us. There were 6 of us and we all ordered something different. Fried calamari-- the thick ones, YES! Brick Chicken was so juicy, great flavor. Baked Manicotti was my absolute favorite! The sauce was O-M-G! I should have asked if I could buy just the sauce to take home. Valet parking is $10 (located NEXT door to the restaurant). read more

I needed to find a place in the University Village area for lunch on a Sunday. After scouring Yelp reviews and hours of operation, The Rosebud found its way to the top of my list. And I was not disappointed. Dark, old-school Italian restaurants are my favorites (I always wished my dad had been in the mafia). We were seated next to an autographed photo from The Godfather. It took us awhile to order, only because everything on the menu looked delicious. I ended up with the Rigatoni alla Vodka (the last time I had it was in NY's Little Italy). SO GOOD. I was full but wanted to keep eating because it was so good. Everyone at my table felt the same way (doggy bags are a must since the portions are gigantic). And I didn't hear a complaint from anyone. Would definitely come back here for some good ol' Italian dining. read more

Very classic food, ambiance, and service. Overall, quite excellent. I took my husband here for his birthday dinner and we both enjoyed The Rosebud. The one drawback was the very loud and obnoxious table of guests next to us. I suppose that The Rosebud is used to such patrons, so I don't recommend this place if you are looking for a quiet, romantic Italian dinner. My husband had the fettuccine alfredo with chicken and I had the traditional homemade pasta squares. Both were extremely large portion sizes, like super super super sized, so most of the past was taken home and eatent he next day. The pasta is delicious and you can definitely tell it is homemade and very rich. For appetizers, we ordered the bruschetta and the caprese salad. These were the highlights of the meal. The tomatoes and roasted red peppers were so fresh and flavorful. My husband and I almost felt we did not want our main courses after such amazing appetizers. If you go here, you must at least get the bruschetta. We love this dish, and The Rosebud had the best we have every tasted. We did not get dessert, but we will be back again and will definitely try the tiramisu! read more

Went here for the BF's parents birthday dinner. I loved the setting. It was nice to walk into a friendly looking bar. And then we walked into a fantastic and pretty comfortable dining room. We had a big round table for 6 pretty skinny people and there was a lot of room which was so nice and hard to come by these days. Server was fantastic. Although the food was just ok, I don't think anyone thought their food was fantastic. It was big portions and no one finished their food (although that could be b/c no one thought it was to die for). I would probably go back for some drinks and appetizers instead of the full meal here. Or maybe check out the other Alex Dana restaurants in the city. read more

I went here last weekend for an impromptu date night and was so happy we ended up here. From start to finish, from the hostess to the busboys, everyone was incredibly friendly. The decor is old school Italian - heavy colors, cozy seating, life-size Frank Sinatra portrait on the wall. And the food was delicious! We got the steak w portabellos, shrimp fettuccini, the grilled octopus for an appetizer, and the tiramisu and house-made limoncello to finish it off. It was all amazing - but the steak was incredible! Will definitely be going back the next time I'm in the mood for great service and hearty Italian fare. read more

Rosebud - Tiramisu, home+made limoncello and cappuccino for the man. Just!so!good! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time here! Gabriel was our outstanding waiter and the food is amazing! The portions are out of this world. We had stuffed mushrooms to die for! The Caesar salad is enough for 4 and I got the 8 finger dish added chicken. OMG! If you love spicy, this is the dish for you! Enjoy and ask for Gabriel! read more

Rosebud - 8 finger dish with added chicken. Delicious! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had a date here. The burger was great. The chicken was good too. I like the ambiance.

Fantastic Italian cuisine and ambiance with great service! My friend and I were in the area and decided to check it out, because she wanted to use a gift card that she had been holding on to and we were delighted by the huge portions of pasta and the attentive service as well. We were lucky to find parking down the street and even though it was raining on our way out it was so worth it. We enjoyed our time there and stayed for quite a while without feeling any pressure to vacate the cozy table we were dining at. The menu has a wide range of Italian dishes as well as desserts, a fine wine list among other enjoyable drinks. It is a great place to try if you are in Chicago and love Italian food. read more

Almost doesn't feel fair reviewing Rosebud...they are always consistently good in my opinion. Matter of fact, i would pit them against Monteverde and guarantee they win on taste and value for money. Carbonara, salmon salad, sausage and peppers, caprese salad, the rigatoni, the norwegian salmon...alright alright, I'm getting hungry writing this review. If you've never been, give them a try, I've never been disappointed by a meal from there....yet read more

Pretty, pretty good. We had the scallops for $7 something each (the waitress said it was $5 or $6 for each) , but it was tasty and yummy. Then, my man had the chicken vesuvio dish and I had the rigatoni alla vodka. Both were yummy, but the rigatoni tasted similar to what my sister has cooked at home many times before , so I wasn't taken away or surprised since I've had it before at home. There's a bathroom attendant , at least in the men's room according to my man. I didn't go to the ladies restroom , so no clue but assume it has one as well. Atmosphere and decor had the old school Italian feel, which I love . Only thing missing were tons of pictures on the walls like other Italian old school joints. Would go again, if in the area. read more

Tonight my roommate and I decided to have an adventure in Little Italy. Several unfortunate experiences at the downtown Naperville Rosebud has made me never want to eat here, however due to long waits at other places (Friday night and spontaneity don't exactly go hand in hand) and two empty bar stools here this is where we ended up. Luckily we were pleasantly surprised as the original location was way, way, way better than the Naperville one. We were starving and got the calamari to start. It certainly wasn't the most amazing calamari I've ever had and the cocktail sauce could use some work but it was a huge portion---big enough for 4-5 people to split easily. I had the house Chianti which was really good and only $7/glass. My roommate had the special appetizer of the day as her entree. It was peppers stuffed with sausage in an incredible garlic sauce, well actually the whole dish was incredible! If it's ever on the special menu when you go I couldn't recommend anything more. The bartender suggested I get the cavatelli and I decided to listen to her since she has been working there 22 years. The pasta was homemade and fresh and the sauce was not too heavy and had tons of basil, which is a guarantee I will love it. I'm excited for my leftovers. It was a great evening. Good wine, good old school Chicago Italian, funny bar customers talking about the Barry Manilow concert, and dining room patrons who all look and act like my dad:) read more

If you're looking for a great pre-game meal before the Hawks, Bulls, Sox or Bears game, you cannot miss with Rosebud. They get you in and out like pros. And you'll be close enough to the sports venue to have a short pat-dinner commute. Careful: Portion sizes are crazy big, so if you don't want to carry leftovers, order appropriately. read more

Not only is the food amazing, but the dining experience is extraordinary. Everything was exqusite! We had a wonderful waiter by the name Michael, who only added to an already exceptional experience. Definitely a restaurant I'd visit again. read more

more like a 3.5 The restaurant was cosy (and very christmasy), and the service was great. The food, while relatively good, didn't blow me away. I got the garlic chicken (#2 on the list of chicken entrees), and we agreed that it's the best out of the 4 dishes we got. Unfortunately, being best of the 4 dishes we got still doesn't make it amazing. It was good, but nothing special. Would I come here again? doubtful. There has to be better restaurants in Little Italy. read more

Best Lasagna ever...hands down, people!! This place is easy to get to (Pink line, Ashland bus), is on the cute main stretch of Taylor Street and is very romantic. I am a huge fan It's where my husband and I went on our very first date, and we just enjoyed dinner there last weekend with my family. I forgot how amazing the food is and how helpful the servers are. If you want that Little Italy "it" experience, try it! I don't think the pricing is over the top, either read more

Full disclosure. We came here hungover... around 3 PM so obviously there was no line. It was a strugglefest. We liked it because it was dark... and we were hungover. But you really can't see much in the restaurant. IT'S DARK. LOCATION Semi-convenient... if you live near Taylor and Ashland. There are tons of restaurants all around... check it out. AMBIENCE dark. very dark. everyone has an accent. Can't see hands....... food... okay, that's an exaggeration but you get our point. FOOD Spicy Calamari: huge chunks of onions and peppers that weren't cooked through all the way... calamari was really soggy.. the breading was delicious but really needs to be revamped somehow. Carbonara: HUGE PORTIONS. peas.... typical, americanized... We're still looking for a GOOD, ITALIAN, EGG YOLK CARBONARA. leave us a comment if you know what we're looking for. yeah.... Baked Ziti Genovese: cheesy. so so cheesy. Diet cokes come in glass bottles. pretty cool... but no refills..... uhhhhhhhhh. Bread is good... especially when you're hungover. read more

BIG PORTIONS that's what I'll start out to say here tried it here for the first time yesterday can't believe I took this long to go there, service was really good, had a good bottle of wine to start with being a Italian restaurant there is a big wine menu, had a chopped salad for appetizer very, very yummy, then for my main course Fred Flinstone pork chops! I willed myself to eat these bad boys they were so big, very tasty breaded served with potatoes and green beans, my wife ordered fruiti de mare basically a seafood pasta, this was also Fred Flinstone size and had to bring the rest home for our son, everyone else's dish I noticed was huge as well, pretty pricey though be prepared to spend some dough especially if you order wine and appetizers. read more

Rosebud - Chopped Salad - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Was good but wasn't as "old school" as I had thought it would be. Had pasta and the sauce was way too much for the amount on my plate. It was drowning in sauce. My daughter had the Lobster ravioli...wasn't the flavor we were counting on. Still good but I had talked up the place to her before a Bulls game. Was definitely good but not the destination it once was. ******* Update: was impressive to get a reply to this post and willingness to take the feedback. I will be back before a Bulls game this year to check it out again. read more

Great service and food preparation. Everything on their menu is delicious. I have dined many times at Rosebud. This place is as authentic as you will find for home made Italian dining. I'll be back for more as always! read more

Haven't been In so long, glad a Made it back for my birthday weekend! It was my #HandsomeFace first time, but i bet it won't be the last! He also had Veal Parmesan for the first time, glad he experienced it here first! It was really good and flavorful. The ambiance is always nice and the staff is always attentive and accommodating! read more

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I love all the woodwork, and I like that the restaurant has a clear identity in its decor and menu offerings. We went on a Wednesday night. We had a reservation and were sat immediately. The service was fine, professional and not overly enthusiastic (fine in that the waiter brought our food and wine and dessert menu in a timely and pleasant fashion, but took about 25 minutes to bring the bill at the end of the meal). The food portions were huge, as is often described below, but the flavor and subtly lacking. We ordered the mussels in tomato broth and fried calamari to begin. I only had one mussel, which I found well steamed but the sauce was plain and not memorable. The sauce for the calamari was memorable, however, in that I took one bite, decided I hated it, took another bite to see if I had poked my fork in a badly stirred pocket, and tried it a third time to see if maybe I was confused the previous times. I wasn't. The horseradish did not meld with the tomato flavors and, more importantly, did not bring out the flavor of the calamari. The calamari were too chewy and the breading tasted like oil. A disappointing choice. My girlfriend ordered the brick chicken, which is a whole de-boned chicken served with crispy skin. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but the texture of the chicken was reminiscent of hot lunch chicken from grade school--something about it felt "cheap" or processed. The skin had a thick membrane on the bottom that I found disconcerting. I ordered the penne bolognese, which has meaty and satisfying in a big-bowl-of meat-and-pasta-is-comforting sort of way. The flavors did not seem...sophisticated, I guess. It was rich to be sure and I could feel the buttery goodness on my lips, but I was left wanting more. read more

Efficient and friendly service. Zuppe del mare Caprese salad Nice wine list And fabulous cannolis read more

Great service and good food kinda expensive but a great place we enjoyed our romantic dinner read more

Rosebud - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was great! We have the cavatappi ala Rosebud and the stuffed mushrooms. The sauce from the mushrooms was drinkable! So delicious! The mushroom themselves were very tasty. The pasta was delicious and unique. We split these two items and actually had a little to go home after a cope peeves if the warm bread. read more

Rosebud - Cavatappi ala Rosebud - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Was craving Italian so started doing some searching for a good vesuvio. This place seemed to have positive feedback and offered many different protein choices for the vesuvio style, so I went there. Let me say, I have been back five times since and absolutely love this place. Their skirt steak vesuvio is amazing. Their grilled spicy calamari appetizer is incredible and, honestly, so is anything I've tried since first coming here. There is valet parking so no need to find anything on the street. read more

We once saw Michelle Pheiffer here. She was eating at a nearby table. That was years ago but my wife reminds me every time we're in Chicago. Our hotel warned us about the size of the portions here. We didn't believe them. Absolutely delicious pasta. One meal is large enough for two. Or even three. Wonderful ambience. Reminds me of old school Hollywood. read more

High on the list of Taylor Street eats. Yes, it's on the more formal side - think dark woods, fancy dining area, and pricier menu, but the food is more typical Italian. Even the candy bowl they have at the bar. hehe. Not Americanized. I take that from my italiano friend who says so :). Rosebud has their own "rosebud" (tomato-based) spicier sauce which I think most are a fan of. The pappardelle that one friend had and the sea bass and side of sauteed rapini my other friend had made my palatte sing. The heaping seafood special full of mussels, clams, fish, and calamari served with linguini tossed in the Rosebud marinara sauce was really to die for. It's several days worth of seafood and pasta! The pasta overall is mmm al dente. Yum. The chopped salad we shared is a nice departure from the typical. Wow. Yum. Could have just had a big bowl of this too. And well, maybe the grilled calamari. OMG, no skimping there and super flavorful. Great selection of delish wine. If you don't venture to Taylor Street often, you can try the Rush street or the other locations. The Rush one has a popular outdoor patio. Either way, try this sooner rather than later. You'll know what I mean. Metered parking and gets crowded so make reservations and plan ahead if you decide to come during the weekend or non-grandpa time. read more

Rosebud - Seafood galore!!! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I thought this was a Citizen Kane-themed restaurant. Imagine the egg on my face when I realized it was a Goodfellas-themed restaurant...but seriously folks. I had the Salmon Vesuvio. Disclaimer: I'm a sucker for anything with the word "vesuvio" in it. The sauce could've been a little more substantial but it wasn't overly-oily. I'd probably order it again if I ever returned. My only real qualm is that the ambiance was lacking. I found street parking easily (everything around here is metered or valet...Thanks, Daley!) but entering the place through the dimly-lit, completely empty bar seemed uninviting. On a busy Friday night, it probably wouldn't be weird grabbing a drink while waiting for your table. However, on a weekday before the dinner rush, I thought we entered the wrong place. The best Yelp description I can muster: Dive-y atmosphere with classy prices and decent food. read more

Amazing flavor in every dish. Huge portions and great service. A must. -brick chicken is the best chicken I've ever had touch my lips. - rib eye was perfectly cooked and seasoned. - simple pasta side with red sauce was to die for. read more

it's dark and has the ambiance of an old school Italian restaurant. Food is pretty good and in extremely generous portion. I ordered the Eggplant Salad, and to my utter belief, it was a ginormous pile, at least 9 pieces of good-sized eggplant parmesan stacked with tomato and mozzarella, topped with greens. Needless to say, I had much leftover. Same story with Hubby's Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich. The Spicy Calamari had a nice kick to it. Despite a full stomach, I welcomed the delicious Tiramisu which I couldn't finish. read more

Giant portions!