Best pizza in Fox Valley! Expensive over all but servers work hard! Always a nice family dining experience.

We just left Salerno's on the Fox a couple of hours ago, and I can confidently say this was our first and last visit. We decided to give it a try because, for once, we figured we'd stay somewhat local instead of making our usual 45 minute drive into Chicago for dinner. Lesson learned. First, our waitress Jasmin was nice and did her job. I want to make that clear because the customer service issue at the end was not really with her. We ordered a small veggie pizza with sausage and pepperoni on HALF because my wife doesn't eat sausage or pepperoni. Pretty straightforward request. We were told about 25 minutes for the pizza. It was closer to 35, but honestly, no big deal. We ordered a Caesar salad, bread and a few beers while we waited. We also ordered the baked cavatelli to share. The pasta itself had a good texture, but the sauce was nothing special. I probably should have asked what exactly it was baked with because I wasn't expecting the runny ricotta that came with it. Eventually the pizza and pasta arrived together. Jasmin even pointed out the half of the pizza that supposedly didn't have meat. Plot twist: there was no meatless half. The entire pizza had sausage and pepperoni. We literally went through every slice looking for this mysterious vegetarian half. Apparently it existed only in spirit. The small pizza had six slices. I was hungry and had already waited 35 minutes, so I ate three slices, exactly half of the pizza. My wife ate the pasta because she couldn't eat her half of the pizza. I wasn't interested in sitting there hungry for another 35 minutes waiting for them to start over. We ordered everything to share, so at least one of us might as well eat the pizza. We told Jasmin, she agreed it was made incorrectly and said she would let the kitchen know. Rather than extending dinner another 35 minutes for Pizza Attempt #2, we asked for a small cheese pizza to go. We figured my wife could eat it when we got home and that would resolve the whole thing. Then the bill arrived. There was a charge for the cheese pizza. I told Jasmin I thought there must have been a misunderstanding because we assumed the cheese pizza was replacing the half of the original pizza my wife couldn't eat. She explained that management wouldn't do that because we had "clearly eaten" the other pizza. Well, yes. I ate three slices. Exactly half of a six slice pizza. The half that was supposed to have sausage and pepperoni in the first place. My wife's half was the half they got wrong. I jokingly told Jasmin that had I known the rules of this pizza negotiation beforehand, I would have gladly surrendered the remaining three slices and asked management to replace them with half a cheese pizza. Apparently I should have preserved the evidence. Jasmin told us that if it were up to her, she would have just given us the replacement pizza, but management made the decision not to. The best part? We never actually met a manager. Nobody came to our table. Nobody asked what happened. Nobody apologized. Nobody tried to fix it. Management apparently reviewed the Great Pizza Case of 2026 from an undisclosed location and determined that because I ate exactly my half of their incorrectly made pizza, my wife could either pay for another pizza or go without. We chose go without. We took the leftover pasta home, left the remaining half of the incorrect pizza sitting there and walked out without the cheese pizza. We still tipped Jasmin well because I'm not going to punish the waitress for a decision she didn't make. As for the food itself, the pizza was incredibly bland. The sauce had almost no flavor. We passed Pal Joey's, Riverview Pizza and Ella's on the way there, all places we've eaten at and enjoyed, and afterward we were wondering why we didn't just stop at one of them. I hate to say it, but Pizza Hut has more flavor in its sauce. Then, apparently determined to make one more bad decision tonight, I read the recent Yelp reviews AFTER dinner. Those probably should have been our warning not to step foot in the place. Mistakes happen. If they had made the pizza wrong, apologized and simply replaced the half my wife couldn't eat, I probably wouldn't even be writing this review two hours later. Instead, management somehow managed to turn three slices of a small pizza into the most memorable part of the evening. Unfortunately, the food wasn't nearly as memorable. This was our first and absolutely our last visit to Salerno's on the Fox. Between the bland food and management's handling of something that should have been incredibly easy to fix, there's no reason for us to ever come back. And just to be clear, I wouldn't eat here again even if management offered me a free cheese pizza. Although apparently that's not something I need to worry about. read more

They had good overall appeal. They good thin crusted pizza. The zucchini sticks I think wet battered breaded. Thin large slices of zucchini sticks. My filet has to made medium because they said it's these thing slices of filets. They were okay. Everyone else's food looks good. My kids like it. Pretty good overall for Families. The service was great! read more

Let's start out by saying... the location of this place is breathtaking on the river. Friendly service and was recommended by people who live in the area. I called to order pizzas because I kept looking at the cost to order online thinking this does not seem right. When I called the girl who answered said yes there's an online booking fee. So, I placed it over the phone. I do not want to wait when I preorder. I waited for 24 minutes past the time I was told my order would be ready. Total bummer. Pizza: 3-1/2 stars. Fresh, hot great dough. Nice sauce. Happy we tried it. read more

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2 for atmosphere only. Nice looking place and lovely outdoor seating on the river. We've been twice. Food was disappointing both times. Chicken française was swimming in liquid so much so that the (supposed to be crispy) breading was soggy and coming off the chicken. It was supposed to be a light lemon butter sauce. Asked for it to be sent back, just as soggy with less liquid on plate. Was charged for it but did not take it. We waited a very long time for the check and then had to go up front to ask for it. Very skimpy wine pour for $9 a glass, hard to make four sips last through an entire dinner. read more

Julia is such an amazing waitress! She's was on top of everything! Service is perfection! Food was outstanding! Thank you !! read more

Salerno's On the Fox - Original style pizza, stuffed artichoke and wings! Everything was perfect!!! - Italian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

Disgraceful. Ordered online. Came in and the pizza was ready like 5 minutes later. They asked "was it just pizza" I stated no. They went and looked and said "it's going to be a little bit". I asked if they forgot the other two items and they said yes. I asked to have the other items removed (they said it would be 10 more minutes and they leave the pizza out. The snotty manager comes out and says "well they're already in the oven now so there's no easy way to cancel them". People there had a good laugh. I'm assuming not only I will be the final visitor from the group. Manger should be fired. Apology would have been better than excuses. read more

First off, I have enjoyed this place many times throughout the years. My last three birthday dinners have been here. But, this past Sunday it was terrible. After over an hour waiting for our dinners to arrive, when they did arrive my chicken was cold. I asked the waiter to take it back and I didnt want it warmed and not to charge me for it. They brought out 3 nice desserts to attempt to fix their error. But nobody liked the desserts they brought out. why not ask what we would like. On the way out I asked the hostess to tell management of the terrible wait, service, and food. The hostess had a smart mouth, so I asked her to get management and I would tell them myself. While telling the manager about my terrible experience at the Fox, I mentioned that his hostess had a "smart ass mouth on her". He informed me that the girl was his daughter and that I cannot talk to her that way. I told the manager that I was not talking to his daughter, and that I am Talking to the manager about an employee and the service. He repeated that I could not speak to his daughter and I again told him I was speaking to him, the manager not her. he would not get past the hostess being his daughter and not an employee who mad "smart ass remarks". He then told me to take my family and get out, I did say I would not be back, it sounded like he cursed so I cursed too. he would not listen to my complaint. read more

Reserved a room, got there at the time we reserved for and they said they gave it to a bigger party! Wandering grandma with dementia, twin 3 years old, it was a nightmare. ​ read more

First time visit. Likely my last. The place has been around forever, just never thought about going before. Service was extremely slow and the place was almost empty. Had to ask multiple times for sweetener for my tea and never got a refill. Wanted the mussels but with a different sauce. They wouldn't allow substitutions. So I got the mussels with a side of pasta - so at least they did that - but I asked for angel hair. The server didn't know what that was. So I got spaghetti and asked for the same kind of sauce as the mussels. Said it was no problem. But when it was delivered I was "warned" that there were broken shells in the pasta sauce so "be careful". I'm sorry - what?!?!? It was super salty. My friend got the baked mostaccioli. It was a massive serving and pretty good (which saved this from a 2 star review). They have outdoor seating right on the river which looked pretty. read more

Overall, our waitress was great and the food was good. We had an issue with the sausage sandwich, it was cold when it came out. We alerted the waitress who brought the manager over. Management did not even ask what was wrong, just brought the dish back to the kitchen and brought the same dish out, just warmed up. We explained that we did not want the dish anymore and did not want to pay for it but were told by both managers that the food would not be comp'd off our receipt. Food was okay but customer service is really lacking. read more

I like this place. It reminds me of the old school Italian restaurants we frequented when I was young. The Chicken a la Salerno is a concoction of sausage, onion, potatoes and chicken that is a stick to your ribs meal... and there's still enough to have for lunch the next day. Their pizza is also good but you need to like the thicker style... unique to Salerno's in this area but tasty just the same. And I love their minestrone soup!! Give it a try!! read more

The outside patio was the only thing impressive about this place. The food was marginal at best as far as Italian goes. My son ordered the filet medallions medium rare. They were served well done. He said it tasted like pulled pork. I've had better pulled pork. The owner took ONE of the 3 medallions back and had it remade, saying " it looks like 1 or 2 bites look good, keep that and I'll have this remade, the chef needs to see how it was overcooked." I still expected we'd be served an entire entree cooked as ordered, but no, they served us 1 tiny medallion cooked properly & didn't adjust the bill. The entire meal was slow and we were told it was because they changed the oil on the fries. The pasta was average. Slow, overcooked, overpriced food. No thank you!! Disappointed and would not recommend!! read more

Christmas 2024......had a wonderful dinner with another couple. So we decided to celebrate Christmas 2025. Horrible experience.......4 different dishes really terrible food beginning with the salad through the main course. We will never dine there again. Note: the room was only 1/4 occupied but they sat people so close to us that we couldn't get up from our chairs to leave. Our server was excellent. read more

Old fashioned neighborhood restaurant. Traditional American /Italian dishes. Great pizza, every ingredient is itemized separately. . . A bit pricey but large portions can be shared. The lady that served was very attentive. read more

Love Salerno's. Just recently discovered it and we have been there 4-5 times already. Love the family feel and the food is delicious. Wait staff is friendly and helpful. It's a gem for sure!! read more

Best Pizza in the area, homemade crust and sauce. Slow cooked to perfection. Order lemon drop martini too.

Last minute decision to eat dinner there after a meeting in St Charles. Food and service were outstanding. Lasagna and Pasta Bolognese were delicious and like home made. Salernos never disappoints! read more

Well, once again I am not pleased to write a negative review. Our last two visits were disappointing and more. A few weeks ago we stopped in and had a pizza. Ordered the thin pizza. It was off. Hard to describe but I guess a frozen pizza would be comparable. Not what I expected from a pizzeria. Last night was much worse as we brought friends from out of state. Since the thin crust was a disaster last time we decided to try their traditional pizza. Wow. What a mistake. The crust was so thick and hard on the bottom that it was almost impossible to cut. The middle section of the crust seemed raw. To make matters worse, both our guests had severe stomach issues all night and into the next day. Our servers were very friendly so I'm giving four stars for service, and zero stars for the food. Overall two stars. Never again. read more

This is a must see in St Charles! Wonderful food, atmosphere and deserts! It's right on the river and has exceptional views of downtown St. Charles! Excellent calamari, lasagna, pizza, meatball polenta and salads! We eat here at least three times a month! Family owned and excellent service! read more

We decided to take advantage of the nice day and eat dinner on their patio. When we arrived the hostess looked confused as to why guests were showing up DURING STANDARD DINNER TIME. When we were finally seated (we were the only ones waiting to be seated) I asked if we could sit at an empty table closer to the river to have a better view. I was met with the response of "uhhhhhhhhhhhhh" I said never mind and we took the table we were being sent to. 5 minutes later another group was sat at the table I was asking for (not a reservation or reserved table). We placed our drink orders and it took almost 15 minutes for a bottle of beer and a glass of wine, mind you it's a Tuesday and not that busy at all. We placed our food order, and waited an additional 20 minutes just to have our waitress come by and say she forgot to mention we get a soup. We put in another drink order and waited even longer this time just for my wife's wine glass to come out completely dirty with lipstick marks still on it! We then waited another TWENTY MINUTES for the soup! When our food finally arrived we had waited over an hour in total, and what arrived was TERRIBLE! I ordered the penne vodka sauce with a sausage. The bowl of pasta I got wasn't even close to vodka pasta, not creamy or rich, completely over salted and tasted like it came from a jar that they just added a small amount of cream to. It was topped with a couple of dried out coins of overcooked jerky that was supposed to be the sausage. Not to mention the dish was drowned in this "vodka sauce" I had to dig through it just to get noodles. My wife had ordered the lemon chicken and all you could taste was salt. It tasted like drinking salt water, no discernible flavor other than SALT. Our entire experience was terrible from the moment we entered to the moment we left. We live near downtown St. Charles and go to restaurants in the downtown often. We will NEVER be coming back to this "Italian restaurant" ever again. SAVE YOURSELF THE HASSLE, don't pay for this overpriced garbage they are pawning off as Italian food. read more

Had dinner there on 3/8/26 with my wife and daughter along with my stepmother whose 89 birthday we were celebrating. Food was good, but my stepmother's sausage arrived at the table cold to the touch. After serve, Jane finally returned to our table and was told about the cold sausage. She then had to get the 16 year old manager to come to our table. She immediately gabbed the plate without even acknowledging my stepmother's concern about the dish. Bottom line we all about finished. The young manager brought back the dish from the kitchen and my stepmother told her she didn't want it now as the rest of us were finishing our meals. They would not take and the manager completely disrespected my stepmother and was not listening at all. In all my years and all the restaurants I have been too, I have never seen such piss poor behavior while dealing with a customer who was right as her meal came out of the kitchen cold. They would take it back and or comp her meal. I had to step in and tell the manager to box a meal that was served cold and then reheated. BS! I'll never go to that restaurant again. Piss Poor Managers!!! read more

Throwback for me. Years ago went to original storefront on 16th street in Berwyn. Pizza one of my favorites Still love the push carts the staff use for delivering food. read more

Haven't been here in YEARS! But it was just as good as I remember. I tried the Fall special, squash ravioli with mashed sweet potatoes and it was SO good. It was sweet and savory and I loved every bite. Everyone enjoyed their meals and my kiddos loved their personal cheese pizzas. We went there for my son's birthday and they sang happy birthday to him and got a complimentary ice cream sundae. Our server was very friendly and prompt. She rounded at our table often and made sure we had everything we needed. The view of the Fox River and the path is just gorgeous! The lighting and finishings are very warm and welcoming. Definitely recommend for a nice date night or family dinner. read more

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This used to be one if my go-to places; but no longer. They have changed recipes or they have new cooks who dont know Italian food! One of favorites, the baked artichoke was very disappointing. It was swimming in a broth (what??) and the bread-cheese stuffing was soggy. Same for the Chicken Saltimbocca; was too much, unnecessary mozzarella and swimming in that same broth as the artichoke. Not the delicate lemon butter sauce as it should be. Also they changed their table service bread to a way too soft mush. No thanks! After years of going there I now say, no longer! read more

Pours on Chianti were laughable. Food was so salty that I could not eat it. I took most of it home and immediately threw it the garbage. Stuffed mussels were salty and breading tasteless. Full of sand and grit. Smallest I can remember. The ZUPPA DEL MAR was incredibly salty, the calamari was like rubber. The shrimp were passible but the entire dish was ruined by the salt level. Service was slow, and spotty. The restaurant was clean and inviting, but if you are looking for good Italian food, this ain't it. Just a disappointment and we are past customers. Last time. read more

Have been getting the best thin crust takeout pizza for the past 25years. One of mine favorites is pineapple and sausage pizzas. Always consistent in taste and quality, the crust perfectly cooked. I always get the salerno's house salad to go with the pizza. When your looking for a great thin crust pizza & want no surprises Salerno's is the place to go. read more

An update to my review from 6 months ago on our stuffed artichokes. Our artichokes were fine this time. I was going to order online however a 20% tip was added to your online order. We called our order in instead and had a 8.5% "carryout" fee added to our bill. I've never seen tipping of 20% (no choice of different amount to choose from) for a carryout online order. I also have never seen a 8.5% "carryout fee" for a carryout order called in. read more

It's a shocking surprise in these days of "less for more" when you learn a superlative resto has kicked it up a notch. As a Berwyn lad, "Salerno's" was the holy grail pizza, and their HQ on 16th street was a temple for good eats. They moved their operations out to St.Charles many years ago, and they never lost a step. A recent visit has found the premises with a handsome upgrade in decor, and the cuisine has never been better. When evergreens like Salerno's make moves, it can be concerning, or welcome-there is no middle ground. They have proven why folks are loyal, and why mess with a good thing? In this case, the improvements are subtle and enhance the entire experience without disturbing the legacy. Well done, Salernos! The whole Geneva/Batavia/St.Charles Dining/Entertainment corridor is jumping hot and fast-and this landmark establishment is right there in the mix. I've said it before-Yes, Salerno's is unabashedly old school, and thankfully so. This is COMFORT FOOD writ large, folks. The service is top-flight, there's Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Al Martino aloft in the soundtrack. The view of the River is magnificent, and prices are reasonable. Have a glass of Vino, an order of Calamari to start, and point to anything on the menu. It always hits the spot... read more

Tonight I dined inside at Salernos for the first time in maybe 20 years. I have picked up pizza to go over the years though. Food and everything was great! It still has the supper club vibe and is clean as a whistle. Posted here for more reach. https://www.facebook.com/groups/WHI.St.Charles/permalink/6499515940140926/?mibextid=cr9u03 read more

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"This crust is as thick as a mattress" so yea, it was pretty good. We did carry out and it was blazing hot right on time, was kept up to date on the status of my order even as hostess sat patrons and fielded a ton of reservation calls. The restaurant looks lovely inside and I hope to eat in soon. read more

Honestly I only enjoyed the Calamari so far. The ambience and the service are great. The food and drinks I tried were okay. Go get that calamari, you won't regret it. read more

1975 Salerno's has been around since 1975. I grew up in St. Charles and came to Salerno's in the 70's as a kid and throughout the 80's. I remember walking into the front bar area and seeing mostly older men smoking cigars and drinking. It was almost a mob boss atmosphere back then and I've been told by my parents that it was a mix of mob and politicians that were in there. The large dining room at the back of the restaurant that overlooks the fox river is where we ate. I remember it being more like a supper club than a pizza place. Most people were ordering steak and potatoes while the kids ate pizza and pasta. I believe the servers used to bring the food out on rolling carts. As a kid it felt so upscale. Fast forward to today. I went back to Salerno's as an adult probably for the first time in over 30 years. The layout seems to be the same and quite frankly the decorations are probably the same. It doesn't feel full of life or fun like I remember it to be, but that might be due to all the newer and better options for other restaurants. Here's the point:. Salerno's could be great again maybe if they redecorated, updated the menu, and added some entertainment or something. It felt boring inside and the lack of servers made service pretty bad. The menu feels outdated and overpriced. I think the quality of the food is fine but the prices are high as if you were going to a fancy restaurant, which this is not. So Salerno's, do yourself a favor and either bring your restaurant up to 2022 as mentioned above, or drop your prices and stop trying to be a fancy restaurant. The best thing this location has going for it is the outside patio right on the river. It's a good place to hang out when the weather is nice. read more

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Love the pizza. unfortunately won't be going back because a member of our party witnessed the owner yelling and swearing at a young waitress. She was in tears. Not only was he out of line, he did it in a public area. read more

Our first time here. Had late lunch today on their great patio - tables with umbrellas, nicely spaced apart. Julia was our server and she was incredibly attentive yet not overly so - just right. She was fun, kept bringing ice and ice water (it was hot outside) - I liked that we didn't have to ask. The best part was the traditional Salerno's pizza - it was fantastic. I asked for it to be well done and it came out perfect. We really enjoyed the food. Only downside is we didn't have room for dessert because we kept eating the pizza. Next time, we would love to try one of their desserts. I highly recommend the food, the service, the location - overlooking the Fox River. We'll be back! read more

I've gone on Daye night and I've gone with friends! Salernos never let's you down! The menue is very open as in you can get Pizza, awesome sandwiches and great Italian food selections. They have a wonderful bar with fantastic wine selections. Cocktails for de-stressing after work are great. The waitstaff are kind and add to the overall experience of a nice time!! The serving sizes are reasonable to the price. Always enjoy lunch or dinner here! read more

It's not that the pizza here is actively bad; it's tasteless. Although I don't understand all the reviews claiming that this is authentic Italian food. The pizza isn't pizza in the traditional sense; it is very thick bread with maybe two millimeters of cheese and whatever topping you order. See photo showing the side of one of the pieces. I have eaten here once, but had the "pizza" multiple times over the past 15 years. If this is what you call pizza (meaning that what you really want is white bread), then you are too far gone for my review to help you. The restaurant itself is in a nice location with a nice a view of the Fox river. I recommend getting a Salad and/or a few beers and sitting outside in nice weather, although other reviews say the service is poor. read more

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Super fancy-looking restaurant. It's very dim inside too, which I usually like a lot, but it was very dark especially when it got dark outside. The waitress was very friendly. The first thing I tried was the mango margarita. It was a slushy one but tasted very watery. Was kind of disappointed, but next time I'll want to try the mango martini. They give out bread - which is always a plus! For the meal, I tried their fettuccine alfredo. It was very good. It was also suuuuperrr creamy, which I find many restaurants don't do. I liked how it was very creamy though, although it'd probably be too creamy for some. Overall, it was a nice restaurant. The decor made it seem much more high-end than I felt it was trying their food. read more

Salerno's On the Fox - Fettuccine alfredo - Italian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

The Service was Great! The food was delicious and very close to the original on 16th in Berwyn! The restaurant was a very 70s vibe and right on the river which makes for a great view. Beautiful! read more

Great place. Old school as it gets and thats a compliment these days. They take care of you, fill you up with delicious food with larger portions. The pizza is expensive for sure, but it feeds like a stuffed pizza would- 2/3 pieces and you're stuffed. Great little cozy bar right out of the old Chicago classic Italian restaurants kind of vibe. read more