Neat place with vintage vibes and excellent Italian food. Service was friendly and fast.

This is a place for Springfield locals. Apparently is a big trandional italian restaurant that has been there for years. I went for a work dinner, and I ordered the shrimp Alfredo that was very tasty, large plate! However, my husband ordered a NY steak and it was overcooked and the waitress forgot the side and then the sour cream for the baked potatoes. The breaded ny steak wasn't great as per somebody on my table. So if you are going definitely order a kind of pasta that is baked so u guarantee will be delicious. Enjoy! read more

This is a Springfield favorite the recipes never change. The owners are hands-on and are very nice people. I think they have the best steak in town. It's a breaded New York strip with their special breading and recipe. I love the waiters and waitresses and I get that so called "Hill" feeling when I go there. read more

The food was ok but the waitress looked and acted like she was on speed. Very disappointed. read more

Saputo's - Can you please give is a moment. This waitress seem to be on speed and wait ITS NOT EVEN BUSY. SO CHILL!!!!! - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

I came here for my "go-to" carb loading meal the night before my half marathon. This unassumingly hidden place has a serious old school Italian theme once you go in! I'm not exaggerating when I say that the inside decor truly exemplifies Italian restaurants. I was greeted by a friendly staff and while I ate by myself this meal (which I usually hate) the servers were super friendly and checked on me frequently. I ordered the individual pizza and was pretty surprised just how fast it came out! It was darn good and I honestly consider myself a pizza snob. I finished most of it though I could have easily polished it off. I'd definitely come back for the good prices, friendly staff, and good tasting foods! read more

1 out of 3 diners had a satisfactory meal the night we dined, but didnt feel inclined to pursue the hassle of getting meals reaccomplished. Very "retro" and not in a positive way. Weird, dim lighting, dingy feel about it. Our server was OK - had spurts of efficiency and then disapperared for longer that acceptable time spans, we had to ask 3 times for bread. It seems to have a loyal following undoubtedly fueled somewhat by nostalgia, in my opinion. Just visiting Springfiled and this was recommende by a long time local, I would not go back. read more

Close to the hotel. Got the chicken fettuccine Alfredo. Surprised when I ordered it came with sausage as well!! Good portion size. They also made my Arnold Palmer. Came with big group. They handled us well. read more

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The food was amazing. I had the escargot and the lasagna. Both were wonderful. My daughter has The filet mignon and it was perfectly cooked and you could almost cut it with a fork! We had a lovely waitress who is quick to bring out drinks and very friendly. The only reason I am not leaving five stars is because they had one of the rudest hostesses I have ever encountered. She snarled at us when we walked in and wasn't happy to seat us. I thought it was just us until I watched her do it to everyone. You could tell she only liked the regulars. read more

Hours are incorrectly marked literally every single place they are listed; their website and phone service included. Rude employees close the kitchen early and refuse to take orders an hour and a half before the restaurant closes. read more

We are a family of 6 including a toddler. We stopped here at 6 o'clock on Saturday night without a reservation. Being from Chicago, we should have known better. That didn't stop the staff from taking care of us. They asked if we wouldn't mind a table in their banquet hall. They explained we'd be the only ones eating in the room. With a 2 year old, this would be perfect. The service wax amazing. The staff kept checking on us. Drinks, water, and menus were promptly delivered. Next came a basket of warm Italian bread. Our salads were really fresh and tasty. All of us ordered different pastas and shared with each other. Yummy! If I return to Springfield, this would be on my go to list. read more

Mediocre red sauce old school Italian fare at premium prices. It is as over priced as it is disappointing. Waitress was pleasant but our salads came before we realized we didn't have silverware. Bread came out after our salads. The entrees were edible but not very exciting. The eggplant was soupy and bland and at $17!!!!! The lighting is dim, decore is dated and shabby, the tablecloths are vinyl. Small cramped dining room. Shoulda ordered a take out pizza and called it a night instead. There are better Italian restaurants out there, sorry to say this is not one of them. read more

Saputo's is one of our favorites. Great salad and salad dressing. Wonderful lasagna. I do wish they had carbonara! I've asked several times! Pizza is good too! read more

Came from out of town starving and this was Delicious! Homemade pasta cheesy hot and flavorful. Super cozy place to eat dinner and the staff was great. read more

Great Italian food. The bread was yummy, the marinara was so flavorful. The pizza was really good, and the chicken fettuccine was really tasty, great place. Atmosphere is not cute... but everything else was enjoyable. read more

Awesome food In a really intimate family owned atmosphere. The baked Mostaccioli is redonk! read more

Saputo's - Great Italian in a very "old school" Italian restaurant. - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

I ordered eggplant parmesan. In one word - terrible. Not saying everything on the menu is bad, I've read some good reviews and don't them. But if you are looking for eggplant parmesan, maybe this isn't the place. I was served sliced eggplant smothered in marinara and very stringy cheese no parmesan that I could identify. The eggplant was bare, it was not breaded or even seasoned. In plain language it sucked. This was my second visit, once with co-workers about a year ago. The first visit wasn't memorable, this visit very memorable in a bad way. Would I go back - for food? No. read more

When I came in to town I had my uber driver stop me by here to pick up my to go order. My order came out in a box which I loved and thought it was really cute and convenient. I ordered the lasagna dinner with a salad. I really really enjoyed the lasagna, salad, everything about the meal. I had the meal in 2 separate servings. And everything was delicious, I was trying to eat healthy when I was in town so I didn't make it back down there but I certainly wish I could have. The food is solid. read more

Saputo's - Lasagna meal packaging - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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I love old school and this place oozes it. Baskets of wrapped crackers are on the tables, which we haven't seen in a while. Get the hot peppers appetizer--big yum. I had the half ravioli spaghetti with meatballs and it was just great. We had a great service--it is SO wonderful they are open Monday nights! And if you are into politicians and lobbyists, you will be among them. read more

We had a very pleasant waitress, named Amy. She made some wonderful suggestions and was extremely attentive to our table. We ordered baked ravioli (cheese and meat). The meatballs, sauce and ravs were excellent. The homemade cannoli was delish! A great end to a scrumptious ample Italian meal. The only room for improvement was our greeting. The gentleman, who I assume was the owner was not friendly or welcoming. His staff however made up for his curtness. I will chalk it up to a bad day. read more

always right up there. not a fan of their sauce, but steaks, Italian beef raises the bar on Saputos. then add a house salad....yum

This place is unbelievably underrated in Springfield. It's everything you want out of an old school Italian restaurant. Dim lightning and a classically old and fancy atmosphere. The food rivals the atmosphere. It's authentic. It's delicious. It rivals the best Italian restaurants in the area, including the Hill in St. Louis area. The filet mignon breaded and butterflied with garlic dipping oil is magnificent. The chicken parmigiana and baked mostaccioli are excellent. Toasted cheese ravioli for an appetizer is stellar. The salad dressing is some of the best house Italian dressings you will ever try. And the meatballs! So perfect. Don't miss out! read more

So good!! Highly recommend supporting this local business. Everything we had (party of 10) was OUTSTANDING!

If you eat at Saputo's, I hope you like cheese! The dining area is most aptly described as down-home, and the service is the opposite of hoity-toity. Unfortunately, it seems like the entrees are priced for tourists from Chicago. Saputo's is worth a visit just to see such a long-standing Springfield institution, but I'm not going to make it my go-to spot for a dinner out. At prices like this, there are plenty of other options in town that offer something more memorable and date-nighty than Saputo's Italian comfort food. read more

Stopped for the night on a road trip and walked here on a whim. It was seriously some of the best food I've ever had. There was a lot of flavor and the bread was delicious. Highly recommend! read more

LOVED the food here. Had some pasta mix of Alfredo, Meatballs, Cheese and pasta. All baked in the oven and it was delicious. Definitely a place I will visit again. Surprised how good it was considering Springfield's size as a town but this was an awesome old-school Italian joint. read more

Really awful take out experience. Caesar salad consisted of romaine lettuce, croutons and one sliver of anchovy. No Parmesan cheese. Lasagna was basically noodles, sparse tomato sauce and mozzarella. Lacking ricotta, Parmesan, meat, crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, other herbs. We won't be back! read more

Nice old family style dining room with pleasant service. Heavy Italian foods prevail. I inquired about the anchovy salad, it's the house salad with anchovies added. I asked about the olive salad, same description. I asked about the classic caesar it's romaine with anchovies and pre-grated Parmesan (the kind with cellulose filler). I ordered the sausage and peppers. The sauce was mild and pleasant, the peppers still had some bite to them but the house made sausage was nearly inedibly over salty The pasta fagiole was tasty but a little too cool when served. The shrimp fettuccine alfredo was so-so and the lasagne was the same It seems this restaurant may be a shadow of a formerly good place but now it's a mediocre spaghetti house. read more

Great dining experience. We both ordered the baked ravioli which are home made and delicious. The marinara sauce was very flavorful. Yummy fresh baked bread and a nice bottle of wine completed our dinner. Unfortunately we had no room for dessert. Very friendly and efficient staff. read more

Came here in a spur of the moment dinner decision after a wonderful day visiting the city's historical sights. Excellent menu and options for a variety of appetites. Cozy, old-school decor place with plenty of room and a bar. We selected the bruschetta to start, which included olives and was perfect, then the mostaccioli and sausage for one of our entrees, and the veal with a side of broccoli for another entree. We both got rather large and salads of ice berg lettuce and chopped tomatoes with olive oil and vinegar for our dressing. The lettuce was a little old, the tomatoes were bright red and flavorful. The oil wasn't very flavorful. Both the mostaccioli and veal were very flavorful and well-seasoned. We were happy to get leftovers as the meal sizes are generous. The hostess and waitress were fast and friendly. I would gladly come back if in the area again. read more

It seems to me that this restaurant has been around Springfield, Illinois for a very long time. This is a small locally owned business. That serves authentic Italian food that is fantastic! Atmosphere: The ambience of this restaurant is simply fantastic. Low dimmed lights, very quiet restaurant, and very very clean. It has a fantastic bar with a large beer and liquor selection with a couple of televisions for sports or whatever you may want to watch. They separate the bar from the restaurant with a wall so the noise does not interrupt the people eating dinner. This was a simply wonderful restaurant and very popular. Food: I had what was called the Meat Plate. Three enormous meatballs, two large pieces of sausage, and a serving of roast beef completely covered in marinara sauce. It was extremely reasonable at $10.95. Of course, I had a simple Bud Select to make the meal perfect. They basically give you half a loaf of bread to go with your meal. The food was simply incredible! I would go back the next time I am in town. Service: The waitress was fantastic! She was extremely nice, very helpful with the menu. Couldn't have had better service. I have to give this restaurant five stars. It is so quiet. It sits in the perfect location and the staff is fantastic. I do not have one single complaint about this restaurant and the food was simply wonderful. read more

Food here is incredible! Baked lasagna, although not a traditional lasagna, is awesome and one of my favorites. The breaded fillet is also insanely good, although I think I liked the breaded New York strip more. Their salads were excellent, the dressing is the best in town. Both the chicken wings and toasted raviolis were great too, overall definitely worth the trip! read more

One of the best steak's I've ever had...House salad dressing is phenomenal...However, spaghetti side dish was a little disappointing. Overall, it was a great dining experience! Will definitely return again! Highly recommend the baked ravioli! read more

Tried to plan a dinner party for 12 people. Reservation was made Was told the area wouldnt be private Ok I can deal with that. But we were pretty much on top on each other. Very awkward set up. Brought a cake for my uncle. Told them is was a surprise After being totally rushed through our meal, the waitress says, should I bring out the cake. Well that went that surprise. Thanks Saputos. Maybe try and read the room a little better. Then the bill came and there were charges on my husbands card that shouldn't have been so that was a whole thing Lucky for her, he was tipping! I'm not from this area but if this is the best you've got, geez. Take a drive north to anywhere in Chicago or suburbs and you'll get way better food and service. Can't say anything about the other server, he was on his game. Nothing like spending over $300 and walking out disappointed jeqnis-viskI1-kajseb read more

Went there with my in-laws and the waitress ours have been more engaging, she was fine. Her mother was also a waitress there and was super engaging with her table. read more

We recently visited Springfield and chose to have lunch at Saputo's. We were so impressed! Being Italian. I gravitate to trying different Italian restaurants when I travel and now Saputo's will always stand out in my memories. We both had classic Italian dishes, Alfredo and Lasagna; both expertly prepared and delicious. But the surprise stand out was the Italian sausage we ordered as an extra. It was the best Italian sausage I ever had; the spices could be tasted, but they were balanced and well blended and the grind of the of the meat was so fine, not fatty. I asked the waitperson and she said it was their own family recipe. Wow, what a treat! Great ambiance too! read more

Ate here while on a business trip and staying at the Hilton across the street. Wow...so bad. First impressions - plastic dishes and a basket of Saltines. And a large-assed waitress who kept walking between our table and the next (the tables are very close together), bumping my dining companion's water glass with her ass. I ordered the lasagna, which came with a salad and "bread and butter." The salad was pretty sad looking, comprised mostly of whitish iceberg lettuce and drenched in their overly garlicky house Italian dressing. And the bread was toasted and was so hard that it hurt my teeth. The lasagna. Was. Awful. It wasn't even warm, and here's what it was comprised of: a handful of lasgna noodle strips and a sprinkling of mozzerella cheese (no ricotta), swimming in tomato soup. I got a stomach ache after 2 bites. Just...don't. read more

Gordon Ramsey might just get physical here! Nightmare is an understatement! This restaurant was recommended, I can only believe it was because they have not tried any real, authentic Italian food... because while the restaurant implies it's Italian, I would argue that it must be "I"-talian! We popped in and were told that there was a 20 minute wait, sat at the bar and had a couple of sodas while we waited. We did have the opportunity to look around though, and were a little surprised about the vinyl table clothes and institutional chairs, but we're from the 'big city' let's try to be more flexible and give it a shot. Hubby ordered lasagna, added mushrooms for $0.95 - I ordered chicken parmesean with a side of spaghetti. Got our salads first, and were surprised that it was just lettuce and tomatoes, nothing else, except dressing. Dinner came and well, hubby was shocked to have lasagna that did not appear to have any ricotta or some other cheese other than mozzerella, along with mushrooms that were OBVIOUSLY from a can... Gordon Ramsey would have thrown the dish at someone, if he'd have ordered it and gotten the same meal! I cannot complain too much about my chicken, ti was moist and had a very familiar flavor... I had the impression it might be prepackaged though, I think, because it was smothered in sauce and cheese... but the spaghetti... EW! The sauce seriously tasted like burnt tomato paste and nothing more. After dinner, we thought we'd try some dessert, it couldn't be that bad... but we were wrong! We ordered taramisu and it was a slice from a prepackaged, cheese-cake type thing, that was NOT very good at all. Honestly, we were so disappointed with this restaurant, we only looked for something better the rest of our visit... and thankfully found it ALL OVER Springfield! read more

I violated several of my own rules in even choosing this place for a meal. First, I took the recommendation for this place from a colleague who has only been north of I-80 about 3 times in the last 15 years. Second, I was fooled into thinking it was "good" because it was "crowded." Don't I know better by now? Finally, I committed the cardinal sin of ordering a Margarita in an Italian joint...and it tasted like a Margarita ordered from a really bad Italian joint. Saputo's is a Springfield staple. Every fat cat legislator and lobbyist makes his way here to eat and bad reviews are not going to change that. Apparently it's the only thing even remotely close to "authentic" Italian and the locals seem to dig it. It's downtown, it's close to the Capitol, it stays open "late" -- what's not to like? Well, for starters that it's not very good. Stale bread, iceberg lettuce salads drenched in Italian dressing, a steaming heap of cheese and red sauce calling itself "baked lasagna", bartendress/server with an attitude...basta! Finito! Despite being a little afraid of my bartender-doubling-as-a-server, I sent my "Margarita" back. All mix and a stingy dash of bottom-shelf tequila does not a Margarita make. I switched out for a very good, but stingy pour of Pinot Noir that cost me $7.95. I couldn't finish the salad, and could not get through the over-cheesed, underseasoned lasagna. The meatballs are a winner, but they're fairly small and you only get two. The bartendress/server couldn't have cared less about how my meal or experience was. She was too busy catering to the big bellied regulars to really be bothered. Guess she figured I wouldn't be back. And she was correct. I almost got mad. Then I remembered where I was. "Italian for yokels" would not be an inaccurate description of Saputo's. They can have it. read more

This place was really built up as THE Italian place in Springfield. Unfortunately, as with most recommendations by lifetime residents of Springfield concerning dining out, I did not share their enthusiasm. The meatballs cost extra, really 2 measly meatballs. The wine corking fee is above the standard 2-3 times the price, which instantly makes the place less appealing. For an authentic Italian restaurant, the wine selection is lacking (and I don't think one was from Italy) and high prices certainly hinder it from flowing. Reservations are a must for this small, cramped establishment. Although I struggle to understand why. Our table was in the middle of the room and was entirely too close to other tables, which made us feel like we were dining with the rest of the patrons. It was an uncomfortable atmosphere to say the least, which cramped the nice date we were attempting to have. read more

Old school gloss. Small town mediocrity. Let down. The dim lighting, drab panelling and "Hi, Hun, what can I get ya, doll?" greeting duped me into thinking Saputo's would live up to the raves of the locals who swore to me Saputo's has served first rate Italian fare - since 1948. I got here late, tired and hungry. I was amused that the menu says they actually accept Diner's Club!! I suppose I made the mistake of not listening to the bartender's recommendations. But I wasn't in the mood for steak or baked pasta. I ordered spaghetti-ravioli combo with meat balls. The pasta itself resembled that thick stuff we ate at summer camp, and the sauce was sort of thin and ketchupy. The meatballs were fair but small, and the ravioli was delicious. The overall portion sucked. I was surprised how skimpy it was. Highlight: Anchovie salad. That was excellent. Service: great, friendly, and fast. But you can't make a lion out of a barn cat, and in the scheme of things, even in the annals of first class, small town eateries (e.g., for comparison, see review above of St. Elmos, in Indianapolis,) Saputo's is a barn cat. read more