First off, it's hard to go wrong at any Melman restaurant, and Saranello's is no exception! We were greeted promptly and professionally at the host stand. I noticed a portrait on the wall next to the stand and inquired who it was. Her name was Sara Rowe, and it's a loving memorial to a long time Melman partner. Melman combined her first name, Sara, with a classic Italian suffix to create the name "Saranello's". It's an upscale restaurant with upscale food. But at a mid-scale price point, Thanks for that! The food: I had the baked eggplant parm, since I'm from Chicago. You know what I mean if you're local. And it's my new benchmark. Well done! The wife had the braised short rib ravioli. It's now her desert island dish. It's a very very nice space. And our server knew the menu backwards and forwards. Anyone who's had the grated "parmesan" in the green can will appreciate the genuine Parmiggiano Reggiano they serve here. Freshly grated with no cellulose, and that beautiful tang! With homemade tiramisu for dessert, and a glass of wine, the tab was about $75, but you get what you pay for, and you'll get what you're paying for here! read more

Saranello's is very crowded and popular. The interior is more fancy looking (think hanging red curtain dividers, dim lighting), the food average. The service was very friendly however! We were there for a family event so we had a fixed menu. Of the items, the Caesar salad was actually my favorite! It was light with a delicious drizzled dressing and flakes of Parmesan cheese. (My husband normally does not like Caesar salad but we loved this fancy one). Caesar salad--5/5 Chicken limone--3/5 not super flavorful Roasted Atlantic salmon--3/5 Pesto fusilli with chicken -3/5 Rigatoni with vodka sauce - 3/5 heavy but I may just not be a fan of vodka sauce Chocolate truffle cake - 4/5 (my husband liked it, very chocolatey) Apple crostata was good -5/5 I liked the texture read more

Awesome Lasagna! Was in the area for business and wanted to take something home for an easy dinner. They had a Lasagna Special that day so I decided to go for it. Placed the TO GO order in the restaurant and decided to wait. The ambiance was lovely and the hostess was very kind and helpful. When I got it home, I saw that it was packaged perfectly and made a lovely easy dinner that night. Next time, I hope to dine-in and enjoy the ambiance & food even more. Highly recommend this Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant if you're in the area! Enjoy! read more

Saranello's brunch buffet never fails! For a great price, you get bottomless mimosas with four different flavors. The made-to-order omelets and eggs Benedict are excellent, and the rest of the spread is huge- salads, smoked salmon, grilled veggies, and all the breakfast classics like bacon, waffles, and corned beef hash. They even have a carving station with New York steak and smoked ham. Big shoutout to our server Alani and host Isabela for the top-notch hospitality. We'll definitely be back with friends! read more

Ordered the mushroom ragu. The pasta sauce tasted pretty salty, unenjoyably salty at times. That wasn't the biggest issue though, the problem is all the Noodles were stuck together! It really wasn't that nice to eat because so many of the noodles were stacked on top of each other and boiled that way, they never separated. So I just had these massive chunks of noodles that were stuck together that had no sauce on them. The other pasta we got is fine and the appetizers were good too. The pasta was just kind of ruined by being so stuck together unfortunately. read more

Great business dinner. Love the restaurant and the interior. Bar area is nice with TVs for events. Dinner was great. Each meal at the table was nice. I had the Lasagna and it was great. Large serving. Chicken was also nice at our table. We split the meatballs for appetizers which included three meatballs. Desserts were good. Chocolate cake was taken to go. Everyone liked the food and service. read more

Saranello's - Menu - Italian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

We came to Saranello's for a group dinner while on a work trip and overall enjoyed our dishes. We had a plated meal with antipasto, salad, bread and oil, a choice of salmon, lasagna, or parm and then chocolate truffle cake for dessert. The antipasto and salad were simple but good, however the bread and oil were so good! I loved that the oil had a large slight of grated parm in it (we do this at home). Those who got salmon said it was good and same for the parm. It was breaded nicely and not drowning in the sauce. The meat lasagna though was outstanding. Probably the best lasagna that managed mentioned they had, had. I appreciated that the meat wasn't so strong and each flavor/layer was evenly tasted on the palate. The dessert was a nice addition and the cake itself was moist. Lastly, our server was nice and quick along with anyone who was assisting him read more

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Definitely a beautiful place inside and a perfect spot for a dinner or drinks with colleagues. The mocktails were delicious and the food was excellent. The only thing is that partner ordered the salmon and it was very undercooked and unappetizing. I'd definitely like to go back and try it again read more

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Excellent food, good service, ...... but the tables are so close to each other that you are almost part of the next table's conversation. Also it was hard to get into your seat because you couldn't move the seat back far enough. I'll come back again, but request a booth! read more

Let's start by saying the food here is incredible but don't ever get the server LISA. She was absolutely horrible. Came on my birthday with just my husband and this lady was no where near to be found. The bus boys took better care of us than her. Will go back but never to see her. Service was Absolutley terrible we left before we ordered a meal, well because she never came to see if we were ready to order! read more

Excellent dinner! Food is great! Eggplant Parmesan was so good as well as the lasagna! Love the restaurant!

We came here for the NYE party. It was super chaotic from the moment we arrived-- it wasn't clear where we were supposed to check in, and we waited in the foyer shoulder to shoulder with dozens of people who had just come for dinner until we learned that we were really supposed to be checking in in the back room. The waiters were annoyed about having to be there (I'm not saying this based on vibes-- this is the conversation they were having when we walked in!), and we felt that throughout the night. We tried to place drink orders and were reminded that they were very busy and would get to us eventually (so I only had one drink on NYE!). The food was really rough, and when they heard us commenting on it, we were lectured about how everything was actually made from scratch and this is what you get with scratch cooking. It became kind of a joke at our table, trying to figure out why our waitress hated us so much from the jump! There was no plan here for how to get food out at such a large event. Rather than going table by table, they brought out all of one type of dish, to 50+ people, then the other type of dish to the other half of people. This meant that about half the table, at every table, was waiting for their neighbors' food to be brought out while theirs got cold. I'm not convinced that the food was hot to begin with, anyway, since I had the lobster ravioli (the second entree to be brought out) and it was pretty frigid, with a film on top of the cream. Food temperature aside, the quality just wasn't there; we had a caprese salad to start where the tomatos were so mealy they fell apart on the plate as mush. Caprese is two ingredients, so I had a balsamic-glazed cheese for that course. Could be worse, but could be a lot better! It's two stars instead of one because the one cocktail I did have was excellent, so I'd definitely come back just for the bar. But I'd stand at the bar, wouldn't try to make eye contact with anyone in service, and would definitely steer clear of the food! read more

My boyfriend and I are frequent patrons of Saranellos; however, Monday evening was the first time Damon was our server. He was attentive, engaging, and although the restaurant was winding down for the evening, he made sure the level of service we received did not. The bread was fresh and warm, the food served at the perfect temperature, our water glasses remained full, and we had a delightful conversation with him. It is evident he takes pride in his work and made our visit very enjoyable. read more

The food tasted great, but not outstanding. Prepared well. Everyone in our party of three was happy with their meal. Server was knowledgeable. Total of $200 for us three, w/ one glass of wine. Worth patronizing if you're willing to spend. Pictured is the bread, which was great. read more

Saranello's - Italian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

Happy hour is back at Saranello's! My friend and I were excited to try the happy hour menu which has some cheap apps and drink specials. There are vegetarian options (but not dairy-free) options. We got the Parmesan stuffed mushrooms, meatballs, arancini, and ordered a side of broccolini from the regular menu. The food was good, including the free bread. There wasn't much of a crowd as we got there early so it was kind of a weird vibe. I'm used to this restaurant being a bustling place. Service was subpar to start--the server we started with seemed to be having a bad day, which I can relate to. It also took a long time for our food to come out. The server we ended with was very attentive and made up for the initial experience. read more

Saranello's - Short Rib Arancini, Prime Beef Meatbals, Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms, Garlic Broccolini - Italian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

Food: 5/5 Service: 3/5 Ambiance: 4/5 I came here with my family to celebrate my mom and FIL's birthday. The restaurant is really beautiful and all the tables are spacious and you don't feel cramped at all. We came on a Saturday night and it was packed in the restaurant. I definitely recommend making a reservation beforehand, just to guarantee a spot and then you also don't have to wait to be seated. All the food had generous portions and was delicious. For appetizers we ordered calamari and the chopped salad to share. For entrees, we recommend the chicken limone, the rigatoni with ragu, and the pistachio crusted whitefish. The sauces for the pastas were delicious and the pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente texture. My main criticism is the service. Not sure if they're understaffed but it was incredibly hard to get the wait staff's attention for simple things like refilling water or making sure our table had olive oil with our bread. Our waitress also forgot the coffee we ordered after our dessert and it took a while to get our bill. One nice perk is that Saranello's is part of the "Lettuce Eats" program so you get reward points every time you spend money on food or drinks. Every $150 is a $10 gift reward, but you cannot use it Saturday after 3 pm. Overall a really nice restaurant to celebrate a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. read more

Saranello's - RIGATONI with MEAT RAGÙ - Italian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

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We came here for the Father's Day Brunch. It's their usual brunch but not like their Mother's Day brunch which is over-the-top. Reservations are highly recommended as they are packed. And while there is ample parking, they do over complimentary valet service. We found a spot in the lot. We were seated fairly quickly after arrival and stating we had a reservation. Our table backed into the collapsed air wall which is okay until the table next to you has someone sitting next to the collapsed air wall and the wall free floats back and forth into both me and the person at the other table. Unfortunately, we were seated next to a table that had the morning after family from a wedding the night before. The aisles were narrow as were the spaces around the tables in this area and guests kept stopping by to say goodbyes and filled the spaces. I'm glad my wife and I weren't sitting in either of the aisle based seats at our table as these guests were pushing into the chairs and leaning over our table to talk to the other table (hey wedding planners: if you plan on doing breakfast the next day, reserve a room, as your guests annoyed everyone around them and they were unapologetic). The restaurant should have done something about this and didn't. Our serve was so new, that she just went around them instead of saying excuse me or asking them to move out of the way. Speaking about our server, she stated to us that she was rather new and just learning the ropes several times. My wife ordered an omelet (no omelet stations, the kitchen does them) and our server should have told us that the kitchen is backed up and it takes about 40 minutes to get an omelet. Alas, she did not tell us this and we waited for the omelet. It was less egg white and more mozzarella cheese with the veggies she asked for, The buffet was good overall as it never disappoints. I think the service just needs to be a lot better. read more

Our family of nine made Thanksgiving dinner reservations at Saranello's this year. It was our first time choosing to dine out for the holidays, and unfortunately the experience started off on a disappointing note. Even though we had reservations, our wait ended up being extremely long due to a mistake by one of the hostess or table managers who gave our reserved table to another party. Out of all the groups waiting, we were the very last to be seated which was especially difficult since we had three young toddlers with us. A party that arrived after us, and did not have their full group present, was seated at the table meant for us which was very frustrating. While I understand that the holidays are an incredibly busy time, this situation and the miscommunication surrounding this matter felt unacceptable and could have been handled better. After about 40 minutes we were finally seated. Once we were at our table, the experience turned around thanks to the restaurant manager -- a gentleman -- along with our server Deborah. They both went above and beyond to take care of our family. They were friendly, attentive and worked hard to get food out quickly for our hungry toddlers. The manager took the time to acknowledge our frustration, even though the issue wasn't his fault, and genuinely did his best to remedy the situation and make the rest of our evening enjoyable. It did feel like Saranello's might have overbooked for the holiday and did not anticipate parties staying longer than usual. However, I want to truly thank Deborah, the other staff members that served our table and especially the manager who stepped in. Their effort and kindness made the remainder of our night a better experience, and we really appreciated it. I'm leaving this review so that Saranellos gives credit where it's due. I want to say thank you to the manager who went above and beyond to remedy the situation. Your exceptional customer service truly turned this night around. Thank you. read more

Rustic, old school and cozy. Saranello's is a larger establishment with plenty of traditional Italian food options. It's connected to the Westin and there is plenty of complimentary parking in multiple lots. This spot offers brunch, dinner and private event spaces. Bar review: A friend and I grabbed drinks at their bar and my experience here was interesting. The bartenders gave off the vibe that they'd rather be anywhere but there. The staff members I interacted with were not kind and had a strong negative attitude. I know rude service has become a popular but joking type of service at some places, however, this is not that type of spot. When ordering drinks I felt like I was inconveniencing their life. The eye rolling was heavy when asking for a cocktail menu. The plus side was the French martini I had was really good. Dining in for dinner review: I was here with a group of 10+ and our experience was great! Our server was attentive, friendly and patient. She was familiar with the menu and ready to give recommendations when asked. Drinks came out quickly and our food service was timed out well. I tried the salmon entre and also got a side of the parmesan mashed potatoes. The salmon was OK, it was on the bland side and fairly overcooked. The parmesan mashed potatoes were flavorful, smooth, creamy and really good. Majority of our table got pasta and they didn't have left overs so that makes me believe it was probably the way to go for next time. read more

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I hosted my daughter's birthday party in Saranello's Cellar Room, which seats 8 people. Mary N. was incredibly helpful and patient with me during the booking process, and I appreciated her professionalism. She made everything easy. I do feel however, that the booking $ minimum is a bit pricey. The room itself was very nice, and my family was happy that we could easily have conversations with one another since the restaurent gets rather noisy. What I didn't like about the room was that there really wasn't much walking room around the seating area, which made it difficult for the serving staff to get to all fo us. Much had to be passed down the table. Also, a number of other customers walked down the corridor to our room because they thought it was the way to the bathroom. One woman even walked right into our dining area. I feel that Saranello's could post a sign in the middle of the hallway saying, "private dining area" or something of that sort. Our main server was fantastic and made the event a real treat. He was friendly and professional. (I wish I could remember his name.) The other staff that helped clear the table was wonderful too. The food was tasty, although I wish there were more vegan options. I ordered a dish that was not on the menu: penne pasta in a pomodoro sauce, with broccoli, mushrooms, and spinach. I also had their brussels dish, but without the cheese and bacon. They just tasted oily and almost flavorless. All in all we had a great time. read more

Saranello's - penne with pomodoro sauce, and broccoli, mushroom, and spinach - Italian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

My friend and I went to Saranello's for lunch, and I've been wanting to try it for a while. Overall, it wasn't bad, but it didn't quite hit the mark. We started with the toasted ravioli, which was actually really good, and the marinara sauce was a nice surprise--fresh and flavorful. However, the garlic Parmesan fries were disappointing, tasting like frozen bag fries. The eggplant Parm was just okay, nothing special, and the fettuccine was pretty forgettable--I wouldn't go back for it. Service was slow, especially for lunch, and it was freezing inside. We asked about turning up the heat, but they couldn't because it's connected to a hotel, which felt like poor management. Overall, not the best experience, but not the worst either. read more

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This review is more about server than the restuarant itself. I've enjoyed Saranello's for years. Atmosphere and food are always delightful. What really stands out there is server, Damon! Damon has amazing personal skills and always takes such good care of us and all customers! He goes over and beyond. Can't say enough about what an asset for this restuarant to have Damon! read more

Amazing place! Pasta, bread and salad are always excellent. Their pistachio gelato was even better than I expected, and it looked and tasted pretty authentic. Our server, Damon, was really great. Always very friendly, fast and knowledgeable, and treats people like family. read more

Great food & service. Perfect for lunch dinner or just drinks. And easy to get to with plenty of parking

We've dined at Saranello's years ago and loved it. We returned tonight and enjoyed great service and food! Saranello's has a nice relaxed atmosphere and very tasty food that is not expensive. You get great quality at a good price. read more

Too expensive for what you receive. Service was HORRIBLE!!!! Food was over cooked (pistachio whitefish) to the point of burnt and dry! F this place never again! read more

The Sunday Brunch very mediocre honestly cheap Pasta, Salad, Ham Roast Beef over cooked the table where the food was lots of plates were empty nothing to get honestly didn't care for it read more

Food was 8 out of 10. Service was 1 out of 10. We had to flag her down for water 2 times. Prices were high. I will not be back. read more

I've been twice now. First time was a four and half stars visit, BUT the second time I'd give more than 5 stars if I could! Highly recommend the early supper club deal. My partner and I tried a few different things and we both were very satisfied with the food. I especially loved the gnocchi! Our server was also super nice and he helped us pick out some tasty things. read more

Started off with cup of soup, delicious, Caesar salad again well done and tasty, the chicken Marsala was not a true Marsala, had some sort of light brown gravy on top with some mushroom, certainly did not taste as a Marsala at all. Had the white fish also very good, requested to remove the service charge that is automatically added by lettuce by was not removed. The Marsala and the non removal is the result of two stars read more

Saranello's - Their version of an imposter chicken Marsala - Italian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

Again, another example of a place that has taken a dive. We went for the supper club special. We've been going there for years getting this. We both ordered the whitefish and I literally noticed it was half the size of what it used to be. If you are offering a special, you should not cut the size of the main dish in half because then it is really not any kind of a deal. You had to be in the restaurant no later than 530 which is super early and we both ended up leaving hungry. read more

Very good food here. I actually had it delivered to my room in the Westin and food was hot and fresh. Prices are good, and portions are large. read more

Saranello's is a rustic Italian restaurant nestled close to the Westin Hotel off of Milwaukee Ave and the OK dispensary. The parking situation is small for the up-close parking, but if you don't mind the walk, there is plenty of parking further down. It's the way the land was setup, with a small little pond in between the restaurant and the main parking area, which makes valet parking bustling on a busy night, or people 100mm dashing to their car during a rain storm. We ordered: ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS had bacon, ricotta salata, balsamic. Probably the best dish out of the dining experience SHRIMP DIABLO LINGUINE ~~ shrimp I and linguine in a spicy tomato sauce. Something tasted "off" with this dish. After tasting a bit, the closest I can describe it was the pasta was whole wheat, which if you know whole wheat, the texture is completely different. Sadly, it wasn't mentioned on the menu that they were going to use it. Im all about healthy, but if you don't expect it, especially with how different regular pasta is vs whole wheat, it's off putting b PRIME SKIRT STEAK -- came with some cacio e pepe fries. The steak was cooked to requested, which was good. Skirt steak was fattier than expected Banana tiramisu -- I had this at a catering event and numerous people, including me, thought it was great. The dining portion was just as great! But what left us with a bad taste in our mouths was the "restaurant fee" which upon asking them, they happily took out. Apparently it's remnants of the Covid-19 days when restaurants were financially struggling. I'm all about restaurants thriving, but this is 2024, and I don't like how they kept this fee because they get an extra $5 per check. Will there be a seating fee next time? Plate and napkin fee? What is this? Ticketmaster with 90 different fees? Upon checking out their website, it does mention this fee, but why even put it there if you are willing to easily take it out? Is it to take advantage of unsuspecting people who may not pay attention to their bill? It's either greed, or... I don't even know. Let's just say, the server who waited on us even explained it as "the restaurant is getting money out of this still, so they kept it." Very bad restaurant practice. Only thing good about this place is wait staff. Make sure to tip them generously, because they all need to make a living. We will not be coming back. BATHROOM REVIEW: bathrooms located on the second floor, near the back, these bathrooms were super nice. It reminded me of a hotel bathroom in a ballroom. Elegant, inviting, and very much enjoyable. The urinals themselves have private stalls. Forget privacy dividers that do an ok job if you're self conscious about peeing next to someone barely a foot away (WrigleyField men's pee troughs... I shudder) you get your own stall! Very nice. Sit or squat? Sit! read more

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Haven't had a bad meal here yet in all the years we have gone here. It's a very loud and busy restaurant, but ai think that says something about the food- it's good! We had the lobster ravioli which was delicious- the sauce was a tad salty, by so good that we had to sip it up with their great crusty bread. The meat lasagna was rich and filling. The meat in the sauce so tender and flavorful. We split a large chopped salad - great dressing. Our server was attentive and friendly. read more

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We've enjoyed dinners at Saranello's since their 2011 opening, but this was the first time we experienced their Sunday Brunch buffet. This was a special occasion - my Missus' birthday. And ... wow! The food and service were exceptional. Bottomless mimosas are included in the reasonable $39.95 price. Our server went far above and beyond clearing away used dishes and replenishing beverages. He shared several tips and pointers on buffet items, and also delivered a plate of blueberry mini-muffins fresh from the oven. A chef who worked feverishly to prepare 3 omelets at a time plus carve the meats--while managing to be extremely pleasant--deserves special recognition! The garlicky, butter knife-tender hand-sliced steak won our highest praise. Also superb were the cinnamon French toast and vanilla bean pancakes with Bananas Foster topping. There was no shrimp cocktail or cheesecake, but other high-quality seafood and dessert items more than compensated. My Missus was too stuffed to consume her birthday cake, so our server graciously brought her a carryout container. read more

Saranello's - Happy Birthday, BlueNails! - Italian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

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It was date night so I wanted to pick something good and the food was not great. I had high expectations and it was not great. My coke was flat and my dates drink was a mixed drink and way too strong. Our waiter took forever. Should have just gone to spears read more

The New Years Eve Party was excellent. Only problem the dance floor was too small. The food was tremendous and the dessert was off the chain. Service was impeccable. This is my wife and I favorite thing to do on New Years Eve. Price was right. Will attend next year. read more

I am absolutely obsessed with Saranellos. The food, staff, service is top notch. It's always packed & worth the extra pennies. The restaurant is connected to the Westin in Wheeling. They also have a banquet rooms for private parties, baby showers and special occasions. I love their beet salad- it's nothing like I've tasted before. It's mixed with cheese, arugula & topped with vinaigrette and nuts. read more

Beautiful restaurant great drinks customer service was great. Will definitely be coming back read more

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Just took my dad here for his 83rd birthday. It started out to be a nice time. The waiter was attentive, the hostess could not have been nicer, and the place had a genuinely upscale vibe. The paper towels in the bathroom were so soft I wanted to take them home - but I didn't. My issue was with the chicken limone I ordered. The plate consisted of some boiled linguini from a box, two of the smallest pieces of chicken I've ever been served, then topped with a very basic lemon sauce and a few capers. All this was $18 before tax and tip. I didn't take pictures because I was too embarrassed. But let me paint a picture for you. Imagine two McDonald's chicken nuggets. Now flatten them to be the thickness of a pencil. That actually may have been what they did back in the kitchen. I was sad because the lasagna my brother ordered looked awesome (and generously portioned). My dad's sandwich was fine. All our meals were around the same price so I don't get the difference in portion size. Anyway I can't forgive these two ear sized chicken things that took 4 bites to eat, leaving me with a plate of carbs I really didn't want. I didn't complain because I shouldn't have to send something back for just not being enough. Oh yeah and wasn't jt supposed to have spinach? I don't know but there was no spinach. I won't be back. read more