The food was AMAZING! I had the shrimp. It was cooked to perfection!!! The staff was friendly and attentive to all of our needs. Very rarely have I had an experience like this in Chico. read more

Delicious food and great wait staff. TRUE Sicilian craftsmanship. Awesome atmosphere also! the scallops were delicious!

Quaint little restaurant located south of downtown with an ultra tiny parking lot. Lucky for me, I read the reviews and got there "early" to score one of the best spots directly next to the building. Meaning, no door dings on my car (I read in another review about the TINY & limited parking spaces). Needless to say, I was a happy girl! The main (tiny) building located in the front of the restaurant is well lit, cozy and intimate. There is another 'outdoor' seating area located in the back of the restaurant which you can only access by going back out the front door, outside, and across the parking lot. Situated in the back of the place is an almost tree-house like room dimly lit with about 5 small tables and 1 booth. It was really interesting and cool except for the occasional scent of something really gnarly like vomit or a men's bathroom piss biscuit, you know those things cheap places throw in the urinals? I cant really explain it and it wasn't constant, just every so often this stench would float by and it was LESS THEN DESIRABLE, it was downright OFFENSIVE. Luckily it didn't prohibit me from eating my food (I was famished) and I didn't lose my appetite from it however, be on alert: Should you choose the back patio for dining- if you have an ultra sensitive nose or have a weak stomach, I suggest you eat in the main, closed room up in the front building. Now, onto the food... the bread that came to the table must have been FRESH out of the oven- STEAMING HOT, served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil as well as a little side dish of olives, salami, cheese and carrots. The chicken fettuccine was ordered as an appetizer and was very tasty, in thick and creamy white sauce, good for bread dipping. Main course served was lasagna with a side salad. Mixed greens, cherry tomato's with Italian as well as balsamic vinegar (at my request) which was light and tasty. I wasn't super impressed with my lasagna, I think my moms is better by a long shot. *Sorry Chefy* It was bland and not as cheesy as I was hoping for. It was also SO hot I burned my tongue as well as the roof of my mouth when I took the first bite. It was fresh and I gave them stars for that however, its the following day and my tongue is charred. #NoBueno Onto the desserts... WOW!! If you go here for any reason, make it the espresso brownie with marscarpone whipped cream. The whipped cream alone is to die for!! Add to that, vanilla ice cream with marsala wine and this place gets 4 freakin stars. There, I said it- 4 stars for their dessert. Is that bad? Why don't you be the judge and go try it yourself. Dessert was THE BOMMMMMMMMMMB. Hey, at least I'm honest :) read more

See all

If you really want to experience an "Old World" Southern Italian meal then this Restaurant hits all the notes of your senses from the minute you walk in the door. The music the vibe and the excitement to help you to your table. The bar was full of energy. We sat in the Lovely dining room as it was my Mom's 84th Birthday. I love the little things like cloth napkins and shining silverware. We were blessed with a Sweet Gentleman Waiter named Robert that treated us like gold. Now for the food.. They served hot french bread with balsmic and olive oil and an antipasto plate. We odered an appetizer which was homegrown heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella basil and olive oil. So fresh.My Mom had the Veal Piccata and I got a taste that melted in my mouth Dad and I had the Veal Scallopini and oh my gosh the sauce was amazing it had been reduced down to perfection and I have never heard my Dad so pleased. My Huband had the Special Beef Bollanaise and before I could take a bite it was almost gone. Honestly I can't say enough about our experience from the beginning till the end. We will be back soon and they made my Mom's 84th very Special.Thank you! read more

One of the finest Italian restaurants we have ever been to. Lovely atmosphere. Nice little antipasto plate to start, excellent bread. Caesar salad was great, not overdressed which is so common. But the star of the show for me was the lasagna. Absolutely the best I have ever tasted. A beautiful sauce, every bite made me want to close my eyes and savor the flavor. My wife had the scallops, also beautifully prepared. Just a great dining experience. read more

Let me start with the fact I've been a server in the food industry for over 10 years. I am not one to complain about service, this is my first review. First time trying Sicilian Cafe. Last night at 6pm we ordered curbside Togo. They said it will be ready at 6:45. We arrived early at 6:35, a girl that was out in the parking lot asked our name to check on our order. Good start, but this is where it failed. Apparently she didn't check on our order, as other cars kept pulling up and leaving with their curbside orders. We saw one woman, who pulled right next to our car, get her food within minutes and leave. Each time the girls not checking on us or the food. 20 minutes go by. I call the restaurant the check the status of our order. "She's on her way out the door with it". Okay. So we wait. And wait and wait. 30 minutes go by, as we saw the woman who parked next to us arrive back. They offered her more food and wine and a $5 gift card. We knew they had given her our food, but we were told they "had a major PPE accident in the kitchen". Our food had to be remade because of this "accident" After being lied to, and being pretty freakin patient with these girls, they finally bring us our anti- pasta salads and bread. NOT OUR DINNER! Still waited another 23 minutes (a total of 55 minutes) for our food. At 7:37pm we received our food, an apology and they tried giving us a bottle of wine. I'm pregnant- I cant drink. What's funny is the next morning on Foodies of Chico webpage, someone raved about your service and how they got our meal! Pictures included! DONT LIE SICILIAN CAFE! Be honest to your customers. You only made matters worse! Super unhappy with how EVERYTHING was handling last night! read more

So two weeks ago my boyfriend planned a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner at this restaurant and we show up just before our reservation time at 6:30 p.m. and the waitress said they tried to call him and his line was busy (since when is your cell phone line busy), he did not answer so they removed his reservation and if we wanted to wait for a table it would be 8 p.m. . My question is when do you have to call more than once to keep your reservation? My experience has been when I make a reservation for a restaurant I've done just that, made a reservation. Mike was not happy to say the least so we enjoyed at beer at Winchester Goose and dinner at Unwined. HOWEVER I am somewhat glad it didn't work out, it was soo smokey in there, someone couldn't get dinner right in the kitchen as the hostess couldn't get the reservations right! read more

The food was pretty good, but the service was beyond terrible. It took them about 20 minutes to take the order even though the place did not seem very busy at all. The three staff members in the room were just standing in the corner either staring at the wall or folding napkins. The young lady that waited on us did not refill our drinks or offer us to order more wine or beer. After about 45 Minutes after we placed our orders the food comes out and the waitress sees our empty glasses and just walks away. The experience was very off putting. With so many great restaurant options I don't think I will be coming back. It is a shame because the chef seems like a very great guy it was just everyone we interacted with either hated their jobs or are just terrible at it. Food 7/10 Service 1/10 read more

We celebrated our son's college graduation with the Sicilian Cafe as a party of 8. The communication with the restaurant was excellent as they helped us come up with a custom menu for our group. Our group ordered appetizers for the table and our entree included soup or salad. We also ordered 5 deserts to share at the table. We brought our own bottles of wine ($20) corkage fee. The food and service was excellent. We are Sicilian and make homemade Arancini's for Christmas and I am ashamed to admit that the Sicilian Cafe Arancini's are superior! All the food was expertly prepared, but what standouts were definitely the veal piccata and the chicken piccata -excellent! Our server, Robert was friendly and very attentive to our needs. For everything we paid an average of $78.00 per person, including tip- which these days we felt was an excellent deal for our dining experience. We highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Best Italian food hands down. I haven't been there in ages but thrilled to see it's still got my favorite item on the menu! Headed there when I visit Chico next! read more

Waitress was good drinks were good. Went for Valentine's Day. Ordered meat medium, came out rare. Complimentary champagne never served and they ran out of our dessert choice even though we ordered it at the beginning of our meal. read more

My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary recently at Sicilian Cafe, and as has been our experience, it was outstanding! My favorite was the Chicken Piccata, lightly breaded sauteed chicken with capers. My wife feasted on the Calamari appetizer. Crispy rings and tentacles with fresh lemon. We shared the sauteed clams for an appetizer, and that was delicious as well. The owner/chef will come out of the kitchen and insure you are satisfied with your meal. Sicilian Cafe is not just a place to celebrate a special occasion, but an intimate restaurant to celebrate fine Italian food in a comfortable atmosphere. We'll keep coming back! read more

Sicilian Cafe catered our backyard celebration and it was amazing! Not only were James and his team extremely kind and easy to work with, the food was incredible as always. Our family could not stop talking about how delicious it was. We love everything we try but I am still dreaming about the cannelloni! Oh and did I mention tiramisu? :) read more

I have NEVER had a worst experience. We ordered curb side pickup and waited over 45 minutes while car after car after car after car got their food and we were pasted over only given the excuse that there was a major PPE accident in the kitchen but how could that be if other people are getting their food ??? I hate being lied to. Own up to the mistake ask if I'd like to wait while you remake our food instead of of telling us it will be right out which took 35 minutes after we were told it's on the way out to our car. What's most sad is that this was our first time here trying to support a local restaurant during these hard times for local businesses. My pregnant wife and 18 month son who waited with me for over 45 minutes probably will not return. read more

Best Italian and Seafood in all of town. My absolute favorite place to take my girlfriend on date night. All of the food is so fresh and delicious from the appetizers, to the bread and deli platter. No entree disappoints. My girlfriends favorite is the Chicken Parm - I believe it's called the Chicken Americana, and it's always perfect. I always get something with seafood because it tastes more fresh than any other restaurant in town. The pasta is always seasoned, cooked, and presented beautifully. I'm not usually a fan of desert but they have one of the best chocolate lava cakes, It will always put a smile on your significant others face! If you don't mind paying a little extra for fresh, properly, and carefully cooked food made with passion, than try not to miss the parking lot when turning the corner on this restaurant! 9/10 read more

The pretentious reviews I've been reading are ridiculous. "no napkin when I sat down", "not a tasty Chianti", "they didn't smile when I walked in". Really poor in explaining their overall experience, so of little merit when it comes to a factual review of a restaurant. Its a shame these 1 star reviews have brought their average down to 2 stars. Here's my take: Make reservations. The place is popular and it will save you the hassle of having to wait. Parking is also problematic, the reason I deduct one star. You may have to walk a block or two if you come during peak hours (even with reservations). If you mange to get a spot, the spaces are compact and you have to squeeze out of your car. If you're on the large size, good luck. I went for a birthday. We had a table of six. The hostess and waitress were a pleasure to deal with. Very accommodating and professional. We were seated quickly, and drink orders were taken within a few minutes. House Cabernet was of good quality with a slight oak flavor. Appetizers arrived within 15 minutes, consisting of Calamari and Cheese bread. Absolutely delicious! The main courses were also delivered promptly, consisting of various authentic Italian dishes I wish I could comment on, but their menu isn't available online to reference for this review. I ordered a Filet Mignon which was so tender, I could cut it with a fork. There was enough food to have leftovers, my only regret is not having room for dessert. I'm making it a point to save room for the Creme Brulee next time. It can get slightly noisy inside during peak hours, but if you aren't a prude, it shouldn't be of much concern. When your choices are Italian Cottage and Olive Garden in Chico, make a point to try Sicilian Cafe. Experience real Italian food! read more

My family was visiting from the Bay Area for the Wildflower Bike Ride and my dad insisted on pasta to carbo-load for the ride. Hearing great things and seeking a great Italian restaurant in Chico, we made reservations for Sicilian Cafe for 6 of us on the patio. I was extremely disappointed from start to finish, and even though my dad picked up the tab was still compelled to write a review of my experience. To start, we ordered the calamari appetizer, the mushrooms, and the shrimp scampi. The calamari was heavily breaded and overcooked. Promised "full squid," it was just chunks of the calamari steak as opposed to the rings and tentacles served elsewhere. The shrimp scampi was also overcooked and completely chewy, the garlic-lemon butter sauce was the most underwhelming I've had anywhere. The mushrooms were just bland, wet, soggy whole mushrooms. Didn't go back for seconds on anything. Poor execution on every level. My boyfriend and I had the scallop entree, my dad ordered the lasagna, stepmom ordered seafood manicotti, and our family friend had spaghettini with meatballs (little brother had plain spaghetti as he is a picky eater). Most of us ordered the green salad to start. Wilted, warm spring mix with some halved cherry tomatoes, flavorless "Italian" dressing, and powdered parmesan. Sprinkled throughout was some rough chopped raw dill and parsley. I can't comment on the flavor of my parents' dishes - but I can say that the scallops are priced ridiculously, and I don't mind paying $30 for a good plate of food. For $28.50, I would expect a plate of fresh-tasting, sand-less, properly cleaned, perfectly seared scallops atop flawlessly cooked risotto. What we got were three jumbo scallops per plate, overcooked, sandy, gritty, flavorless. Tasted fishy, not sweet or at all the way I would expect a delicate, fresh scallop to taste. The mushroom risotto was underdone and totally underseasoned. The mushrooms were, again, wet and missing that really earthy taste I love about mushrooms. To round it all out, the service was pretty poor. The servers and (I think?) the owner were constantly pestering us to clear our plates before we had finished and it felt rude and rushed. For an "Italian" restaurant for this price, I don't see anything wrong with expecting fresh, housemade food that should leave me feeling completely satisfied and happy to return again. How about freshly grated parm? Fresh, house-made pasta? Would that really be too much to ask? Sadly, I wasn't at all satisfied and absolutely will not be returning. Really unfortunate and it is still irking me that my dad paid so much for such a pathetically underwhelming meal. Could make better food at home. Learned one thing at SC: don't look for Italian in Chico. read more

Sicilian Cafe is consistently one of the best restaurants in Chico. Authentic Italian, excellent service in a charming old-school cafe by the creek. The staff is professional and attentive, and every meal is delightful. My husband and I have been dining at Sicilian Cafe for many years, and we've never had a meal that wasn't exceptional. While Sicilian Cafe may not be everyone's cup of tea, if you're looking for real, honest-to-goodness Italian foood, this is the restaurant for you! read more

Frankly I was rather disappointed. When we entered we were greeted by a girl that looked 12 years old, and was not very sure about where to seat us. When we were seated, they forgot to give us napkins. I have eaten here many times in the past and they were all wonderful experience. The last two times however have been very disappointing. The relish plate was very unimaginative. It consisted of some olives, a green onion, carrot sticks, pepperchinis and some cheese on a slice of meat. No creativity and no real flavor. The wine pour was very weak. The house Chianti had no real flavor. The house bread was similar to a loaf you get at Costco. It was not warm, it was hard, and tasted not freshly baked. I ordered the Cesar Salad and was really disappointed that the dressing had no flavor, and there was no garlic. It almost tasted like a vinaigrette. I had eggplant parmesan and was really disappointing. When the meal arrived the portion was very small, the sauce tasted like it was fresh out of the can, the eggplant was overly breaded and soggy. This is the second bad meal in a row. I will not be going back. read more

Nick is a great server! Flawless communication, impeccable service; he helped communicate a complex prosciutto salmon order. And he cut me a special slice of tiramisu ;) if you come to sicilian cafe, get nick! (Their other staff is great too!) read more

I don't write many reviews. I have to be either very impressed or terribly disappointed to take the time to visit here. With that said, I love Sicilian Cafe. I'll be honest, I had come here years ago and was mildly impressed - Italian food is not my thing. However, my husband and I visited a week ago with friends for Chico Restaurant Week and let's just say I'm a born-again Italian lover. We had the fillet mignon with calamari. The steaks were all cooked to each of our specifications and the flavors in everything from the chowder to the salad and finally both the Tiramisu and flourless chocolate cake were fan-freaking-tastic. I'm not a pasta lover (weird, huh?) and the fact that they have several non-noodle dishes made this Paleo girl a happy camper. We sat in the back covered patio area that overlooks the creek. It's a charming, simple room and the heaters help in cool weather keeping us toasty (the wine didn't hurt either ) and we felt very comfortable. The wait staff were extremely accommodating and though they were packed, our time flew by quickly and we walked away full and very very happy. I love that they are willing to meet any dietary restrictions and they don't make it seem like an inconvenience. 8 thumbs up from this crowd! read more

Basically, I thought it was good. Great atmosphere and good food. We sat on the patio and I thought the view was great. Looking out over a dry creek bed with trees made for nice scenery. As for the food, it was good....not great. A bit bland for my taste but still good. If you've never been, go. I'll go back but there are a couple places in the area I'll try before a return trip. read more

This place is great! Odd location, but great food. I came here with a friend. The place wasn't too crowded, so the service we got was absolutely excellent. I recommend any of the seafood dishes, if you like seafood of course. Great atmosphere, very intimate. Good service, with great recommendations, and overall good experience. read more

The restaurant is small but an enjoyably quaint atmosphere, the service was prompt and through. The lighting was appropriately low and mellow, with Frank Sinatra playing in the back ground. From appetizer to entree everything was delicious... An overall nice experience. read more

See all

High school kid cooked the food. Tasted like it. A girl who looked 12 was our host. Knew nothing about wines or anything else for that matter...extremely socially awkward. The wait was horrible, probably waited 45 minutes for our food maybe longer. When we got it, it was cold and strange tasting. I had ordered the eggplant Parmesan and I loved how they burned it to a crisp...not. Customer service should be drilled into the employees head. The drunk owner made an entrance to attack his staff half way through our dessert. Very very unprofessional. I thought this place was supposed to be famous? It seems run down, kinda like a hole in the wall sort of place? Eugh not impressed and very disappointed. My wallet hurts as well. My family will NOT be returning... read more

My wife and I had our rehearsal dinner here and we were not disappointed. The planning process was smooth and painless and we were walked through the entire process. The night of the dinner was memorable to say the least. They made a custom menu to personalize the experience and treated every guest with respect and professionalism. Dinner service, from the antipasta to bread to salad to entrees to dessert, was top tier. I would highly recommend Sicilian Cafe to any couple considering a Chico restaurant for their rehearsal dinner. At the end of the night as the party was leaving the restaurant one of the waiters ran out of the restaurant to shake me and my wife's hand to congratulate us. Awesomely respectful and a meaningful touch to end a great night. read more

I have eaten here several times over the years and been happy with the food but a few days ago my wife and I took my sister there for her birthday. My wife and I got chicken picatta which was one of our favorites but it was very over cooked almost slightly burned. We are not complainers and didn't want to ruin my sister's meal so we didn't mention it. I will be back to try again, hopefully with better results. read more

I'm guess I'm getting bitter, and a little tired of apologizing for the poor food in Chico, but I'm afraid this is extremely average food, and pricey for what they're serving. Don't get me wrong, I've been thoroughly disappointed with some well reputed Italian fare, notably Mario Batali's Otto Enoteca (NYC, 6 visits, good wine list), and extremely pleased with Botega del Vin in Verona (3x, GREAT wine list from a place called Bottle of wine), and Florence's Cibrea (2x, very creative). The food here is unimaginative, uninspired, and boring. If only the menu resembled something like the Il Fornaio chain, nothing too fancy, but with solid execution, I'd be pleased. To be fair, I've been told by some restaurateurs that Chicoans don't like much of what they make if it seems to big city like, but I can't imagine that people willing to drop $100-$250 on a dinner for two haven't experienced better restaurants (We spent $125 for 2 adults and two kids with one beer). I don't think there is a genuine Yelp 4 Star restaurant in Chico however, so a 2 Star isn't far off the mark from the competition. "If you're not frustrated, you need to raise the bar." read more

The food is the best Italian you'll find in Butte County. Crush is good too, but everything I've had at Sicilian Cafe has been wonderful. Nice atmosphere and wine list. read more

I've visited family in Chico almost every weekend the last 2 months, this has been an excellent supper establishment. The food is beyond description more than superb. The service is amazing. My first visit was very late at night and I figured they were closing so I was about to leave and Jeremy caught me at the door and invited me to stay. His welcome was gracious and he made me feel my business was important. He is the reason I keep returning. Clams are a favorite of mine and they are hard to find in Sacramento. The clams here are outstanding. Tonight Sylvana was the server and again she made me feel right at home. Several of the staff remembered my name. What a treat to feel so welcome when I am away from home. I tried the Prawns Scampi and again they were absolutely delicious. Thank you Sicilian Cafe! read more

Last night I met a friend here for dinner. There was only a few tables out back in the patio section where we were promptly sat. Our server took atleast 10 minutes to even come by and greet us once we sat down. At that time we ordered drinks, an appetizer (calamari) and our entrees (seafood manicotti and salmon carbanara). Almost 15 minutes later my glass of wine finally arrived; as well as the salads, our server even admitted she forgot about my wine. My salad had the wrong dressing but was quickly fixed. The bleu cheese was very overwhelming, I almost wish I would of not corrected her error. The calamari was a good sized portion for two but extremely heavily breaded and dry. We were curious if there was any sauces to help with the dryness but we were never checked on by our server so we asked a very kind younger server who immediately brought us marinara sauce and some extra lemons :) Our server then saw another server at our table and immediately came over and attempted to take our unfinished calamari without even asking.. I'm guessing she heard we mentioned it was dry? We told her we were trying it with some sauce and she pulled away and just walked away. Finally, our food comes and the seafood manicotti was burnt on the ends but that's fine, I just cut them off. The pasta was slightly slimy and seafood inside was the consistency of crab you would used in sushi, not exactly what I expecting.. but after waiting over an hour for food when there was only 3 other tables I decided to just eat it. Not once through our main entree did our server check on us we had to call her over to get the check. Normally I wouldn't take the time to say all this but now today my friend and I are both sick in bed with food poisoning. The calamari was the only thing we both ate. Nothing is worse after a bad dining experience than getting sick from food you didn't even enjoy. read more

Our party of 9 was very comfortable and happy here for a family dinner. We got a bunch of salads, entrees, and bottles of wine to share and the staff were very helpful in assisting in our decision and listening to specific preferences. While this might be a "hole in the wall place" that our large group could have easily overwhelmed, we felt very comfortable and satisfied by the end of our dinner. Further, this place is a Chico staple. Having grown up in the area I love seeing people you know at 'The usual places' and we did not miss that opportunity here. While sitting there for 2 hours, not only did we see local city council people but also old neighbors and church friends. But this friendliness does not mean it wouldn't be perfect for a Valentine's date. Siscilian Cafe is the perfect balance of friendly and intimate while maintaining a professional demeanor. PROS: wide variety of food that didn't all taste the same, great wine selection (both variety and price); kind and helpful staff; friendly yet intimate ambiance CONS: do not sit by the door brrrrrr note: I do not give 5 stars very often... I jsut had a really great time here. The wine might have helped :) read more

Loved it! We have lived in Chico for many years and finally we got to go for our Anniversary. Service is good and the food is phenomenal! Thank you for calling us to confirm our reservation and checking to see if there was anything we wanted to have prepared in advance. I love that . Hands down one of the Best places I've been to in town. And we go to many places. Thank you for making our dinner special. Next time light our candle at our table though. Just kidding that's nothing. We will come back again. read more

See all

Never disappoints. Relaxing evening on the patio. Fabulous meal. And great service. The wine was great & their special is always fantastic. Thanks Jimmy!! read more

Sicilian Cafe - Good times & great food!!! - Italian Near Me - Chico, California

Hidden in a random hick town like Chico is some of the best Italian food I've ever had! The veal scaloppini was sensational. The atmosphere was nice. Service was great. Would definitely return read more

Some of the best tiramisu i've ever had and the curbside service is amazing. I don't know what her name was but the girl who answered the phone and brought out my food was super nice. 10/10 reccomend!! read more

We loved it ! Just went there in July and it was our first time . The food and Servcie was excellent!

I was very unimpressed. The hostess was unable to answer my questions about the wine that I wanted to order and didn't seem very interested in getting the information for me since she didn't know about it herself. On top of that she seemed to act a little snide. The food wasn't anything to boast about. My eggplant parmesan tasted like something from the frozen food aisle and although not bad was certainly was not worth the money. The pasta was not fresh. I'll pay extra for good food, but out of principle I don't like to pay ~$20 a plate for pasta that came out of a box. At that price I believe it should be fresh. I'm giving two stars instead of one because even though the hostess could tell me nothing about the wine, it was exceptional. read more

Been here twice and had a lovely meal both times. We sat out on the patio both times and really enjoyed the atmosphere. Pasta dishes were prepared with skill and sauced perfectly. Meat dishes were tasty and succulent. Appetizers were just right and deserts were a great ending. Never had a disappointment. Chef-owner always came by out table to check that things were just right. Service was solidy but not always fully educated (not sure how the chef reccomended that the veal should be cooked). We will return when we want a special dinner in Chico. read more

Love this place but unfortunately only go for a special occasion. The food is always hot and delicious, the staff very nice and patient well trained. Just wish I could eat here more often!!! Love! read more