My dad likes this place for its Americanized italian food. Â It is just ok. Â We shared the calamari salad and the antipasto. Â The calamari was well cooked, not rubbery. Â The only item was good on the antipasto plate was the reggiano cheese. Â I had their version of creamy carbonera. Â It was just ok. Â Nothing special. Â Next time in Chicago, I will push for somewhere else to eat.
Review Source:Yuck, I thought, when we pulled into the parking lot. I've blown past this place at 30mph for many years and had zero interest in slowing down. Today, I had no choice, because a family funeral luncheon brought me to their doors.
Shocker: the exterior (abandoned-looking mall) is hiding one AMAZING restaurant.
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Outside, bland and unappealing. Â Inside, quiet, approachable, elegant. Despite the room being set up with long, banquet-style tables (the group was about sixty people), we could see how charming it would be normally. We were greeted by pleasant, attractive waitstaff, and their service was exceptional. Â We asked for coffee, it arrived moments later, before the entire table was even seated! Â Drink refills were seamless and items were cleared from the table very efficiently. Our waiter was very helpful and friendly, without being intrusive. Â We ate family-style, so everyone got a bit of everything offered and we all agreed the food was excellent, from the fresh, crusty bread to the lemon chicken, to the pastas, salad dressings, veal.... oh, wow.
I want to write more, but there's no point. Â It would just be a long litany of how they did simply everything right. When I finish submitting this, Â I'm making a dinner reservation for next week.
This is, easily, a 4-star food experience. The house-made pastas - especially the 8-finger cavatelli - are sublime. But as good as the food (and service) can be, this is one of the most off-putting locations I've ever seen. Essentially a defunct retail-office mall-ish setting that's been badly converted to a kind of medical/immigration services facility, with a seemingly permanent under-construction distressed building front. Completely, thoroughly depressing. Yet I return, regularly, for the best authentic Italian in the area.
Review Source:My family and I have been coming to Basilico for a number of years. Whenever asked for a good local italian spot we have always recommended Basilico. After my most recent experiance (last night) I have to say I am not only disappointed but also embarrassed for ever having recommend this restaurant to myfriends and family.
My cousin ordered pasta carbonara. To say the pasta was undercooked would be generous; it was still crunchy! When we told our waiter he acted like he thought we were lying. My other cousin ordered chicken parm. After the first few bites we realized the chicken was raw...literally raw!!!! Once again the waiter gave no apology eventhough he could clearly see for himself that the chicken was raw. After all these mistakes our table was still charged for our meals. We waited for over 15 minutes to speak with management but we were ignored.
All in all I will no longer be dining at Basilico in fear of food poisoning and/or salmonella. I will no longer recommend this restaurant to anyone. I actually strongly encourage people to try Vince's on lawerence and Harlem or Pasta de Arte on Milwaukee.
Seriously one of my favorite Italian restaurants anywhere.  Yes I agree its in a little bit of a  weird location and I've definitely eaten in the "hallway" before and they could invest a little bit in newer decorations, but when all is said and done, its almost entirely about the food for me.  Every dish is prepared with detail and flavor.  I've been on multiple occasions and had many dishes and I recommend literally everything.  Lasagna, pasta is always cooked a little al-dente the way I love and believe the pasta should be cooked.  They have amazing stuffed Gnocchi.  But for me I am in love with all of their veal options.  So many restaurants just don't have such an interesting offering.  My favorite for sure is the veal and prosciutto rolled with cheese with marsala and mushrooms. Â
These guys are always friendly and attentive and I recommend this place for anyone looking for a solid meal while at the Convention Center.
You'd think that a place called Basilico would have authentic italian food. It was! Too authentic...
The food was delicious, the wine tasty and fruity, and the dessert sweet and creamy. But the people-- I did not realize it was an old people's hang out. Basilico's is Maude's and Ethel's favorite place to gossip about Eugene and Blanche. Of course, they're from Sicily. I'd definitely come back, but maybe around 8:00 after the regulars go to bed.
Weird location and service, but good food.
Definitely try not to sit by and/or facing the window looking out into the hall. I thought nothing of it when I sat down, but all I really ever saw of the interior was walking in and the occasional glance behind me to see if any other tables had been subjected to being forced to wear a bib. Nope, lucky us... *sigh*
Had the Pasta Rapido which was surprisingly flavorful and light for what it was: garlic, olive oil, and dried chilies. There were definitely plenty of chilies (I picked out something like 1/2 cup worth of large slices), so it can get pretty fiery. The pasta used seemed fresh to me--completely different texture and subtle eggy flavor you don't find with the dried stuff.
I'd go back, especially for that pasta, but I still prefer Vince's.
I love places like this...everywhere you look there are giant chains...serving up food with no love. Â I love the single locations that have stood the test of time...hidden in a strip mall...in fact you have probably driven by Basilico and not even seen it.
The food here is amazing. Â I find myself dinning here when clients fly into Chicago and they want to eat a meal near their hotel. Â They always love going here...in fact some will request to go here when they fly in now.
This place has a special place in my heart because this is where we found the name of our little girl...actually I found it and my wife loved it. Â I can not beleive I got to pick the name...that never happens for a guy!
The food here is amazing...classic Italian food...I love the Chicken Parm...I always seem to get it...the best part is that there is so much I usually have left overs for the next day. Â All of the soups are really good too. Â My wife loves the creamy garlic dressing here...you know that one you use to get at weddings back in the 80's...I must admit that it is really good and is very hard to find now...most restaurants have gone to ranch for there creamy selection...I really am not a fan of ranch dressing.
The friend Calamari to start with is also really good. Â Just classic Italian dishes done right...none of that fancy Italian fusion food.
I am getting hungry just typing this review...I need to go and get some Italian right now!!!
Came in for dinner with parents at 5p on a Saturday. I love the atmosphere, very comfortable traditional Italian look to it. We ate the calamari genovese appetizer, zuppa de mare, veal braciole, and lasagna bolengese. All were incredible. Dessert was homemade tiramisu which was to die for. The service is spot on, charming and quick. I can't wait to go back!
Review Source:Mrs. and I stopped in for late dinner the other night. Â This is a nicely decorated restaurant with a nice, comfy, homey feel to it. Â Check out the ceilings...the tiles are painted in different themes. Â We sat under a painting of a clown. Â There's a TV at either end of the restaurant, so if the game is on, you'll be able to watch. Photos of local and national celebrities adorned the entrance of the restaurant, located in a strip mall. Â Sinatra dined here. Tommy LaSorda dined here. Â And Channel 7 veteran reporter Hugh Hill dined here too. Service is very pleasant and professional. Â My iced tea glass was always full and the friendly waiter checked in on us frequently to see if we needed anything. Â
The food was tremendous, in both quality and in portions. Â I was also impressed with the variety of pasta and veal dishes offered on the menu.
We started off with calamari, but the not the traditional and typical fried kind. Â The Calamari Genovese was lightly breaded, grilled, and topped off with a white wine and buttery garlic sauce. Â A side of lemon wedges and marinara accompanied the BOWLFUL of goodness. Â This appetizer could easily serve 4 people. Â We had the leftovers packaged to go.
The meals come with soup or salad. Â Mrs. had the minestrone, and I had the soup of the day...cream of chicken with rice, which was OUTSTANDING.
Mrs. ordered linguine with white clam sauce and was very satisfied. Â Again, a huge portion...could easily feed 4. Â She had the leftovers packaged to go.
I opted for the Saltimbocca alla Romana...veal with proscuitto and  mozzarella cheese on cooked spinach.  DELICIOUS!  And again, a huge portion...yes, leftovers were packaged to go.
After all that food, the waiter, I think half-jokingly, asked if we wanted dessert. Â Nope. Â Maybe next time. Â And there will be a next time for us as we were both impressed with the quality, and QUANTITY of the food, and the excellent and friendly service.
If you like really flavorful Italian eats then this is your place. It is a "joint", but the food is awesome. I have taken many business people there and they always ask to go back the next time they are in town. It's only a few miles from the Rosemont Expo center, but you never have to wait for a table.
This is not a place to go if you want high end environment, but if you like good food this is for you!
Had a Groupon and decided to check it out.
Good service, however the food was blah.
My husband I a commented how tasteless the sauce in my special Farfalle Paisano was. My husband's dish, another special, portobello and chicken look so unappetizing that I didn't want to touch it.I think Corner Bakery does better pasta if I Â had to describe how boring and bland it was. I'm sticking to Fiorenza on Harlem for my Italian cravings. I should also add that I didn't like the bread either.
This place was better than okay for a family night out. Â The menu is large so there is something for everyone. Â Our service was SLOW. Â I had the veal saltimbocca and while it was good, it is hard for me to ever get a veal dish as good as Sabatinos,my favorite. Â The silverware was cheap and the setting was quite odd. Â But overall a good meal. Â Skip the desserts, they are all pre made and ordered in and weren't very good at all.
Review Source:I first went to lunch here several months ago with my boss and coworkers. My boss is Italian, and knows all the great spots for real Italian food. The restaurant is very clean with a great layout for a small dining room. The service was very attentive and friendly. We had the calamari appetizer, which was served with this light lemon/white wine/garlic concoction. Could not have been better. I had eggplant parmesan, which was massive, delicious, and affordable. I went there months later with my husband and sister and they both enjoyed their food and experience!
Review Source:I don't come here often, but when I do I am never disappointed. The food is always creative, piping hot and the service is friendly. I am a fan of linguine with clam sauce and it is always excellent - no gritty clams or weird fishy tastes. Wine is always delicious and their house vinegarette is out of this world.
Review Source:Went to this place with a big group for work. Â We had the appetizer platter. Â I was a fan of the calamari and clams. Â For my entree I had the veal with capers in a white wine sauce which was good, but not the best I've had. Â This place is fairly pricey, but it is fairly authentic and is convenient to O'Hare.
Review Source:Okay, it is unusually located in the mall, but... what a warm cozy little place once you walk in. Love all the little Italian lights, mirrors enlarge the smallish space.  Food is quite good, large portions, and we enjoy the  waiter that typically serves us. Always a friendly smile and hello. Yummy calamari. Enjoy going back.
Would not enjoy sitting at tables in foyer area outside of restaurant.
The food is good enough but nothing spectacular. I had fettucine alfredo which was tasty but about the same as other's I've had. The think I didn't like about it was that the next day when I warmed up my left overs, the sauce did not separate. In my experience, a real, homemade alfredo sauce separates when reheated. This leads me to believe it's a bottled sauce and not homemade or fresh.
The service was standard. No one was going out of their way to ensure the guests were enjoying their dinner. And the tv in the restaurant was playing a kung fu film with subtitles. Ah, nothing says "mangia" like a good ol' roundhouse kick to the head!
It's a little pricey for the quality of the food and there's better options in the area. If you want good food with great service, then I highly recommend Three Olives which is located in the shopping center right next door to Basilico.
I have frequent business meetings in the Ohare area and often bring the people to Basilico for a "not too fancy" but always good italian dinner. Â People who come to Chicago should be treated to a neighborhood experience and this is the place. Â
It is in a windowless old strip mall setting that this resturaunt and some government office shares. Â I hope this does not turn you off because the first appetizer that you get the smile will be on your face. Â Very nice veal and pasta dishes. Â Actually, the seafood including light fish is exceptional made delicious by the nice light sauce. Â
Did I mention the bread? Â Dont be tempted to fill up on the bread and appetizers because the meal will be sure to impress.
I have to admit, I'm a sucker for Italian American comfort food. Â I grew up on the northwest side and have been to all of the neighborhood spots. Â I live close to Taylor street and Grand/ Ogden and have eaten at every place in the area. Â I first went to Basilico a little over a year ago with my fiance and her parents. Â I liked it then, since I have been there 2 or 3 more times and it has sunk in that this is my favorite place for this genre of Italian American food. Â I know I should try more dishes, but it is hard for me to order something different once I find a dish I love. Â My benchmark of a good Italian American restaurant is chicken parm. Â Basilicos has the best! Â I have tried bites of the lasagna, which my mother-in- law swears by. Â Everything else looks good! Â Service is fine, I tend to side with if I don't notice the service my drink stays full I'm happy, sometimes overly attentive service interupts conversation so this was good. Â Prices are very reasonable. Â I brought a friend for lunch recently and he was laughing at the quirky location in a suburban strip mall, but once you get into the dimly lit fairly dated restaurant you're transformed to a neighborhood place in the bugalow belt, huge difference from the raised ranches of Lawrence and Cumberland.
Review Source:I came here since we had a gift certificate to this place and it's been sitting unused for too long. I got excited since I saw a lot of great reviews posted about this place. And yes, the food is good, very good in fact. But I see this restaurant leading a conflicted existence, trying to decide whether it will be the fancy Italian dining place or the kind of Italian place you can go to drink a few beers and watch a football game in progress. Basilico is located inside of a small indoor mall called the Cumberland Business Center, alongside "Application Support" for immigrants and some medical offices. As you walk in the mall doors, a sign reminds immigrants their place is to the left, not in the direction of the restaurant.
So my wife and I walk inside Basilico and we're not sure if we came in the right way. There's a wine rack, a little podium with a list of reservations, and a picture of Frank Sinatra on the wall. Little 2-person tables line the walls outside in the hallway of the mall. And across from where we came in, located in a separate, mall kiosk-sized room, even more unused but ready tables. I assume all this is Basilico too, in case someone wants to capture the essence of a mall dining experience. After about a minute, someone finally greeted us and led us to a table. This place was not busy at all thought we came at 6 PM on a Sunday and The Phoenix Restaurant just down the street looked packed. I sat down at a booth with a great view of their large-screen TV, showing the final minute of the Bears-Giants game. A man in a Bears cap sat alone at a table next to us, facing AWAY from the TV as if he already knew the outcome.
Looking up at the ceiling, you can see various artworks used as ceiling tiles. Even more Italian food-related art adorns the walls in the hallway to the bathrooms. A lit-up traffic light hangs in the hallway, seemingly out of place amidst the other art.
We waited a little before we got our drinks (mostly ice in a glass) and a loaf of hot Italian bread. The bread was a bit crusty, but something about its freshness and flavor made me eat just about the entire loaf. The posted special was lobster ravioli, and I was certain to try it, seeing another Yelper's recommendation for it. My wife ordered chicken parmesian.
The lobster ravioli was excellent, covered in a creamy tomato sauce. Each pasta piece was colored with orange and green stripes, with a flavorful lobster filling inside. Even after I finished, I kept dipping my bread in the great creamy sauce since it was too good to waste.
The chicken parmesian was downright massive, enough to feed 2 people. The chicken had a juicy flavor to it, topped with a marinara sauce, plus a small plate of mostaccioli on the side. Once we got our food, we were set free from any more service from our waiter. We got no drink refills, and my wife wanted some crushed red pepper for the chicken and a side dish of more marinara to add. I was finished with my dinner by the time the waiter returned. He got the marinara too late, so we had a little container in which to bring it home.
And even the check was complicated. I gave him our gift certificate and he asked if we're paying in cash. I said yes, thinking it would be easier. He went away for another 10 minutes, then returned with the final total, adjusted for the gift certificate. We were puzzled by why it took so long.
In conclusion, Basilico offers good food, but they fall short of the fancy Italian dining experience that you're paying for.
A hidden gem, especially for River Grove, home of the dull family restaurant. I've eaten here several times and everything has been phenomenal. Their vodka sauce is the best around, the calamari is always tasty, the eggplant is tender and flavorful, the chicken is unbelievable. Now if we can only talk the grandmother into coming here instead of always going to The Loon....
Review Source:was taken here last night for dinner.........and had no idea where i was going. Â but we all pull up and it's actually in a "strip mall". Â I couldnt find the door.......then realize you have to walk into this "mall like entrance" to get into the place. Â
the restaurant itself was small, but it was crowded! Â always have to start off with warm bread and oil and cheese! Â awesome! Â I decided to have the "Lobster Ravioli". Â Never heard of it, but it sounded different! That was awesome! Â served in Vodka cream sauce..........it was very very good! Â I would recommend trying it! Â
The rest of the menu looked good.....and I think I'll be back! Â
The only negative was the poor water refills. Â Had to always flag down our waiter to refill the water, that isn't his job. Â Overall, a good meal.......give it a shot if you are in the area!
I lived across the street from this place in a little apartment years before I got married. Â It's located in a strip mall, and you'd never guess it was there. Â It served some of the absolutely best Italian food, but that neighborhood is known for that cuisine. Â It's also the safest neighborhood in the city; it's home to a lot of cops and firemen because they have to live in Chicago. Â
As a throwback to the old days, I had my husband take me for dinner there before the David Gilmour show at the Rosemont Theatre. Â The food was just as fantastic as ever. Â We spoke to the waitress, and I told her how I hadn't been there since the earth cooled but the food was still phenomenal. Â She informed me that they've had the same chef for 25 years -- even before I started my sojourns -- and that's why the food quality was so consistent.
Seek this place out. Â Listen to Dino sing and smile at the signed pictures of Sinatra, Jay Leno, Tommy LaSorda and others who have eaten here. Â If you are in the mood for the full fatty, ask them to make you the turkey tetrazzini (they will, even if it's not on the menu that night). Â Loosen your belt, sit back and enjoy.