We didn't plan to come here till the very last minute since we booked our Mother's day dinner really late and this was the only Italian place have the seats for our family around 7pm. Blame on my Italian craving.
This is the best decorated Francesca's I have dinned: open space with high ceiling, nice subtle tones, and a big fire place. Nice rest room too.
My son surprisingly asked for Ravioli instead of pizza. My daughter insisted on Cheese only pizza but my son wanted a few slices of Sausage pizza too. our wonderful waitress, Michelle, offered half cheese and half sausage to stop the fight. :)
We ordered Mixed green salad with walnut and blue cheese. The entree was lobster wrapped pasta, Ravioli, and one pizza. Dessert was puffs with pistachio gelato. Everything was tasty which was agreed among the family. Even the complimentary bread was perfect, warm, and crusty.
My son loved the salad! And asked for more which made me really happy. He liked the dressing a lot. Well he also finished all the pizza pieces with sausage toppings which is not a surprised to me. However he just ate one Ravioli as it was filled with grilled veggies and claimed this was not a real Ravioli which he meant was ground meat filled. I loved the Ravioli dish especially the tomato vodka cream sauce.
The lobster pasta wraps were so close to the seafood wontons. My daughter thought it was shrimp dumpling. We got only 5 in the plate so those were gone quickly. The puffs with Pistachio gelato which was interesting and heavenly.
The whole dinner was wonderful for our family. We like our waitress who was very nice and on the point. The only thing I didn't get to try was the mussels in tomato sauce. They were out of mussels that night. Well always next time.
Have you ever been to a Francesca's Restaurant? Yeah so have I. I guess it's ok if you like tee shirt wearing wait staff and bus boys who speak Spanish to you. What can I say, food is good and casual but not anything special at all. A little over priced and the specialty drink menu is silly. $9 to $12 for over sugary, under alcoholic cocktails. Do yourself a favor and skip them.
If you happen to be shopping at the Promenade and want a casual, efficient lunch go ahead. but if you are looking for a special night out at an Italian restaurant, go elsewhere.
I took a client here today, and I really liked it. The prices were reasonable, and the service was fast. Everything came immediately and was fantastic. I highly recommend this. Bolingbrook is sort of a wasteland of fast food garbage, this place stands out.
Our food was very good, the coffee was good, liked it all. Fireplace, water features, nice floor.
Great Italian food, personal service, and the menu is updated daily. Â Three out of four in my party chose very custom menu orders, and we asked for them simply to create a dish (from a previous menu) using scallops and vegetables. Â The waiter had no problem with our "picky" choices, and the custom scallops dinner was excellent. Â Highly recommended.
Review Source:We walked in with a party of 8 at 5p on a Saturday without a reservation. They were VERY accommodating. Fabulous service, food and prices! Loved the Neopalotani (sp?) pizza. Friends said the gnocchi was awesome. All the desserts rocked. The prosciutto appetizer was a big hit too. Cannot remember what else was served in our group, but everyone loved it!
Review Source:Italian-American food is kind of like American-Chinese food: it's hard to screw it up. It takes a lot of work to either make it excellent or bad, and 'good' is the standard. I would rate this place as 'good+'.
The location and ambiance are great. The entry is upscale. The t- shirted waitstaff and flimsy menu is not. There is a warm fire in the center of the room making for a cozy winter  experience.
The menu has a limited number of entrees, but all are more interesting than plain lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs. The food is always with large portions and pleasing presentation. Good value for an average $15 entree. House wines are decent.
The service is quick and friendly, although they seem to forget you when the meal is over and you'd like a second cup of coffee.
All things considered it's a B to B+ experience. There is certainly better Italian food in the region but it works as a good meet up spot or date spot.
Maybe the worst chain restaurant in my opinion is TGI Friday's. It's loud, obnoxious and has shitty food. This visit was TGI Fridays with great food. Walking in the lobby I was at first impressed with the decor. Seemed warm and inviting. Walking out into the restaurant however it became immediately clear I wasn't going to like this. It was LOUD. Not just a little loud either... it sounded like a grade school cafeteria. It wasn't helped by the tiled floors which seemed to catch the sound and echo it all over the vast room. (And OH GOD, it has a sports bar!) We sat down and suddenly a swarm of men descended on us, tossing menus in front of us, filling our glasses so fast that only most of the water landed in the glass. The menu was hand-written on one sheet, hard to read and made harder to read since the bus boy poured water all over mine and didn't get me another. Had to wait for my wife to finish with hers. I ordered, from the incredibly limited menu, a Caesar salad and the scallops. She ordered the rolled stuffed pork, daughter ordered Pasta Florentine. DId I mention this place was loud? I did, but I cannot emphasis this enough. I could not hear my wife across the table, and any conversation we DID have was constantly interrupted by the buzzing around of the wait staff, filling water, bread, etc. The actually RAN around in some cases. It was MANIC and very off putting. My dinner was superb. Rich but not too rich. The pork was amazingly good what little I had when my wife shared. The salad was wilted a bit... close to sending back. Flavor was fine as how can one screw up a Caesar salad? (See my review from Pheasant Run OMG) Had a glass of Martini Cabernet. Nine bucks is a fair price, but not for the paltry amount they give you. Bet it was 3-4 ounces. Waitress was nice but what did she do? Could hardly get to our table because of the buzzing. Gave menu, took order, asked how everything was, gave check. Meh. Bottom line: So okay, really good food at average prices (20 buck entres) in a place that's uncomfortable to eat. I need a little more intimacy at those prices. Not much more mind you, I just don't like paying 100 bucks to eat in an airline engine test facility that's filled with gnats, then being given the impression they want your table for the next group. Would I go back? Not to this one.
Review Source:The menu was very limited. I wanted manicotti so I went to an italian restaurant and the waitress didn't know what manicotti was.?.?.?.
Food was brought out while we still had our salads. The salad had way to much vinegar and oil. Â My dinner had a fancy name but basically was the same thing I make at home, nothing special to it considering I paid $19.
And on a side note the menu was hand written. Wife tells me that's the trendy thing but I couldn't read the chicken scratch that was used
This place is fantastic, it has it all:
Ambiance = gorgeous 5/5
Service = always efficient and friendly 5/5
Food = every meal I have ever had here has been fresh and delicious 5/5
Location = right at Bolingbrook Promenade, parking has always been pretty easy to get
My most recent visit was for the $5 pizza specials for lunch on Saturdays. Â I had the Pizza of the Day (Pizza Margherita) - the crust was crisp on the outside, with tomato, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil on top. Â Wonderful depth of flavor.
For dessert, I had the special which was the Lemon cheesecake made with mascarpone cheese on a Oreo crust ($7). This was one of the best cheesecakes I have ever had - it was light, refreshing, and indulgent all at the same time.
This is one of my favorite places. I've been here over a dozen times and have always been satisfied. The food choices change, and as a vegetarian, formerly a vegan, I've always been able to find something to suit my needs. The food is fresh, different, and well priced. Service is excellent, and drinks are fantastic.
Review Source:Meh, I've had better Italian food elsewhere, especially for these prices. Went for a business dinner so wasn't picking up the tab but still....quality definitely didn't meet price.
Lobster bisque is pretty decent, although it could have been  served hotter (a pet peeve of mine). I ordered pasta with spicy marinara with roasted eggplant. They definitely left out the spice, it was very bland. No hint of either spice or herbsneigh colleagues pasta with cream sauce, ham and peas was pretty bland also.
service was pretty slow I thought, but we were a group of 10.
Desserts seem to be a strong point here.  I had a hard time deciding but went with the apple tart with a delicious cinnamon gelato. The creme brûlée and the cheesecake loked equally appetizing.
If you find yourself at the Promenade I would recommend some other dining spot such as Gordon Biersch for the price.
Excellent lunch menu. Pot roast sandwich and caprese sandwich (about $10 each) are awesome. Sandwiches come with salad or fries. Pizza was great.
Check the specials on the web site, they are different for each location. This location had $5 pizza specials for lunch on Saturday. The pizzas are big enough for two. The lunch menu runs all the way until 4pm.
Lava cake was delicious.
The service was excellent.
I will definitely go back to try some of the different menu items.
Just like all the other Francesca's restaurants, this one delivers the goods. The menu changes frequently and there is always something for everyone. There is even a stuffed pork dish that they will make that is not on the menu.
Anyway, like the other locations, the service is good and consistent, which mirrors the food quality. Can't find anything to complain about here.
Went on a Tuesday night with family. Barely greeted. Waiter did not seem to know the menu, which was jumbled and limited. Waiter got the appetizer wrong - and then we had to flag him down to get the correct one. Food was not great- salad was swimming in dressing to the point that I gave up trying to eat it. Waiter brought a 2nd beer without being asked for one. It was questioned and he walked away. Bill came and was left waiting to be picked up for about 20 minutes. The bus boy was the most helpful person of the night.
Review Source:Service gets one star. My cousin and I stopped in for lunch yesterday and waited five minutes to be seated because no one was at the hostess station. That sort of set the tone for crappy, slow service which is unacceptable in a nearly empty restaurant.
The menu is very confusing with both handwritten items with descriptions and printed items without. I had a question about an item that had no description and the waiter acted like he had no idea what I was talking about....
The bread with EVOO and parm is really tasty. We also had bruschetta which was good and a chopped salad that supposedly had artichokes in it but I only saw one leaf. The salad was okay but nothing to rave about.
I would consider going back for dinner and trying something more substantial but probably not going back for lunch.
Chicago take on Italian style pizza. Â I'd recommend just sticking to Chicago pizza, or Italian pizza. Â I ordered the quattro staggione... the crust was thick and doughy, laden laden with cheeze, no formaggio to be found. Â prosciutto quality was not so ah great... gristle stuck in teeth not big on my list of prosciutto hallmarks. Â kalamata olives? opah? Â the artichoke pieces were fine. Â the egg on top was a nice touch but not enough to save this heavy leviathan. Â I purposely made a mistake ordering caprese salad (early March in Chicago) yet they did a good job with what's available. Moretti beer, plus 0.2. Â not enough to make the experience a 3. Â One trip = troppo.
I think they probably know their base clientele, and probably take pretty good care of them. But If you are not among them, you may wish to mangiare elsewhere.
My wife who had a particular palate and is part Italian says this is the best Italian meal she's ever had. And I checked in on Facebook and got a free dessert. This is LEGIT Italian food, the bread the menu that changes every two weeks. A great deal for the $$$$ and get the lemonade it's great too.
Review Source:Delicious. Been here before, but always amazing. I had the spaghetti alla assunta, basically spaghetti with a tomato cream sauce, spinach, and scallops. The scallops were done just right, and the sauce topped it off. We had some kind of an apple Carmel tart for dessert which was good, and a traditional cannoli with ricotta, pistachios and drizzled with chocolate. The cannoli was amazing. Our server, Melanie, was outstanding. Very attentive, easy to talk to, and fast. I was impressed. Overall, a great dinner experience.
Review Source:This is my fav Francesca's. We were seated in the last booth in the front, so we could look out the window. Now the only problem with this is the last booth doesn't have a partition on one side of it. So when the servers gathered to yak about how terrible their jobs were. I would hear everything as they were right behind me. Another awkward thing was when they served me or filled my water glass, it was from behind my head? Not to be rude, but WTH! The capriccio was a delight. I love that raw sirloin! Again with the bread. I think I went thru a loaf and a half with the olive oil, grated cheese and pepper. I also ordered the broiled chops plopped on top of a bed of garlic mashed. They were as big as the plate and just as tasty. Yes, I was doing the happy dance in my seat. I cleaned my plate and that of everyone around me. That's what you get when your first toy is a garbage disposal!
Review Source:My wife and I came here for Valentine's Day. Â I made reservations weeks ahead of time, so we were seated promptly (good things I did, too, because there was a line out the door!).
My only gripe is that we were seated near the doors. Â Normally not a terrible thing, but for some reason everyone who was waiting for a table found it necessary to not only form a single-file line, but hold all of the doors open in doing so--straight outside! Â Needless to say...it was chilly!
The service was terrific. Â I'm sure they were in a rush to turn tables as quickly as possible, but we didn't feel rushed (very important difference to note). Â We received our food promptly. Â As a Valentine's Day special, they had heart-shaped ravioli.
All in all, can't complain really. Â The food was delicious, the service was quick, the atmosphere was relaxing, the decor was tasteful, and the wait staff was attentive. Â I don't know why people complain about a "limited" menu. Â I thought the menu was prefect. Â I don't like to be overwhelmed with choices. Â This isn't a short-order diner, after all!
We will come back, I'm sure...but next time, we'll request a table further inside the restaurant, maybe on a warmer day!
They have really good roasted chicken. Avoid the pizza with the egg on top -- I ordered it unknowingly and was greeted with a raw egg on top, it made the whole thing slimy and nearly inedible.
The chocolate martini here is outrageously good. Raw egg pizza not withstanding, this restaurant is pretty decent. You will spend, but I think it's worth it.
I don't know bout these other people, rating this restaurant less than 5 stars???? Are you freakin kidding me? Â Nope, I didn't get paid to give them 5 stars... But this restaurant rocks...
Two or three years ago... This place used to be called Woodlands...
We know the chef, sous chef and the chef's wife... So, we were there often... Then, they closed... And re-opened a year after, I think... As Francesca's... Me  and my bf were sad that woodlands closed... So, we didn't bother with the " New place"
But God is good... new years eve... Our prior plan didn't go thru... So, we had to have a last minute... Where to go for dinner, before going to a friends party kinda thing.....
Went to francesca's because our friend lives in bollingbrook.....
OmG...we were totally blown away... First off, we didn't have reservation... And this place was B-U-S-Y..... However... The very nice staff, found a corner table upstairs were the bar was... Yes.... Yes.. Yes....
We were greeted by this sincere cheerful waitress, her name is Olivia....
She was taking  her time, explaining their menu, drinks, knowing its our first time...
Cool thing about this restaurant is they change their menu every 2 weeks..
I definitely dig that...
For appetizer...we got their mussels... Let me tell u... It's to die for.... The sauce was just soooo refreshing, sweet and spicy at the same time.... Yummy... We know the mussel is fresh coz it so soft and juicy...
My bf ordered  a fish dish (29.99)... Which was really flavorful and melt in your mouth kinda dish...
I ordered half a seafood pasta dish... And when they brought it out... I was like... God damn... That's half?????? It's humongous......
Really good pasta, with huge shrimps and scallops...
As I was eating... I was updating my facebook.... Checked in at Francesca's in bollingbrook.... And francesca's was giving away desserts for cutomers checked in....
I was like... Heck yeah, thats what I'm talking about....
So I ordered this chocolate dessert... Sorry, I didn't get the name... But it was truly delectable.....
Price was definitely reasonable for a nice sit down restaurant.....
Now mind u, my bf is half Italian and half African American... Yes... He is gorgeous and hott, ANYWAYS, aside from being italian... He went to cooking school.... So he is a good cook.... Yes, he has it all...
My point is, he enjoyed the food and ambiance at Francesca's as well...
We will definitely check out their next menu in a week or so....
For Starters:
I had a Coconut Rum w/ Pineapple Juice garnished with a Lime...TOPS!
I ordered 2 of them.
I had the Fruti di mari diabola. Translation: Fruit of the sea, spicy.
Everything tasted fresh, right down to the mussels, shrimp, calamari, scallops and garlic. The marinara sauce had perfect flavor, fresh basil, garlic, and oregano with white wine. The pasta was perfectly cooked the way I like it, AL-DENTE!.
I give it a 4 of 5. And I do recommend coming to this place, the service was amazing, just aske for michelle the waitress!
Peace and Buon Appetito!
Went here for my mom's bday this past year. She wanted to go somewhere we'd never been and had heard of this place from friends.
I think it was a nice looking place but the food was mediocre.
Also, we were seated by the bathroom area and it smelled like sewage or gas.... Not very appetizing. We are the types of people that don't complain but we skipped out on dessert just to get out of there.
Probably won't ever go back since I wasn't that impressed.
I'm not a huge Italian fan.. I know, I know.. it's insane. Â However, I had a race to carb load for and went to Francesca's and sat on the patio. Â The patio was snug and had a screaming baby on it.. but once the family left it was pretty relaxing and enjoyable.
From the start, I was really disappointed with the menu and the selection. Â It was super duper tiny and nothing seemed appealing. Â However, I ended up finding a salad and pasta dish that would do the job. Â The salad was really good.. and the past was just ok. Â There was barely any meat in it and was just kinda blah. Â
I felt a little perturbed on this place because the setting is so fancy but the actually product and service was just A-OK. Â I don't think I would go back.
I've been to Francesca's twice in the last month. Â The food is very good, but it is very standard for an Italian restaurant.
Both times I visited I made reservations ahead of time and was seated right away, which is always a plus. Â Both times, however, I felt VERY rushed to get out of there. Â When I go out to eat, I like to take my time, have cocktails, talk a lot, and enjoy what is happening at my table and around me. Â I felt like I was not able to do this at Francesca's. Â The check was dropped, card swiped, and picked up, before I was even a quarter of the way threw the glass of wine I was drinking. Â I feel like they just wanted to get us out of there so that they could get the next table.
I probably will be back for a quick dinner because the food was good, but if I am looking to spend a good amount of money on drinks and food, there are much better places that will not rush you out the door.
I've been to the Francesca's in Forest Park and LaGrange and this one didn't seem to live up to their sister establishments. Â
I went here for dinner and was surprised with the temperature of my meal. Â I ordered the special salad to start with (this was actually delicious and made perfectly). Â I've had their Ravioli (at their other locations) and it is always fantastic! Â Unfortunately, this ravioli was not as good as I hoped. Â For starters, the menu stated that it would come with Mozzarella cheese, instead it was served with chunks of ricotta cheese "dumped" on top of the ravioli. Â I scraped it all off. Â Secondly, it was luke-warm. Â How long was it sitting there before it was served? Â The house red tasted like it was sitting for 3days behind the bar.
I've always enjoyed Francesca's gelato, so I ordered the Apple Crisp with Cinnamon geltao. Â The gelato was fantastic! Â The apple crisp, however, was not even warm in the slightest degree. Â It was tough to cut and the apples were hard. Â I felt like they ran over to Mejier across the street and bought a dessert out of the frozen section, defrosted it and plopped some gelato on it.
Had lunch at Francesca's last month with a few friends. It was rainy & blah outside, so I ordered hot chocolate. It was tasty & our server refilled my mug at no extra charge.
For my meal, I ordered the special - for about $15 I got soup & bruschetta, tilapia w/shrimp & spinach as my entrée, & dessert (choice of tiramisu or a profiterole).
My fish could've used more salt, but overall I had a nice lunch & refuge from the rain at Francesca's. I'd return.
I've eaten here before and have enjoyed there food so it pains me to write this review. Â We stopped by there for lunch today and I really had a appetite for a mushroom risotto. Â
Although we were going during the normal slower time for lunch, we found the restaurant crowded due to the x-mas shopping at the Promenade. I had reservations but we decided to get seated qucikly in the bar area where the high-back seats were excellent.
We were quickly served bread and butter which I found about average for an Italian restaurant, nothing to write home about. Â We both ordered clam chowder soup which was also OK.
The problem came when I deviated from the menu and asked the waiter if I could have a wild mushroom risotto. The risotto was well under- cooked and although the risotto had some cut-up mushrooms in it, there was little mushroom taste to it. I should not have probably deviated from the menu since the on-duty chef was unprepared to make this dish.
I've eaten a few times at the Francesca's on 59 in Naperville and have always been impressed so this was a disappointment. I'll probably go back again to make sure it wasn't just a bad day for the chef.
As a busy mom, I'm a huge fan of 'family friendly' restaurants that are serving good, healthy food to kids. Â Most restaurants think chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers and mac 'n cheese is good 'quality' kid food...it's not. Â
I cannot speak highly enough about Francesca's and here's why:
After yet another night of little sleep we ventured out for dinner. Â We ended up at Francesca's on accident. Â We arrived, didn't have to wait and the hostess was smart enough to put us near the kitchen...where it's moderately noisy and away from all the 'romantic couples'. Â
Our service was prompt and accurate. Â I've never had my son's dinner arrive before he was bored with the crayons...and it did here. Â Grilled chicken breast and steamed (not overcooked) broccoli. Â Fantastic.
Our adult entrees came out not long after. Â Fresh, hot and exactly what we ordered. Â (I ordered off the menu, which they were more than willing to accommodate.)
Overall, this place is wonderful. Â We've been back several times now. Â They offer some great specials too: Monday's kids eat free. Â Friday appetizers are half price from 3-6 p.m., if you're out shopping. Â Sunday A HUGE bowl of spaghetti and meatballs for $10. (I'm sure there is more specials too.)
This place is definitely worth checking out.
The latest edition, I believe, in the Mia Francesca chain is Francesca's at The Promenade in Bolingbrook. Â The interior is light and pleasant with light stone and mahogany furniture. Â The menu is the same as other Francesca's. Â We ordered the Pollo Romana and a meatball sandwich. Â The chicken dish was very good. Â It was like it used to be at the other two Francesca's in the area. Â Portion size was good. Â The sauce was not watery and the potatoes tasted fresh. Â This is the dish we use to compare different stores in this chain. Â The meatball sandwich was fair.
Our server never asked if everything was OK after the food was served. Â Dirty plates sat on our table until the end of the meal. Â The only thing we saw the busser do was to bring bread and water to tables. Â He walked by our table several times and just looked at the empty plates.
Finally, a fabulous restaurant in the SW suburbs!
The Francesca chain has always been one of my favorites - from Mia Francesca's in Lakeview to La Sorella Di Francesa's in Naperville, I have never been disappointed in the food or ambience.
This new Francesca's meets all of my expectations - great food, great location, great service, and all of the delicious menu choices that change daily. Â I am SO happy to have Francesca's at the Promenade, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great Italian food and lots of creative, delicious menu choices...
Plus, they have drink specials on certain week nights, and their prices are reasonable given the large portions and variety of dishes. Â This place is definitely worth an evening out, even in the current economy.
HIGHLY recommended!
Other reviewers have said that they miss meatballs and red sauce but the food here is traditional food from Northern Italy, not Southern Italy.
I had the veal polenta dish and it was amazing. Â $29 was a bit steep but veal is expensive and it was soooo good! Â My mom had the white fish with capers, shrimp, spinach....delish ($21)! Â We shared cinnamon gelato for dessert ($5.50) - it was more like ice cream instead of gelato but it was creamy and rich and went right to my thighs!
Great service and a cozy atmosphere with a fireplace and exposed bricks!
Minus a star for vacuuming while we were eating. Â I mean, come on!
Francesca's in Bolingbrook... it's like Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett, but there it is. It's really Francesca's there... and it's 5-star food and service.
I went on a Tuesday to celebrate the 39th of an extremely attractive young lady (thank you very much). Hey, you only get to celebrate your 39th once (wink), so it was a special occasion. Francesca's did her part with Tuesday being 1/2 off bottle of wine night. YOW!
I'm not going into appetizer/dinner detail... it's Francesca's, pretty much just like in Chicago or Naperville or whatever. It's AMAZING! C'mon. The Bolingbrook location has a very nice decor (what restaurant used to be here, I can't even remember), and I'd say it's a little more relaxed than Naperville (surprise).
Go Tuesday, and say "Hey" if you see me. If 1/2 off a bottle of wine is a great deal, then 1/2 off 2 bottles is like twice as good.
glug glug... yow, bill
Soooooooooo, abundanza, this place is NOT.
The menu is EXTREMELY limited with not a meatball or piece of sausage in sight. The sauce left a funny taste in my mouth. I was shocked to see some of the sister restaurants because they are more Italian than this place.
The carry out menu is much more extensive and Italian. Â I did not check the catering menu, but I will not be dining IN again.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,607 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,970 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,306 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,905 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,983 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
