I'm a sucker for old school, Chicago restaurants. The one's with the servers who've been there since they opened, where the bartenders serve up classic cocktails, and the decor hasn't been replaced in 30 years. So, needless to say, I was excited to finally try Sabatino's.
The ambiance was everything I expected, which is a good thing. Loud, boisterous, and bustling. The servers were no-nonsense, friendly, and attentive. The food on the other hand, was nothing mind blowing.
First, the menu was very extensive, almost to the point of overwhelming. I was craving pasta and what jumped out at me was their Pappardelle con Funghi di Bosco. Basically homemade wide noodles with wild mushrooms in a light cream sauce. It came with soup and salad. I opted for the Minestrone soup. I was a little surprised when it arrived. It was on the creamy side and not brothy like I'm used to. It was ok, at best. The salad was an average salad. Nothing more, nothing less. Â I really liked the pasta. It was soft but not mushy. It had more of an egg noodle consistency. Â As for the sauce, well, I was a bit underwhelmed by it. The best way to describe it - cream of mushroom soup, from a can. Also, I swear I detected the faint taste of flour.
So, Sabatino's saving graces are the ambiance, the giant loaf of bread served with dinner (seriously, it's a giant loaf of bread)...and...well, that's about it, at least for me.
Doesn't look like much from the outside but it's very good. This place has a very old school Italian restaurant feel to it, complete with pianist inside. Dining outdoors was lovely and the food was pretty good. The Caesar salad was amazing, as was the pizza bread and the seafood pasta dish I ordered.  My date ordered chicken cacciatore  and that could've been much better. However My glass of chianti was great.
Service could've been faster, as we had to wait quite a while for our entree and the whole dinner was over 2.5 hrs long, with long waits in between appetizers and entree. I would most likely return, though the service was a big turn off.
Years ago I would have rated Sabatino's a little better, but the fact they always overbook and your reservation means nothing to them is a bit disrespectful which is why I don't go nearly as much as I used to. Even with reservation you're waiting for 40 plus minutes on a Saturday night in a crowded and uncomfortable piano bar area. However, that does speak volumes of the place. I do like Sabatino's for what it is. An old school neighborhood Italian joint that prides itself on classic customer service (when you do finally get seated) and large portions. The lighting is nice and dim. The crowd is very diverse in terms of age, families, and couples. It could be both romantic and simple. Food is definetly much better then average but isn't top notch in my book, but prices do reflect that. I love the fact when I sit down my bread is out right away and so is my complementary pizza bread which essentially a free appetizer. My water stays full all night. And my dinner comes with soup, salad, and a side of pasta or potato. Once your finished with one dish the next is being served. It's a very smooth and comfortable dining experience for a decent price. I'm also a fan of that 1970's mobster movie feel that Sabatino's provides. Give it a shot. You'll notice I also rated RPM 3 stars, which is not to say they are on the same level. I rated both on two different scales as I had different expectations based on the reputation going in.
Review Source:Old school and unabashedly so, this two-story restaurant is still run the old-fashioned way. Romantic setting and a great date place. Great for families too. On Mother's Day one of the owners brings around a single long-stem rose for each of the moms at the tables. What a nice touch. Valet parking at the front door is a nice touch also. Oh yeah, I forgot the food.
Really liked the assortment offered in the menu. Pages of food. Food tasted excellent ... only complaint is that some dishes - like veal scallopini - sometimes have more sauce than veal ... but it tasted very nice. Fresh bread at all times with that lovely thick Italian crust. Come to think of it, you could use that to sop up all that extra sauce. Good place - give it a try but be sure to make reservations because they often get packed and backed up.
Great food near my home? Yes, please.
I had their Filet Mignon and their Oysters Rockefeller. The filet was very flavorful and prepared very well. It might not have been the best filet I have had but it was still very good nonetheless. Oh yeah, and the oysters were... superb. My friend had their fried calamari and thought they were a bit chewy but not terrible. She then received her Gnocchi which she was happy to say was not overcooked. Â
Overall it was a very positive experience and very reasonably priced. The server was attentive and friendly. Next time I visit Sabatino's I am definitely trying their Escargot and having some red wine.
Cheers!
You can have a wonderful romantic dinner as long as you skip the weekend--it's very noisy on Saturday night. The food and service are spectacular.
I've also done a 17-person party at Sabatino's. After a few glitches (the servers didn't know we had a pre-set menu), everything came off well. Generous portions (plenty to take home from the family style platters). Only minor complaint--a waitress interrupted my guest of honor as he was making a toast :)
Went to lunch on Sunday, January 13, 2013 to celebrate two birthdays.  We have been coming to this restaurant for over 12 years and everything has always been excellent.  However, this time was somewhat of a disaster.  First of all, the place was freezing, we could not take off our coats.  After 20 minutes or so, the waitress looked at the thermostat and upped the temp so then we had heat.  The food was good as always, but one of our drink glasses was chipped, so we had to ask for another glass.  Also, there were 7 at our table, and only filled 6 water glasses were filled, so we had to ask for water. Then we  had to ask for more water when all the glasses were empty.
We had a Sunday lunch in October and everything was great, but due to this unfortunate experience, we will not be returning.
My friend and I went there late Saturday night. I ordered an Old Fashioned to drink and it was simply aweful. I never tasted anything like it. About half cherry juice from a jar and a ton of bitters dumped in it I'm guessing. I put some powdered sweetener in it to offset, but it barely helped. Since I'll drink about any type of cocktail, and I hate sending things back, I continued to attempt to drink it. When I realized it was a definite no-go, it took me a while to get one of the girls to come over to swap it out for a glass of wine. Luckily I was not charged. While my friend ordered a $20 veal parm dinner, I only wanted a snack that late at night, of which I chose french fries. They appeared to be homeade potatoes and hand cut, but were unfortunately under cooked. Also, we sat at the bar, and they put a large cloth white napkin down at our bar places for us to eat/drink on top of. I've never seen that before and it was a little embarrassing. I looked down to the other end of the bar and it seemed like other people had the same thing, so I'm gathering that was normal. I will try this place one more time though, because I saw a post that they accomodate gluten free meal requests. Next time I'll sit at a table instead of the bar so I don't have to have a large napkin to eat off of, avoid potatoes and avoid mixed drinks.
Review Source:My wife and I had a " Sabatino's date" there last Saturday Night. Although we had reservations , the place was packed so we had to wait at the bar. It's clearly evident why the restaurant was so crowded. The food, beverages and especially the portions and service were fantastic. We had a gr8 time and we'll be back soon
Review Source:Sabatino's is literally across the street from my house. Literally. And yesterday marked the 10 month anniversary of me living here. Damn there every day at around 7 P.M. I watch as people start to pour in like they are giving away free government cheese. Yet it took me 10 months to take the 10 steps to check this place out.
You can tell this is just your simple neighborhood staple. Poorly organized, cheap, casual service, talkative wait staff. We made reservations at 9, didn't get seated till 9:15. I was in a group of 2 dudes(my roommates) and it felt weird because every other diner consisted of a couple. Definitely a date spot.
The first thing you notice is that most items are $20. what makes that amazing is the fact that with every dinner comes fresh baked bread, pizza bread, soup, salad, and a choice of pasta or baked potato. All of that for $20! At most places in Chicago, $20 doesn't even cover the bread.
I ordered a veal stuffed with italian sausage. It was good, though I couldn't take any veal from the sauce and sausage. I was kinda as if I was eating sausage links by themselves. Tabled ordered a mixed grill along with spinach stuffed pasta. No one had any complaints.
The service was sub par. For one our server had trouble explaining the specials. She also disappeared for long bouts. Also, I ordered a lemonade and my mate ordered red wine. When she finally came back I asked her if it was free refills on my drink and she stated it wasn't. I told her no thanks but when she walked away she said "so a lemonade and red wine coming up" despite us telling her no thanks!
Desert was decent, not lighting our world on fire. I can see why Sabatino's is always so crowded, and this is definitely the place where I would see no problem visiting weekly.
Let's start with the parking... Free valet!!! Obviously you should tip generously but this is absolutely a perk that I can appreciate.
I have been back a couple times over the last month and always have a wonderful meal. The atmosphere is old world in all the best ways, the staff are precise in everything they do, and are genuinely charming. I love walking through the crowded bar at the front that always seems to have a piano player on the way to the restaurant in the back room.
Definitely make reservations but know that doing so only accomplishes so much. The hosts do their best but it's so crowded that I generally find I am still waiting 10-30 minutes depending on how picky you are. Having said this, it's worth waiting and they really do try to get you the best table possible as quickly as they are able. And the staff hustles here. So just plan on having a cocktail at the bar, partake in some good people watching, and then let the experience unfold once you are seated.
I went last night and waited 30 minutes after checking in because they were packed but one of the private booths sounded like it would be available. They came to get us and we felt like royalty as our host showed us to one of the most private booths in the restaurant. Everything was perfect. I had the Sabatino New York cut steak, pasta, minestrone, and salad while my date had the vegetarian pasta special. Both were excellent and the waitress brought us a complimentary dessert which was incredibly generous of her.
As always, I recommend Sabatino's whole heartedly to anyone!
Old school Italian place, I was not surprised to see it packed on a Saturday night.
Our group ended up here because they have great food AND are gluten free friendly. They offer gluten free pasta and will work with you to build any other meal gluten free.I got a steak with veggies and soup that was GF! WooHoo! Our waitress took it very seriously and did a fantastic job.
Everyone enjoyed their feasts (seriously so much food!) as well as the food coma that followed.
Tables were a bit too squished, and it was a bit too loud, but those can be overlooked with such great food and service.
Do you like a ton of food with old school vibe & waitresses? Then this is your spot. I'm 40 and we were the youngest folks in the joint. Between the bread and the complimentary pizza, I have no idea how they sell appetizers. Decent priced wine.
Huge entrees that include soup and salad!!. Eggplant parmesian and Gnocchi were great. Tons of leftovers. Nice service. And I forgot to mention the guitar/violin duo who serenaded us.
Just went yesterday for my mom's birthday. The waiters were great! They had a violinist playing and also a guitarist, great food, great service, it looked like a busy dinner service, alot of large parties, maybe because its the holiday season, but on  a Tuesday, the crowd looked in to be over 40, I had the Chicken Marsala...it was GOOD! No compliants from this table, there was a total of 9 adults and my toddler, even had a tiramisu with a sparkler at the end for my mommy.
Review Source:I used to be a big fan of Sabatino's restaurant. The place has always been a dive and the wait staff was sarcastic and pushy, but my family loved the place. It was wonderful authentic italian cooking. On Saturday's people would stand in line for hours to get a table. One time the owner had made cherries jubilee for my children for free, but today Sabatino's menu has made a turn for the worse.
The minestrone soup was not fresh today. It was pretty mushy & grainy. I feel insulted that they even tried to pass that off. They were famous for their fresh minestrone and  sourdough bread with dinner. There was none better.
The chicken special was a small, dry, overcooked (burned) split chicken breast with ugly, overcooked frozen vegetables on top. It also came with a side plate of runny mashed potatoes with a chunk of broccoli stuck to it. I took one bite of the chicken and pushed it aside and waited for service. And waited, and waited and waited.
The waitress was very kind and polite and asked if she could bring me something else, but only after passing by my table twice. The third time was too late. My companion already finished his dinner.
True are the comments about it being mostly an annoying old crowd and annoying businessmen type of crowd. It has always been that way, though. Middle aged businessmen talking to nobody on their blackberry ear pieces, permanently glued to their ear.
Okay, I feel so compelled to do an updated review on Sabatino's. One of the finest Italian places in the city. Went there with my wife, a friend from Boston and his son who were passing through Chicago and stayed the night. So we decided on Sabatino's for an earley dinner. We got there around 6 and it was starting to get the evening crowd but by the time we left the place was packed and on a Tuesday night to boot. And . . . our waiter was a hoot. I think his name was Antonio and he surely kept uson out toes and had a great sense of home. Anyone who has ever seen Adam Sandlers Mr. Deeds will remember the butler who would just POP UP with some entertaining comment. That was our waiter!
The best part is that Enzo who is one of the owners made sure that we ended up having a 7 course meal and much of it was on the house like the pizza bread, fruit and Baked Alaska which was outstanding. I had the Steak Diane which they cook for you table side which was outstanding.
My buddy Sully said that it was one of the best meals he has ever had and his son Danny was totally impressed. Having Frank the Violinist and the guitar player whose name escapes me just topped it off.
So what are you waiting for, get on over to Sabatino's!!!
Classic Italian at its very best. Â It reminded me of some of the places back home in NJ. Â Dated but timeless decor that makes you feel like you are in a mob movie. Â Staff is friendly and you can tell that the waitresses have been there forever. Â Food was excellent! Â and portions generous. Â This is the kind of place that you go time after time because you always know exactly what you'll get. Â And the price is fair! Â Worth the trip.
Review Source:May have been a little busy  for a Wend night but the server seemed to be a bit overwhelmed. Did see an old friend that I hadn't seen in 15 years that was cool. food was okay was very disappointed in the pasta I thought it would be authentic Italian tasted more like Ragu.
There was plenty of parking and the atmosphere and Clientele were pretty nice and laid back.
I've been a Sabatino's customer since I was really young, like 6 or 7 years old, young. I'm now 34 & still think going there to have dinner is a treat. And still love watching the waiter debone the Dover Sole, which is DELICIOUS, by the way.
I'm not going to list all of the tasty dishes, like do in most of my restaurant reviews, because there's too many & I'd be here all day. I will say that the Dover Sole is a must try, if it's your first time visiting & you like fish. Otherwise, try anything & you won't be disappointed. They really have wonderful menu.
My querida and I came here with a couple of folks from church for Sunday lunch. Â To be honest, I might have experienced Christ's real presence in, with, and under the pizza bread as much as during communion beforehand. Â That good.
This is about as good a poster child for classic, old-school Italian restaurant as can be found...and unlike the cluster of restaurants in Heart of Chicago, the prices here are AMAZING. Â And the service. Â And the food.
It should be said that we went with a couple of regulars who have been eating at Sabatino's almost every week for years, and we definitely benefited from some major VIP treatment, but...this place has a killer waitstaff. Â Attentive, friendly, knowledgeable of everything on the menu and at the bar...the whole deal. Â
As for food...again, there was a little VIP treatment going on (such as the tray of free cannoli and mini tiramisu), but that doesn't affect the kitchen. The pizza bread is to die for - perfect, crisp, wood-fired crust with excellent sauce and a just-right layer of melted cheese. Â The soup and salad were both nicely done; I especially appreciated the abundance of real blue cheese in my salad dressing. Â Entrees were excellent, and great portion sizes for the price. Â My veal saltimbocca was cooked and seasoned perfectly; the veal parmigiana was also a home run. Â The desserts did not disappoint; how can you really go wrong with cannoli and tiramisu?
And all of this food, plus two drinks a person, plus amazing service, was a BARGAIN. Â This place is one of the best food finds I've made in a long, long time; check it out!
What a beautiful restaurant! Â Coming to Sabatinos thanks to my boss's treat he ate the spaghetti and I had a large salad with avocado, artichoke stalks, olives, tomato, raddish, and they were large vegetables. Â The atmosphere is dimly lit with white dangley lights and gorgeous wall paper of grape vines in the fields all around the dining room.
There was a violinist and guitar player getting ready to play and the staff were professional and delectable. Â For dessert it was spumoni with other mystery flavors of creamy rich ice cream. Â For starters it was short slices of melted cheesy garlic bread which were filling enough for the whole meal and spoiled my appetite pretty much so half the salad was light and enough for the large elegant plates of this restaurants fresh and well prepared and served dinner.
The owners here work very hard around the clock to keep such an enriching dining experience for their guests and I am very appreciative to have been able to experience Sabatinos on my boss. Â He will be getting my work double time for a while. Â Oh and I would have taken pictures but when you eat with your boss everything is by him and he wouldn't allow me to take pictures. Â Maybe I was still on the clock?
My dad introduced me to Sabatino's years back. It's where he sometimes hung out with his buddies after golf or lodge meetings. I remember being a little intimidated. The first thing you see is a darkened bar room with old men sitting around chatting and drinking wine. One of the first dining areas you see is wood paneled with grape vine patterns. Definitely like something out of a mob movie. First impressions are deceiving. The food is excellent and the people are friendly.
Most recently I took my girlfriend to Sabatino's for her birthday. We had a reservation for 6:00 PM but there was no need. On a Thursday evening the place isn't too packed. We were seated right away. The old school waitress was prompt and friendly. We started with a cheese plate, which included four types of cheese (which change often as the waitress explained), grapes, apples, honey and orange marmalade. That's the first time I ever had cheese with honey. It was pretty good.
Dinner started with pizza bread and a large loaf of fresh Italian bread. I may have filled up on too much bread and cheese because when my spinach gorgonzola ravioli came, the portion was huge, and I couldn't finish it all. It wasn't the taste. It was excellent, but I had to take the rest home. .
For dessert we had the tiramisu, which ranks pretty high on my restaurant tiramisu scale. Yes, I have one of those. It's the perfect dessert. Â
One thing I should note is that the girlfriend is a pescetarian, and the menu is very friendly to those who do not eat meat, with a pretty good selection of fish and seafood or meatless pastas. They even have gluten free pasta on request.
The friendliness is not just on the outside. The menu accommodates everyone. Next time you're going on a date or a family dinner and you want to impress, I would suggest getting a reservation at Sabatino's.
A great experience all throughout, a truly old school family Italian restaurant that serves great food at a great price. Â The staff is always pleasant as well and the owners make a point to stop by every table to see how your meal was.
Their food is rustic heartwarming, and there's always enough to take home. Â They excel at the more traditional dishes and have some truly authentic offerings (their lasagna is straight out of southern Italy).
Give it a try, it's priced way below similar Italian "fine dining" options and it's truly a unique experience.
You want old school? Look no further than Sabatino's.
We had a large group coming in for a birthday (8 people) and as soon as we were all at the restaurant we were seated accordingly. The dining room is like something out of a movie. This ain't Sbarro's, people. This is the real deal - you are going to get a serious Italian meal at this place. Â
Our waitress, Dawn, did a good job taking care of us. We were started off with a loaf of italian bread and butter, as well as a flatter bread with cheese melted on it. Bread is lovely, and our table gobbled it up. I started with a glass of sauvignon blanc and perused the menu.
My husband and I got some escargot as an appetizer, which was good. The little snails were still in their shells. It wasn't the best escargot I've ever had, but it was still good. How can butter and garlic not be good?
Sabatino's is all about food. When you order an entree, you also get soup, salad and a choice of potato with your dish. Reserve stomach space accordingly. For my main, I got the chicken toscana, which were chicken breasts sauteed in olive oil, white wine sauce and sun dried tomatoes. I passed on the soup (minestrone), got a salad with italian dressing and a side of asparagus. I passed on the potato.
Everyone liked the soup. The salad was pretty standard. Romaine/tomato/dressing. No surprises. The asparagus appeared to be boiled, which isn't my favorite way of preparation, but I love asparagus regardless, so it was cool. The chicken toscana was ridiculously large (3 chicken breasts) and it was swimming in a delicious buttery white wine sauce. It was good, but I only ate one of the breasts, my husband snatched another and we took the third home. The chicken was a teensy bit dry, despite the buckets of white wine sauce. Sniff.
Our table got desserts as well, which I passed on. I did, however, sample some lemon ginger tea which was a great end to the meal.
Sabatino's is good, but I wouldn't say I was blown away. The ambience was more appealing than the food itself.
(FYI: This review is based on what I experienced as I went out to dinner with my in-laws for Mother's Day 2012).
We had reservations for 5:30 p.m. on 5/12/12 and were running a bit late as traffic from the suburbs to the city was making for a slow commute. Called just to inform them we were coming but would be a few minutes late and was rudely dealt with by the women that answered the phone. In the end, it didn't make a difference as we were seated almost immediately when we arrived.
It seemed as if they may have crammed few more tables into the dining area because people were sitting almost on top of each other, and the waiters, waitresses and busboys hardly had any room to maneuver. Getting up to go to the bathroom was like dancing ballet with all the spins and shuffles you had to do between tables.
Our complimentary bread was burned on the bottom, but the inside was still pretty flavorful. We also got some cheesy bread that was pretty decent.
I chose the veal saltimbocca, which I'd had before at another restaurant; the previous dish surpassed Sabatino's effort. The veal was pounded thin and uniformly cooked, but the whole dish just tasted like salt and butter. I had vegetables as my side; it was simply a plate of green beans. I am not a big fan of green beans but I was surprised with how good these were (with a little bit of salt and pepper added). We skipped dessert because we finished the night at home.
The north dining room decor left something to be desired: Plastic grapes and white Christmas lights hanging from lattice framing in front of the cheesy "Italian Scenery" imagery painted on the walls. Our waitress did a good job considering how loud, crowded and busy things were.
I'd be willing to try Sabatino's again, definitely on a different night of the week and not on a celebratory holiday when they are completely slammed.
The dinner portion of Probably The Most Fun Night I have had in Chicago. Â Our waiter, Mario, was a storyteller. Â The multi course Italian meal, starting with a loaf of bread and complimentary pizza bread, was delicious. Â The cocktails my lady friends enjoyed- yes, I dined with two lady friends, were praised. Â They had manhattans and negronis, for the record, the bar knows how to make a balanced cocktail.
For entrees I had the spinach ravioli with cream and gorgonzola sauce- vegetarian and super rich. Â My girlfriend had the steak and her friend got stuffed veal. Â The place was pretty full on the late side of Wednesday evening.
For dessert we got the baked Alaska for two. Â Mario told us about baked Alaskas past. Â The maitre D lit the meringue on fire.
Old School Italian in every sense of the phrase. Could have been in South Phila. That's both good and bad - The food is well prepared, but very "pedestrian" from a cuisine standpoint. Priced at the high end of the scale, but also highly service-oriented and very traditional in its ambiance and menu.
It didn't rock my world, but neither would I say anything bad. I simply prefer a more imaginative approach to Italian fare these days, ala the Mark Vetri-style that embraces a "Mediterranean" feel. Â
If you want a taste of the "rat-pack", Vegas, Philly, 60's era-Italian, Sabatinos is worth a visit. If you like a more modern approach, I suggest one of the many down-town chi-town alternatives.
5 stars for food (same menu for 40 years), service (organization & timeliness), and nostalgia (same decor for 40 years). Â
Eating here is an event and when the Italian food is this tasty, it's worth the time and money (which is such a bargain) For a party of 4 on a Saturday night expect to be eating continually for over 2.5 hours. Â Place gets packed by 5:30pm so reservations are a must. Â The steak is Prime, therefore it's the same cut, and just as flavorful as the best steakhouses in Chicago, except half the price.
Dining at Sabatino's is like going back in time when going to a restaurant was a special experience. Â This place is quaint yet not overbearing or pretentious. Â I feel they would treat a guy in a suit and a guy in nice jeans and button down shrt the same way. Â
The pizza bread as an automatic starter is nice change of pace and delicous. Â What really amazed me were the side dishes. Â Usually those are just okay but at Sabatino's they were incredibly delicious.
We definitely plan to go back and even might drop by the lounge for a drink now and again.
Hello little Italian joint. Coming to Sabatino's is like going back in time when my dad took us to a "fancy" dinner. But this place is awesome. Â Quaint yet comforting at the same time. Came here on Valentine's Day and it was especially full and alive. Service is also old school, could of sworn my grandma was waiting on us. Friendly yet commanding at the same time.
The pizza bread as an automatic starter is def a treat and unexpected. Good but I don't think I would order it otherwise.
We started with the minestrone soup and it was ok. Then has the ceasar and it was really good. For the big show, I had the veal special which was veal scalapini in a thin white wine sauce and fresh sage. Excellent. My wife had the Tuscan chicken  with potatoes, artichoke, and sun dried tomatoes in a light white wine sauce. Even better. Would order that again for sure.
Ended the night with some coffee and dessert: Tartuffe. Damn good - like a lighter tasting snickers bar. But better.
We had a great experience and would def come back. Doesn't hurt that it's a few blocks away from home either! 5 stars for the combo of food and affordable price.
Let me start by saying if I had ordered something that I enjoyed, the stars would be much higher.
I really liked almost everything about this place. From the interior decor to the old ladies at the bar. I liked almost everything.
There were 3 of us. One filet, one ckn toscana and one pappardelle con funghi. The pappardelle was the big disapointment, my friend tasted it and advised I shouldnt eat any more than I had, (which was about two fork fulls) it was so off tasting. I didn't want to eat it but tried, Â it did taste bad ...... So we left it and I still enjoyed everything. They give you bread and homemade pizza (not so great but edible).
The filet was actually unbelievable, even though we ordered it "well" (which yes, I know you should never do but a mother can have her steak any way she pleases).
To which the server replied "ok, but you know no one can guarantee it well"
This seemed to be a rather odd response in my opinion either way she had her steak flawless as well as butterflied, yes, I know. It was the best dish we sampled
The Chicken dish was so tender and juicy, my friend enjoyed that a lot.
No apps since we all got soups and salds with our meals. Besides the pasta dishes they both had a side as well. Soups were not great.. Salads, just ok. The dressing however was delicious!
I will def be back to try something new/else. We left the whole plate of pasta, it was just gross to all of us, unfortunately. The server took it away, no offerings to something or any kind of discount. I felt terrible about leaving it and not even taking it home.
All together it came out to be $77 not including tip. This, to me was a bit much, but the steak was 27+ bones so I didn't feel terrible spending the money.
We had hot tea and a diet coke to drink.
3 dishes. 2 out 3 were a hit. Will be back to try something new. Â
It's upscale for the area and packed on a Weds night HAYO!
My dad was in town last week and suggested we meet here for lunch.
Free valet - thank you, Yelp! :)
I walked into the bar area and quickly found the reservation counter. The decor very old-school but charming. They had small trellises set up around 2-seater booths with lights strung through and around. Glass display cases separated the small dining rooms and were filled with random little glass figurines.
It was pretty empty around 12:30 but had a nice sized crowd by the time we left around 1:45. A lot of regulars which is always a sign of either good food or bargain prices. Both of which I am a fan of!
The waiter didn't miss a beat. He had everything ready to go for us knowing we were in a bit of a time crunch.
We split the crab and avocado salad which was an interesting combination I had never had before. Not bad! Not bad, at all.
They didn't skimp on the minestrone. It was very thick (it probably didn't help that I added a couple spoonfuls of Parmesan) & I'm not gonna lie, I was sad to see it go but had to save room for the entree!
We also split the bow tie pasta with peas, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms. Pretty average, nothing spectacular but a good side if you're going family-style.
In typical dad fashion, he wouldn't let me leave without having a slice of tiramisu and a capuccino. Mm mmm!
I'll definitely stop in again if I'm in the area.
Regret so badly that I didn't have the camera w/ me - the 90 yr old violinist was the high point of the night at Sabatino's, playing for me with all of his heart, "BESA ME MUCHO"
This performance pretty much made the night - not the food - not the service.
The food is greasy, buttery, and tasteless. Â If you really want Italian, go to Club Lucky or Daves Italian Kitchen.
Sorry Sabatinos
On par with eating in a Yugo
Yes .... every table is "on top of the adjacent table".
  You will rub elbows, with your neighbors'.
   Management, you're lazy ...... you need a bigger place.
Yes, high prices ...... way to HIGH.
  The food is good .......however, I'm not in a position .........
  TO SOLVE ITALY'S financial crisis !!!!!
I'm fortunate to live within walking distance of Sabatino's, and I do enjoy them and appreciate their efforts to remain fine in quality.
I'm Italian-American, and I don't usually choose to go to an Italian restaurant when I go out to eat for several reasons: cheap ingredients, high prices for something I could easily make at home, and heavy, tomato-based fare. However, I've had plenty of delicious dishes at Sabatino's; including a fantastic risotto with shrimp that isn't always on the menu.
Their sea food is surprisingly amazing in general. However, I think Sabatino's is worth 3.5 stars, actually.
It's nice, family-style, classy and old-fashioned inside. However, the tables are tiny. I sat with my brother and parents at a table recently, and we were putting the bulky wine menu, flowers, candle, etc. on the table next to us temporarily. There was just no room for the fresh baked bread or pizza bread before the meal, and definitely no room for our dinner and sides.
The owner is a friendly gent most times, but the last time I was there he decided to blow up and go on a tirade about a party that just arrived to the assistant manager and a waitress in our dining room, on a Sunday afternoon.
I know the restaurant business is crazy, but that was unacceptable. I later politely told the assistant manager that we didn't enjoy the shouting match during my parents' anniversary meal, to which she replied "That's my boss for ya!" and threw her arms up in resignation.
Again, the restaurant business is insane; I've been around family members' restaurants in my life to know. Yet that whole scenario is ignorant of Sabatino's customers; we don't pay for that kind of "entertainment" with the (high) price of our meals.
A week in advance, I booked a reservation for 15 on a Friday night. Seeing as though I had only heard great things, but never been inside, I was making a reservation to be cautious and courteous. I never knew this place was as large as it was! Â
I walked up to the host desk at 7:45 pm and was told "It's not 8pm yet." That really left a bad taste in my mouth. You could sense the host's frustration over a busy night. Nowadays, you'd think a restaurant would welcome any business! In the meantime, til about 8:40, our party of 13 stood in the front waiting room, even witnessing a man not get service in a front table and leave. It was an odd feeling, I don't like being able to read that the servers are overwhelmed.
Any who, we were seated in the very back room around 8:40. By then we were anxious to eat and aggravated at how LOUD this place was. Food began to get served, we had clam apps and the french bread pizza that is served to the tables, all were talked about as tasty! Several different things were ordered including salmon, risotto, the gnocchi special and chicken marsala and vesuvio. My dad is obsessed with Chicken Cacciatore and said he was so pleased with his meal! (that's rare that someone gets it just right to his liking!)
It's a double edged sword, it's such a long wait and so noisy because people pack the place in and really enjoy the food. If you're looking for quiet and romantic I would stay away from this place on a peak weekend night! If you're open to the challenge of yelling over other people and being in a dark room, check it out----
4 stars for food
2 stars for host service at front desk
4 stars for waiter service/personality.
Overall, I'm giving it 3 stars---
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