Alex's Washington Gardens

We ordered delivery. A garlic lover's dream. The calamari was overcooked, rubbery, and bitter from the lemon. It also wasn't very big (the garlic makes it look bigger than it is.) The pint of Ranch dressing was not full, but homemade and amazing!. The spinach was so garlicky that we couldn't eat it. The Italian beef pizza - crispy crust, nice layer of cheese and giardiniera, and the beef was scarce.. The meatballs were delicious. (Note these were garlicy too)

Four of us went for dinner this evening to Washington Gardens and really enjoyed ourselves. Our server Judy (I think) was outstanding! She was professional and really friendly. Not overbearing. We ordered fried calamari and shrimp de jonghe Bowl of minestrone soup which was out of sight! Both excellent and large enough to share. For dinner an order of eggplant was split, whitefish and chicken parmigiana. Again all were excellent. Small restaurant that gets busy quickly. We skipped desert. Bathroom was clean.

Place came recommended from multiple friends. Service was great. Food portions are on the larger side but well worth the leftovers! Staff was amazing. Will def be coming back

had 3rd party delivery. i got a small pizza.skimpy, and the lasagna. omg, it loolked like burnt stoufers from the freezer. way overcooked. small, dry as hell. barely any sauce. 3 bites, and in the trash it went. we spent $160, and i would have been disappointed at half that. and. management didnt even respond. go elsewhere

Possibly my favorite Italian restaurant of all time (and Ive been to countless one, including in Italy). Literally everything my family and I have ever had here we have thought is some of, if not the best, from the alfredo pizza, alfredo tortellini, meatballs, gnocchi, and more. Been here a million times and will never stop. Portions and quality are all great. Also, super fast.

Amazing Italian food in a hole in the wall in highwood! I am so glad I found this place. I took my family and they all had a wonderful time. The previous table did take a while so it wasn’t right on time but the manager apologized and gave us free drinks to make up for the wait. Amazing manager by the way, he definitely knows how to run a restaurant. The ambiance was the typical Italian joint, but it was exactly what we needed and used the space effectively. The food was delightful and the portions were generous (perfect for having leftovers). Prices were on par with anywhere else. I will definitely be going back!

What can I say about Washington gardens? First of all you could tell that the customers in there really love it. I didn't personally like the food because it's Italian American cuisine from the '80s. But if that's what you like that stuff then you're going to love this place. The thing one thing that was exceptional was The tavern style pizza. That was really good and I think the move is to go there and get a tavern style pizza and a salad and maybe watch a game if they have that on the TV. I did love the atmosphere and the server was very good. Hostess was super kind and accommodating. Great vibe.

Great food and great staff...make sure you get a pizza no matter what. Even if just for a slice or two in the restaurant...it's great later at home as well.

Trying to figure out where to order pizza from last night and settled on Washington Gardens. We ordered one sausage pizza and one spinach, onion & mushroom pizza with light cheese. It was a Saturday night , and they gave us a pickup time of 50 minutes. Once there, it was another 20 minutes before our pizzas were ready. Good thing the pizzas were excellent and worth the wait! An truly excellent thin crispy crust. And delicious ingredients. I will definitely be back and would order the same thing again.

I ordered 2 pizzas for delivery on Friday March 7 and never received it. I tried to call but they have a terrible automated system and you can't talk to a human being for help. I left a message and nobody called back. I was charged for the pizzas. My first and last time ordering from this badly run business

Classic old school sit at the bar if you can best thin crust pizza my absolute fav Honest food honest wait staff The waiters (younger ones) tend to be a wee slow . Not complaining

A group of 6 of us were there last evening for dinner. We noticed right away at our neighbors table that the portions seemed smaller than normal. When we received our chicken/pasta dishes we were surprised that the portions are indeed smaller, especially the pasta accompanying our chicken. Seriously, 1/3 of a cup or so. Pasta is inexpensive, why cut the pasta portion down. The chicken portion was also cut by half. The food is good, prices are ok. It's disheartening to see the change.

Some of the finest Italian cuisine available. One star dropped for take-out experiences this holiday weekend. This is the second tim pick-up dinners were shy a full meal. My Chicken Parmesan was delicious but there was only enough spaghetti for one forkfull. Really disappointing. I ordered minestrone soup (theirs is the best I've had, Italian Kitchen's can't touch it) and one minestrone on the side. When I'm opened the containers at home, my heart sank. Both the soup with the mean and the side order of soup were about half empty (see accompanying photo). I'd say the holiday rush caused the take-out mistake, but this happened last take-out which was over a month ago, just ordinary weekday. Surprising that Alex's Washington Gardens would drop the ball on customer service.

I had not been here for over a year. We had dinner last night and the food, the drinks and the service was awesome!! I had the White Fish Florentine and it was the best I've ever had. I highly recommend "The Garden" Peter H Nortbrook

Wow! We had a bunch of food delivered for NYE and everything was amazing! I tried hay & straw and the gnocchi in vodka sauce. Both were cooked perfectly and both sauces were very flavorful! Can't wait to try in the restaurant!

Somehow, someway, the great scornivacos recipe baton has been passed on successfully at this point in time, an amazing feat that is still such a quality Italian dining experience; every dish is so well made and delicious, a place that has never disappointed us since the mid seventies! I'm still Sean Logan and I approve this message and I hope you will make it here to have a great dining experience!

Great place in downtown Highwood. The pizza is top notch and craft cocktails are surprisingly good

Alex's Washington Gardens is kind of like walking into your grandmother's house that she's raised all of her now grown children in. It's nothing fancy or updated. Kind of smells a little old timey. The lights are so dim you can barely read your menu. But it's oddly homey, warm and inviting. The dining room was PACKED when we arrived late on a Monday evening, but they were able to seat all 5 of us almost immediately without a reservation (we had a last minute change of plans, or we would have called ahead). Our waitress was a little short with us, which I didn't appreciate, but can also ignore, but it definitely rubbed one of my friends the wrong way. I'm not a huge fan of Italian food, so I played it safe with their chopped salad, which I enjoyed. I always appreciate a restaurant that has a solid salad list instead of offering basic iceberg with 4 tomatoes and some shredded carrots. Everyone else seemed to really enjoy their gnocchi, salads and ravioli. If you like a good, strong martini that'll grow some hair on your chest, look no further! I don't drink often, so I was definitely not able to finish my dirty martini, even after getting a little extra olive juice, bummer, because this place is NOT cheap. With the salad, martini and tip, my total bill was a little over $40. I do want to note that we did pretty much close out the place, and as we were exiting, there were two pretty intoxicated middle aged women by the bar showing each other dance moves or something. It definitely changed the entire vibe of the place, and made me a little uncomfortable. Not too sure if I'd ever bring my daughter here since it was pretty clear that people are easily over served. So to sum things up: the food is great, the atmosphere is like being at your grandmother's until after 8pm, when all of your crazy aunts have had too many gin and tonics, the service is good, but served with an attitude, but you'll be entertained and leave with your belly full.

My sister and bro-in-law recently moved to Bannockburn and on a recent visit, we had the rare opportunity to go out to eat. My sister chose Alex's (in nearby Highwood) and it did not disappoint! Symone was our server and she was fabulous - super attentive and engaging and had great recommendations when we were torn on what to order. We started with a round of dirty martinis and enjoyed their bread service. Next we had Caesar Salads and then our main entrees: Shrimp Disparagia (me), Lobster Fra Diavolo (sis), and Chicken Piccata (bro). We did end up switching the Lobster Fra Diavolo for the Shrimp Fra Diavolo as it didn't seem quite right, according to my sister, but the change out was smooth. Everything was super flavorful and we ate as much as our bellies would allow... We were too full for dessert and even had some leftovers as those pasta dishes are pretty large! If you're in the mood for Italian and in the area, you can't go wrong here at Alex's Washington Gardens.

We had a big group so I was expecting some delays...service was top notch! They didn't miss a beat :). Wait staff was very polite, friendly and engaging. Food was incredible. Our group shared several plates from fish to pasta and I didnt taste anything that I would not order by itself. I recommend you give AWG a try. We will be back.

Very unassuming Italian restaurant. Not overly fancy but if you are looking for a great staff and incredible food look no further. Seriously some of the best quality Italian dishes for a very reasonable price without the upscale dress or fanfare. Just a great restaurant, wonderful staff (thank you Deborah!!) and even had some fun Halloween costumes to lighten the mood. Wonderful all the way around! Highly recommended!!

Great atmosphere with a nice bar front room and a dinning room attached. The staff are friendly and welcoming, and the food is great.

If you come to Highwood and you want Italian food, this is the place. It's old school but it's what works. We came here on a busy night without reservations and they sat us with no hesitation. It was busy and I'm shocked we were able to take a table so quickly. That is customer dedication! As for the food...come on! It was nothing short of filling and excellence. I bleed Italian red white and green and the food was perfect. I love the Bolognese sauce and the lasagna was better than I remember as a kid coming here. The server was friendly and attentive and we couldn't ask for more! There's a reason this place has stood the test of time!

We've come here for decades. Atmosphere and food are great. Service can be slow, and it's sometimes a bit crowded (not a lot of space to move around, each table very close to the others). One thing they need to work on: Their customer service in regards to take-out. When you call and get a voice mail even though the restaurant is open (5:30 p.m. on a Sunday night - tried several times), it's very frustrating and not exactly friendly. We're trying to order online and have a special request, but it's not possible on their internet site, and we wanted to make sure a person could hear our request. No dice because they don't pick up. If they're open, why don't they answer? It's honestly something that might keep me from choosing them in the future.

Delicious food Great service Great bar tenders Love the old school vibe Feels like Cheers when you walk in!

Tried this for the first time and it was fantastic. Reminds me of the "mom and pop" Italian restaurants back in NY. Love the loud noise, table clothes, and the vibe. Appreciate being able to enjoy my meal and not rushed to order and get out. Veal parm, grilled calamari, and the chicken limon were all outstanding! We'll certainly be going back!

Food was ok. Pizza was better then the chicken Entre. The room which we have not been to in a few years was dark and dingy. Bathrooms are tiny. I doubt we will be back soon. Our friends picked it.

Awesome food, warmth and ambiance. Great staff. The pizza is the best in town. Salmon delicious.

I've been going to Washington Gardens for decades for good reasons. The food is consistently fantastic! Always cooked to order, always fresh ingredients, homemade everything, incredibly flavorful, never too salty. Handmade pizza is and outstanding for thin crust although not the deep dish I prefer. But that's a matter of preference! If you are a ravioli fan, you'll be in heaven. Just saying. I've had chicken and steak countless times and they're always cooked to perfection. Juicy, flavorful because of the quality of meat but also because of just enough and just right seasoning. If you've got room for dessert, have a cannoli. The perfect Italian dessert for an Italian dinner. The bar is always stocked with great variety of whatever you desire. Victor, the main bartender, and all of the staff are top notch. They're super professional, outgoing, polite, always customer-centric, always in good moods and happy you're there. They truly appreciate their guests. Most of the staff have been there for many years, and you can see their close-knit teamwork. Washington Gardens takes COVID safety seriously, and it's appreciated by customers. Parking is sometimes easy, sometimes challenging, and ypu may need to drop-off, park, walk, until valet service returns.

The food was excellent and the service top notch. We had the lasagna, rigatoni and tortellini Alfredo. No complaints at all! Great atmosphere too.

Great food and great service. Definitely the vibe when you want intimacy and also the everyone knows your name place. Been 6-8 times and keep wanting to go back. Recommend for all.

Excellent Diablo Shrimp pasta! Happy to see no tails left on the shrimp. Very good homemade Italian dressing. The free bread was a bit dry. I'll be coming back for more

Wow, what delicious tavern style, cracker crust pizza! Haven't eaten pizza that good since I lived on the northwest side of Chicago. The restaurant is a throw back in time. The boothes are very small...when people were smaller, I guess. I was even impressed by the busser. He was running around non stop and did a great job. The place gives off a very good vibe and worth a visit.

Great pizza delivery! Have not been to actual restaurant but we really like the pizza..never soggy, fresh ingredients, great sauce, etc.

My wife and I have been coming to Washington Gardens for years and love everything about it. The food is absolutely incredible and the staff and atmoshpere are cozy and welcoming. The new owners had really big shoes to fill, but have done a wonderful job. Definitely give this place two very enthusiastic thumbs up. A must try if you haven't been before. - Rick S.

Love the pasta dishes as well as soups and salad! Always great service too! Definitely a family and friends favorite!

Fresh crispy salad and delicious whitefish make us regulars in our neighborhood We've been happy here for 40 years

Stopped here for dinner while traveling for business. I searched yelp for a seafood or Italian place and this menu caught my eye. The staff was incredibly warm and friendly and introduced me to the regulars at the bar. The salmon oreganoto which came with rice, steamed broccoli and a soup/salad hit the spot for the healthy and tasty dinner I had in mind. Salmon was also cooked perfectly. Came in tonight when back in town for dinner and saw Victor again. Everything was amazing again

Solid Italian food, with outstanding thin-crust pizza. Good service and a "local joint" vibe. Reasonably priced, and comfortable ambiance. Always a good choice for couples and young families.

Excellent homemade Italian food!! The this crust pizza is fantastic. Cracker thin crust (but you have to be ok with a sweeter sauce). The tortellini Alfredo (filled with Asiago & veal) is a genuine treat! Staff are friendly and the service is excellent.

The best Italian food since my momma and grandma were alive to make it on Sunday afternoons growing up as a young man Franny is the best and her staff are 2nd to none If you haven't been you must put this on your list of places to eat along the north shore

The vibes are unmatched, it's dark, cozy and should I mention all the drinks are doubles? The food is the star of the show, if you're looking for authentic recipes come here! It's delicious

I've had mostly good experiences here over many years, but our last visit was really bad, and compelled me to post here. Our party of six was crammed into a tight corner in the southeast corner of the dining room, backing up to the bar. That space should never have been used for six people; clearly it was meant for four and they jammed an extra table in there, which also stuck out into the aisle, meaning waiters and bus people were brushing by us the whole night. Sitting there made the whole night unpleasant and uncomfortable. Plus they had the heat turned up too high and that, combined with being crammed in that tiny corner, had most of us sweating uncomfortably the whole night. After an appetizer, the food took well over an hour to come -- extremely long. Clearly the kitchen seemed to be having some trouble this night as in that hour little food was delivered to other tables either. One of the entrees delivered was wrong and we had to re-order, so one of us had to sit and watch the others eat for 15 minutes. Another entrée was nearly inedible due to garlic overload. And as is predictable when food takes forever to come, most of the entrees weren't very hot when they finally came. I wasn't going to post this because as said we've generally had good meals here over the years, and I wanted to give them a chance to respond. But they basically said the table was fine, we should've said something about the heat, and the wrong order was our fault not theirs. No accountability, no apologies. So here we are.

This is the kind of mainstay that new restaurants try to imitate, which explains why they have a steady stream of regulars. The restaurant has attracted a cult following over the years, and they have both the menu and framed pictures on the wall to prove it. Grab a booth or sit at the bar with a martini and a pizza, it hits the spot every time.

We live in Ft Sheridan and have been coming here for years and like it. We had a party of 12 on Oct 2 at 5.15.. Everything was going great. Entrees took a long time to come out. We were not finished eating when we were presented with the check and were not even asked about desert/coffee. Server stated they had another party booked for our table and we had fifteen minutes to get out. Why is our problem that the entrees took 45 minutes to arrived and then we were tossed aside like human garbage. Alex, you were not there and I am sure you would not allow such nonsense to occur. I mentioned it to the manger ( guy behind bar with beard) who said he would look into it and did zilch. Alex, if you are not there this is no excuse that the place should not function like a Swiss clock. Shame on your staff for treating us like second class citizens. Won't be back

Simply the gold standard of old school Italian!. Best cuisine in the area. Highly recommended.

I love this restaurant so much. It never disappoints. Wonderful service, welcoming and fun atmosphere, delicious food and great cocktails. They also have the best gluten free pizza. The menu has something for everyone and everything is so good!

We have been getting pizza from Washington Gardens every weekend for the last 2 months and we can't get enough. The food is awesome. Never thought to put gardinera on a pizza, but it's phenomenal. Always friendly when I walk in. Food is hot and consistently delicious.

Food is wonderful Service is great! The homemade pasta and ravioli was great. So friendly you need to visit!

Best pizza and chicken parm in the area! My family has been ordering from Washington Gardens for years. We love everything and it is always part of our Sunday night family dinner. Always great quality and the vast menu appeals to everyone in the family.

I would say that the words "neighborhood gem" are over used in reviews, but in this case it describes Alex's Washington Gardens perfectly. This has to be one of the best restaurants in the Chicagoland area if not all of the midwest. When we have out of town guests that we want to treat, AWG is our go-to. To say that AWG has a perfect record of DAZZLING our guests is an understatement. Save room for Michele's fantastic cake that she tirelessly bakes every morning for the enjoyment of her diners. Just go- you will be glad that you did.

I've eaten in a couple of times in the last month and ordered the pizza. The crust really is exceptional. Reheated the leftovers in the oven next day and successfully recaptured the crunch. Decor is a bit of a time warp, but the pizza is super.

My wife and I have become frequent diners at the Garden. The food and service NEVER disappoints! Each visit we bring new friends to enjoy the pizza and pasta!! The veal parm is fabulous and priced right !!

As a born and raised Highwood girl that avoids Italian cuisine to ensure I don't leave dinner wishing I had just stayed in for some of Nonna's pasta.... This spot never disappoints! For those folks that remember the Highwood of the olden days, this is a must visit ASAP. Tortellini that make Nonna proud and a pizza that can't be beat. Friendly staff that never forget a face that appreciates good food too! It's become a weekly staple in our home and something even Nonna craves!

Cozy and intimate is hard to find. Alex's Washington Gardens delivers! My husband and I decided on a cool foggy November Saturday night to go out for the evening at the last minute. We headed to Highwood and used our yelp app to see what sounded good. Michael drove by Alex's and it popped up. I read the reviews and asked how it was possible that we hadn't been there yet. I kind of wanted Sushi, but we decided to give Alex's a shot. We walked in the door at 8PM on a Saturday night and were greeted by the owner who is so charming, sweet and likes to make jokes so that makes him funny too. We were worried about their being room for us without a reservation on a Saturday night, but the universe blessed us with an empty booth in a cozy corner of the front room. After getting settled we were greeted by Beth - our waitress for the evening. I believe she told us that she had been there for 19 years. She took our drink orders. I ordered the house Pinot Noir that was priced reasonable and generous pour. The Pinot wasn't as smooth as I like it, but the pour was so generous it last my entire meal. My husband enjoyed his beer. The menu is extensive and we spent a good amount of time considering all the options. We've heard the pizza is fabulous and we will be back to try it. We were considering the spinach haystack pasta and the chicken parmesan. Then an order of tortellini alfredo appeared at our table. I told the server that he had made a mistake, but it turns out that beth gifted this wonderful appetizer, that can also be served as a meal, to us. It was amazing, cheesy, gooey and the pasta was melt in your mouth tender. A game changer for us. We will be bringing our 17 year old daughter back to try this dish. Since we started our with pasta we changed our entire order. We decided to split a large caesar salad. It was nice, but I think we will do the house salad next time....more veggies on it. Our entree came with a bowl of soup. We chose the poblano cream soup. It sounds like a strange choice for an Italian restaurant, but the spice was fabulous and fitting for a cool fall evening. Remembering that I had been thinking sushi early in the evening I chose the seared Ahi tuna that was served with rice, tomato slice and broccoli. The fish and side dishes were amazing - nice textures, colors and the spices and flavours complimented each other. Our waitress Beith was friendly and attentive the entire evening. We chose to spit our salad and entree and everything came to our table perfectly split and presented - this was above and beyond. We had a four course meal in a cozy establishment with friendly service and it didn't break the bank. My husband and I left with warm fuzzies. We didn't get to try the pizza or any of the amazing sounding desserts, so I know we will be back.

Had my first pizza experience last weekend. OMG was it delish! Added the salad with goat cheese and roasted red peppers and loved it! it will be our new GO TO for thin crust pizza. Well done Washington Gardens!

You know that perfect little neighborhood Italian place that you have been looking for? Found it! Why, oh, why, oh, why, have I not happened upon Washington Gardens sooner? This place is fantastic. My wife and I ventured out on a spontaneous date night and were both starving because we had not had much to eat that day. We knew our destination was Highwood, but were not sure where to eat. Enter Yelp mobile app to the rescue. I spied the Gardens as I was hunting for a parking spot and had my co-pilot check the Yelp app. It seemed like a very solid choice so we went for it. Full disclosure - I am not a big Italian fan, tends to be more the wife and daughter, so I usually take one for the team. Tip - valet parking is available, so you do not have to worry about parking if you don't want to. As soon as we entered the door way, we were warmly greeted by the owner who really put on the charm. The place was packed and it looked very inviting. I spied a booth right away and requested it. Score! Ordering drinks - our server had our backs, she steered my wife towards the house pinot which was a generous pour I might add, not like some places that provide an anemic grape output; and she was also able to recite the beer list to me from memory both forwards and backwards, very impressive! Nicely done Beth! Bread came out next with 'real' shredded cheese. Someone delivered an order to our table and my wife told him he had the wrong table, but not the case, our server popped by to let us know that she ordered it for us to try. It was the pasta appetizer and it was magnificent. Remember me not being a big pasta guy? The flavor profile of the app really delivered foodgasm. You MUST order this, I know we will from now on. I also like the confidence display from an establishment that knows well enough to give you a preview knowing full well they'll hook you. Consider us Hooked. I have to bring my daughter back, she adores a good cream sauce. Next came the poblano cream soup. That's what I said, poblano? At an Italian place? Turns out the cooks are Mexican and the soup was wonderful. Just the right balance of heat to it like Goldilocks, not too little, not too much, but 'just' right. Followed by the caesar salad. The sauce was good, but I did not care for the presentation or leaf choice. I think I get where they were trying to go, I think they were shooting for the leaves to still be crunchy over soggy, which they were; but I felt there was too much leaf stem/vein included which detracted for me. Next came the Ahi, simple really, ahi with broccoli and rice. It was probably the best Ahi I have had. The texture, color, look, taste were perfect. Now bear in mind, my wife and I split everything we ordered down the middle, so when the bill came, it was extremely reasonable for a dinner in the North Shore; and our tummies were happy as well, more of that Goldilocks syndrome, 'just right.' Our server Beth spoiled us, was very amiable and easy to like, our meal was fantastic, we were happy and satisfied, wanted for nothing and our tip reflected as much. And we have not even tried the thin crust pizza which this place is supposedly known for. Good enough reason to return, like we needed more ;)