Bacchanalia

My friend and I had high hopes for Bacchanalia. I have to say that we were pretty disappointed. The food didn’t hit the mark. The fried calamari dipping sauce didn’t seem to be very tasty compared to other places we have been to. The crispiness of the fried calamari was good though. We both were very disappointed in the baked clams as they all had a ton of sand in them. We have been to others places none of them had sand like Bacchanalia did. I did like the eggplant parmigiana. The service seemed to be very slow considering that we were the only customers in the restaurant. The overall atmosphere / ambiance was pretty good considering the holiday season.

Made a reservation for a friend’s birthday for 10 people, they accommodated a large party and we had the best food and service. All dishes from appetizers to mains were delicious and substantial. Lisa our server was so friendly and super amazing and Paula and Dante treated us like royalty. Would absolutely come back to this amazing classic Chicago establishment anytime! Thank you Team Bacchanalia for the most wonderful night!

Old school Italian restaurant which is still serving great food. Everything was really good and we enjoyed our dinner. The chicken Parmesan was excellent. Great size portion. The Chianti was good and a generous pour. You should try it if you are in the area or make a special trip. It is worth it.

Came on NYE. Loved it. The food was so delicious. The sauces. The pasta. The Lamb Chops out of sight! Loved out waiter, Lisa, she was friendly and up for the fun our party wanted to have! The only issue I had was it was our first time so we didn’t know the entrance into restaurant was non existent and they don’t have a host so we were confused on where to go to check in or if we had come in the wrong entrance. It’s tight. The bartender looked at us and didn’t say anything. Wish he would have just acknowledged us and said go over there and blah blah. I understand it was busy but the confused look on 3 peoples faces should have warranted a stop and a hello! Will for sure be coming back! Felt like a family spot. A lot of regulars who wished the owner(working in the kitchen!) a happy new year. People knew each others name. Love that.

What a beautiful gem. Went here with my fiance for our anniversary, and we left so satisfied and feeling like we just visited a family member's home for dinner. Felt so comfortable and taken care of. We even got a cannoli for our anniversary! Very flavorful and a perfect way to end the night. We were told that the lasagna was their grandmother's recipe and wow! It was to die for. So so good. Everything was fresh and made with love. Kristen (sorry if I mispelled) was a fantastic waitress. Never had such good service like this. She was so kind and the whole environment felt so welcoming. If you come here, you won't regret it!!

Food and drink were good. The ambience was warm and welcoming. The service was friendly, attentive, and all around very good. Menu selections were well varied and reasonably priced. The wine selection was very good. Their coffee was also very good.

I went here with a friend WITH reservations for 6pm. The waitress kept hurrying us up to order. The food and drinks came out really fast which we were pleased about. However, an hour into being at the table we were brought the check without asking for it. So we continued on talking and a guy comes with a card reader and kept saying to us “we have a lot of people waiting” and stood there until my friend handed his card to him. Our plates and drinks were cleaned up from the table as again we were told they had so many people waiting. Mind you the table behind us where there when we got there and were still there as we were leaving. I realized we were the only Latinos having dinner and that must’ve been why we were pushed out so fast. I had never had this happen to me before. As we walked to the front near the bar there was nobody waiting. Everybody at the bar were drinking without looking rushed. I could never give this establishment my business again. What should have been a nice relaxing dinner turned into rushing to eat, pay and leave. No thanks.

My husband and I traveled from Aurora because of an online recommendation. It was well worth the trip. We enjoyed the calamari and some of the best lasagna we’ve ever had. Their wine list was very good too. Our waiters: brother and sister ( grand children of the original owner) were absolutely delightful! I opted for the spumoni and my husband had the tiramisu - both were delicious. We’ll be back!

Umm okay where do I start. After being kicked out of one restaurant that pissed my family off in Missouri that served, I kid you not ice cold steaks...we arrive here! This place is a flipp'in gem! It was a little bit of an uber drive from Little Italy but soooo worth it. After moving to Austin from the Chicago area this place was a welcome, warm, family run small restaurant. I can't begin to tell you how wonderful the service was and the prices were great. They have a a full bar and the place is cute as hell. Now on to the food......ummmmmmmm it so reminded me of the food my Grandmother would make (she was a fantastic Italian cook). I had the Lasagna ( if you like lasagna normally just don't think about it and order this!!!) My husband ordered Veal Scallopini (I don't eat Veal, but he does and his eyes rolled to the back of his head it was so good). We also had salads and yes the Italian dressing was yummy! To finish I had homemade tiramisu (pictured) OMG yes just like grandma's. This little gem is off the beaten path but it's worth it. If I could give this place 12 stars I would...so homey, it hugs your soul. Sorry ate all of my tiramisu, couldn't grab the camera fast enough.....it was that good!

I wanted to try this place because I had seen their special online. I went in on a Thursday and we were the only table there. We got baked clams as an appetizer and 2 glasses of wine. The baked clams were amazing, the star of the night. We had their split pea soup as well and it was good. For our entrees, we had the chicken francese and the veal scallopini. The veal scallopini was amazing! The chicken francese was just alright. The sauce was like a glaze or marmalade and was a little off putting. It was served over angel hair pasta which was amazing. All in all, it was too expensive for the quality of food. I would only return to drink at the bar and eat baked clams

My friend and I had high hopes for Bacchanalia. I have to say that we were pretty disappointed. The food didn't hit the mark. The fried calamari dipping sauce didn't seem to be very tasty compared to other places we have been to. The crispiness of the fried calamari was good though. We both were very disappointed in the baked clams as they all had a ton of sand in them. We have been to others places none of them had sand like Bacchanalia did. I did like the eggplant parmigiana. The service seemed to be very slow considering that we were the only customers in the restaurant. The overall atmosphere / ambiance was pretty good considering the holiday season.

This place is great !! Was in Rome for a month in august and this restaurant took me back!! I'm gluten free and dairy free except in Rome I was able to eat it all !! Here in bacchanalia ristorante everything that's imported from Italy was safe for me to eat :)))) Jesus our waiter was amazing and patient to explain what's imported .. even the pistachio cheesecake was amazing .. will definitely be coming back .

Food and service was great! Started with baked clams & calamari cooked just right. The rest of the entrees were good too. I will returned. The ambiance it's cute but their seating area it's small.

Amazing food! We came for New Year's Eve. Fun fact: This place was where we spent our first NYE, so we were so happy to come back almost five years later. Our server was great. She listened to us, understood what we wanted, and thus responded us with great recommendations based on what we shared we liked. I had the NYE special (linguini with lobster) while my boyfriend ordered baked shells. The sauce that came with my dish was super delicious: I really wanted to come home with the sauce. The baked shells was really cheesy and the Chianti wine paired well with my dish. It was such a cute nice place. We enjoyed our time here and plan to come back for the summer! Not pictured: Caesar salad - Perfect pairing Italian Beer

Bacchanalia has the feel of a simple neighborhood restaurant, with great service and amazing food. We had the pizza bread, calamari, lasagna, and spinach gnocchi with vodka sauce. All of these dishes were great, but the stand out was the gnocchi. The gnocchi was stuffed with spinach! This was definitely a surprise. We've never had gnocchi like this before. It was great. Super light and fluffy, nice texture, not chewy. I would get this every time. The lasagna was also very good, but a tad salty for me. We ended the meal with the tiramisu, which we didn't love. It seemed like there was a chocolate sauce and some other substitute for the cocoa powder and mascarpone. Overall, it was a great meal. We'll definitely be back!

There needs to be more restaurants like Bacchanalia in Chicago. A classic, family run, hidden gem! The food here is so delicious, and such generous portions. Great for sharing! My favorites are the baked clams, sausage and peppers, rigatoni vodka, and chicken vesuvio!

This place is great! My friends were visiting from out of town this past weekend and I remembered this place from years ago. It is a neighborhood gem in little Italy area that is worth visiting. I forgot about the large portions and how great the food is here! If I could give it 10 stars I would. The waitress (entire staff) was very friendly , attentive and made our visit enjoyable. Everyone ordered a different meal and every single bite was delicious! The house Chianti and Tiramisu was really good as well. Definitely will not stay away so long next time!

Atmosphere was amazing, the food was out of this world, and the server was on top of everything ( Dante)!! Thanks for all of the suggestions! Ant K. *****

My family and I have been coming to this restaurant for years, however after the disappointing visit, we will be taking our business across the street to Bruna's... where everything seems to be a lot better than this place. To start with, my family and I arrived, we were a party of 10. Seeing as this restaurant never has more than a couple full tables, we didn't think to make a reservation. We arrived and the hostess made it a point to repeat over and over "who goes to a restaurant with 10 people and doesn't make reservations". This comment alone made me uncomfortable, there was literally only 2 tables being occupied in the whole place. In addition to this, the food was very MID, not anything out of just ordinary. Then when the bill came, I was surprised to see the automatic gratuity was added to the total after tax. Anyone who is aware of how tipping works, knows tips are calculated to the SUBTOTAL, not post tax total because it is not a taxable fee. When I brought it up to the waitress she seemed to not like it, and said I was wrong and she needed to call the owner. Later she came back and said she was going to accommodate it as a courtesy.... Which I was just confused about that comment overall. Then to see there is still a 3% charge added on for credit card payment... this business is a joke and petty enough to charge customers a fee that's the establishments responsibility to pay for... never coming back.. beyond disappointed and will definitely be reporting them to BBB as I have receipt proof with transaction details.

Always a fabulous visit- Sunday when they 1st opened - welcomed with smiles Lisa was the best. Read the room/ meaning she could tell 3 girlfriends wanted to talk Everything was delicious and of course the lasagna my favorite! Lots to take home- we had baked clams- caprese salad , whitefish and ravioli - just the best if you want amazing food- the best staff and owners that are engaged! Thank you!

After 40 years of being a customer, it is still my favorite restaurant. The best vesuvio Dishes in the world. If you are looking for excellent food and friendly service, this is your place( not to mention reasonably priced). A wonderful family business.

It has been quite some time since I have felt compelled to write a review for a restaurant, but Bacchanalia deserves this praise. My girlfriends and I went last night. It had a cozy, romantic and yet homey vibe to it. The place felt small but very comfortable. The staff was extremely accommodating, as we had multiple gift bags from a late Xmas gift exchange. We were lucky enough to have Ron as our waiter which amplified our experience. He was funny, courteous, attentive and gave us the most incredible and trustworthy recommendations. He truly made our experience so special. I felt as if I was having dinner at home while being catered to by my cool uncle. Ron was amazing to say the least. Please ask for him, he made our night. Alright, now to the food. Incredible! Out of this world. My top choices were the calamari (which is breaded after you order) the gnocchi (order half regular and half spinach) and the lasagna. These three things were my absolute favorite. Perfectly made, extremely delicious, great portions and a beautiful presentation. We also ordered the bruschetta caprese, chicken vesuvio, the chocolate cake and carrot cake. All extremely delicious but my stand out dishes were the ones noted. For drinks we ordered espresso martinis and fig old fashioned. They were well made and packed a punch. Overall, our experience was nothing short of amazing. I loved every bit of my time there and the food. I cannot wait to return. Please check this place out. You will not be disappointed and please ask for Ron as your server. That man is pure gold! A complete joy!

Old school Italian. Great value. Takes you back to the 50s. Have the sausage and peppers it is like Nonna made.

Came here on a Saturday afternoon right when they opened at 3:30 PM. We were the first ones there and got to pick where to sit. The space is small and intimate, perfect for a date night. Even though they had just opened, the staff was quick and ready to go! I wish I could remember our server's name because he really made it a delightful experience. We ordered the pizza bread and wine to start off. Both were out in 15 minutes. Then we ordered dinner, my partner got lasagna and I got the spinach gnocchi, along with another round of drinks. The drinks came out really quickly and the food about 15 minutes after that. THEN we got dessert, tiramisu, and cannoli. The cannoli was FANTASTIC. I wish I'd gotten two. I cannot stress enough how great the service was, which is why we kept ordering stuff lol. Everything came out at just the right time and tasted delicious. 10/10 - highly recommend. Definitely try the lasagna and cannoli. We found free street parking about 2 blocks away. We haven't had a problem street parking in this area.

So, my family and I have been here quite a few times over the years because we love the food. BUT, 3 stars because of the rude, abrasive, borderline aggressive waitress with the dark brown Karen hair. She always has something smart to say to people, isn't welcoming at all, and if she's feeling too busy or in a bad mood, you're the first to know. When I get her name, I will edit this and post it. My family has had two bad experiences because of her. Too bad because we've had many celebrations here but will just go to Brunas from now on. 100% The lighting is dark in your place, so I could be off on the hair color but not on the service. Bar as you walk in, seating on the side of that and in the back. Trust me, it's your place

Went here for dinner on a spur of the moment decision on a Friday night. Service was good, but the food was, for the most part, pretty bad. The baked clams were mediocre. However, the sausage and pepper was ok, the sausage was good, but it was not prepared properly as the green bell peppers it came with were not fully cooked. One diner had the Pork Chop Vesuvio which was inedible. The chop was very overcooked and the garlic in the dish had been scorched. Similarly, the veal with eggplant was extremely tough and had an off taste. The lasagna was good and the diner who ordered that was pleased. The tiramisu and cannoli were both good. At any price, the food overall was awful and we all said that we would never return.

Delicious "old school" Italian with a cozy "Godfather" atmosphere. Waitstaff was attentive, even changed the music upon request! Thank you!

Service is horrible. Especially the bartender There are plenty of places to go. DONT GO HERE

Was there over the weekend, food was great! The tall blonde lady (Lisa?) attending us was really nice. Good experience overall.

Lasagna is perfection ambience and service first rate. Also the dinner salad with house dressing was outstanding. Can't wait to go back!

This restaurant used to be a place where you could relax, enjoy tasty food and appreciate good service. Now, this restaurant is a place where you can come to be pestered by an irritating waiter than doesn't know when to shut up, get food poisoning, and go home wondering how you just spent too much money to be made absolutely miserable. The bus boy DRANK A SIP OF SOMEONES WINE BEFORE SERVING IT. We witnessed this happen in the kitchen from where we were sitting. This place needs to close. It is a disaster. The food tastes like its been sitting in a lukewarm pot for years. The food is vomit worthy, the service is trash, and the prices are obscene. The owners used to be in the restaurant and they have not been present in quite some time. This is clearly the reason for the diminished quality. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

This place is ~15min walk from Western CTA station. We came here on a Monday night for a friend's birthday. The restaurant is located in a residential area and the streets are quiet. There are fairy lights outside the restaurant so it shouldn't be hard to find. We got some Baked Clams and Fried Calamari as appetizers to start with. I got linguine al pesto and the portion was huge. I couldn't finish everything and had a lot to take home with me. We also got the Chicken Bacchanalia. I thought it was the best dish out of all the ones we ordered (~8 dishes) because it looked and smelled the most delicious. The dark meat came off the bone easily and the white meat was really dry but the sauce made up for that. It was very strong in garlic and I loved it. The bell pepper was soft and absorbed the sauce so it tasted really good. The dessert menu came as a photo album. It's super cute and helped so much because I didn't know what most of them were and would have to Google otherwise. I got the Amaretto Cheesecake; it looks plain but tastes fresh. The server brought out our desserts and with a candle on that of my birthday friend's. She even sang the birthday song with us and helped us take photos. The decoration inside was really photo-worthy. There are vines hanging on the walls and mini Italian flags on each table. We took a bunch of pictures there. The patio seemed closed but I imagine it would be so cute to be eating out there in the summer. The vibes of this restaurant is just so romantic.

It's a very good food I recommend to people in the area is like the homemade food. I love the lasagna from this restaurant

Not sure about this restaurant very nice staff great service The food is just okay , not bad not great just okay The pasta dishes and eggplant parm just too much cheese Very cute inside as well it look like the way to go was with the meat dishes

Highly recommend!! Family owned since 1979. Very old school look and feel! Recipes have been in the family for 3 generations.

This place is the go to neighborhood spot!! They have the best food, prices and service! I love sitting on the street on the weekends. Really adds to the restaurant amazing vibe. The best thing is shrimp bacchanalia! Or how can you go wrong with the top chicken parm sandwich. Loveeeee!! Go here now!!!!

WOW WOW WOW. Family owned for 43 years -- the food quality and service proves it. 8 of us ate here on the way to Midway. Lots of luggage. The servers helped us carry it in. Quaint dining room. Large portions. Fair prices. Fresh ingredients. Lasagna was world class. Bruschetta garlic delight. Pasta tasty. Sauce perfectly seasoned. Desserts excellent. I give this local gem 5 stars and I ate at Alinea this trip and I would return here before there.

Pasta was very watered down, restaurant was super tiny and congested. The employees are extremely rude, when I was looking through the menu to order she was huffing and puffing. What a shame, I was recommended here but will tell everyone not to come

A gem! One of the finest Italian restaurants in Chicago. Off the beaten path and small. One of the tastiest steaks I have ever eaten. Fabulous Italian food. A great staff.

Great atmosphere, amazing people, food and drinks were all delicious! My wife and I plan on coming back for valentine day

I was so pleasantly surprised by Bacchanalia. It was such a nice warm day and they had the entire block open with seating that included them and other italian restaurants on this block. The food is good standard italian cuisine and the ambience here was so great. It has such great classic italian chicago vibes. The service was amazing. our waitress was so good and she even apologized that she was a bit delayed with some stuff because they were short staffed but we didn't even notice. behind us there was also a big table of like 20 people and we were still waited upon so great. the restaurant seems like its managed very efficiently. i definetely want to go here again

Ordered take out last Friday - I was craving the combination of chicken parm and angel hair for some reason. Not an option but I wrote it in the notes and these champs made it happen. It was also super delicious! Really appreciate them for that

This place has a nice atmosphere and easy paced for relaxed dining, and has best server Lisa!

Absolutely love Bacchanalia, went with my whole family and the servers made us feel like one of the family! The food was outstanding, including the antipasto salad and fried calamari to start, lasagna / veal limone / chicken vesuvio mains, and then mini cannolis (a must) for dessert. Already want to go back!

Order dinner at this place near by the airbnb me and my boyfriend stay at. They only available for takeout. The place is very small but the food is pretty good. We order chicken parm and lemon chicken. The packing of the food very nice. Would recommend and come back to this place for other dishes.

We have been to this restaurant less than 5 times. This is the first time we had less than sufficient service. The servers, who shall remain nameless, were very pleasant and nice, but there was something missing with the service. I have a list of some small, but so many service issues. - We had to find our table ourselves. - we had to wait quite a while to order a drink - they had a ceasar salald, but my girlfriend couldn't get the ceasar as a side salad . - the first bottle of wine we selected wasn't available - that could be just bad timing - we all ordered soup with our meals and it took quite a while to get them, and we didn't have spoons because we had no place settings. - Then after soup showed up, two minutes later our entrées showed up. - our table didn't have any oil in the container and none of us had silverware settings I'm really hoping this was just a bad evening for them. With all this being said I still highly recommend this restaurant. It's very clean and cute, the food is really good, and everything comes out with plenty for leftovers.

I have been enjoying Bacchanalia Ristorante for over forty years and have made my husband a fan! If you're interested in a cozy, quaint restaurant that serves delicious, hearty appetizers and entrees, this is the restaurant to visit. Their linguine with white clam sauce is one of the best that I have ever had. I love their pasta with marinara sauce, too. If you are interested in vegetarian/vegan dishes, they will do their very best to accommodate you. They also have a lovely wine list. It really is an experience. Be sure to visit them during the warmer months since they do have outdoor seating. Bring a date, your family, your friends...and take lots of photos!

Great authentic home cooked food, especially the lasagna! Italian wine selection by the glass is good and the pour is healthy. The location is remnant of the Italian neighborhood that use to be predominant. Staff is also friendly.

We travel from Los Angeles to Chicago every two years for the USC vs Notre Dame, and group dinners are a highlight of trip. We were so lucky to have found Bacchanalia - the food and service by Marie, Dante and Val was outstanding. We felt like we were dining in their home. Marie selected our family style menu/ appetizers (fried calamari; bruschetta), followed by angel hair in most amazing marinara, carbonara, clams in linguine, veal, spinach and famous fried chicken. Our experience was beyond 5 stars. Bacchanalia is definitely in our rotation for future years. Until then Buon Appetito.

Best Chicken Vesuvio, Chocolate Moose and Canoli ever! Even some music from The Godfather. The fried chicken was off the hook! You know it's good when you're making plans to return and your not done eating yet!

The best ravioli in the world. I'll be back. Amazing atmosphere. We went here before a Sox game.

Hello my Foodzies, tonight on the recommendation of a friend of mine Eddie T; Glenda and I dined at Bacchanalia at 2413 s Oakley. Oakley also know as Vito Marzullo Ave. The restaurant sits nestled on a block of several other Italian restaurants. It's quite the hidden gem. The decor is quaint old time Italian with hanging grapevines and old wine bottles as candle holders, and the old crooners (Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin) playing on the speakers. A perfect place for a romantic dinner. We began with a chilled bottle of Moscato and a shrimp in garlic sauce appetizer, which we left the bowl squeaky clean with the use of some Tucson bread. Glenda started with a bowl on minestrone which was very tasty and authentic. For her entree she had the Chicken Vesuvio, it was well seasoned; the potatoes where firm and flavorful. I elected to have the veal and eggplant with a side of garlic spinach. The cheese was perfectly crusted, the eggplant and veal you could cut with a fork. It was among the best I have had. The dessert menu was classic, it was a photo book with some awesome dishes, but because of large portions we did not partake. I give them 4 1/2 stars, I highly recommend this restaurant. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Ciao Ciao for now.

Oh my, am I a fan of their great service, large portions and beautifully decorated dining room. The waiter was nothing but kind and patient when it came to packing away all the food we ordered but couldn't finish in one sitting. Checking in on Yelp earned us a sampling of their penne alla vodka. Mmm, loved the swauce. Their veal eggplant parmigiana is an absolute must for those seeking comfort food. Topped with baked mozzarella cheese over red saucy veal sent me salivating. With extra bread to soak up the sauce, I needed to discipline myself not to engulf the entire plate. Needless to say, I left Bacchanalia as a full happy camper.

By far the most authentic Italian restaurant in the city. Service, food and ambiance are second to none. The pasta dishes, chicken dishes and steak are all amazing. Gnocchi in vodka sauce is my favorite.

Old school Italian. Lasagna is spectacular but they snuck in to the menu some fried chicken that hits the mark. A neighborhood and Chicago staple.

I had the most ridiculously good green beans here and I really didn't expect that. They were tossed in marinara sauce - I didn't know this was a thing! I got the special of the day, which was a salmon in lemon caper sauce, and I really enjoyed it. The portion was generous and the flavors were strong and addictive. My wife got the pasta al olio (I think it's called) and she very much liked it as well. It is a bit heavy on the oil, but then again that's to be expected given the name. We both agreed that her food was absolutely delicious, but she mentioned that my salmon was a bit fishy. The only disappointment was the selection of free bread the bring out for you to start. I mean, it's free, right? But I've been to many Italian places that do it much better. We felt like the bread was store bought and just unoriginal. There's a place literally next door that serves you the most amazing roasted garlic - for that moment, we wished we'd gone there.

I was here pre-pandemic and the food was ok so I decided to give it another chance. The bread on the table was not the freshest...I pointed out to the server that it was moldy. The dining room floor was also not the cleanest. They did change out the bread, but at that point I was a little worried about the freshness of everything coming out of the kitchen. I had the Chicken Parmesan and certain parts of the chicken were very chewy, I stopped eating it. The pasta was perfectly cooked, so I had most of that. The service was a little slow, however, there are signs in the restaurant saying that they're understaffed. It was a much less personable experience than the neighboring restaurants. The prices were also a little high, it was an extra $7 to add chicken to the chicken Alfredo we ordered. No soup or salad included with entrees, about $40/person.