Pompei Restaurant

Cafeteria style so no tip required. You wait on line to choose what you want and you pay then you find a seat. Upstairs dining also. Easy to eat and enjoy eating w friends and family or alone. Big place and on the strip of Taylor Street in Little Italy with all the other Italian places. Food is good and many options for pasta and pizza and so much more. I like the no waiter or waitress concept bc you feel good that you don’t have to feel pressure to tip and more money goes to finding good eats.

I really wanted this restaurant to be good! It's located in a nice area. They say it's little Italy, but the neighborhood did feel like it. Ordering was straightforward, you walk in and the menu is behind the counter with pizza and strudel behind glass infont of you, once order they heat it and bring it out to you. The pepperoni pizza was awesome!! 5 out 5 I would get it again along with tiraimisu. The strudel was cold and didnt have much flavor. The fettuccine and raviol didn't have much flavor either. If I could give an overall rating of 2.5 I would....

They have free parking, accessible entrance and bathrooms with bars for my mom who uses a wheelchair. The food is reasonably priced and sooooo tasty. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Definitely coming back with my family! Spent $20-30 per person including dessert and appetizer.

All the food is amazing, but the Meat Lasagna is the best I have ever had. All the pastas are delicious, and the Pizza is very good. Their meat sauce is super delicious, make sure you use any left on your bread. The place is cute, I love sitting outside during the summer when the have the doors open. Service is exceptional and friendly. I like the owners are there every day, making sure everything is perfect. Oh yeah, this place is clean, like eat off the floor clean, spotless. Pricing is super reasonable, especially for high quility homemade food, yep, everything is made there, even the pasta. I highly recommend this wonderful restaurant.

You want a great casual Italian experience that has amazing food. Stop here. Also if you want to be ruined for bread pudding the rest of your life... Seriously, they said it was good, but I was not ready. It is so good that bread pudding anywhere else will taste like sawdust.

Will be back for the fried calamari and works pizza! Food came out super quickly and everything was hot and fresh. I know Italian places love cocktail sauce and marinara but if we could get an aioli dipping sauce for the calamari that would be a game changer. Looking forward to going back and trying some more things off the menu.

Amazing service and the best pizzas we’ve had! The staff was super friendly from the start and even helped us with options for my husband who doesn’t eat cheese. There was a small mix-up with the order, but they fixed it right away with a great attitude. The food was delicious and the whole team was welcoming until the very end. Definitely a place we’d come back to!

We are from Crown point, Indiana and when me and my family are in Chicago, we always make sure to stop at this restaurant. It is always on point. The food is great. The staff is friendly absolutely love it and I’m sure you will too.

Note there is a 3% charge is you use a cc. Overall the paste was good. The cheese cake was ok

The servers kept staring at us when we walked in, it was like 5-8 of them standing behind the counter just chilling and talking, not really comforting when a lot of people are staring at you as you're trying to place an order. The atmosphere was a lot, it felt like we were in a dome in Rome, overwhelming amount of tables, a lot of artwork on the walls. Prices were high, but it makes sense for the area it's in too. We ordered fries, garlic cheese bread, and two pastas. The bread & fries, they were pretty good. The pasta was just a basic normal pasta, not too extravagant or different. Nothing stood out to me too much. But one of the male serves was nice and was helpful.

Atmosphere: On Google, this looked like a wait to be seated, have a waiter restaurant-- this is incorrect. You seat yourself and order at the register. You're given a number and the food is brought to you.... just like Panera Bread. Nicely decorated atmosphere. The bathroom was clean. Service: The employees were friendly. Food comes out fast. Food: The food was hot, however, it was not appetizing. We had the fettuccine Alfredo, "homemade" spinach ravoli (far from homemade... definitely frozen), and the cheese garlic bread. I've had better Alfredo from Walmart jars and even from $1 Knorr pasta packets from Walmart. I do make my own Alfredo too, but despite this, the pasta dishes were not good at Pompei. They were very disappointing. I had to add Seasonings to my pasta and it still wasn't great. I'm not sure how they're keeping up with rent in the West Loop because the food simply was not good. The cheese garlic bread was okay.... pretty standard. Melted slice of cheese on top of bread. The complimentary plain bread came cold, with butter and was a little stale feeling. The Pompei Lemonade was actually just Minute Maid Lemonade from the fountain. I will not be returning. Maybe they're better at food items other than pasta. Disappointing, not fresh pasta, should not cost $15.99 each. We ended up spending $52 from what we ordered but it wasn't good.

I just ran across this restaurant on Yelp. I haven't eaten here in years but I want to go now. I never had a bad meal from them.

I learned that what I know as Stromboli is called strudel is Chicago. Call it what ever you want - Eggplant Parmesan strudel was fantastic. So was the Beef Angelo strudel, the meatball sub and the pizza. We will come back!

I'm embarrassed to say that I've seen this building many many times while driving through Taylor Street, but I've never bothered to actually see what Pompei was all about. It's a big spacious building with plenty of seats available at any given time. When entering, the ordering line is on the far left side of the counter. If ordering pizza, the pizza is already pre made. They just have to be heated up and then taken to your table. I just ordered pizza but they have plenty of other Italian dishes to order. I went with a slice of their pepperoni and a slice of their Pizza Pompei. These are some gigantic slices. The pictures don't show how large they truly are. One is definitely filling. The pepperoni slice was good, and I was especially looking forward to eating their Pompei slice. I've been obsessed with "grandma" slices lately and this definitely reminded me of one. But sadly I was not a big fan. I had no idea it came with olives. I wouldn't have ordered it if I had known. Don't like to waste time picking things out of my food. The tomato sauce was good, just not sure I'd get it again. What I do know is that I will definitely be returning and perhaps trying some other things other than just pizza.

I really enjoyed this restaurant. We brought 11 people to this restaurant for dinner, so we were looking for a good deal with good food. The staff were great, friendly, attentive and accommodating. We loved the atmosphere. The other Clients dining were friendly which gave the restaurant a wonderful family orientated atmosphere. I enjoyed the asparagus salad which was cooked to perfection. The asparagus was crispy/tender, not to soft or too tough. Also. I loved the tasty cappuccino. I was feeling a bit exhausted and the cappuccino gave me an extra burst of energy. I ordered the eggplant Parmesan pasta to go because it is known to be delicious.

I like most of their food, the Pompei slice is my favorite, the quality and freshness of their lettuce is always very good and what all restaurants should strive for, the Lemon knots are probably better than 95% of all the Italian Bakeries in Chicago, and their Marinara is very good, but $16+ for a side of 2 small meatballs and a small soup is not happening again. The soup was barely a cup if that. There was nothing wrong with the food, but come on - these are sides, not entrées, and after $16 and if I'm STILL hungry when I'm finished? Never again! I'm not saying I will never go back, I'm saying that I could have ordered a complete ENTRE for what I paid for 2 sides. Shame on me! Will never make this mistake again and that's a promise. And a "Technology fee"! Give me a break! I called the order in and he handed it to me through the drive through window. Very 'technological'.....

This place is extremely affordable with large portions for cheap. They have pizzas, calzones, and more. However the food didn't taste the greatest.

I like this place a lot, it's so peaceful with good music in the background and the perfect place for a quick lunch. They had Sloppy Joe's on the special board that day so I figured I'd give it a try. The sandwich is served on a warm bun with a generous portion of filling with home type fries. The sandwich was good and filling, I even took most of the fries home there were so many. I decided to get a slice of Pepperoni and a slice of Italian Sausage Pizza to go for later, they were both topped with lots of cheese and toppings.

I dislike having to write reviews that may be less than great, but my feelings about Pompei's food must be told. I had not ordered there in quite a while, so I thought I do so. Pompei gets a star for being part of the AAdvantage Dining Program from AA, which I truly appreciate and part of my decision to order from there. I could not order directly online as I was too far, but I called it in. The delivery fee was $7.50, but c'est la vie. Our subtotal was $40.80 but final bill over $60, so 1/3 of our bill was tax, tip and delivery. Maybe they only accept cash? Because there was a noncash fee on there too. They lost a star here, but a "props to you" for transparency. See receipt copy in pix with personal info cut out. My calamari was seasoned fine, cooked well, but wet, but that's due to the traveling of this type if food. I can't complain about it, but they did have 3 stale breads in the box, which I'm guessing serves a purpose??? But it also fills the box and makes it appear fuller, so a bit deceiving. I only use lemon on my calamari, tossed all the red sauce and packaged in plastic hot sauce. (I do wish these companies would STOP tossing plastic items in with hot food. The plastic can leach into what your eating.) Taste was good, so here's another star gained. The stuffed artichokes was presented nicely and in a strong container. NOW the real disappointment begins. The leaves were drier than I prefer. The stuffing had a very strong pepper flavor making the stuffing (which there was not a lot of on the inside) spicy hot. The stuffing was dry, not moisture at all. Going back to the black pepper flavoring, it was not what I expected and DEFINITELY disliked. I don't EVER added pepper or any heat to a stuffed artichokes filling. Only garlic, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Both my Sicilian and Calabrese grandmothers did the same. The artichoke itself was cooked well so leaves peeled off easily. The artichoke was transported sitting in a lot of liquid, so the heart was fine too. I am NOT a fan of their artichokes, but it could just be me. I did not like that peppery flavor or the fact my artichoke was a bit spicy. The delivery and order-taking were both easy and pleasant. 1 star earned Will I order delivery again? No, too costly. BUt I would not avoid going into the restaurant. And I won't order their artichoke, that's sadly for sure.

So here with some local friends. What a find. This very cute family owned Italian restaurant is amazing. Set up Very high school set up. You walk in scan a QR code for the menu The options are stunning. I ended up getting a slice of Pompei Our groups was 4 Each got a slice of pizza a glass of wine and a coke. Total $30 That's super cute I think for a quick bite that will hold you for a few hours. It was really cute that the owners came out to check on how the line was moving and that everything was good. Once our food was ready the other owner help bring out stuff out. I was blown away at the pizza. The only reason I didn't hit 5 stars was so when I come back for more I have room to go up. Definitely check this place out.

Went on a Friday lunch. Very close to Rush Hospital. I got the Poor Boy and hubby got The Works. The calamari was very good! Cool layout and quick service!

This place is so homey and welcoming. You can definitely tell it's a local hit with families and the community (you always know it's a good place when cops eat here). We walked in and as we were looking at the menu, the owner came up and asked us if we had been there previously. Since we had never been here, he gave us a whole tour and educated us on how to order. There was a fancy touchscreen version of a menu in addition to actually ordering at the counter which I'm not sure they needed to invest in since they're clearly all about the personalization. Fair warning- The portion size for all dishes is HUGE so order accordingly. Both the artichoke and the baked clams were delicious and flavorful although they both had excessive breading where you couldn't really appreciate the actual meat. Although the taste was all there, I had to scrape off some of it to create some better proportions and not have a mouthful of breading with a side of clam. My chicken parm was very average but served with a hearty plate of pasta. My only regret is that we were heading out so I couldn't take all our leftovers to go. Super cute spot with friendly staff, street parking, and a variety of Italian dishes. Would definitely come here to satisfy your pasta and garlic bread cravings at a reasonable cost (especially by Chicago standards).

Love their The Works strudel and eggplant parmigiana! Special shoutout to their delicious cannoli. The shell was so perfectly flaky and the ricotta filling was rich and subtly sweet.

great food and fast service, nice counter service cafe serving amazing Italian food. Everything here tasted great, especially loved the tiramisu. Nice patio in the summer.

The cheese pizza was a bit dry and the marinara definitely felt a bit lacking. I also tried their chocolate canoli which I liked a lot more because it had a very unique flavor and sweetness that is hard to define. Otherwise, I really liked the overall ambiance of the restaurant in that it was a chill and spacious place to relax and get a meal.

This place has everything going for it, and it seems like everyone and their mother knows it. The Pompeii slice is awesome. Like a Sicilian slice with no cheese. It was devoured. The salads are also to die for. Be ready for a sort of cafeteria-style ambience, but the food is brought to you. Definitely a gem.

I'm giving them 5 stars because they have a clean restaurant and great service the food is 4 stars but this potato dumpling in this tomato sauce was

What to Get: - Pastas ( heart shape ravioli) - Tiramisu - Rigatoni Vodka Sauce - Variety of pizzas Spotlight: affordable with varieties of Italian options Pandemic Dining Options: offer pick up and deliver. Limited indoor dining. payment Options: Cash/Credit cart/ Parking : Street meter *In my yelpions: Pompei is one of those places where you should consider taking someone to on the first date. Because the restaurant itself is very spacious, and fairly romantic to the point, but also it doesn't seems like you are trying too hard. When you first walk in, there's a huge dining hall with a long counter of varieties of Italian menu. Which you can choose from pizzas, salads , to different kind of pastas and soups. Almost as a buffet but Ofcourse , you have to pay for each item. And just like how I mentioned, you would have to pay first and get the food, which means there will be no awkwardness when it comes to whose getting the check in the end. Overtimes, I tried different kind of pastas from Pompei , and they are all quite delicious and worth the buck. And did I also mention they serve alcohol too? So you can get a little bit fancy and just take someone there to wine and dine.

My favorite item on the menu is the Chicken Cesar Salad. This place is located in the medical district close to UIC. If this is your first time here, know that you order at a buffet window and your food is brought to your table, and you fill/refill your drinks on your own.

Pizza was excellent. Cannoli was a huge disappointment. They didn't put pistachios. They put mixed nuts that were dyed green. Are you serious? Since when is that normal to do? Gross. The cream wasn't fresh and neither was the shell. The gelato looked like It has been frozen for centuries. Gelato is supposed to be creamy not icey. Also, not even one person in there was Italian. Where are the Italian spots in Little Italy??

Delicious food! I love the Pizza Pompei! The customer service is wonderful.... No matter how busy they are, they are always willing to answer all of my questions and are patient! Great selection of food for all!

The food is delicious and what a blessing if/when you get free parking! The ambiance is energetic and the servís QUICK! An excellent pace to get good food fast.

I used to go here all the time when I lived in Chicago. What a great little spot right in the heart of Little Italy off Taylor Street. I've only ever been for lunch, but love the concept (and the food). Counter service/cafeteria style, walk along and pick out your items and put on your "lunch tray." One of the only spots that does pizza by the slice, and good pizza. Highly recommend the spinach and ricotta!

It's a decent slice of pizza, salad, or sandwich. I like the eggplant quite a lot. The pasta isn't great. Maybe it's just me. I just think it's not worth the bother. I wasn't impressed with the desserts. The cannoli I had had peanuts on it. A friend had one. No peanuts and really excellent. Really, use pistachios or skip the nuts. It's probably he best affordable place near UI Hospital.

Haven't been here in several years. This was once one of the three or four Chicago's old Italian neighborhoods. Once surrounded by so many standout restaurants, bars, and bakeries Taylor Street still thrives with businesses up and down its streets just of a different flavor. A lot of tourists and college kids now. Pompei still makes a solid pepper and egg sandwich and some decent pizza. The pastas still hold their own for fast casual fare. Very big inside dining and a good size street side patio area. A very clean place. It used to wild snd wooly around here but I suppose everything changes. Maybe it was better better but it was certainly more colorful when the old gangsters and social clubs still hung around the neighborhood. But go for the pepper and egg.

Technically I would give this 3.5 stars. Counter order/table served Italian. I don't want to say fast casual because it seems nicer than that. The restaurant is super easy to locate, good parking and absolutely helpful staff. The sauce on their spaghetti was excellent. I'm not sure how they make it but it was pretty perfect. I didn't have their pizza but my friend did and she said it was good. They had some delicious looking options. I regret not just getting a piece for fun. The biggest imperfection was with my entree. I had eggplant parmigiana and the eggplant was not cooked properly. Coating was soggy and I was served an eggplant end piece which was texturally unpleasant. Luckily the spaghetti made up for it. My other friend had an Alfredo pasta. It was rich and dare I say too generous on the sauce. This is where I appreciated the bread so we all could take a dip and try it. I would go back. I just would try something new (or just go head first into a big plate of spaghetti).

Visited for lunch on a weekday. The line was decent and not too busy. Their pizza is pretty good. Loved the salad with green apple in it! First time trying the poor boy strudel, it was different and interesting but worth a try. Not a fan of the other type of pizza but it was fun to try.

Food quality has gone down. And someone should tell them Covid ended a while ago, yet they re still charging a technology fee for using a credit card. Nothing like taking it out on your customers.

Made another trip in today and got some items I hadn't tried before. The poor boy, seasoned fries, and some of the chocolate cake. I was in absolute awe of it all. Thank you pompeii for never failing me.

My wife and I ate here last Friday night 11/24/2023. We had the meat lasagna and the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and broccoli. Side of garlic bread with cheese, and two bowls of the Pasta Faglio. With soda fountain drinks. It's been a while since we were back probably since the pandemic. Well the soup was great. The lasagna was ok the sauce was good but the lasagna we had before had Italian beef in it and was great. This tasted old like it been around the kitchen a while and it was hot enough. My wife and I asked for plates so we could try both dishes. The fettuccine Alfredo was blah and there wasn't much chicken or broccoli. Maybe we came on an off night? Who knows but it sure wasn't what we remembered. Value of food for the money. The proportions we once received we larger portions and hotter food. My wife loves tirimasu. We ordered that as well took it home for dessert and we were disappointed. Tasted like we missed the coffee. Overall the dinning experience was great good as far as service but the entrees were not as good the soup. Which I hope someone reads this from the Pompei restaurant and these entrees are relooked at because they were not good this time around. Just to give you an idea how long I've been eating at your establishment since 2011. And I ate at the one in Westmont on Ogden. Food was so much better before the pandemic. Hope and pray it gets better as far as quality.

I have been going to Pompei's for years and never had a bad meal. The pizza strudel is the best. The chicken and steak fajita are filled full. Staff is nice and they always get me in and out quick. There use to be a location years back on Ohio Street which was a great and wish it didn't close

Chicken pasta was just ok , too expensive for the quality in my opinion but it is Taylor street so :/ and this was one of the cheaper options. The pizza was definitely the best part of that experience. Chicken and broccoli just seemed to be marinating in water and lightly grilled, sauce was very runny, to each their own.

Yo! So I'm in the Chi for a Meet & Greet for some upcoming nuptuals. So we slide over to Pompei to get our grub on. I run into the godess Yoshie. My gurl hooks a brother up with the salad, bomb ass poboy Strudel, some slap yo momma good Chicken Parm and the best damn tiramisu I've had. Y'all go check this spot out!! I'm no foodie, but I'm fat and know good food when I eat it!!

Almost 100 years of amazing pizza in the heart of Little Italy! Great service, fantastic food!

turkey melt strudel was amazing and the chicken ceaser was also. The staff was very friendly and the whole restaurant was extra clean. I will definitely be back!

Pompei! We absolutely love you! We miss the Schaumburg location. However, we are big fans of the Taylor Ave location. The pasta and sauces are delicious and the portions are HUGE!! Service is fast and friendly. They bring an array of breads to the table to enjoy with your meal. They can do private parties here too- so definitely check them out if you are in need of hosting a special event. My go to fav is the baked mostaccoli with meat sauce or chicken parmigiana w/ spaghetti. You get two huge pieces of chicken on a bed of spaghetti- sooooo good! The staff here are always very friendly!

The best!!! You can't go wrong with anything on the menu! They use Melrose peppers! Any Chicago Italian knows what I'm talking about! Get the scarole and beans omg or chicken parm!

Pompei is a solid casual Italian joint with a wide ranging menu and off street parking. While it would be a stretch to call it cheap, it is certainly reasonably priced at an average of $12 per entree and $3.75 for a slice of pizza. Today's visit for us was prompted by a request from the kiddos who wanted pizza, pasta and gelato. Lucky for us, the menu included gluten free pizza and pasta options as well. Despite having been before, I perused the menu as if it were my first time and was rather pleased with my sausage, peppers and potatoes entree. It is listed under pasta specialities in error because it does not include pasta. Talk about special! The potatoes and sausage were so good that everyone aided in finishing off the plate --- which meant no leftovers for me. The Italian chopped salad and pizza slice were okay but I dare not say I would choose them again over selecting a different option in hopes of identifying an item like the sausage, peppers and potatoes.

The best ever! Ralph the grandson on the original owner is the best. DAVINO's was the original restaurant

Pompei is a landmark Little Italy restaurant. I've been coming here since I was a kid and my mom worked in the west loop. Most recently I stopped by before a Bulls game since it's close to the United Center. Great place to grab some pizza, pasta, beer, and salad quick. We had no problem finding parking on Taylor since it was early evening on a weekday around 5pm. It's a popular place for on duty cops and medical workers from nearby Rush and UofI medical center. They also have a drive thru for pick up if you call in an order.

While it may not be the best Italian food, I give it 5 based off how well-priced it is, and the quality and the amount of food you get. Plus the service is fast, it's sit down restaurant quality food, even though you go up to a register to order. I got a pizza square, and a strudel. Only like $11 total and I was definitely full afterwards. They also have their own house beer, at 4.25 a pint that's a great deal, and it tasted good too. They have plenty of seats, both indoor and out. They have their own free parking lot in back. It's not huge, but I still got a spot. If it's full you can park easily on Taylor or Ashland. Again is it the fanciest place? No, but great for a good meal at a reasonable price and won't take a long time.

I've had better pizzas. In town for vacation and looked for something quick and local and this place wasn't it. Strudel - ordered Beef Angelo and it was okay. It's a strudel stuffed with sliced beef, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. All I can say is that it tasted like frozen hot pockets. Pizza by the Slice - ordered Four Cheese and Tomatoes + Pizza Pompei. Four Cheese and Tomatoes was okay. It tasted exactly what it sounds like and definitely heavier/savory than Pizza Pompei. Pizza Pompei on the other hand, had a thicker crust and was juicier considering all the tomatoes on top. It also tasted like straight up alcohol. Imported Pasta - ordered Baked Mostaccioli Pasta and it definitely lacked sauce! I mixed it up and thought the sauce was at the bottom but it definitely was not. It lacked flavor and overall tasted like Mac n Cheese from a box. Desserts - ordered their famous Cannoli and I'm not quite sure if this is how a Cannoli's supposed to taste like. It looked delightful don't get me wrong, but there was something off about it. Took a small bite and never took another one. Would I come back? Most likely not, but one for the books!

What a unique place. It has a huge variety of food. We had the wings, lasagna, fettuccine, and chili. The best was the fettuccine with chicken and broccoli, the meh was the lasagna. My husband actually send mine is waaaaay better. Thanks honey. They used a ton of ricotta and barely any meat. The chili was filled with beans and meat, my husband loved it. The wings were delicious and hot and over sauced which I love, we ordered the bbq ones. We also had the chocolate cake which was a solid 4 stars and a lemon knot, that wasn't my fav, I felt it was too strong of a lemon liquor flavor. Oh I also had the stuffed spinach and ricotta pizza which was delicious with a side of marinara. It wasn't too busy at 10:30 when we were there, lots of fresh food to choose from. There were many police officers stopping in for a bite. The area around can be a little shady at times. There is plenty of street parking. I'd def come back if I'm in the area.

Right in the heart of Taylor St. midtown and Little Italy. One of the best mom and pops restaurant great food, fast easy service, big portions, variety on the menu outside seating, good vibe, beers, sodas and more.

First time in Chicago, pizza was very good. We got our food within a couple minutes of sitting down and everyone was very friendly.

Get the strudels and slices of stuffed pizza (it's like a long strudel). They are delicious.

Overall AMAZING!! We had an amazing time! From the moment I called to make the reservation to the service and waitress! Staff are very friendly makes you feel like family! Definitely recommend this place! Will come back soon! Food was so good all my guests loved it! Thank you for everything!

Friendly staff, delicious food, overall always a pleasant experience. The pizza is to die for