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    Barnelli's Pasta Bowl

    3.7 (61 reviews)
    InexpensiveItalian, Salad, Burgers
    Open 10:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Barnelli's Pasta Bowl Photos

    BARNELLI'S PASTA BOWL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Barnelli's Pasta Bowl

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    Me trying to call them for the past 45 minutes now.
    Rena Y.

    Just had the worst experience. Ordered $65 worth of food including tip and delivery fee. When my food was delivered, I was missing about $55 worth of it. I just got a sandwich and was missing all the rest of my food. I have been trying to contact someone and have been calling for the past 45 minutes now with no answer. One person picked up after about 30 minutes and after I gave them my name, they said they would check on the order, put me on a 5 minute hold, then the phone call went dead. I am still attempting to call them because I just paid money for all of this just to get nothing. Maybe leaving a yelp review will finally get someones attention to contact me back. Horrible customer service.

    Chicken Al'Diavolo
    Andrew M.

    Not necessarily the place you come to if you want an authentic Italian meal, but definitely the place you should come to if you want delicious pasta. I've tried the Fettuccini Alfredo and the Chicken Al' Diavolo and both were quite tasty, but a little too greasy for my taste. The Garlic bread is delightfully crispy and buttery but again, a little on the greasy side and sometimes too salty. The food was served pretty fast given that the restaurant was packed. I would definitely come here again!

    Penne Diavolo
    Aish N.

    Ordered here with very little expectations since it's a fast food pasta place but I was pleasantly surprised! The penne diavolo was very flavorful and the sun dried tomatoes gave it the right, subtle punch. The quantity of the pasta was very large and could easily serve two people per pasta order. I had ordered delivery/to-go and it was very well packaged with extra chili flakes and parmesan cheese, which I really appreciated.

    Chicken & Pesto Pasta
    Elaine D.

    Our first time in Chicago! We came by for the Portillo's hot dogs and wanted to try something else. At first I thought the pasta was part of Portillo's but they are not! They share the same store but are completely different restaurants. I ordered the Pesto & Chicken Pasta and the girl at the counter did not know what I was trying to order. She kept looking at the menu searching for what I wanted and was still confused. It took her a while to place the order. The wait for my food was LONG. I waited about 15 minutes just for one bowl of pasta. There were many other people waiting too and it just seemed like nobody had their orders called for the time. Pasta was alright. It came out hot so that was a plus. Also came with a side of bread. Pretty big portion. Maybe a bit pricey.

    Spaghetti and meatballs
    Garrett Y.

    Barnelli's is one of two "fast food" pasta places that are the best, in my opinion. I usually only order spaghetti and meatballs, which makes it easy to compare across restaurants. Barnelli's shares a space with Portillo's on Clark Street in River North. What I love about the spaghetti here is that it is GOOD! The portion is sizable, and perfect for carbo-loading before a long run. The meat sauce is pretty meaty, and there's a lot of it--best get a side of garlic bread to sop all that sauce up. The meatballs are okay, for what you pay for them. I've eaten here as well as gone through the drive through. The drive through line can get pretty long, but they are pretty efficient.

    Rigatoni with a vodka tomato sauce. Very tasty. Kind of like bolognese.
    Hang T.

    This place has the BEST chopped salad I've ever eaten!!! It was so good. The dressing was so creamy and not too sour like other Italian dressings. The best part of the salad was the addition of the big bacon bits and small pieces of pasta on top. The lettuce was cut and fresh. It was tossed so well. I finished that thing in five minutes flat. I wish I could replicate it. If you go there for anything, go there for the salad.

    Spaghetti with meat sauce
    Harshita P.

    This place is combined with Portillos, and the staff work for both places as well. Very easy to find since it's on the main road, and includes ample seating-great for kids and big groups. I got the spaghetti with meat sauce which came with a side of complimentary bread. I really wanted to love this dish as a whole because of it's popularity but I just couldn't. The meat sauce itself definitely came with a lot of meat and was very saucy. Not that much seasoning or spices were added to the meat but it was still tasty, and not too much sodium. The noodles themselves were the letdown, maybe it was a bad batch but they weren't cooked all the way. The noodles felt like they were too thick for the dish too, if it was skinnier noodles that were cooked for 5 minutes longer it would've been perfect. The complimentary bread was so warm and had a home baked feel to it. I absolutely loved the bread more than the actual dish. All in all this fast food italian place was well worth a visit, but i think there could be better italian places out there.

    Fettuccine with meat sauce! Lunch sized. Nomnomnom
    Alicia M.

    Pasta is my jam. And you're telling me I can have a good sized portion of it with a piece of bread for lunch for $6.50 including tax? I was going to the Whole Foods hot bar and paying $10-$15. Never again!!! I'm going to come here alllll the time ! No joke! The meat sauce is divine and the pasta is piping hot. The bread is fresh as well. I am pretty pumped to try the salads too. It looks like they chop and toss them for you. It's my pet peeve when I eat a salad and the pieces are so big I have to cut them. It's the little things in life, people! The restaurant is clean, the staff is extremely friendly and I cannot help but feel happy when I'm here. I teach at Flywheel down the street so naturally I am always hungry. I'll be back often to fuel up pre and post workout !

    found hairs in barnell's kids mostacolli. hair is shown from fork to sauce piece.
    Eva M.

    This place is so gross. I found hairs in the kids mostacolli!!! To disgusting. I am never going back ti any Barnelli's or Portillo's ever again. I will post the pics.

    Meatball sandwich.  Less than five bucks!
    Q N.

    I love the bustle of this place; there's a mix of people catching dinner after work, couples, and tourists dining with their kids. Casual, crowded, and a nice place to people watch. Attached to Portillos so has built in variety. Meatball sandwich is my new meaty meal. I tasted homecooked, italian heartiness in every bite. Make sure to get a salad to break up all that protein. From their drinks menu: strawberry daquiri was like a sweet blended smooth served in a huge margarita glass. Perfect without the taste of alcohol. Chocolate cake shake is not what you want. They take it literally and actually add chunks of baked cake. Imagine throwing chocolate cake in a blender. Liquefied bread is not a good idea.

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    Barnelli's Pasta Bowl - italian - Updated June 2026

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