We have been going to Cannova's whenever we are in Freeport. They serve up traditional Italian entrees and pizzas that are always satisfying. The service is attentive and accommodating for couples as well as large groups. We always feel welcome there and will continue to dine there whenever we are in town. read more

Horrible experience. I left a 20% tip on my bill and the owner called me broke and hung the phone up on me when I called to complain about her service. I wasnt aware it was the owner who was lazy and mad dhe had to walk 10 feet to get a calculator to split the bill. If you want good Italian food go to ciminos over this place. read more

Bruschetta is not fresh bruschetta. It is more canned stewed tomatoes with melted mozzarella cheese, pretty disappointed. Pizza was good read more

Cannova's Pizza - Bruschetta? - Pizza Near Me - Freeport, Illinois

Technically I've eaten at Cannova's twice now. However the first time was carry out. That time we ordered two pizzas for carry out. Both were BBQ Chicken, but one was on Gluten Free crust. Yes, they offer a variety of gluten free items for those that are gluten sensitive. The pizzas were really good. They weren't traditional pizzas, but the way they made it was fantastic, one of the best BBQ Chicken pizza's I've ever had. The sauce was their own sauce with Sweet Baby Ray's added to it. No complaints here. If you're looking for a non-traditional pizza, this one is pretty solid. The second time we went was for a date night. It was a Friday around 7pm, we didn't have any reservations, but were able to be seated with minimal wait. Our server was a nice older lady. She was very friendly. After perusing the menu I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana over Spaghetti. It was good. The breading on the chicken wasn't as flavorful as I've had at other places. The sauce was decent. Over all I thought it was good, nothing to be wowed by, but still good. My girlfriend had the Alfredo Sauce (A signature menu item for which they're known) over Gluten Free pasta. She seemed impressed with the sauce. She thought it was good, much better than other places. The restaurant itself is a nice restaurant with an old charm. The décor is very rural 60's Midwestern super club style. There's old photos of the family and from around Freeport on the wall. There's a piano in the middle of the main room, and if you're lucky Pat, the owner's husband, will play it. He received his B.M. and M.M. in piano from the University of Illinois-Urbana, per their literature. They also have an upstairs area for private parties. Both times I was the upstairs level was being utilized. The only real issue I have with Cannova's is the Parking. They have a very small parking lot, it's not nearly enough for the size of the restaurant. This leaves you have to search for a place to park. Hopefully you get lucky and someone is leaving as you pull in. Other ways you have to park up the street or in a neighboring business' parking lot. Overall, it's a nice restaurant. I'll definitely be back. The next part is informational only. You do with this information as you will. It plays no part in my rating. Let your own personal beliefs and politics us this as you see fit. The Staff wore masks Mask wearing was enforced. There was sanitizer offered. The tables were thoroughly cleaned before new patrons were sat. Social Distancing was not enforced. Limited seating was not done. We were rubbing backs and shoulders with the tables next to us. read more

We were in town for our father's funeral and did not want to cook while we were cleaning out the house. This was one of our father's favorite places and after the first meal there we knew why. The food was great, the service was even better, and we had the owner talk to everyone at our table. He was gracious, our server was awesome, and the food was just icing on the cake. It was so good we came back for every supper we were in town. Each meal was different but each was excellent. I do not know how someone could have a bad experience unless they are not a happy person to begin with. The owner played the piano periodically which was a bonus. We will go there EVERY time we are in Freeport! read more

I LOVE Cannova's! After working here for 5 years, the first thing I want when I come back and visit Freeport is Cannova's. The best time to visit is on Fridays during Lent because they make the best spinach lasagna - topped with their signature red sauce and a creamy bechmel (white sauce, lighter than alfredo), the massive serving is just oozing with yummy spinach! The pizzas are fantastic too! The pizza crusts are nice and thin and are a great base for all of the delicious flavors that top the pizza. The other two best parts of the Cannova's experience is the daily made bread and house salad dressing. In my opnion, the house salad dressing is the best Italian salad dressing in the world! I need to go home again! read more

Table of four with reservations. Arrived on time was seated immediately. Then sat for 20 minutes before the staff could decide who was going to wait on us. The waiter took our drink order....we waited 30 minutes before our drinks were delivered to our table! After delivering our drinks & taking our dinner order....we waited 1 hour for our meal to be served! Meanwhile we watched 7 parties of 4-6 people come into the restaurant... get their orders eat and leave!! At one point I went to the bar and complained to the owner!!!! If it hadn't been that we were celebrating my brother in law's birthday....I would have walked out! Poor service, so so food, terrible drinks!!! read more

Any time I'm in Freeport I do my best to stop into Cannova's. Don't be fooled by the name, they have much more than pizza on the menu. But no matter what you get -- pizza, pasta, etc. -- make sure you get an extra side of their house made red sauce. I'm a big fan of their vegetarian lasagna (only on the menu on select days), and the Sicilian pizza. This family establishment is a must go-to! read more

We used to love going there. I'm not sure if the owner has changed hands, or if the restaurant has a different cook but it was the worst meal I've ever had there. I had the fish dinner. The fish pieces were all clumped together. I knew right away that my meal would not have been cooked thoroughly. When cutting into it the fish, it was pink. So my fish was raw. The batter had a bad taste. Like it had nutmeg and/or Clove seasoning. It came with fries, which were cold and mushy. The fries were thin cut so there was no reason they could not have been cooked through. My date had the cauliflower crust pizza. It was disgusting. The drinks were outrageously expensive. A short vodka soda was nine dollars. And it was a shorter glass than most restaurants serve in. A glass of wine was $10.00. The waitress seen that I didn't eat my meal but did not ask how the food was. It was obvious yet she should ask. The food was not her fault, but taking the food criticism back to the kitchen or owner is a must. We will never go back and will make sure our friends are made aware. read more

Love the food here. Family owned, good food and piano music. What else can you ask for. Just shared a meal with my son, daughter in law & granddaughter. Made sure we had extra for leftovers. We also went on Tuesday night for The pizza deal. Every time I come home to Illinois this is at least a one stop or two read more

I think Cannovas is the best. During Covid are their Tuesday special every week. I love the Chicken Parmigiana and the tiramisu for an ear in favorite. The piano playing really adds ambiance. Only complaint is limited parking read more

ZERO STARS! NEGATIVE STARS IF POSSIBLE!!! Had dinner here last weekend. What a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!!! Server was extremely rude and inattentive. Seemed that we were bothering her with questions about a menu item. The meal was subpar at best and overpriced. Server ignored our request for a couple of bags to take home left overs to feed the dog. The server ignored this request. Then went to the servers station where 2 other servers were and asked for bags. They walked away. The bags were sitting there, so took a couple of bags. Started to head back to the table when confronted and scolded by the owner that he would get the bags and that "this isn't a democracy!" Needless to say that we will NEVER go back there again. Too many other places that would appreciate us spending our time and money to have a meal while not making us feel like an inconvenience. Cannot reiterate enough: ZERO STARS! NEGATIVE STARS IF POSSIBLE!!! read more

I'm surprised this place is so popular, subpar food, and horrible service. The owner Pat is a drunk and mean old man whom makes snarky remarks. The simplest things get ruined. Is it too much to ask for a cold salad? Alfredo sauce is practically water no time spent on thickening it up. All around I believed that the thought of it's past self is what keep people there, not the actual food quality. Microwaved lasagna is a joke. read more

Holy. Crap. This place is a jewel just two hours west of Chicago's Little Italy. On our trip to visit my wife's 99yr old grandmother in Freeport, we grabbed carry out (only because we have a 1yr old that was ready for bed). I wish we had a sitter...this place was hopping! A grand piano in the main room with someone belting out music, the owner personally telling me what to order. They make their own marinara, house dressing...everything, and it's awesome! We had the baked ziti (so good), seafood Alfredo (awesome), and regular spaghetti with sausage (oh my god). My only recommendations are the following... * Bottle that marinara and sell it in grocery stores * Open a second spot in Louisville read more

This is not a terrible restaurant by any means. However, it also isn't very good. The menu is hit or miss, with some things being pretty good and some not so great. They do have lovely piano music, but as I have gotten older, trying to talk around this and hear others speak was very trying. If this is an issue for you, just go before 7 pm if it is a day for piano music. I would likely go here again (I've been 3 times since we moved here), but I can't say it is a favorite place. I can't recommend their pizza, but please don't think that means the pizza is bad--it is not. It is just not to my taste. I have found that in general in many Freeport restaurants that sell pizza, there is a tendency to use more sugar in the pizza sauce (this is true of a lot of the pizza places) than my palate can bear. It ruins the pizza for me. I don't think this is a problem for most people who live here, so as long as you don't mind the overly sweet pizza sauce, the pizzas are otherwise good. I found a one-hour pizza recipe online and am happily making my own pizza at home, so nobody is suffering, LOL! Salads were good. Bread was good! One of the pastas I had was good, and one was too bland and uninteresting. It just depends on what you like and what you order. The restaurant is very nice, and the staff are friendly. Service was very good and dining there was overall a pleasant experience. I just wasn't impressed enough to want to return frequently. I do see many positive reviews on Yelp, though, so I am happy that they are appreciated and are doing well. My recommendation would be to give it a try and see how it is for you. read more

Biased because I work here, but in the 16 YEARS I've worked here I've never had a bad meal. Ever. From the appetizers, to pizzas, pastas, steak and seafood, to Linda's homemade tiramisu I've tried almost everything and it's fantastic! Cannova's hack, if you're indecisive like me, start with a bar pie as an app so you don't have to choose between pizza or an entrée. read more

I don't usually post reviews but due to the complete lack of professionalism on the part of the owners I felt compelled. My wife and I went here to celebrate a special occasion on Saturday July 23rd, 2022. We made reservations for 5:30PM. We did not make a big deal about our occasion, but we did let them know that it was our first time coming there. We checked in but said we would like to have a drink in the upstairs bar before dinner. My wife and I both ordered traditional Martini's; hers Vodka, mine Gin. They were not made correctly and they said they didn't have Blue Cheese Olives which is our standard garnish; but living in the midwest for most our lives and patronizing small establishments like this for more times than I can remember, we were used to that. We accepted our drinks but the price of these drinks, especially because they were served in "Coupe" glassware instead of "Martini" glassware was exceptionally expensive. We're talking "City" prices. Ironically, after we were seated for dinner, we ordered a second round and low and behold, they were served in Martini glassware AND they had Blue Cheese stuffed Olives. Go figure. ‍ Anyways, after that second Martini we were feeling pretty good. We ordered the appetizer garlic cheese bread, their "famous" stuffed pizza and some Chianti (wine) which we had a brief discussion about with the waitress. This is where things turn bad. First, the waitress comes back and says that due to an unexpectedly large party, all their cast iron pans are being used and we would have to wait an hour and half if we still wanted our pizza. I was completely caught off guard because I couldn't believe that a place, famous for it's pan pizza, would run out of pans! On a Saturday night no less! At 5:30PM! It took me a moment to process what the waitress was actually saying. We asked for a moment to decide what to do. We decided that we would try dinner this time and then come back to try the pizza another time. So we order the wine (Chianti) that we discussed earlier. They had two choices. Waitress comes back and apologizes but they don't have either choice tonight. Ruffino and Gabbiano. Not exactly rare vintages. Ok, so now because I'm ordering a steak, I need a good red. So I order a completely overpriced Joel Gott but it was the best they had. I'm sad to say, but that overpriced wine was the best part of our dinner. Ok, I'll try to wrap this up. Filet was not cooked to order. Ordered medium, came out medium rare. Exceptionally tough for a filet. Garlic mashed were different but not anything special. The "sautéed" veggies (which they charged extra for) were actually steamed. My Wife's Calamari was drowned in this chili sauce not unlike Heinz. Needless to say, we were very disappointed but our waitress could tell, so she "comped" us 2 coupons for a free pizza after we bought 8 more pizzas. I have to mention this. Is there anything more annoying than someone continuously "winking" at you as if they understand your frustration and unhappiness yet they pull shit like that! I have to admit that I am a generous person and of course I overtipped, but when I reflect on the whole situation, I realize now, why I don't go out anymore. During covid (Bullshit) I made a point to support all the restaurants that stayed open. Yes, I paid considerably more than before, but I wanted to show and give my support to businesses that were being unfairly targeted (walmart, target, big box stores could stay open but not Mom and Pops). Unfortunately, these " Mom and Pops" have let it go to their heads. They got so used to us just taking whatever they could give us that they think that's the new norm. A perfect example is how, at the end of our meal, as we're practically out the door, one of the owners asks us in the obligatory manner, "How was our dinner?". When my wife starts to tell her, all this woman can do is make excuses and tell us that there's nothing she can do and if we don't like that we're not welcome back. That's the new norm for these people and the sad part is when their loyal suckers die off, so will they. Because they have completely forgot about customer service and customer appreciation and because they still have enough chumps who will take their shit, they think they're doing ok. But I saw quite a few empty tables in there for a Saturday night so I don't think this has only happened to me. Don't get me wrong. I am one of the staunchest supporters of small, independent business's but I also remember how those business's used to care about their customers. Sorry for the rant but I've been experiencing this more and more and if these people won't get it then pretty soon all restaurants will be Taco Bell. read more

This is a great little place. I stayed in Freeport for a baseball tournament,this place was right across the street from the fields. I actually checked out some of the other reviews on yelp prior to going. The majority were very, very positive. I walked across the street and made reservations for after our last game. I met the owners as I entered. They were very gracious and hospitable people. They gave me a brief history of the restaurant in the local area. We went upstairs and had a glass of sangria which is homemade. I had an excellent pasta dish along with some homemade bread olive oil and parmesan cheese. My wife had a tortellini and white sauce which looked to be amazing. I grabbed a couple of pizzas to go and four pieces of homemade tiramisu to take back to the hotel. Freeport is kind of a little run downtown, but this is definitely the Jewel of the Nile if you know what I'm saying. This is an excellent little place to stop and have a nice little dinner. read more

Here's the sitch...they can have good service and bad. A lot of which is dependent on your age. We have gone to Cannova's and waited 15 minutes for drinks, 10 minutes more to order and then 45 more minutes for (cold)food. On those occasions we have no one over the age of 27 with us. On other occasions, with older adults, we get our drinks in a timely fashion as well as our (hot)food. The Italian cuisine is fine but nothing special. read more

I've grown up eating at Cannova's (my parents met there, so in a way, I'm a bit indebted to them), and of all of the places I've eaten in all of my years, it still ranks very high to the top as far as the food goes. To get it out of the way, the reason why I didn't give it five stars is for a couple things. The service is sometimes spotty...there have been times I've been there and had exceptional service, and other times it has been not great. I think it depends greatly on who your server is. More often than not its been great, but after eating there for 24 years, you're going to get your less-than-favorable servers as well. Also, the parking is tricky. The lot is extremely small, and street parking is hard to come by. The parking alone has deterred me from going on a Saturday night. Ok, now onto the fun stuff...the food. I can't say there are any restaurants in Freeport that really compare. The pizza selection is varied, from lots of interesting toppings to choose from, to some very unique specialties. I personally love the Gloria Read, a sauce-less pizza that you for sure won't find anywhere else. The House dressing for salad is simply awesome. Its bottled and sold in a few local grocery stores, but its so much better in the restaurant. My favorite entrees are so numerous that it would be silly to list them all here...but I can say I've been eating the spinach tortellini with red sauce since I was five years old, and I've never found anything quite like it at any other restaurant. Cannova's is a Freeport staple...eat local, and love it! read more

I first visted Cannova's a few years ago while I was in town. I remembered it fondly but this visit was just okay. I ordered a salad with Italian dressing and bleu cheese crumbles. The cheese was white, with no bleu and had no flavor, which was very disappointing. The dressing was tasty. I ordered the chicken and shrimp with pasta, in garlic butter and olive oil. There was a pool of the sauce in this dish and was bland. It tasted okay, nothing special. If I'm back in town, I will try the pizza. I think that's what they are known for. They should go to the place next door and ask them where they got their bleu cheese... read more

Would you buy food from a thief? No? THEN DO NOT STEP FOOT IN HERE. Allow me to explain: You would think we are doing them a courtesy by using their whole upstairs for a large family party, right? And how do they repay us? Charge us incorrectly. But no biggie, right? We can just call and explain the misunderstanding so they can refund us (a significant amount of $100 by the way) right?!?! WRONG. When trying to get through to Pat the owner the employees answering the phone completely exhausted the phrase "Oh he is busy right now, he will call you back." Except he never did, ever. So we called, and called, and called. After 2 and half months, and over 10 phone calls we finally got through to Pat the owner only to have him try to continue putting off refunding us until just finally hanging up on us. Ummm... HELLO?? Where did you go to Restaurant Management School pal? Hellfire? Because only Satan would treat people so rudely. If this place is open long enough its reputation of thievery, dishonesty and downright rudeness will quickly become known, for now I only hope that any and all people who read this review will steer clear of this despicable place of business. read more

Cannovas is just by far the best food around. Had a perfectly cooked filet tonight with garlic mashed potatoes and cremed spinach. Perfectly cooked by Ricky and the pizzas are the best (love the Sicilian). If you love great cozy atmosphere coupled with fantastic food and homemade bread and salad dressings and pasta sauces, this is the place to go!!! Take a drive and experience real Italian cooking... Owners Pat and Linda will welcome you!! read more

Cannova's Pizza - Filet perfectly cooked, garlic mashed potatoes and cremed spinach... So good - Pizza Near Me - Freeport, Illinois

Pizza was not good at all for what I paid. Crust was dry. Their signature spoon cake left much to be desired. Parking is a pain. read more

To avoid any disappointment, make a reservation! They are very popular and book up quickly bc they are fantastic! Kick back, have a glass of wine, a cocktail or a local beer. We shared a huge salad full of tasty additions. And shared a pizza. Don't forget to have a piece of tiramisu! read more

Great pizza ! Get the chicken specialty pizza so amazing and the Tiramisu is great very good quality food read more

Cannova's Pizza - two slices of pizza on a plate - Pizza Near Me - Freeport, Illinois

Been coming here since I was knee high to a duck. Know Linda and Pat Cannova and they're great people. Service is always good, atmosphere is amazing, great for dates. This place makes the best marinara sauce in the world. I really like the Sicilian Delight: Lasagna, breaded veal and manicotti with the orgasmic red sauce. Don't pass on the breadsticks or house dressing for the salad. Pizza is gold standard for the midwest and has won awards in Chicago. You owe it to yourself to drop in or get some takeout! read more

Great setting and wonderful food. Nice setting for a romantic dinner. Food is very well done, still have to try the pizza

Girlfriends and I were in Freemont for the weekend, and our hotel recommended this restaurant. We got there, not that bad of a wait. Food was DELICIOUS! We all tried something different, I had the lasagna, I swear they knew I was coming, extra cheese and sauce mmm! SO good! Honestly, I came here to talk about the AMAZING service that we received from our waiter, Larry! We all fell in love with him and wanted to bring him back home to Chicago! His energy was contagious to us all, he had us laughing the whole time. We already decided that the next time we go to Freemont, this IS where were eating (and trying the pizza, everyone walked out with a huge box of pizza!) and asking for Larry!! read more

Over-priced and not all that great anymore. The last few times I've been there, they messed up my order.

I thought that Cannovas only made pizzas until we went there for Mother's Day dinner and found they had a fabulous menu in Italian foods and I had the best baked Parmesan encrusted cod I have ever had mom loved her chicken Parmesan and my husband tried their special of the day that was the salmon and he was amazed at how delicious it was. Our server was fabulous but I would have reconsidered sitting by the piano. Had no idea how loudly she could play and we could barely speak to each other. I highly recommend Cannovas Italian Restaurant! read more

This is by far one of the BEST restaurants in Freeport. I lived away from Freeport for a few years and I missed having Cannova's close by. This is THE PLACE I recommend to newcomers and visitors to Freeport. The food is phenomenal. I usually get the spaghetti, but I have had other dishes and enjoyed all of them. My step-father loves their pizza and when it comes to the table, I want to steal a slice. The atmosphere is always lovely and I've always had good to great service. If I had to say anything negative it would be the extremely limited parking area and the fact that certain tables must be close to air vents or something because occasionally I find myself shivering. read more

I enjoy going for Pizza and drinks, and Freeport residents rave about this place, but the truth is that the food isn't all that fresh nor the staff all that friendly. In its prime this place was a classy joint- but more and more it feels outdated and the corners that are being cut become obvious. This is evidenced by the lack of window furnishing, the frozen veg they serve, the rotation of young servers and even the old-out dated menu. I think it's time for a change. read more

Had a glass of wine, Sicilian special, with tossed salad that comes with the meal. So many things wrong I don't know where to start! The Chianti was great! The menu was dirty. They had no veal so they substituted a boneless chicken breast that was sub par and dried out. Here's a clue...if you don't have the proper ingredient... TAKE IT OFF THE MENU!!! The mostocotti was ok but the marinara tasted like ketchup. And the lasagna had an overwhelming vinegar flavor. And they charged me the veal price!! Lots of cutie eye candy waitresses but some old guy waited on me. The place is popular. Must be the only quiet restaurant in town. After Giardanos in Chicago last night, this was a supreme disappointment. read more

My husband and I went last night. The service was very good! Thanks Kait! The food was amazing! Love their house dressing on a a very nice salad. Iafe a special request for chicken parm w/ red sauce on fettacini alfredo. It was perfect! My husband couldn't stop eating the bread. The prices are very reasonsble and there was live music in the dining room. Unfortunately there was a super noisy obnoxious party at the table next to us. Not the resturants fault tho. Will definitely be going to Canova's again soon! read more

Don't recommend eating here. Ordered the veal and what I got seemed like fried ground beef and tasted like dog food, but the bread sticks were good. My friend ordered a pizza which was also subpar. So, if your looking to waste your money and eat something that taste like something your dog would eat, this place is perfect. read more

Best place in Freeport hands down. If you're in the area, you have to stop! Just good luck with parking :)

Cannova's is home to some good pizza. I've been there twice - one time was good and one time was so-so. The first time I went there, our waiter seemed nervous and jumpy. The second time, our waiter was fine. Both times, the pizza was great. read more

Althought the atmosphere can be a bit busy for some people and the Italian side of the spectrum can cloud, the Sicilian filet is the best steak in Freeport, hands down. I have personally known the head chef for 12 years and even on the very rare off days that he has, he does not and will not dissapoint. The steak was cooked perfectly for me (a colder medium rare) and had that beautiful tender, juicy, melt in you mouth kind of taste. Of course you cannot go wrong with the pizza but after the great fire of 2012 (I may be wrong date/year wise) they have never been the same for me, still top 5 in Freeport though. Although I do not drink I have heard very good things about the wine as well. read more

Canova's is always one of our stops when we come home to visit the parents. This time, we pulled into town at 4:00 and had a 5:30 RSVP. The best red sauce ever. I usually get the Sicilian Delight so I get plenty of it. My wife always gets the Lasagna and takes half home. It's also a bonus when the owner, Pat Beckman, plays the piano. I always marvel at how he can play so elegantly with so many people talking around him. If you haven't been here, you're missing out. read more