Love this place. Moved out here from the city and come often. I've never been disappointed with their food, and have even been to their Mother's Day brunch, which had a huge selection and great food! It's also moderately price, which is a bonus! read more

If my ratings were only based on food, this place would have 5 stars, BUT service is included, and well .... that's a whole different story. I will start with the good things then will talk about the HOT MESS of a waiter and the service we had. We had a few people arrive late, no biggie since some people were coming all the way from Chicago. The waiter took our drink orders and gave us some bread. The Riesling that I ordered (forgot the name, but it's the first Riesling listed on the wine menu) was fantastic. The bread was good, but it wasn't warm at all, which is kind of disappointing. Some people ordered appetizers, I tried some calamari and it was the fresh non-fried kind (which to me is the best kind of calamari) and that tasted fantastic. The stuffed mushrooms were raved about as well. A few people were sharing entrees since they are huge. What was great was the fact that they split the entrees into two plates for everyone. My Fiance and I ordered the Chicken Marsala, and their sauce is to die for. It was quite possibly the best chicken marsala that I have ever had. They also served it with a side of marinara pasta. No one said one bad thing about their food. Everyone was enjoying it immensely. So the BAD BAD part about this place. UUGGGHH the SERVICE was horrendous. Food took FOREVER to come out. Our waiter was un-attentive, we had to ask for more bread constantly because he wouldn't bring it. We were there for 3 hours. Practically everyone in the restaurant was there for 3 hours. The couple that goes here a lot said that service has never been this bad. It took 30 min for apps to come out, 20 mins for salad and soup to come out, 30 min for entrees to come out. When we asked for our checks, it took him 20 minutes for him to bring them out. Granted he did separate them for everyone, but it shouldn't have taken that long. If I were to come back here, it definitely would not be on a weekend. Service here was that bad, which is sad because the food is fantastic. read more

I highly recommend Cucina Bella! I got married up the street and our party of 20 walked to Cucina Bella afterwards for a private lunch -- they usually don't open until 4pm. The catering manager was great and worked with me in advance to plan my menu. Everyone loved the food and the service was excellent. My uncle is a chef and couldn't stop talking about the food or how well the server managed a large table. I don't even like lasagna, but I liked Cucina Bella's lasagna. My husband's favorite dish by far is the tortellini paglia fino. It looks packed most weekends, so make sure you call in advance for a reservation! read more

We found this place to be romantic, charming and friendly. The exposed brick interior to the table settings, this place smoulders with old world charm. Our wait staff was incredibly nice, friendly and informative. Yes, the ambiance was awesome.. but the food?!? That is the true test.. Does the food taste great? Well, my vote is one emphatic YES! The special of the day, Chicken and Sausage Giambotta was truly tasty and divine. Everything we tasted was spot on and delicious. I think this is our new go to place for romantic dinners for two! read more

It's officially time for my Cucina Bella review. I couldn't write this review when I first went to dinner here because they were scheduled to cater my sister's bridal shower luncheon and she's a Yelper. She would have known that a meal with her soon-to-be-sister-in-law meant something in relationship to her shower, so this review was delayed. This also means that I am going to hit on both our dine-in experience and our catering experience. Let's start with the pluses of both: The food was delicious! Both times, we were very pleased with the food itself. While dining in, we found it to be served hot and seasoned really well. The homemade sauces and juicy chicken breasts were fabulous! At the shower, many of the ladies helped themselves to second helpings (I'm so glad because shower food is usually "meh", but this was really the opposite!) The catering coordinator was attentive and easy to reach. We stayed in touch and she did exactly what she said she was going to do. I had her cell phone number for easy access. The price is right. 'nuf said. The portions were plentiful. Both dining in and having our event catered. No one went hungry. Have I mentioned the homemade tiramisu yet? Shame on me. I will literally go back for that alone. It's made in-house and it's to die for!!! Kathy and I shared a piece. It was light, fluffy, creamy and downright awesome! On to my less than favorite parts: Our server on the night that we dined in was less than fabulous. He was nice enough, but didn't take care of the details well at all. We specifically asked for marinara sauce instead of cocktail sauce and he brought cocktail sauce. We had to wait waaaay too long for him to even look our way so we could flag him down to get the correct sauce for our now lukewarm calamari. Food hit the table before drinks did. Weird. He did eventually mention that he was waiting for clean glasses. In a restaurant that was maybe 60% full when we arrived and about 20% full when we left - this seemed weird. We probably waited 15 minutes for the check. I had said more than once that we had to leave to pick up my son and the check took forever. He was sweeping at one point instead of getting the check we had asked for. Details were overlooked and we felt like we were one of those overlooked details. Now, I can see how the reviews vary so much here. Likelihood to order catering again if needed in the area? 100% Likelihood to dine in again if in the immediate area? 50%. Focus on customer service and that could easily be 100%. read more

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We had a wonderful dinner for the family for my daughters birthday. The hostess and waitress were fantastic. Service was 5 star all the way and the food is really good. I think it is a great restaurant to have out in Algonquin and some of the best Italian food in the area. The restaurant has a great ambience and is very welcoming. read more

We've tried this place about 7 times because we want to support local businesses. But tonight was the last straw. Over 4 empty tables and we had a 20 minute wait. Plus the food took forever. Over an hour. We're done. read more

Cucina Bella - The open table of more than 4 that they won't seat us at. How does this place stay in business. - Italian Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

Ordered the carbonara pasta figuring this would be a solid choice because it was on their every day menu. The chef must have put two whole cloves of garlic in there. All I tasted was garlic Worst carbonara I've ever had. Giving 3 stars because my girlfriend's lasagna was on point. read more

Waitress was good, soup was cold. Table was never cleaned. Asked to speak to manager she just turned and walked away...Nice service from person in charge.. The owner should take more interest in what goes on in his establishment..It's hard to believe a prominent local business man runs things this way...Word travels fast..If I could give a lower number I would. Celebrating a birthday at your restaurant what a shame. read more

Eh. Average Italian fare. The bf and I joined a group of friends at Cucina Bella for New Years Eve. We went on the recommendation of friends who are regular diners. I'll be honest, I wasn't impressed. I've definitely had better. Service - Non buona. To start off, we waited 45 minutes past our reservation time for a table. Once we got our table, the service was decent at best. The waiter seemed to have a "I'm too busy for this" 'tude, and it took quite some time for our food to come out. I'm going to chalk it up to the fact it was NYE...but 45 minutes past the reservation time was somewhat unacceptable... Food - Average. We were given a shortened NYE menu which was a bummer since there were some items I was hoping to try. I settled on having a cup of Pasta Fagioli soup. No joke - it was the minestrone soup with ditalini pasta in it. Nothing like half-assin' it. For my entree, I had the Braciola - marinated flank steak stuffed with Italian herbs, pine nuts, bread crumb and raisins served over angel hair pasta. It was edible, but not the greatest. I found the meat overcooked and it was extremely salty. My bf had the gnocchi with vodka sauce. I had food envy over his dish the entire night. The gnocchi was actually fairly good. The rest of our group seemed to enjoy their dishes - well, the ones who didn't order the braciola. Atmosphere - That, I enjoyed. Romantic, dark, and had that old world Italian restaurant feel. The live music playing was great as well. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that the food was subpar and the service wasn't the best due to it being NYE. However, I'm not sure that's an excuse. It has somewhat deterred me from returning. Would I give it another try?? Sure. Maybe. But only if I happened to be in the area. read more

Since we moved Out west we where lost for good Italian food. This is far the greatest food I have ever had, and I have had Pops Luciano pasta. Brittny couldn't have Been a better waitress. read more

Fantastic food. I can't say enough about how fresh and delicious everything we ordered was - and reasonably priced. It was very nice to see a drink list that wasn't outrageously priced. The noise level is very high. This is not a place for intimate conversation. But when the food is this good and the service spot on, it didn't really matter. read more

Have always enjoyed this restaurant in the past so was very surprised at poor effort tonight. Perhaps because they were defying the no dine in edict during pandemic surge. Calling in carry out order took 20 minutes, then they sent our order out for delivery despite not having our address!! No bread with order. My pasta was very tasty, however was skimpy on sausage and had nearly no spinach that I ordered as sides. My wife's pasta was also tasty but had next to no chicken. Will not go back since they ignore COVID mandates.....people even at bar with no masks. read more

What an unexpected surprise! We were looking for a place to eat on a Monday and found this gem. It's in downtown Algonquin, on an unobtrusive corner with street parking a challenge, even on a Monday. We were seated immediately, brought water and menus and discussed the specials with the "chipper" waitress. Our shared appetizer of baked clams in a light garlic butter was wonderful, especially soaking up the sauce with our rustic bread. He tried the squash soup and loved it; I had the minestrone soup and enjoyed it. I had the fabulous "do-it-yourself" pasta: fettuccine noodles, carbonara sauce, peas, mushrooms and prosciutto. This was better than the pasta we ate in Italy last month! My guest had the Diablo sauce and meatballs with penne. He was warned that it was spicy - and it WAS spicy. However, he said it was delicious.. Great meal in a lovely, quiet room (it WAS Monday). We will go back soon and this time I'll try the angel-hair pasta with vodka sauce, skip the bread, appetizer and soup and have dessert instead. read more

Have worked close by to Cucina Bella for years and always wanted to try it . Went last Saturday for a birthday dinner . There was 4 of us and we had reservations for 5:30pm . Arrived 5 minutes early and was promptly seated. Nice inside , lots of exposed brick . Noise level was conversation friendly even though is was pretty busy that early. Our server was on it , even though she was really busy . Meal was well paced and service was spot on. All 4 of us had different martinis and they where delicious. Had to pace myself. Had the Bruschetta appetizer. Very good & very garlicky Entrees where Veal Marsala, very good and tender, but it was a bit heavy on the sauce . Others had Chicken Vesuvio , Chicken Saltimbocca . Both said it was very good and had no complaints One diners seafood risotto special was really good . Lots of shrimp and a good spicy red sauce. Portions where very generous and 2 of the 4 in our party had lunch for the next day. Prices are reasonable and what you'd expect to pay for a night out with dinner & drinks. Thought it was a good value for what we eat and drank If your looking for some Italian and don't care for the Mega chains , check out Cucina Bella read more

Went to Cucina Bella last night for dinner. Mark M was our waiter. He was everything you'd want in a waiter. Friendly, informative and hilarious! He was phenomenal! The food was amazing as well! So delicious! I definitely reccomend this restaurant to everyone and anyone. Doesn't disappoint. read more

Still in search of a good Italian restaurant. So we went here on a referral, after looking for a quality Italian restaurant. I should have known as we walked in and there were 5 tables open and we were told by the hostess that there was a 20 min wait that this may not be it (we were there at 6pm on a Sunday) We ordered 2 appetizers, soups and one entree to share. The appetizers came out and were ok at best, the calamari was passable (cold and rubbery but passable) and the arancini was burned on the outside and mushy on the inside. We waited 20 or so minutes for the soup as the waitress was gabbing with the bartender. She finally brought the soup over apologizing for forgetting; however she did not bring the soup we ordered! She collected the wrong soups and brought out the right one. I told her I wanted to pass on mine because I was starting to get frustrated. Finally the entree came out. The meat was chewy and cold and the pasta was gooey and watery. I honestly have had BETTER frozen meals! This was a COMPLETE waste of money and will NEVER return, SAVE your money and go down the street to Mandiles read more

We have been coming here for years and really enjoy this place. However, this time was totally different experience. I understand that it was a saturday night and it always busy but this was not an excuse, but your staff used it anyway! We made reservations and stated we were celebrating birthdays. When we arrived, we again told the receptionist we were celebrating birthdays,she said she would pass it on. Our reservation was for 7:15 not seated until 7:45. Our server Amy was ok but not exceptional. When asked how things were we said ok, the Halibut was a bit salty so we mentioned and she said nothing. Asked if we wanted the dessert menu. We didn't say anything. Nothing was said about birthdays, so it was never passed on to our server. At that point, we decided not to bring it up. It was had already been stated twice prior to being seated. Further, your fresh bread seemed stale and cold. What happened to the fresh parm cheese??? The old grated cheese at the table is so unappealing. On our way out we mentioned that our birhtday celebration was not acknowledged and that's when your reception stated I quote "We are busy". We have been there when you have been busier for an anniversay celebration and we had a fabulous time. That excuse doen't work. It might be a while before we return. Hope things improve! read more

Best Italian food in town. I lived in Florence for 4 months and this is the closest food to authentic Italian food in the area. Everything is delicious. I always get the arrabiatta sauce. Also recommend the baked clams. So yummy! read more

Food was amazing and could have been more expensive, because it was that good. Big servings too!! Peter, our waiter was real cool and took our pic for us too on our cell phone. read more

This place has great customer service. It was our first time here and I used a Groupon so I didn't know what to expect. My husband had the veal parmigiana and that was delicious. I got the Gorgonzola salad and it was beyond delicious. I want to go back just for this salad. For my entree I got farfalle with suprema sauce and added mushrooms. It was not very flavorful so I will probably not order suprema sauce again. I also had a cucumber melon martini and it had a little bit of a minty after taste and I don't like mint at all. read more

Cucina Bella - Gorgonzola salad with fontanella cheese instead of blue cheese with the house dressing on the side. It was delicious. - Italian Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

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We went last night for my son's birthday, which we have made a tradition. It was okay, nothing special, nothing horrid. We started with a way over the top server, she was almost oddly cheerful, but did a nice job. She asked if we had ever been there before. I said, yes, we were there for my son's birthday for the third year in a row. She then asked if we were celebrating any special occasion ;-) And we never heard another birthday word, I was secretly hoping to embarrass him with some singing I heard from other parts of the restaurant!! The food was fine, I had steamed clams and a salad. My son had the build your own pasta. He eats at Cafe Roma frequently, and said while it was fine, not as good as Roma. Overall, it was an average dinner. But no complaints. read more

My husband and I and our three kids visited for our first time on a Thursday night. Everyone loved their food. Service was fast, atmosphere was lively (which was good because I was afraid it would be hard to keep the kids quiet.) I can't wait to come back again for date night. I had the tortellini with prosciutto, peas and mushrooms in a cream sauce. My husband had the Rigatoni Pomodoro and chose to add spinach and italian sausage (which is such a smart idea to have add-ins listed for people to build their own dish.) We will be back for sure! read more

Easily the best Italian restaurant in Algonquin. The entree portions are huge and the prices are reasonable. I had the muscles and clams with linguine (white sauce). Delicious! On Tuesdays, you can get a $2 bottle of wine with the purchase of 2 entrees. Great deal. Support this local restaurant!! read more

Cucina Bella - Italian Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

This is the best restaurant around. BAR NONE! People complaining on here are just that... complainers. You cannot find anything better outside of the city than this place if Italian food is your fancy. read more

I finally ventured to Cucina Bella the other night. I drive by this place at least 10x a week, and I can't believe it took me so long to try it out! My friend and I both did the build-your-own pasta option. I had rigatoni with vodka sauce, ricotta and spinach. It was outstanding. My friend enjoyed her meal as well. While the menu seemed a little pricey, the portions were very generous. We both had plenty of leftovers to take home. The restaurant is dim and kind of romantic inside. This would be a great place for a date night. The ambiance is fantastic. Our server was alright. She was friendly, but we didn't see her much throughout the meal. All in all, I had a great time at Cucina Bella. I am looking forward to returning sometime in the near future! read more

Love this place! Never fails and always consistent! Sausage and Peppers appetizer is awesome, make your own pasta delicious! Have never had a bad meal here and the staff is great! read more

Great wine. Great food. Great environment. It can get very, very busy, though. So make sure to get a reservation. And try the gnocchi with giardiniera. Yarm. read more

Love this place! Delicious food their desserts are amazing too Very big wine selection Service can be a hit or miss It's nice to see the owner in the kitchen cooking the meals Hands down the best Italian food in the area! read more

First off... I am not a big "let's go out and easy at an Italian Restaurant" type of guy... But my wife... LOVES going out to a good Italian Restaurant... So here I am :) This place had a great bar (which makes a great mixed drink) ... Friendly staff... And great food! There so many favorite it is hard not to order the same thing over and over again! read more

Love this place. We go all the time and the food and service is always outstanding. Great drinks as well.

Must try the Veal Napoleon! Every time I go there I plan to order something else and I can't resist ordering that dish. Just amazing! The bartenders and staff are welcoming and the food comes out hot and fresh with very little wait time. Save room for dessert because they have the most amazing Carrot cake ever!!! read more

Excellent service & elegant decor but just a tad loud in the background. We really enjoyed the calamari special and by golly the food serving size is humongous! The only thing I have a slight issue with is that the shrimp and mussel in my linguini didn't taste very fresh (I have a rather sensitive palate for seafood so for me it was stale but my husband didn't mind it) read more

We have had many friends recommend this restaurant and wanted to try it. The atmosphere is great although very loud. With the sounds bouncing off the brick walls, it seemed like people were competing to see who could be the loudest. We ordered the stuffed mushroom for an appetizer, which was good, not great but good. One of the main disappointments was the salad. Who uses iceberg lettuce in a nice salad? I ordered the special of stuffed manicotti. It was very good with great spice. My wife ordered a pasta where you chose your sauce and toppings. It came with peas instead of spinach so it had to go back. I sat there for 10 minutes waiting because I did not want to be done by the time her second plate arrived. It came and was good, but I would have expected so compensation (glass of wine or desert) for the mistake. All in all, it was good minus the salad and mistake. read more

Absolutely my favorite place to go.... I think the staff must think I live here!! Date night, family night, even holidays..... Never had a bad experience. They are great when my young children come along as well which is refreshing, we really enjoy going out all together! The food is always full of flavor and the portions are great. I love that your entrée includes soup/salad selection. Hard to save room for dessert, but definitely worth it here. Carrot cake is HUGE and delicious! More than enough to share for 2-4 people easily! I've been in at opening hours, at closing hours, and mid-shift but never received less than satisfactory service. They make sure you're comfortable and don't push you to rush... I've only tried their cocktails once and wasn't blown away. Wine is always a great selection and they have a lot to chose from. Already looking forward to go back.... :) read more

Overall the experience was good. The service was excellent but some of the food was just okay. Bread olive oil and cheese was pretty basic. Started with fried calamari which was good. I had the Ravioli Bella (cheese ravioli) w/ a caesar salad. The salad was flavorful and light. The ravioli was a good portion and certainly tasted it like it was made in house. The downfall of the dish was the sauce, it was a homemade marina which tasted pretty bland. The sauce could have used more spice and flavors. read more

Been trying all the Italian places in the area...this one now tops the list by a long shot. Friendly staff, the food is amazing and is our go to date night spot. read more

The food here is excellent. I buy their jarred sauces at the local Woodman's because they're so good. I don't go often because it's just so loud at dinner time and it's hard to have conversation. My friend uses them for catering and they do a great job. read more

Awesome food!!!! Went for my anniversary and we loved the food and prices were reasonable!!! The only thing we weren't fond of is the service I waited twice for like 15 minutes to get a drink and wanted to order some dessert but we didn't want to wait it took forever read more

I just gave a Bridal Shower at this restaurant. Everything was top notch & we received so many compliments. Everyone especially loved the Sangria bar and the wait staff. They were extremely professional, attentive and courteous to everyone. Thank you Cucina Bella for cherished memories of the event. My son and his bride to be were blown away! read more