Pro: Food was good. Cons: Service was terrible-Our waiter was not very friendly and we waited about an hour for our food and received no update on its status until 5 mins before it was brought out. They had kids serving food. One kept bumping into chairs and tables and the other refilled the water by grabbing the glass at the top where you drink out of instead of holding it lower. I hope he washed his hands. The music started out as a blend of Italian and Pop which was okay but after about 20 mins it got really loud and staticky and we couldn't hear each other. The music also didn't match the environment. It seemed like a weird Pandora mix. The location and setup of the women's bathroom is awful and very unsafe. You have to go to the far back of the restaurant and go through a screen door to get to the bathroom. If you go into the larger stall, you will notice a window that looks directly into the stall from the back parking lot. The solution the owners came up with . . . Stick fake flowers in front. You can easily see around the flowers. How about putting up a curtain or cling to keep privacy. The back door from the parking lot is right next to the ladies bathroom so someone could come in from the parking lot and hide in the stall or peep in on you. Not safe or private. I won't go back. read more

I didn't think we could get better than Charlie Gitto's in The Hill. But we found one in Deerfield Chicago. Excellent service, clean atmosphere with a comfortable setting. The bill was very acceptable. read more

I have been dining there for many years. I have had my daughter's confirmation party, my nephew's graduation party, a wedding rehearsal dinner and my 50th b-day party dinners there. This is a family run business where the food is home-made with love! This is my favorite restaurant. I don't have a favorite because honestly , everything is delicious! And the prices are very reasonable. read more

Three of us went there on Saturday night. The place was hopping and bopping, lots of energy...a good sign so far. Once seated, we were informed that the appetizer we wanted was not available, still not too bad. The rest of the experience should be a SNL skit. Two people ordered the "all you can eat" pasta. One person ordered a salad and soup. One of the pasta people ordered spaghetti and the other one ordered linguine. The person who ordered the salad took two forksful of pasta from one of the pasta dishes to sample the sauce. We were then informed by the waitress that because someone had "sampled" two tiny bites of pasta that they would be assessing a "sharing" charge. We asked that the manager be sent over. She said that since she didn't see it, there would be no charge for "sharing." Here's where it gets over the top. The spaghetti person wanted to try the linguine from the other person's plate. In order to avoid any possible conflict, the linguine person asked the waitress if it was ok for the spaghetti person to sample the linguine without being charged. Keep in mind that they both ordered the "all you can eat" pasta and paid the same amount for each dish. The waitress gave a dirty look and said she would have to send the manager over to our table and it would need to be discussed with her!!! I believe that eating a meal at Cook County Jail involves less stress than eating here. Do they really have hidden cameras and federal food police hiding in the salt shakers? Unbelieveable experience!! Would have ordered more wine, dessert, etc. but needed to get out of there. The pasta sauce was tasty but way oversalted....probably by the little men hiding inside the salt shakers!!!. Would NOT go back!!! . read more

In the words of Kyle Broslovsky. "[Italian Kitchen] Kill yourself." I have never eaten from a worse "Italian kitchen". Frankly, this was low grade dog food. And there is basically nothing on the menu that was Italian. This is Barilla pasta with some canned tomato sauce, some wonderful herbs to top it off. I think if I had been smoking wonderful herbs, I would still have noticed that the food was uninspired, defrosted garbage. If you actually know Deerfield's community, you would know that the restaurant appeals to the cities classiest, most middle class elements. Perhaps the waitstaff knew I was daring, having suggested the "house cheese stix" and the "Fresh N Tender grilled octopus" in the same breath. Perhaps they recommend these dishes to all of their customers. I frankly don't care, as I will never be coming to the good ole "Italian Kitchen" ever again. I give it two stars since it was really cheap and portions were plentiful, it could certainly be a viable option if science diet down the street isn't on sale and rover's ribs are showing. As we say in Turino, "E, Sti Cazzi!" read more

Last Friday (Jan 6) the staff prepared a lovely La Befana celebration dinner for our group. Apetizer, salad, vegetables, chicken two ways, sweets. Very willing to accomodate gluten-free and other special dietary request. An overall pleasant experience. read more

The only authentic Italian restaurant in Deerfield. If you want a corporation serving you canned, pre-planned, computer generated food, then go to one of the "newer" Italian spots in town. If you want the real deal, a real Italian restaurant, owned by an Italian family, the Italian Kitchen is the authentic choice in town. You don't need high heels or a Louis Vuitton purse to be seen here, just a smile and a handshake to your neighbors. You never leave dissapointed. Favorites include : Chicken Limon over Linguini and good old fashioned spaghetti with meatballs. Big portions, full belly. read more

I was back there again tonight....great service like always, the pasta sauce was incredible!!! And yes I had chicken limone again can never go wrong with that read more

Emerald was soo nice . She made you feel soo welcome in the restaurant. The food was soo good Really true Italian restaurant. I would recommend everyone to this restaurant. I will return again soon read more

This is my first Yelp review. My dad looked up the reviews to this restaurant last night before we went and said "the reviews were very mixed about this place." That was the consensus even among members at our table. My dad sat facing the front of the restaurant, and I sat on the opposite side of the table with views of the waiters' station, kitchen, and back door. Several parties came through the back door and stood around aimlessly wondering what to do to get seated. One kind server noticed one of these couples and said with a smile, "You can head to the front and they'll get you a table." But the rest of the waitstaff walked past these people without even looking at them. It was busy, but I hate feeling ignored at a restaurant - I'm there to give you money; the least you can do is act like you want my business! Our table's meals came about 5 minutes apart. That might not bother some people, but I thought I'd mention it. We finally told my dad and grandma, "Go ahead and start eating." They were out of octopus and salmon when we ordered, and 10 minutes after I ordered the mussels, I was told that the chef didn't have enough for a full entree - I was asked if I'd like clams, shrimp, etc. so I said, "it's fine if he fills up the rest of the dish with clams." Well, my dish came with 100% clams, no mussels. There was another miscommunication when we ordered two meatball appetizers and only one showed up. Of course both orders were on our bill at the end of the night. My grandma and dad had chicken and steak vesuvio, and both said their potatoes weren't cooked through. My sister had cheese ravioli and said some of them were cold in the middle and told us "honestly, these taste like the frozen ravioli we get from Costco." But my dad liked his steak and my brother liked his risotto. I wasn't thrilled with the clams. For the same prices, I've had way better Italian food. read more

The food is good, simple Italian. For the money, you are getting a decent amount. There were two of us and we left full, and with enough for a light lunch the next day. The waitress was nice and friendly and left us our own pitcher of iced tea since we were asking for a lot of refills. It reminded me of my mom's cooking... Good and simple. read more

I'm not hugely familiar with Deerfield, but I imagine there are better places in the area you could go for Italian. I came here on a Sunday night with my finace and his family and they were out of several menu items. I ordered one of the specials, the grilled mahi, which was supposed to come with mushroom truffle risotto, and they served me the fish with no risotto becasue they were out of it. BOOO! I ended up filling up on bread and fried calamari (which was pretty good) because I'm sorry, one piece of fish and some veggies is not enough to satisfy me. Our waitress was nice, but since we were the only people in the restaurant (it was about 8:30 pm) I felt a little like we were being rushed out. Meh. read more

My review is based only on my take out experience from this place. Yesterday I placed a very large order for my BF birthday. The delivery Was on time 6pm. Here are the items : garlic bread (dry toast with no garlic) , veal parmegiana : very small portion for the steep price and was mediocre at best. Chicken limone : 2 very small pieces of chicken for $18. Pesto pasta had No pesto , dry and tasteless. I didn't have anything really GOOD. Conclusion: do u want a good Italian food , order from Rosebud down the road. Very disappointing read more

They have specials several nights a week, the pizza is great there, good thin crust crust. The salads are fair to poor but the pastas are good. The desserts are very good. This is a homey italian spot for a nice but unassuming dinner. read more

This place looks like the average, comfortable Italian restaurant. But wait! It's NOT! Their food is uber delicious. Cheap? not really, but the quality is there. We just had their pizza the other night, and mind you I'm not a big fan of pizza, -it brought me to tears it was so good. Their buffet lunches are a good deal and everything I've ever eaten on them is excellent.. They catered my girl friend's party a few weeks back for around 80 people and they all raved at the quality of the food. If you're in the neighborhood stop in, if you're far away then GO THERE anyway. Oh and......You're welcome. .:) read more

We have been here about 6 times so when a coupon appeared in our mail we tried to redeem it. When the check came, They said the coupon was only good for one of our meals as one of us ordered a "special " and it was not eligible. When they brought the menu back to us , in fine print it said specials were not eligible. Talking with the manager, she said the price point was so low on specials she could not give a discount. I had the special eggplant parmigiana for $17.00 . ?????? Service was terrible on a busy Sunday at 6:00. Had just sat down, no menus etc. when waiter wanted our drink order. Same waiter let us cool our heels waiting for our check while he cleared another table. Good food is not enough to make us return, too many other choices. read more

Genuine Italian flavour and warm atmosphere. And the live music every week is great. Took a friend from Sicile there and she loved it.

I love this place, great service, fantastic food and drinks, plenty of parking and an owner that is First Rate! This is a place that you bring the family and enjoy each others company in a comfortable environment. I especially like the Calamari and Pasta is always deliciouso'! read more

Poor experience and we will not be going Back. Our waitress spoke little English and had a hard time understanding us. My husband ordered an Italian Beef and they brought out Italian beef pizza! What!? Never heard of such a thing, but it was really gross. Soggy beef pieces placed on top....really ruined the concept of pizza for us. When we told the waitress about the order mistake, she got defensive. Eeek. Only plus was the live jazz ensemble playing which our kids LOVED. read more

I have been passing by this restaurant for years. What a mistake! I wish I would have dined here much sooner! Everything was amazing. The food, service, atmosphere...no complaints. I decided to try new dishes that I have never tried. The brussel sprout appetizer was delicious. I had never had brussel sprouts, but will have them again at Italian Kitchen. The Lemon Chicken portion was enormous. I had more than enough for the next day. The sauce on the mostaccoli was incredible. Needless to say, I can't wait to go back! read more

Friday Fish fry is awesome! All you can eat. $16.99. Cod is very delicious! The clam chowder is to die for! So good! Sub for the fries, and order the garlic steamed vegetables! read more

My friend lost a family member and I believe food is the best way to comfort anyone. Living out of the area I found Deerfield Italian Kitchen online. Their staff helped me make sure enough food for her family and would delivered it in my budget. When I had to change the order to a day they were closed, John the owner, worked with me to make sure that they still got the food and delivered on time. When people go through tough times, especially during this season, it is great to have help, no matter how small. read more

I want to love you Italian Kitchen, but the service is always soooooo sloooooow. Living right around the corner, I want to see this family owned place succeed, but the service, or lack thereof, is too much to bear. read more

Read the reviews here, and the 6 of us decided to head out for some good cooking!. We had the Bruschetta and the caprese Appetizers - Both were awesome. For the mains had one lasagna, the gnocchi (red/cream sauce), Italian salad, Chicken vesuvio. All were very good- Portions are huge! About some of the other reviews, spoke with the owners wife, and we learned that a few years ago there was a service "slowness" about the restaurant, but we experienced none of that service was fantastic and attentive. The restaurant expanded its seating area as well, so the kitchen is a little slow, but if you are really in a hurry go to olive garden - if you want very good Italian food, and don't mind waiting 20 minutes then go here! We also had their limoncello cake as well as their cheese cake - WOW on both! read more

I know this place has been here for a long time, and the food is good. We only ever come here for the lunch buffet and it's always been tasty for the $12.50 price tag. My reason for posting is to warn people about one surprise. If you come in with that coupon that promises $2 off for the lunch buffet, what they do is to give you only EXACTLY $2 off. Not $2 off per diner as most people would assume. read more

plus- the value is good. It's decent for families with really young kids negatives-the food. came in, the waiter brought bread. the bread was stale. we asked for a new one. it was stale but this time warm. I don't know how you function as a restaurant and pull this but they did. then we ordered beer. they were out of the first. then out of the 2nd. we succeeded on third. they also have a charge for "sharing a bottle of beer". ordered dinner-the salad is not fresh made, they take it out of a fridge and put it on the table. not sure how long it was sitting in there but this is deerfield, not lake villa. then ordered the chicken parm. it was chicken nuggets with sauce and a piece of cheese. wanted to like the place but stale bread-twice, out of beer-this was a weekday night with lots of old people in there-not exactly a boozy crew, and chicken parm that wasn't fresh. next. read more

Thanks for a great catering job! Perfect on time delivery, food was steaming hot and delicious! Ordered Lasagna, Spinach Lasagna and Sausage & Peppers w/ sauce! Perfect for a crowd of 45, ample food- no shortage here! Highly recommended for catering! NSYC read more

I do not understand what others see at this place. I have been more than a few times and never have I been happy. I have tried to get simple things, recommend things, expensive things & even cheep. I have found the food comparable to frozen dinners and not exceptional Italian. It is so close to home I know I will try again but I have little hope. read more

I was here with a friend and we had the eggplant Parmesan. It was superb! Excellent! The owner and the waitress were both so nice, and did I mention that they serve hot Italian rolls before your meal? Yummy! Will definitely go again! read more

Not very Italian. What I call an Antipasto Salad & they call Italian Salad was mediocre at best. Cubed cheddar and pepper jack cheese, cubed ham and salami were just ok, no peppers, giardinera, etc. The Italian dressing that came with it was Wish Bone-like. Ordered a plain cheese pizza and it was, again, just ok. Cracker crust not flavorful, sauce plain, cheese sparse. The servers were scattered and confused, missing our drink order several times, taking away clean plates before food came, etc. In the Chicago area, you can do a whole lot better. read more

Went to Italian kitchen last night for dinner and we were only a party of 3. We ordered appetizers and entrées and received the appetizer about 45 minutes later. Finally an hour and 15 minutes after we ordered our food our dinner came. When we received our food the pasta sauce was very watery and all of our food was very cold. There was a couple next to us with two children that ended up walking out after an hour and a half after and still no food. He spoke to the owner and the owner said that this time is expected to receive your food. The owner was very rude and didn't care that his customers were leaving without eating. We had such a horrible experience, unfortunately we will not be returning back to Italian kitchen! read more

Wow...has this place changed - and not in a good way. Always thought of it as a reliable local spot to grab some decent pasta but sadly no longer. Bread was cold and uninspired. At least heat it to give a crust! Salads had a couple of small pieces of cucumber and a few giant slices of carrot. Our entertainment became trying to cut the carrots into manageable size. Italian dressing had not one bit of herbs in it. Lasagna entree was meager with runny sauce. For $15.99. Really? Never thought I'd say this but Olive Garden is a much better deal...sigh. read more

5 stars. I took the family out to come experience the pure delight that is Chef John's cooking. It was quite busy on this night and we were cramped into a small seating area with several other parties. The wait was a bit long but a wizard like John can only work his magic so quickly. After eating John's tasty clam chowder soup (which came with our entrees), our main courses finally arrived. It didn't take long to realize that John had brought his A game that day. The tuna was both cooked and seasoned perfectly. The beef ravioli that my daughter ordered was excellent as well, with the perfect amount of meat filling. Additionally the fettuccine alfredo was very rich and creamy. The chicken that went along with it was extremely tender and was clearly freshly prepared by John. As phenomenal as the food was, it pales in comparison to the wonderful conversations our family had with John when he came over to ask how everything was going. We will definitely be back soon! read more

Service can get a little slow as there aren't that many ppl working here. This is a family restaurant with good traditional Italian food. The portions are huge, and when you eat there you get bread and a side salad with your entree. However, if you order carry out, it is ala-carte=(. My favorite there is the tortellini with the special red sauce. They charge extra for the special red sauce, but it is so worth it. I always have to doggie bag because the portions are so huge, and I literally have enough for another meal. So, the value is there and the food is good. read more

Our first visit here tonight. Staff was friendly, service was good. We had the Baked Rigatoni Special. It was delicious. A great tomato sauce. And to our surprise, the rigatoni was stuffed with ricotta cheese. We will definitely return. read more

I've been here for lunch a few times and have yet to be disappointed. Great food, filling portions. Service has always been good.

A friend and I returned to Italian Kitchen ("IK") for lunch, after an absence of about two years, after I realized that I loved everything about IK as a former LUNCHTIME diner (I worked nearby), and that we suspended our visits based on two excruciatingly slow dinnertime service experiences, which some characterized as "European dining". I respectfully reject the notion of "European dining", because I believe that it more likely involves logistics related to a conscientious chef, who blesses his patrons with his high standard, who also must cope with a kitchen too small to support IK's original dining room, AND a banquet room which was added after IK was established, through its acquisition of neighboring shop space, which it converted to its "banquet room". While IK's wonderful buffet table seems to adequately accommodate the demands of less numerous lunchtime diners, who are concerned about being in and out within and hour, the same cannot be said for more numerous dinnertime diners who don't have a time limitation and are less prone to select dining from a buffet table, which I recall was not open for dinner, likely because keeping it full and fresh and fulfilling individual meal orders would be an impossibility. So, don't deprive yourself and pass this gem, because of slow service during dinnertime. PLAN on a visit that should last about two hours, invite interesting conversationalists, have a few glasses of wine together, and appreciate that exceptional Italian American food is being prepared 'to order' for you as you enjoy your table mate's company as you wait. Anyway, we were glad to find upon our reunion with IK, that whether I dined during lunch or dinnertime, the food is just as delectable. My friend, who has a demanding palate, ordered lasagna, and received a generous portion, which she found was delicious and too large for her to finish in a single sitting. I opted for the buffet, surprisingly, a first-time-ever selection I made, though I dined there for years when I worked in the area. After I finished my very cold iceberg lettuce, carrot and tomato side salad (with my choice of creamy garlic dressing), I found that the buffet offered ravioli stuffed with hot seasoned sausage in tomato sauce; chicken tagliatelle in vodka sauce; baked sea bass; chicken cacciatore (with all ingredients but tomato sauce); sausage pizza, and cheese pizza. All of the aforementioned items, pasta included, were fresh made at IK, and tasted as though mia nonna made them herself. All entrees were refilled, were kept hot, and did not suffer in quality because they were momentarily kept in warming trays. I was delighted with the buffet, though disappointed that I could no bring myself to eat just one more 'nest' of my favorite, the sumptuous chicken tagliatelle in vodka sauce. I was tempted to smuggle two servings out in my jeans pockets, but alas, then you would have to weather yet another 'unfortunate consequence' theory in this review, which also would involve logistics! read more

Pretty good Italian restaurant. Pastas are great, and even their fish is good. Sometimes, the Bulls players eat here as it is near the Berto Center read more

Heard this was "the place to go for Italian food" in Deerfield and was very disappointed. Went with another couple and our three year old child. The place was packed with families and an older crowd. The service was friendly but horribly slow. They kept telling us our food was on its way out but after 20 min of this, still nothing. The food was mediocre at best and the price was the same as a chain restaurant. I should also mention that for a place that is touted as kid friendly, they brought the kid meal out last and only after we asked twice for it. At least the bread was plentiful, though hardly memorable. read more

The food is excellent. The service can be somewhat slow (there's one waiter in particular), but the pasta is homemade so obviously it will take a bit longer to prepare. If you are looking for a delicious Italian dinner in the north suburbs, this is the place to go. Decently priced as well. read more