Absolutely delicious! We had such a great experience at Ella's. My husband actually said it was some of the best food he's had in a long time -- and I have to agree! Our server was fantastic. We laughed afterward because we were a little nervous when she didn't write anything down, but she didn't miss a thing. Everything came out exactly as we ordered it. The pizzas were delicious, and a small is definitely plenty for one person. The meatball sliders were SO good -- the flavor was incredible. And the pepper spread? My husband was practically ready to lick the little ramekin clean! He wanted a simple salad rather than one of the specialty salads on the menu, and they were more than happy to customize one for him. Even the ranch dressing was fantastic. Great food, wonderful service, and such a good experience from start to finish. We will absolutely be back! read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Large pizza - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Ella's is an elevated pub and offers numerous specials. Lunch specials Monday - Friday and also half off pizzas on Sundays. They are located in downtown Geneva and have indoor and outdoor seating. Service throughout was great. Our server checked in on us a decent amount of times and food came out quickly. I stopped in on a weekday and got the $15 lunch special which comes with a side salad and an individual sized pizza. For the pizza I got Ella's pie which comes with different cheeses and slices of zucchini. IT IS SO GOOD. This pizza is unique to Ella's and I highly recommend it. read more

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Honestly, probably one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had. We arrived with no wait and no reservation needed and were told the only seating available was outside. We were fine with that because there were umbrellas and plenty of shaded tables available. However, we were seated directly in the 85 degree sun with absolutely no wind. The sun was directly in our faces, we were sweating, and we simply wanted to be able to enjoy our food comfortably. We asked if we could move to one of the MANY open tables underneath the umbrellas. The hostess told us she would let us know. Another table opened, then another, and eventually there were multiple dirty tables sitting underneath the umbrellas waiting to be cleaned. My partner eventually had to go inside and ask again. The hostess then said she would have one cleaned and come move us. Our food arrived before that ever happened. At that point, we were trying to eat hot pasta and pizza while sitting directly in the blazing sun. We decided to just deal with it and try to finish our food, but our server was nowhere to be found. We eventually had to get up, go inside ourselves and ask for the check!! The same blonde hostess immediately told us, "I can get you guys a table with an umbrella." THAT was incredibly frustrating because apparently a shaded table could have been provided all along, but it wasn't offered until we physically got up and decided to leave. She then asked who our waiter was and where we had been sitting, despite being the person who had spoken to us multiple times. She couldn't even seem to locate our server. What made this even more disappointing was watching the people seated in front of us report an issue that was immediately addressed and fixed, while our request was repeatedly ignored. We didn't even receive basic consideration, an apology, or an alternative solution. We were just expected to sit outside and wait in the beaming sun, even though there were open shaded tables. We also weren't getting refills on our water. I normally don't leave reviews because I understand that things happen, but this experience made me understand exactly why reviews exist. I came in with high expectations because the food looked good, but the service completely ruined the experience and made the entire visit feel like a waste of money and time! I also have to honestly ask.. was the way we were treated influenced by the fact that we are not white? I genuinely hope that wasn't the case, but when other customers' concerns are addressed immediately while ours are repeatedly ignored, it's hard not to wonder. At the very least, I expected the hostess and staff to be trained to acknowledge customers' concerns, communicate with them, and offer a reasonable solution. Instead, we had to get up and ask for our check ourselves while sitting in 85 degree heat. Extremely disappointing experience and unfortunately not somewhere I would want to return. read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Extremely disappointed. - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

The food was good. Not very warm but I will put that on the service. It took about 25 minutes to get a drink. Then we ordered apps and pizzas and pastas. Guess what, they all came out at the same time. And not warm. I don't know how it takes almost 3 hours to have a lunch?! I had to go up to the server to get our check and then to pay. Good food, but I can get a lot better service with the same quality food elsewhere. read more

This was my first time dining here and I have to say it exceeded my expectations! The staff was very friendly and very efficient with fillings water, taking our order, and bringing out the food. We sat outside which is perfect for the warm summer weather but there was a lot of indoor seating available. We started off with some apps which I will say was honestly the tastiest for me! We had bacon wrapped dates but the fun surprise is that the dates are stuffed with sausage and then an amazing red sauce with some toast. We also had the feta cheese which we didn't realize was a salad but it was perfect! There was arugula, beets, tomato's, and a balsamic with their fresh foccasia! My favorite app of all would be the bruschetta which basically melted in your mouth! I just wish it came with more! But that's me being greedy. We also got the whipped ricotta with honey which I had no complaints about besides the honey being hard to take out of the side dish and add spreading it. My main dish was the vodka sausage pasta (I forgot the actual name of it) but it was great! Very large portions which I appreciate to be able to take home and have leftovers! 10/10 would come again! read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Bacon wrapped dates - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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Consider me Ella's newest, biggest fan! I LOVED my experience and can't wait to go back. The service was so wonderful, everyone was so kind and checked on me a few times. The food though is absolutely amazing! I haven't tried the pizza yet but it's on my list for next time. Haven't been to Ella's? Do yourself a favor and go. You won't regret it read more

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An absolute hidden gem in downtown Geneva! The decor is stunning, and the indoor/outdoor seating creates an amazing ambiance. We split the prosciutto and burrata pizza, and the soft, focaccia-like crust was out of this world. Their fried calamari was absolutely delicious. A great place to celebrate my birthday! read more

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Four of us had a great experience at Ella's on a nuthin special weekday night. Table service was speedy, efficient and knowledgeable. From the bar the drinks were generous and priced right. We ordered apps, entrees and a small BBQ chicken pizza. The appetizer, followed by dinner, arrived pretty quickly and was delicious. Definitely coming back. read more

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I'm a fan of bolognese and went here just for that. Chunks of sausage and a pink sauce do not make a traditional bolognese. I liked the atmosphere and service. read more

Delicious food!! Amazing service!! I try to reserve my 5 stars for restaurants that really give you an "experience" I feel that that's the only thing lacking from our visit to Ella's. We tried the beet arugula ricotta salad, it was delicious!! Then we split a petit Roman pizza - we went with the prosciutto and burrata and it was soo good. The crust was so soft, I wasn't expecting that. The salad and petit pizza combo was perfect to split between two people. We also had a couple of fun drinks. read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

We stopped at this restaurant while at the Geneva art festival last weekend. The restaurant is fairly lounge, but we had to wait because it was lunchtime and there were a lot of people stopping for lunch and also to cool off from the heat. Service was slow, I'm assuming from all the tables being filled. My husband and I started with refreshing summer cocktails - him a sangria limonata and a bees knees for me. My husband enjoyed his cocktail and I give the bartender kudos for trying to make a bee's knees, but it was a little bit of a miss. Again, we waited quite a bit to get our cocktails. When we went to Ella's last Sunday, it was half off pizza so of course we got a pizza. We shared Ella's House pizza with ricotta, zucchini ribbons and hot honey. The pizza was so good. That certainly made up for the not-so-good bees knees cocktail. Ella's Roman style pizza is double baked so the crust has a crispy bottom and the top is lighter-than-air. It's amazing! I would definitely go back to this restaurant. There are a lot of other pizzas to try. Next time, I know to get a cocktail that's listed on their menu to make sure the bartender knows what they're doing. read more

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Excellent spot for a family get together. We had dinner the night before Thanksgiving 2024 and while it was very crowded, our table was ready on time and the service (thank you Nelson) was spectacular (as was the food). It's fabulous they can maintain quality when that busy. My favs: arancini, meatballs, delicious bolognese. Prices are VERY reasonable! read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Dinner for 8 - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

So many good things to say. Ella's is part of a family of excellent restaurants. They have a great formula. Great Food Great Service Good Pricing - Value Very Clean A place you share with loved ones. read more

Took my mom out to lunch and decided to try Ella's out. It's located right in the heart of Geneva (which is the cutest little downtown area). Also, I was worried about parking but it was actually incredibly easy to find a parking spot. It was a party of three and we did have reservations, but upon arrival it wasn't too crowded anyway. We were seated right away and taken care of almost instantly. I ordered their Italiano Sangria and their shrimp scampi. The shrimp scampi was cooked extremely well and had a fabulous taste to it. My sangria was equally as delicious. Service was fast and friendly! And I found the meal to be quite affordable. The bill for all 3 of us was only $78. Although, we just ordered entrees and no appetizers. This is a very pleasant spot to have lunch or dinner. I can definitely see myself coming back on my own leisure. read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Shrimp Scampi - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Had a 615 reservation for Mother's Day. Arriving early to walk Geneva we noticed people spilling out the door waiting for tables. At 545 we checked in to be told our 615 likely wouldn't be sat until 645 or 700. Why have a reservation if you can't manage the process? Ended up at Preservation for a great meal. Do better Ella's. read more

service was bad. we were sat with a mess of food on the floor so had to get someone to sweep it up and then just one of those no refills and not very attentive servers. food was very mediocre at best. not much flavor. i wouldn't recommend this place. calamari was ok. pizza so so. the kids pizza was not hot like the others for some reason. the bar looked nice. read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - nonna's sunday pizza - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Great with some room for improvement. I made reservations for a Friday afternoon since you never know what to expect. I think we would have been alright without reservations but this way we were guaranteed a spot on the patio without any wait. During lunch hours they have a special where you can choose two slices of pizza or a quesadilla-looking sandwich with a side salad. I did that with the Ella's house pie. The salad was simple but SO fresh and the pizza was absolutely amazing. The portions were spot on too. Now onto my complaints. The plates were not cleaned well. Mine had some dried food still stuck to it. My friend is also gluten-free and ordered a gluten free crust but our server seemed very uncertain whether the pizza was truely gluten-free if not. read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Side Salad - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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We had lunch here last weekend after the art fair in Geneva. We had the BBQ Salad and the Rocket Man pizza. We thought both were good - but I would stick with the pizza next time. Delicious crust of the pizza that stood out. Sketchy service in that several tables around us got their pizza/food before us - yet ordered after us. I sense the waitress forgot to put the order in and neglected to tell us that. We would still go back - despite that. read more

Food was way late. And we ordered the special and kids menu stuff. We sat at 443pm and had food at 550. Food was not cooked well and was flavorless. With the exception of the pizza. We were not warned that the kitchen was that behind. Our server was pleasant and on track with drinks. I don't blame her. I'd caution other than pizza. And be prepared to wait a long time. read more

Service was excellent from getting to our table to taking our orders and bringing our food. Had reservations for 3 for dinner, place was packed. This was my first time here but the other 2 in my party were fairly frequent visitors. Dinner portions were large, which aligned with the price. read more

If you like the food at Gia Mia or Livia, you will probably like the food here. Its basically the same. Except the pizza is a thicker crust, more bready. I had the Rocketman and it was delicious, although I do prefer the thinner crust at Gia Mia. My husband had the Bolognese. He ordered it without cheese on top just because he prefers it that way. It was very nice that the chef came out to clarify that he didn't have a dairy allergy since the sauce contained dairy. We also tried the chorizo stuffed dates. They are wrapped in bacon and come with a spicy marinara and some delicious fried bread. All in all, the food was great! We sat on the patio and it was very nice. The chairs are nice for outside chairs and they have plants that block the patio a bit from the sidewalk. The service was not great. We (and the table next to us that were seated at the same time) waited about 10 minutes before anyone came with water or to ask about beverages. When our server came over, I ordered a glass of wine. What I recieved was an 8 oz carafe. I just thought it was a generous pour until we received the bill. While the 8 oz pour was a good deal (only $3 more than a glass) it was not what I ordered and was more than I wanted as we had been somewhere for drinks prior to dinner. Our server just seemed to lack training. After someone cleared away our appetizer dishes, we were both left without plates and utensils. They brought out the entrees and we had to wait about 5 minutes before our server checked on us and when we asked our server for new utensils, he reminded us that he had cleared them away. Okay? When we asked for the check and he just told us the amount. We did not see the itemized bill until after we paid. Hopefully, they can work out the kinks because sometimes it's hard to get a reservation at Gia Mia. read more

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This was our first time visiting this restaurant with our friends for lunch. When we got there, the hostess was cleaning front window and we were waiting to be seated. A Minute later, she stopped doing her cleaning and looked at me without saying welcome or hello. I spoke and said party of 4. Then she lead us to the table and put the menus down and said nothing. She just looked at me and left saying nothing. Then our waitress came and took our orders. The food came out and we were eating. She checked back with us asking if everything was ok and then ask if she can remove one of our dishes which we only took half of so far. She kept coming asking how we are doing but trying to take our food eventhough we were still eating. Overall, I was not impressed with services here. Food was okay. But services was poor. Especially beginning with hostess. read more

Family get together on Father's Day. Recommend reservations as they are quite busy. Good selection of pizzas which are 1/2 off on Sundays. Food always good but they just changed menu and no longer carry my favorite calamari appetizer. read more

Great happy hour and staff - the location is great and has lots of natural light. Great beer selection and casual menu items. Enjoyed each pizza we ordered! read more

Great ambience and good and Service was also good. We went at 5 on a Saturday so wasn't too busy. Would visit again. read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Great ambience , location and good food. Ordered sausage pepper pizza and blackened salmon both were good. Service was also good. - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Food was really great and i feel like for the price it was amazing! Everything was so delicious and we will def come back read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Everything was fkn delicious! - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

Once again very impressed with the welcoming atmosphere as we walked in! Vince our server, was excellent! A 10 plus!Professional, attentive, knowledgeable, warm! The food great and better than ever! Great great place ! Thank you! read more

Update as of 11/23/25 I had a free evening to myself so decided to come in for the pizza special and enjoy some wine/appetizer etc. Thankfully the food was still excellent quality because the service element was almost completely missing. It took a while after I sat down to even be greeted. Taylor introduced herself as my server, gave me a menu and basically disappeared. I sat with the menu a bit and then was ready to order. The saving grace was a gentleman behind the bar who saw me waiting and took my drink and food order. I did not see the server(whose name was on my check) until my entire order was out. Rather, I should say I saw her, but only as she walked back and forth and all around me, cleaned the counter right next to me avoiding eye contact and hung out at the other end of the bar chatting while both my water and wine glasses remained empty. Her entire demeanor was unwelcoming and it appeared she had no interest in being there as I was not the only person she ignored. I'd also planned on desert and would have ordered more additional drinks but I was so put off I didn't want to stay a moment longer. I normally do carry out from here and with this being my first dine in experience that's likely to be what I'll stick to. If at all. read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Wild mushroom with sausage added - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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We were really looking forward to coming here. We went for dinner midweek and it was pretty full and we took that as a good sign but... We thought the portions were small for the price. The bruschetta was so so. My husband had the pizza that was for 1-3 people and it left him hungry. I had the gnocchi with short rib. The first bite was full fat and I had to discretely spit it out. In fact much of the pieces of beef were very fatty and I had to cut the fat off before eating . I love salty food but this was way way too salty. I only ate 1/2 of the order . My husband, who was still hungry. ate the rest and said it was really salty too. The service was just ok. I had to flag another server over to get our waiter to get us more water. It was also so loud in there, we couldn't hear ourselves taking. Maybe in the summer we will give it another try and pick the large pizza and hope being outside, we will be able to hear our selves talk. read more

The service our waitress Taylor provided was friendly and admirable. She has a keen sense of the wine list and what may compare to your favorite wine at home. The food came out quickly and was top tier. The chicken bbq pizza was thick and flavorful. The cavatappi was aldente and featured a rich vodka sauce to complement the italian sausage. Don't forget to order your cocktails because they're something straight out of downtown chicago! The ambiance of the restaurant is sleek and modern. With beautiful tile flooring and dim lighting sure to keep the mood on any special occasion. If you're in the area be sure to check this place out! read more

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Second time here and it was as great as the first! Definitely would recommend the beet salad and the Roman style pizza! It's very unique and pillow-y. Also had great service. I like the cute ambiance as well. Would go back! read more

This review is for their happy hour- I would say it is more like a 3.5 rating. It's a very nice deal in the bar area from 3-6, one draft beer or draft wine with a small selection of bar snacks or select pizza slices (pick one) for $8. We got there about 4:30 and sat at a high top. Everything we tried was good, the cheese dip, the meatball slider and we also tried the Rocketman, Nonna's and Ella's house pie. The pizza is a square thick style, very crispy with interesting combinations. The service was a little uneven with different people waiting on us. The most disappointing part was at about 5:20 a new person that just came on asked if we ordered 'already' and then took our menu away. A few minutes later a bus boy came and took all the silverware and plates away. I said 'is happy hour over?' And he said 'yes' I questioned him and said the menu said it goes until 6?! Then he backed off and said he wasn't sure. Bottom line is I think they wanted us out of there as the restaurant was getting busy. The same server came around and asked if we wanted dessert, I told him no, I would like another beer and a slider. He seemed annoyed. This kind of ended the visit on a sour note. Anyhow, I probably would return if in the area but the service at the end was disappointing. read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

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Went here to try out for my wife's birthday week. I'm a huge fan of their pan pizza. Their farm house was a great mix of sausage pepperoni and mushrooms. It was surprisingly light and not acidic like most pizzas I've had. The service was great despite the place being more bustling. A more casual environment. Overall a great experience and can't wait to come back to try more! read more

Ella's Italian Pub - Geneva - Pizza Near Me - Geneva, Illinois

We came here for a quick stop of small bites and drinks. This was our 1st stop of many we had planned for the evening. The service was great. The food was amazing! The cocktails were delish! The ambiance was nice, family friendly and although we weren't with kids, the place accommodated children. There as a nice patio as well to dine when the weather is right. read more

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Visited Ella's last Tuesday and could not have been more pleased!! Not only was our server Mary very attentive but the manager Joe was very friendly and so very helpful with recommendations from the menu!! Everything was delicious ! We will definitely dine here again!! read more

If you're looking for a new go to place! This is the place to go! Everyone was very friendly. The ambience was fun and festive. We sat inside and it wasn't loud at all! I will definitely be back! And, the service was incredible! Our waitress was unbelievably sweet and very helpful! The food and drinks were outstanding! I enjoyed everything about this wonderful place! Arancini alla Vodka- This dish had crispy risotto balls with a velvety rich vodka sauce, topped with mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano. I'd suggest this delicious treat to anyone! Simple Tomato Pie- This pizza is airy, crispy, and rich! The combo of the fresh basil, in house made sauce, fresh tomatoes, house cheese blend, thick airy crust encrusted with crispy cheese is excellent! It wasn't greasy at all! Chicken Farro Salad Roasted Chicken / Little Gem / Frisée Lettuce / Dates Avocado Cranberries | Marcona Almond: Manchego | Champagne Vinaigrette This light crisp salad had Roasted Chicken, a mix of Little Gem/ Frisée Lettuce. Topped with Dates, Cranberries, Avocado , and Macona Almond. It was unbelievably good! The only thing that I didn't like was the dates. But, other than that. It was perfect! Strawberry Basil Limonata Freshly Muddled Basil and Strawberries. With Fever-Tree Sparkling Sicilian Lemonade. I will dream about this perfectly balanced fun drink! If you're looking for something fun and exciting. Get this! Homemade Italian Cream Soda Liquid Alchemist Strawberry | Sparkling Water / Diced Strawberries Whipped Cream This drink is very fun and beautiful! I personally thought that it was too watery for me. But, my friend loved it! read more

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I live this Place the Owners have several other restaurants which are all excellent. Live the Pizza and my other favorite is the Short Rib! We visit one of their restaurants and least once a month. Gia Mia, Moto Imoto are also my go to. Bring back the Fried wide noodle short rib at Moto. read more

Love this place. We drive 50 miles to come and enjoy the great food and walk through Geneva. Highly recommend. Their pizzas are the best but so is the pasta. read more

As I am writing this review, I am eating our leftover pizza from yesterday. Roman style farmhouse pizza ( not sure if that's the name) is a hit adding the half price on Sundays, no wonder this place was packed. Service was great too. We'll definitely be coming back read more

We saw this place newly opened in Geneva, so thought to give it a try, especially it offers Gluten Free crust (though it is not a flour free kitchen). There are some outdoor seating, which is good for a sunny Sunday lunch. We ordered beet salads, and some pizzas. The beet salad was a mixed of red and golden beets with arugulas on a whipped ricotta cheese. The dressing was refreshing for the salad. The pizza was not exactly what we expected. The crust was thicker than we would preffer. It was more like a focaccia. To our surprise, even the gluten free one has a significant rise, with a firmer Angel's Fruit Cake texture. The flavor of the pizza topping was good, and there were other pizza that we would like to try, but not on this thicker crust. We didn't try other items on the menu, so this 3-star review is strictly on the pizza. For the salad, I would rate it 4 stars. read more

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