Waited almost an hour for two sandwiches and both were burnt. Tried to get one sandwich re-made and that took an additional 30 minutes. This place was meant to be a quick stop before heading to an event, but somehow this practically empty restaurant had over 1 hour wait for 2 sandwiches. Not a pleasant experience, despite the location being gorgeous. Wait stuff was inattentive. Didn't get asked if I even wanted another drink or water while waiting an additional 30 for my sandwich to be made. Cool if you have time to kill, not otherwise. read more

Great patio, friendly staff and the food is good but not in line with what's being charged. read more

Il Culaccino - Grilled Calamari - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely FIRE!!!!!!!! It was so good, we went back a couple weeks later. The chicken giardinara is insanely good. The sausage and peppers are probably the best sausage and peppers I've ever had in my life, and that's saying a lot. The sauce they cook them in and serve them with is so tasty I wanted to lick the plate. Everything I've had from here is SO GOOD. all the pastas, the bread, etc. I will not comment on service right now because both times I went they were short staffed, but that's just the pandemic world we're living in. I will continue to go here because the food is SO good. read more

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I'm so glad I live near this exceptional Italian gem of a restaurant. First, the service is excellent. Second, the drink selection is vast. Third, the food is fantastic! I've been twice now and both times I've loved my food. We all have! Get the meatballs as your appetizer. You won't want to miss out on these! You'll enjoy these with freshly baked bread, oil, and parmesan cheese. Yum! The first time I ordered the Orecchiette (Chicken, Spinach, Tomatoes, White Wine Sauce) which was something I'll definitely order again. The second time I chose the Penne Buttera (Sausage, Peas, Tomato Cream Sauce). Tasty! I was able to dry the cannoli dip (yum) and the chocolate cake. Okay, this chocolate cake alone is worth the trip. It's fluffy and perfectly rich! Also perfect for sharing with friends. :) This is now one of our favorite spots in Chicago. We'll be back soon! read more

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My father and I visited on a quiet afternoon and were promptly seated. We inquired about dietary restrictions, specifically regarding eggplant. While the server informed us that the eggplant could not be prepared without breading, she assured us that omitting the cheese was no issue. I ordered a salad, which was mistakenly brought out as an appetizer, despite both of us clearly ordering entrees. My father's eggplant dish arrived covered in cheese. After sending it back, the manager approached with an accusatory tone, stating that we had been informed the dish was pre-assembled and questioning why we ordered it. We then waited for an extended period for my father's corrected dish. Although I discussed the matter with the manager, Marisa, offering feedback on how to improve customer interactions, the overall service was disappointing. I wont be back. read more

Great Italian spot right by the McCormick center. Restaurant is on the smaller side inside- so I'd recommend making a reservation. Love the foods taste and quality. Very simple ingredients to make delicious Italian dishes. Servers are also very friendly! read more

The food was better than average, and there's a decent wine list. But the service was poor (we had to ask at least twice for various things), and the place was at most 20% filled on Saturday night. read more

I would have given this place one star.. if not for Tiffany the server. She was so nice, i could literally see her bussing her ass working, and she STILL kept stopping to make sure we were good. I would come back just for her good service! read more

Didn't have the full experience. I foolishly passed this restaurant up (it looked too crowded) for another nearby. The other place was not crowded...for a reason! Lackluster Italian for a Brooklyn boy. Didn't have espresso or sambuca, so back I went to ok Culaccino. Naturally, they had just what I wanted. Next time. read more

I am in town for the week, and this place is within walking distance of my hotel. A short summary: I would go to an Italian chain restaurant before I'd come back here. The service was friendly and the space was clean. But the food was simply lackluster. My husband and I got the: fried calamari, whipped ricotta, salmon, gnocchi, and a slice of cannoli cake. The portions sizes were good for the price. However, the food itself wasn't all that appetizing. Most of the calamari pieces were large and, while the batter was good, the texture was horrible. The gnocchi was pillowy soft, like it was made in house. But the sauce was almost bland and didn't complement it well. My husband didn't enjoy the salmon, I think it was because it was covered in the (chunky) tomato sauce. The cannoli cake was okay. Not bad, but nothing to rave about. The whipped ricotta was the best and free bread were the best things we ate. read more

Dining at Il Culaccino was an enjoyable experience. For drinks I had a perfectly sweet old fashioned. For starters I tried the buratta. It was good but the cheese to bread ratio was way off. For my main dish, the chicken limone. Very good. Not overly lemon as I feel most Italian restaurants make it. The pasta that comes with it also great. Finally for dessert the tiramisu. This was delicious! Perfect portion for 2. Overall Il Culaccino is a great local option for Italian. The prices are very reasonable given the location. I will definitely be coming back. read more

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Authentic Italian food nearby McCormick Center. Our waiter was very courteous and professional. I like everything here except they serve Pepsi only. read more

Il Culaccino - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I grabbed lunch here when I was in town for a conference and am glad I did! I got gluten free noodles with marinara and it was delicious. The sauce was very flavorful. They were so busy but I felt they did great under the circumstances. It took a while for them to take my order, but I'm glad I was patient because it was so good. I would return without a hesitation! read more

This was a very good place for good service and very good food. This is NOT a romantic get away. Come ready to shout to your dining partners because the place is LOUD and raucous. Started out with the normal bread. It was almost ok. Not a good start. Went with the whipped ricotta tuffo and it was much better. Don't even eat the house bread. This was a flavorful mix on a toasted baguette like bread. Had a couple house drinks. Potent but I should have just gone with an old school cocktail. Al Capone and Billinis were tasty. I had the Shrimp far Diavolo. It was pretty over powering but filling. Really wish I went with the chicken Marsala risotto special that my date ordered. Finished off with the tiramisu. It was massive but pretty standard. Wasn't bear the top end of great ones I've tried. The sum of the pets definitely added up to more than the individual parts. read more

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They have a cute patio and great servers but that stops there. The baked clams had nothing but breading. The sauce was great but it had breading too. The grill calamari was sweet for some reason...maybe it was the balsamic dressing on it. Either the kitchen messed up or the server messed up our order, we had to send one dish back because you couldn't eat it. Adding chili flakes doesn't mean to make the clams with fettuccine burning even after 15 mins from the first bite. The second one they made was perfect and tasted good. I ordered the veal Milanese and received chicken but I did not send back. The first bite I took was good but then it was hard thereafter. I really wanted to like the place...maybe we ordered the wrong food. read more

Great atmosphere, even greater food! Run, don't walk for a delightful evening! The staff is very helpful & drinks are delicious!

Service was great but the food was lacking. Pasta was way overcooked and the sauce was very bland. I had the salsiccia bucatini and i do not recommend it--lots of potential but the ingredients were basically prepared warmed through and mixed together--it was not very flavorful. Had the sausage and tomatoes been sautéed with garlic or any other aromatics until browned and the pasta cooked al dente--it could be delicious. Everything came out super fast--way too fast to be freshly prepared. Drinks were yummy though. read more

This is more of a 3.5/4 star review but because I particularly don't enjoy Italian I rounded down. With that said I really enjoyed my meal & cocktail here. I didn't have the highest op hopes however I was pleasantly surprised. Don't he wrong I usually opt out of eating in south loop but you could do a whole lot worse. For my entree I ordered the PAPPARDELLE & while it could've used more shrimp I enjoyed the tasty fish. We also dined on the patio which was nice & the ambiance was perfect. The wine selection was extensive but I can't say the same for the dinner menu if you don't enjoy Mariana which I despise. read more

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This restaurant was not accommodating at all. I made reservations in advance for two adults and one small toddler for outdoor dining. I specified this in our reservation. I called them the day of in advance and told them explicitly that I made a reservation for 6:15 and asked them if they had high chairs for our toddler. The assented. When we got there, they told us they only had high tops left outside and asked if we wanted to take the high top or dine inside. Seriously? You can't save us a table that our kid can actually sit at? We chose the high top and our toddler sat our my wife's lap the whole time. The patio is nice but the tables are not well spaced out for COVID. Most of the patio is covered but there is a lovely row of trees along the high tops. Leaves kept falling into our food. Service is ok. We got our food before we got our utensils. Also, this place is such a tourist trap. I guess I should expect it for a restaurant right next to McCormick Place. I swear everyone else looked like a tourist. The menu is very standard and broad. Calamari, bruschetta, meatballs, clams. A bunch of pastas. Veal or chicken with your choice of any of milanese, limone, marsala, calabrese, giardinera. We got a calamari, tortellini carbonara and a veal calabrese. The food was pretty good. Probably would give this place a four if just for the food. read more

I have been here several times with some friends. The food and service have always been great. The portions are so big that we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. They have a pretty good selection of wines as well. When we go to Chicago it is always on our list of places to eat. read more

The shrimp are as they should be. The deals were good and food was good. Service was a bit slow and didn't get refills on water. Nice place and good food though. read more

Il Culaccino - chimken - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was amazing. Service was quick. Ambiance was very clean and had a very nice vibe read more

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Not great, we got two of the specials, the fillet and halibut and both were very overcooked, as was the chicken Marsala. I needed a steak knife to cut through the thin, rubbery chicken. Our server was also the bar tender and we had to go up to the bar a few times to order food and ask for drinks. I live in the neighborhood and was hoping this would be a good spot, but I won't be coming back here again. read more

This is a really nice restaurant...the outdoor covered and heating patio dining area is very warm, cozy, and big! The food is great. We had the grilled and fried calamari as well as the Bruschetta. Very good. The pasta selections are great. The Orecchiette was perfectly cooked and seasoned well. We also ordered the Halibut Special. It was okay. It needed a little more flavoring. The Gnocchi Al Forno...delicious! The service was great. The waitress was very attentive and met our expectations. I will be going back to try their other menu items. read more

Phenomenal Had a great time at Il culaccino for a quick catch-up with family. The food was delicious read more

Il Culaccino - Patio - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A solid choice for dinner for us. Great mix of Italian offerings...I particularly enjoyed the spice penne pasta dish, which was large enough that I left some on the dish. The others in my group all enjoyed their entrees as well...great blackened chicken with assorted pastas, including gluten free options. And our server Bobby was terrific...very attentive and gregarious. We had an absolutely great time. read more

Expensive and not very good. The dining area was the best part. I had pasta Alfredo with broccoli that wasn't cooked well. A lot of money for minimal flavor. The cake was too rich for my taste. Very big serving for $ 14.00 Unable to eat it. Too rich. You may like it.... My visit was a one and done. read more

Il Culaccino - The fudge cake. I added vanilla Gelato. A must othwise too dry. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very nice place ! Other than having to open many of my clams in my Linguine and clams due to them being still closed and it was messsy! It was delicious! Very nice waitress too! We sat inside but tried outside in their enclosed area but it was just too cold for me ! We used Open Table to make a reservation a couple days ahead and every time we chose a time it said it was booked ! So we called and made a reservation for 5pm on a Saturday night and got right in ! We got there and the place was more than half empty yet open table said it was all booked ! Be sure to call if you want to go! read more

Walked from out hotel to this restaurant just hoping that it was decent. It was more than decent, it was actually very flavorful and filling. read more

My experience was pleasant. I had the Veal marsala, it wasn't totally bad just missing a little something to make the flavor pop. My date had the Chicken Alfredo which was amazing!. The drinks were a tad expensive. Natalie was amazing! Very friendly and helpful. Looking forward to enjoying my tiramisu later. read more

Il Culaccino - Veal Marsala - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The location is near McCormick. We made a reservation for 7:30pm. It took a little while to find city parking nearby. It seemed like quite the number of people inside and so a bit loud, not as personal or fancy but still very nice. The service was great. The food was amazing! I ordered the Spicy Penne Pesto and I loved it, but I wouldn't say it's spicy. My beautiful date ordered the Housemade Gnocchi. I had a glass of rose which might not have been rose but whatever I got I liked. Gorgeous had a glass of Decoy Cabernet, and let me tell you, it was amazing. I'll definitely come back! read more

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We are not often in South Loop but we are happy we chose to have dinner here. Family owned and run, the atmosphere is bustling and friendly. Service was fast and everything came out at the right temperature, fresh and full of flavor. We had the Arugula salad. The Salmon was excellent with unusual Italian spin. The bolognese fettuccine special was also excellent with balanced flavor. Across from Wintrust Arena and amidst the hotels in the McCormick Place and Soldiers Field neighborhood, we will have to find more reasons to return. read more

Great food, great atmosphere...!! The bread and parm appetizer is a delight Would definitely eat here again read more

Il Culaccino - Shrimp Fra Diavolo - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was pretty decent, ordered the Whipped Ricotta Tuffo, Spicy Penne Pesto, and fries. Price overall is pretty good. I would say the service was a bit slow, but the overall aesthetic is nice. Would go back to try something else and sit on their covered heated patio. read more

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I REALLY wanted to love this place! After reading tons of phenomenal reviews on the neighborhood Facebook page, I decided to bring some of my family here to celebrate a special occasion. The service was impeccable but the food and cocktails fell flat. I'll start off by saying that there are no prices on the sangria cocktails and we were surprised to see that they were $15 each. These cocktails were astonishingly simple and lacked character. $10 would have been far more reasonable. I ordered the beet salad and the veal prepared Milanese style. The breading on the veal completely overpowered the meat itself and I couldn't even tell what I was eating. It was dry and tasteless. I got half the meal to-go and still don't have much of a desire to finish it. The others in my party also didn't have much to say about the food either. I don't think we'd go out of our way to come back here again. read more

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Best Italian food in South Loop hands down. First time I enjoy, rave about, and come back for more alllll the time. Their stuffed peppers are ridiculous (make sure to ask for extra spicy). Everything is fresh and exploding with flavor. I used to equate italian food with bland dishes for people with heartburn. Not here! Tried probably 60% of the menu thus far and can't wait to keep going. Once they re-open, the outside patio will be an added bonus. To summarize, food is awesome! Service is really nice as well, especially Korissa. Always goes above and beyond. Give then a try, you won't be disappointted. read more

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Great food Good variety of options Veal Milanese is amazing Patio is large and nicely decorated read more

This was my go to for date night. But it's been a while since I visited and my sons took me for my birthday yesterday. I was disappointed, our fried calamari came with no utensils to serve ourselves. I ordered the Veal Parmesan (one of my favorites). It had no flavor, the veal didn't have a veal texture. The sauce tasted like they opened a can of tomato sauce and poured it over the veal. I was bummed, I wish I had gone somewhere else for my birthday read more

Really enjoyed my meal here. I ate the Shrimp diavola. It was very tasty and just the right amount. I wasn't stuffed which allowed me to get a spumoni to end the meal. Thanks! The service was great. The environment was OK, think outside patio. I sat solo at the bar so that's my jam. I would return without a doubt. Now, it's a bit pricey but I'm in Chicago so expected. read more

At 6:45pm on Saturday night it was not as busy as a couple of days ago when I ordered takeout. I was looking forward to having a pasta dinner but I guess that customers and business are not important to them because I was told they are not offering any takeout. I have been to this place many times over the years and have never been refused take out. I am extremely disappointed about this restaurant. Who refuses business? I rate this restaurant a 0 on this particular day. read more