I really love Jimmy's Place. Upon walking in, Jimmy himself always greets you from the bar. While waiting for your food, you can eat warm bread with olive oil. I really enjoy their pizza, meatball sandwiches and Mozzerella Capri salad the best. (I like them so much, I haven't tried a whole lot of other things on the menu.) My only reason for not giving five stars is that their service can be a bit lacking sometimes (nothing major, just not spectacular) and they only have bottles of beer - nothing on tap. Otherwise, this is a great casual place to take your family for a delicious meal. read more

The food was good but the waitress was a complete bitch! She was snippy and short went out of her way to act that way. After we drank our coke she sais we are not doing refills on soda due to the cook county sugar tax thanks for the heads up before we ordered asked what kind of soup they had she replied it's on the menu so now I'm looking at that menu and she starts to say the soups we had a couple more questions and the same treatment wtf you only had 4 tables to deal with at this time (lunch) but guess what we're never coming back do to the crappy service the food was decent but not that good to be treated like that!! There are so many places to chose from so it's not worth it!!!!!!!! read more

Wow, has this place gone downhill since last visit. We tried to grab a quick dinner on a Thursday after kid's game and that was a mistake. We were seated in the side room which is fine. First problem was the noise. Don't get me wrong, I like music at casual places like this but the volume level was off the charts. Had to request twice if they would turn it down which finally happened which allowed us to have a dinner conversation. Second problem was service, slow and non existent . They had to see we had young kids and needed to get in and get out. We even had to go into the bar area to order drinks. Final problem food quality ( clean sweep). Pasta dishes bland and chicken somewhat dry. I will say pizza was good, I enjoy thin crust as prepared. One last thought, I do wish they provide an itemized bill which they didn't. Didn't ask for it cause I needed to get kids to bed. Wife and I decided not coming back. To many other better options in the area. read more

Food ok. Customer service is absolute garbage. Some italian sounding women that picked up the phone on me a few times was literally the rudest, aggresive, loud, obnovious sounding lady. Don't give business to people like this. Find another spot. read more

If you're visiting Chicago and have time to take a trip out this way Jimmy's is a must! The service is awesome! Food is amazing and the owner is just the nicest person ever. We had added people to our party so needed another table, staff member comes over rearranged everything and makes another table fit! Well it was Jimmy himself!! The town is beautiful too! read more

Will never ever ever go here again. The place used to be great. The bartender barely acknowledged us; was not friendly. Way overpriced, food was just average and this waitress was really rude. Did not feel welcomed from the time we walked in to the time we left. Small tables, over crowded place, average food at best. Terrible service. Go somewhere else. read more

Had carry out last night. It was busy due to the Trinity Fundraiser but the staff was great and the food even better. Lemon chicken was delicious and Athens cheese ravioli was fantastic. Thank you for supporting the Big T. read more

One of the better Pizza's in the area. Good cheese flavor Also expanded seating area for large groups or parties. Or sit at the bar with your wife or date and enjoy whatever game is on. Or just watch Jimmy having a good time. Good place to get your Irish up! read more

Jimmy's place has a great atmosphere and even better food. The owner, Jimmy, is typically behind the bar greeting everyone as they come in and insuring that everyone is having a great time. Jimmy's Place has slowly become My wife and I's favorite mid-week dinner spot. We highly recommend the Angel Hair with Vodka Sauce, with a side of Sausage and the escarole and bean soup. We also recommend sitting at the bar. Jimmy is quite entertaining and the other bar patrions are always fun. It is a must try spot. read more

My husband and I have been going to Jimmy's Place for about 5 years now. The atmosphere is fun, upbeat and friendly. Their antipasto salad is one of my favorites, you can upgrade to it from a house salad for $3.00, it's big, so we share it. I am a huge fan of their Italian Sausage, I always order two sides of it with my pasta, one for my lunch the next day. Jimmy is always friendly and keeps the place running smoothly. Men, if you out on a date and are missing the game, it's sure to be on at Jimmy's Place. read more

We live in Oak Park, so have been to Jimmy's many times over the past five years--both before and after Groupons. We do it when we yearn for comfort food, something nearby, and something 'quick' (say before a movie!). Also, for some mistaken reason, we always think of it as "cheapish", compared to other places we eat, priced comparably to 'okay' food, and a decent dinner out. I've never written a review for them yet, because I always *want* to like them and feel guilty when I repeatedly don't LOVE them. They're local, not a chain, comfort food, etc. Of course I'd want to like them! Would love to love them, too. But you know after this last trip there, I'm left, finally, with 'm'eh'. First of all, over the past five times there, service is never, ever great. And that's a must for me. Second, it is hit and miss with food, more often a miss, falling just below what you'd want. Finally, we waited an extra amount of time, I assume because my husband ordered something a little out of the ordinary on the menu (hint: it had GREENS in it! But was still pasta, for God's sake). So my ravioli came out cool, and his hot. This while three tables that arrived after us got their meals well before us. The garlic bread was probably the worst I've had anywhere, in five states. No garlic taste, cold-ish, hard. For this, a side cost 6.00? On top of this the bill was 71.00. Are you kidding? We've been to restaurants where we've spent a great deal more to get a fantastic meal, and were fine with that. But 71.00 for what we had (the quality of it) is sort of atrocious. For an extra 20 more, I'd rather go to Old Town and spend a little more for a lot more in terms of taste and service. Just not worth it. We asked our waitress for the bill twice (were hitting a movie). After slow service, and slower check out, and mediocre food, I'd say even the Groupon doesn't make it worth it. Sorry! Just not feeling any love. read more

Jimmy's is a nice neighborhood place. Warm and friendly. Always, feel welcome. Been there many times and food was always ok. BUT... Recently tho, I had the shrimp scampi pasta ( $20.) they definatly need to 86 ... the "mystery sauce"!! A butter sauce would greatly improve it. It really was not ... good. Prices, seem to be going up, also. $$$ Getting out of my budget. : ( read more

We came on a Sunday evening, we waited for a hostess to be seated for a long time. We ordered fried calamari and it was terrible not recommended, escarole soup average and linguini with clam sauce average nothing special. Service is terrible we definitely won't be back. read more

I had my daughters memorial service and dinner at Jimmy's Place tonight. It was a small group, just family, close friends, and our minister Mindi from Unity Temple in Oak park. I called to reserve a space and explained that this would be a dinner with the memorial service. I waited a year for COVID vaccines to celebrate my daughters life. My daughter was a chef and foodie, so a dinner with the service was more appropriate. Kyrian had worked in many restaurants in Forest Park, so I wanted to keep it in town. The owner assured me that he would accommodate our needs. He provided a table for the minister to do the service from, and accommodated our service, and provided a wonderful dinner. Gathering with friends and family, to share a meal and memories made for a wonderful service that would have made my daughter happy. Let me add, that the waitress and staff were wonderful and accommodating. I have worked on the airline industry most of my life, and customer service isn't just what I do, but who I am. On a scale from 1 to 10 I give Jimmy's Place a 11 for service, good food, atmosphere, and accommodating our needs today. If you haven't eaten there, or are looking for a place for a celebration dinner, I strongly recommend Jimmy's Place! read more

I came here today during the forest park fest and stopped by jimmy's place for some pizza and a glass of red wine. The pizza was great, thin crust and not overloaded with any ingredients just the right amount on the pizza. This pizza had the right amount of cheese, sauce and sausage to make it's own, now if your into loads of sauce and thick crust this place is not your place for pizza. The wine was great as well I had a glass of the argentine malbec. read more

Jimmy's is not really "authentic Italian", but a New Jerseyian version of it. Atmosphere is loud, busy, almost rowdy, with most people wearing baseball caps and shorts. Tacky decor of local high-school teams. Bring your earplugs. The owner sets the tone by yelling and greeting across the bar. If you don't mind the extra decibels, you may well enjoy the place. Food: portions are large; simpler dishes are good tasting, but sometimes it is hit and miss. Gluten-free pasta is a good option, but tomato sauce is acidey disappointing. I only have pizza when I go there. Not the classiest Italian experience in town. read more

We went for pick up during quarantine last night. The wait was long but the food was worth the wait. We ordered Chicken Parmesan, Lemon Chicken, lasagna, meatballs and a broccoli pasta dish. Every entree was perfect. Each item tasted like it was homemade for us after we ordered. The house salad dressing is fabulous. The best part of the meal was that Jimmy was donating part of the proceeds to Trinity high school . A great meal supporting a great school. Thank you Jimmy! read more

Fantastic rehearsal dinner for 60+ people! The food was incredible and service was outstanding. read more

Jimmy's Place - diners sitting at tables - Italian Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

A little on the New York side in atmosphere left me eager. Service was immediate. Excellent Manhattan to start, and then the food started coming out carried by a server I would want in my own restaurant. The linguini with clams was simply beautiful. I am grateful I live in walking distance. read more

When deciding where to go for dinner, I specifically wanted some place that would be warm and welcoming, in contrast to the chilly rainy evening. Upon waking in, my husband and I received a warm welcome from Jenny. The pizza (bonus: half price Tuesdays & Thursdays) and the cavatelli were amazing as always. Throughout our meal, Jenny provided fantastic, friendly service; she exceeded our expectations! Thanks for great meal, we will surely be back. read more

It is rare that I am as disgusted with a resturant as I was with Jimmy's. The owner was rude, the service was poor, the check was a mess. People who got pasta... it looked more like soup. Try draining your canned sauce before you put it on a plate? Steer clear of this dump. read more

My husband and I bought 2 Groupons for Jimmy's Place. First time out, they refused to accept the certificate because it was the Annual Christmas Walk and this date was exempt. Further, they insisted it was in print on the certificate. Nowhere on the certificate did it state that. Sucking it up, we decided to order anyway. Second time, they refused to accept the certificate because my husband ordered Seafood Linguini, which was exempt from using the Groupon. Again, nowhere on the certificate did it state this exemption. Where does this guy get off, making up the rules as he goes along? We will never again think of eating at Jimmy's Place. Be very cautious if you have a Groupon here. Consider other options before you frequent this meatball joint. read more

We are visiting the Chicago area and went to this place and it was really great! It was friendly and all of the food was excellent and very affordable. read more

This review will focus on one thing: booking a party/room. This was our experience: 1. Previously agreed to toddlers/kids under 12 charged full freight as opposed to half 2. That morning's agreed-to number not honored insofar as number of people was concerned 3. Price per person went up $4 All told, that was another $500 that was charged to us. We should have heeded the warnings of the other yelpers who mentioned this (and Groupon issues) .... it's a shame that a person's word no longer means anything. And yes, we should have gotten it in writing. Sadly in my old neighborhood places, a handshake was good enough. Not here. read more

My teaching staff held our Christmas Party at Jimmy's Place on Friday night, December 12th. I have been there before with my family for various celebrations. The food has always been delicious. However, after an evening there last night, I may never go back. The male bartender was rude beyond belief. He words suggested that he does not like teachers and police officers. Enough said. read more

I used to frequent Jimmy's regularly. Until I found a fly in my soup. I figured this happens from time to time and isn't too huge a deal. Called jimmy himself and explained. He was contrite but stated they would refund the bill; but never did. Sorry. Can't go back again. read more

Greasy Italian Food. Charged my kids $ 8 for a grilled cheese. Bill $ 78 for 2 adults 2 kids. Food sucked. Waitress was a crook. Got diarrhea. Avoid this place. read more

Went to Jimmy's Place to celebrate and special occasion, the food was okay, the service was good, the owner/manager is a total jerk. Tried to use a groupon, read the stipulations prior to going, and when we tried to use it, the manager told use it was not valid. While the food was okay, and service was good, the way the business is run is beyond questionable. read more

Overheard that another table was redeeming a Groupon. Thank goodness I purchased one, otherwise would've paid $45 for a boring meal. Getting seated & ordering drinks took awhile, but this was on a Saturday evening. Chicken Parm was boring. However, the Linguini a la Jimmy's (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil with garlic & oil) was horrible. Asked to substitute mozzarella with mushrooms & requested gluten-free pasta. Meal came soaked in inches of oil, tomatoes were not fresh & barely found any basil. Presentations for both dishes were ugly. This is not "Chicago-Style Italian Food" at all. We live in Chicago & would rather dine on Taylor Street or Oakley Avenue for real & less expensive Italian food. Feel that each entree was overpriced by $5. read more

We live in Oak Park, so have been to Jimmy's many times--both before and after Groupons. We do it when we yearn for comfort food, something nearby, and something 'quick' (say before a movie!). Also, for some mistaken reason, we always think of it as "cheapish", compared to other places we eat, priced comparably to 'okay' food, and a decent dinner out. I've never written a review for them yet, because I always *want* to like them and feel guilty when I repeatedly don't LOVE them. They're local, not a chain, comfort food, etc. Of course I'd want to like them! Would love to love them, too. But you know after this last trip there, I'm left, finally, with 'm'eh'. First of all, over the past five times there, service is never, ever great. And that's a must for me. Second, it is hit and miss with food, more often a miss, falling just below what you'd want. Finally, we waited an extra amount of time, I assume because my husband ordered something a little out of the ordinary on the menu (hint: it had GREENS in it! But was still pasta, for God's sake). So my ravioli came out cool, and his hot. This while three tables that arrived after us got their meals well before us. The garlic bread was probably the worst I've had anywhere. No garlic taste, cold-ish, hard. For this, the side cost 6.00? Also for those who love the antipasto salad--I agree. That's actually one of the better things on their menu. Still, did you notice for your twenty buck pasta dinner that includes a house salad (priced at around 4 bucks) it's 3.50 more to UPGRADE to an antipasto that costs 6.95 or so on its own? What a rip! On top of this the bill was 71.00. Are you kidding? We've been to restaurants where we've spent a great deal more to get a fantastic meal, and were fine with that. But 71.00 for what we had (the quality of it) is sort of atrocious. For an extra 30, I'd rather go to Old Town and spend a little more for a lot more in terms of taste and service. Just not worth it. We asked our waitress for the bill twice (were hitting a movie). After slow service, and slower check out, and mediocre food, I'd say even the Groupon doesn't make it worth it. Sorry! Just not feeling any love. read more

Wanted to like this local joint... but no can do. I go out to to eat on Madison a lot as it is nearby, and Jimmy's is always busy. Have been here a handful of times over the past 15 years and it was fine. Went recently for a casual family birthday dinner. There were 7 kids, 8 adults. First off, my sis made a reservation but they said she's didn't. So, good thing we were able to get tables together. It was a hot summer Thursday night and it was busy - like both rooms full. The back room had no a/c and it was literally 80 degrees in there. I grew up without a/c so not a big deal and it was hot af that night, but come on, get some fans or portable a/c... or at least warn us! Service sucked.. they had one server for the whole place... one bartender. We waited so long for drinks that we had to go to the bar to ask... and the bartender is eating at the time (eyeroll). Anyhoo, we finally got drinks - BUT pop was flat and the wine was "dusky" according to my sister. Took forever for refills, and yes, we're annoying, we don't like empty drinks. Also, no beer on tap??? Donut!!! Ordered large salads and we were totally overcharged for them - def not worth the $27 charged for it (which is not on menu) - small dinky salad I could ate by myself. Smh. Positive: watcher pitchers and bread/butter on table; pizza was actually good (otherwise one star for staying open on Madison); my BIL ordered side of broccoli and it was delish; did bring slice of cake for birthday girl. Sorry, "Jimmy" but your joint needs improvement before I consider coming back!!! Skip it!! read more

I used to think Jimmy's was a decent place to go out to eat. So when my first venue for my birthday party turned out not to be available, I called Jimmy's. I asked for a table for 16 on Saturday about two hours ahead of time, and I was told they could do that. I was pretty thankful it worked out. Right around that time the rain was horrendous with flash floods and accidents on the road, so by 45 minutes into the reservation time only half the party had shown up. A waitress had already confirmed we would become a table of 16 about 20 minutes before. As my friends and I were conversing over drinks, the owner rushes up to the table and asks if we're sure we're going to have 16. Suddenly he's telling me how he has 30 people waiting, and there's a party int he other room so he needs table, literally saying to me "You're killing me here". Not only does he ask if I know that the rest of the table is coming, but have I called them and did they say how soon they're coming? I had to list who I knew was coming to placate him! And then he asks is we could get up so he can rearrange tables because then he could seat more people? He walks away for a moment and my friends and I agree that the whole idea of him scolding me like a child over when my guests are arriving was unnecessarily rude and disruptive. Within 15 minutes after that, everyone else had shown up and seated, and we ordered right away. The food was okay--when I went here before with my family years previous, the food was better. My linguine a la Jimmy's was not as flavorful as I had remembered it being before. Also the waitresses were not super attentive to the table when it came to refilling drinks and other small things. I'm not sure if that was their fault--it looked slightly understaffed for a busy Saturday. But we didn't complain, we were all talking and having a good time together. As dinner ended we asked for the bill. The waitress let us know that they didn't split checks but we could give them as many cards as we'd like and they could divide things up for us at the register. Perfectly fine, there are plenty of places that do a large table's bill in that manner. But then we saw the check... which was a mess. The plates were listed in an order not congruent to the table set up. The drinks weren't itemized, which was an issue because some people had mixed drinks while others had soda, so you couldn't just divide that by 16 people. All of the plates order were smooshed on one large check with the gratuity and tax just small figures on the side. I didn't even know where to start to see how we could mark down who would be charged what, and we didn't even get a pen to facilitate the process! I was lucky enough to have a friend take the initiative to make sure everyone was only paying for what they had, and another person covered the undivided drinks so we didn't have to guess what people owed. I had to leave early to get to the next step of my birthday party so my friend with the check stayed behind to help out (I am so thankful to have friends that patient and helpful). The owner of the place comes up to him and says "I hope you're not angry with me" with a half apology. My friend didn't say much in response (what can you say?) but in the end we all agreed this was an experience we wouldn't want again. Luckily the second half of the birthday was a success so the night was not ruined. In the end, with all the years the owner has experience at that location, he should've known his comfort level for taking a reservation of 16 people on that notice with another large party in the other room. I can forgive lackluster food if the service and experience is great. Unfortunately that is the opposite experience I had. I wouldn't suggest Jimmy's Place to anyone, and I would certainly tell people with a large party to simply stay away. It will not be a pleasant experience. read more

Pizza tastes great! I really have no complaints on any food my boyfriend or I have had. Everything always taste fresh. The only side note would be when fries that came with the beef sandwich, they tastef like fish. It's not a deal breaker, I know from working in the service industry if there's a lot of fish cooked in the oil it can cause things like fries to taste fishy. No big deal. Just a side note. I would recommend Jimmy's for pizza. read more

The pizza is all I've had and delivered only. This is the worst delivery ever. The place is .5 miles from me and it's over an hour for a thin crust and my order has been wrong too. In this neighborhood with so many great options this place is a joke. It's a shame because the pizza tastes good but it's the worst phone and delivery service I've ever experienced so just can't do it anymore. read more

I wanted to love this place because of its warm, bustling ambiance, and friendly, efficient service. But my meal was so disappointing that I can't justify the prices for this place. I ordered the pasta with sun dried tomatoes and peas, and the peas were obviously the mushy kind that comes out of a can, with big chunks of sundried tomatoes and a bland, watery sauce. And we definitely felt a little rushed out. Considering the abundance of Italian restaurants in Forest and Oak Park, I won't be back. read more

Bread was mediocre. Salad was good except that had too much dressing and blue cheese. The chicken parm had a soggy breading that just fell off the meat and it was covered in a least a half inch of mozzarella. You can't make up for bad chicken parm by slathering it in cheese. My pasta tasted like it was out of a box and sauce was m'eh. My husband got the vodka sauce which got some decent reviews, but it was also just mediocre. The portions are generous; I'll give them that, but we'll probably toss the leftovers that we brought home. The prices at Jimmy's place are way too high for a poor attempt at homestyle comfort Italian. The thin crust pizza that everyone seemed to be ordering looked good. This place is so convenient to where I live that I might give that a chance but not an entree ever again. read more

Meh. That's the only way to describe this place. The food is good, not great. Pizza is probably the best option and there really isn't much other good pizza in the area. It's always really crowded on the weekend. People really love this place.... Not entirely sure why. Jimmy typically works the bar and is friendly at attentive. The staff expects a tip for take out. I didn't do it the first few times and got dirty looks. I do it now, and the nasty looks have stopped. read more

What a disappointment! Our two pasta entrees were not only flavorless, but they didn't drain the noodles very well so the plate had a pool of saucy water. I could have gotten a better meal at the Olive Garden. With so many Italian restaurants around, there are much better places to eat in the area. I gave it 2 stars because the staff was nice. read more

It was ok. The antipasto salad was good, but the pizza was real average. I'd have expected better food. You can get great old world pizza from Il Viccola down the street in Oak Park for same/less money. Management needs to put the wait staff through charm school. It was slow when we went, so it's not like our waitress was crazed and had to be short. NO PERSONALITY at all. Wham bam: What would you like to eat? Here's your food. Anything else? Here's your check. If this place is friendly, it was sure missed on us. read more

Went with a girlfriend who had never been. I had a Groupon and have been here many times. This visit, all of the food was awful...except the bread. If you are Italian, take a pass, you will not enjoy it. We had fried calamari. Not only were they skinny little rubber band like pieces they were dried out skinny rubber bands. NO ONE would enjoy this. The salad, which is usually pretty good was all vinegar and no other flavor. Did the waitress not stir the dressing before putting it on the salad? I think not. And speaking of waitress, this girl was AWFUL. Took our orders and dropped off the food, VERY late but never came back in between to see if we needed anything or perhaps refill a drink. My friend had the eggplant parm. What can I say? The sauce was very salty, the eggplant skin was tough and the "meat" was mush. It was horrible. What has happened to this place? It's not even passable food. If I want something special I'll make it myself but this isn't even decent. I don't think I will ever return. read more