Really struggled on the rating. This was our first time here. Sat at the bar for lunch and the service was great. They didn't have a martini menu which I was hoping for. My husband said I was too picky. I asked the bartender for a recommendation and he came up with a chocolate based martini which is more of an after dinner cocktail. Let's get to the food. We ordered four bites. The arancini balls and goat cheese on toast were delicious. The meatballs were ok. The mussels were inedible. We each had one and left the rest. Not fresh at all. We ordered the Dante (sp?) Margherita pizza. The crust and tomatoes were delicious. Overall the pizza was ok. We'll give it one more shot and order pasta. read more

Worst service ever !! These stars are for the service part , not the food .. I placed an order thru Yelp / then it send me to delivery.com a 3rd party I paid ,waited for over an hour , and I just got a call from delivery.com that they don't deliver for La Barra anymore . Get your services correct , you just lost me as a customer.... read more

This is small but ideal for the family experience or just a quite date night with my wife. Everyone is so helpful and really aim to please.

Such a welcome addition to Riverside! Space had been empty for years, and I wasn't expecting much, particularly because I hadn't loved their Oak Brook sister spot. Was so wrong. It's an inviting, cozy and bustling spot. Filled with local couples and families, and folks coming off the train. Wonderful and comfortable bar scene. Parking in downtown Riverside is easy, but they also have valet. Food is worth a special trip. pizza is terrific, and available for takeout. Their thin crust gives Villa Nova a run for their money. They also have artisan and pan pizzas (they look good, I've not tried them yet). Pasta is nsational. Do not miss the garganelli with peas and pancetta. sausage and pepper app is outstanding as well. Great place for families, dates, or just an evening out. Small and reasonably priced wine list. Placed has been packed since it opened. So thrilled as there are few options in riverside. read more

By far the best pizza in the western subs. They also have a really good salmon and asparagus, risotto dish. When they signed up for Ubereats I was very excited. I also love their fried Ravioli, Brussels sprouts, arancini, meatballs and sea food salad. read more

Wonderful place, great deep dish pizza, best beer on tap, happy people... what else do we want? Cheers!

Warning , portions are huge here! That's good though because the food is great. Ive eaten here and had delivery . The lasagna is really flavorful and enough for 2-3 people. The bolognese sauce has layers of flavor and has the taste that it's been a on a long slow simmer all day .Chicken parmigiana is again enough for 2-3 people and also really good. They also have some of the best carrot cake I've ever had and I'm a dessert snob. This restaurant is not close to my home but I'm glad I found out about it and will return. read more

Look, I've been holding off on my review for a looooong time, giving this neighborhood spot chance after chance after chance after chance. And, you know what? I'm done. I'm done trying to play it cool, trying to support a local business. Because this is a local business I cannot support. The food is average at best, but for the prices you pay, you'd expect better. A LOT better. The service is consistently (I mean, CONSISTENTLY) lousy. So, lousy food and crappy service aside, can we talk about the fact that this is a family restaurant in a family focused suburb, and they refuse to cater to families? Would it kill them to create a simple kids menu? You serve pasta by the ton! Kids love plain pasta! You'd think it would be easy peasy to serve a small portion of butter noodles. But, nope! You're forced to order a freaking giant $18 portion and pray your kid eats $3 worth. Ugh. LaBarra, we're done. Totally done. In this teen-tiny town's commercial district, there are better family options. Deuces! read more

My wife and I are thinking about moving to Riverside and wanted to check out a possible 'regular' spot for us and came into La Barra. My wife has issues with gluten so we are extremely pleased there was so much either gluten free or could be made that way. We split a few appetizers and a pizza and were beyond pleased. Everything was wonderful including the cocktails. We will definitely come back. Our server Mario was tremendous as well! read more

* I just like to update my review I posted previously, I will change my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars. They responded immediately to my post and we've come to a resolution. I appreciate businesses that respond in a timely fashion and appreciate my feedback, that says a lot about the people that run the place. I will continue to order and dine here. *Previous review: Let me start by saying they will not deliver outside of Riverside. Which is disappointing being that I live less than a quarter mile outside of Riverside. But the first time my husband and came we had drinks and learned of the awesome food. We've ordered a few times to go we love the pizza and Brussel Sprouts. This last time on Thursday evening I had to order to go and David is who took my order said they ONLY deliver in Riverside. Hoping he would talk to the manager or something a make a consideration after mentioning I have to bring both my babies out. NO, not at all. So here I am with a two-year-old and a four-month-old walking in to get carry out pizza and Brussels sprouts. David was nice enough to walk it out for me-thanks. The brussels sprouts were not as good as they have been in the past and they were called pizza was awesome. To whoever is in charge of the delivery policy, I too am a business owner and if I refused to service a customer that is ONE TOWN OVER, I would be out of business. 90% of my business comes from my 5 star reviews, my great customer service, word of mouth, and from neighboring towns. My husband is critical of business that are that petty, so he won't stop to pick up or dine in ever again, but maybe I'll visit with my 2 year old and 4 month old band enjoy some pasta. read more

Love that we have another option in town, and even more excited that it's PIZZA! I've always been a fan of the Oakbrook location, but it's nice to have something within walking distance. Ordered a "to-go" thin cheese and a Popeye pan. Although there were some difficulties initially with the take out order process, everything was smoothed out by the time I went to pick up my pizzas. People working there could not be nicer, and they are really trying to get everything up an running. I think a part of the initial problems had to do in part to people REALLY excited for this place to be open, and not enough experience/dry runs on the part of the staff. I know they had a soft opening a week or so before their grand opening, but maybe they needed a few of those. Nonetheless, I think this is a solid and very welcome addition to the downtown Riverside area. And it will only get better with time! If you had a bad experience the first time, by all means try them again. I'm sure they will not disappoint! read more

The service and management were horrible. Even though vaping is not allowed in restaurants, it was allowed to go on until we complained. But the group stayed, got larger and drunker. They became so noisy, with foul language, we got up to leave it became so offensive. read more

Our second visit was on father's day. VERY busy, but our server handled it well. First of all, the toasted ravioli nachos should be required at every restaurant! Toasted ravioli with braised short ribs and fontina sauce with gardinera peppers...WOW! The lasagna was excellent. So was their special, pasta with short ribs, sausage and a meatball in spicy red sauce. read more

I ordered to go thru grub hub. After 10 minutes of ordering online, I called in to see if they received the order since it didn't appear to be accepted by the restaurant. Took about 40 minutes. I never got notification that my order was ready from the restaurant either so I just showed up around the time it was supposed to be ready with fingers crossed. The salad was plentiful for $10-$11. The goat cheese dip was good same as the meatballs. Think I would come again and check out some other menu items. read more

La Barra - Riverside - Roasted Sweet Corn Salad - Pizza Near Me - Riverside, Illinois

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It's better if you show up in person to place an order, because they sure as hell can't understand online orders. Nothing get a a customer more upset the over paying for a wrong order, and they had happened multiple time. read more

It is my second time here and both times the service was terrible. Olive oil taste was terrible as well, food is average more in the bad side. They really need to do something about the terrible service. We waited for the food and the check for several minutes, staff do not clean your table unless you tell them and you have to look for your server everywhere. I am not coming back again and I do not recommend this place at all. read more

You'll feel like family while eating at this italian-inspired restaurant. It's city dining in the suburbs and it's spectacular. The food at La Barra consists of some of the freshest ingredients anywhere in the western suburbs. The attention to detail in this swanky restaurant will make you feel like you're eating in River North...especially the white marble-top bar. We started with a light and refreshing antipasto salad...big enough to share. Then onto the Salmon on a bed of asparagus and risotto. Pizza was thin and the crust was crisp. The plates were warm, the food was hot, and service was prompt. Loved seeing the owner walking around involved in every operation. You can tell he takes great pride and care with his restaurant. Riverside is lucky to have a top notch place like La Barra. It's definitely worth a stop if you're out in the suburbs or riding home on the Burlington Northern. Tutti a tavola a mangiare! read more

Sharon was a terribly rude waitress. I will definitely not be returning here, because it was so uncomfortable. She was rude from the very beginning and had the worst attitude I've ever witnessed! My friends and I went for a birthday dinner and at the mention of splitting the checks, she made a face and walked away without saying anything. For a lack of better words, she was a total bitch. My friends and I all felt especially unwelcome and will honestly never return. read more

This is the first time that I ever felt uncomfortable in my life while order my own food and my own birthday dinner. I am super upset that the young old lady gave me attitude and made me feel unwelcomed. I honestly won't ever come again. read more

La Barra is a great addition to the Italian cuisine out in the western suburbs. We have been going to the La Barra for years, sometimes for food, sometimes to watch a game at the bar with friends. The staff is friendly and helpful, can get overwhelmed at times with peek traffic, but the manager does a great job of checking in with patrons to make sure you're getting what you expected. The star of the show is the pizza, more specifically, the crust on either the deep dish or thin crust. I'm a pizza snob, if the crust can hold up to the ingredients without being soggy with a crispy char on the underside than I'm a fan. The Signature pizza's are terrific but our go-to is the Italian Sausage pizza or Italian Beef with Giardiniera (amazing). Good salads and small bites too. If you are thinking pasta, Mama's Meatballs are excellent, Cacio e Pepe is probably my favorite, and the Garganelli Panna are all standouts. The prices are a bit on the high side, but if you want a treat and it's not your standard greasy tavern pizza, than you'll be happy with La Barra! read more

This restaurant has improved. We were there a year ago and were very disappointed for a second time. We decided to give them a third chance. The food is very good. The service is excellent. The kitchen is very slow. We ordered soon after we were seated and it took 45 minutes to get our food. The arugula / shaved pear salad and the gnocchi were very good. read more

I love La Barra in Riverside. My family and I have been coming here since the restaurant opened. We love the appetizers including the sausage & peppers and roasted brussel sprouts. My husband loves the pasta, especially the Eight Finger Cavatelli. I am gluten-free and my favorite item on their menu is the gluten-free pizza. It is the best gluten-free pizza I've tasted. My kids and husband love the thin-crust pizza. We order take-out sometimes, but typically we like to come into the restaurant and eat because we love the atmosphere and the great service. read more

The burrata: amazing. I've never had a green tomato in my life until I tried it with the burrata and it was great. Gnocchi was covered in vodka sauce and was perfect. I customized my own deep dish pizza (with jalapeños) and I could not have been happier. This restaurant has such a great atmosphere. I usually go all the way downtown for dinner but I've found my new favorite pizza, pasta, salad place in the suburbs. I am actually ordering for pick up as we speak. I don't like to cook on the weekends and I know I can't go wrong with La Barra. read more

We were there to celebrate the season opening with our friends. The oil they use for bread is bitter and has a strange taste. We didn't get freshly shredded parmesan. The service didn't get better since we were there last time. Its all about timing and reading your costumer. I had chicken Caesar salad. The chicken seamed to be cooked on the same weird tasting oil they brought with bread. It just didn't taste right. My friend got a different dish from what she ordered. You guys, serving the finest costumers. And it seems, that you neglecting them, on purpose. read more

I started coming to La Barra for the pizza, and keep coming back for the music on Thursday nights and atmosphere. They really take care of their customers and provide a great value for large and small families. I've come in with groups as large as 60 in back party room and by myself to sit at bar, always have a great time!!! read more

On a Friday night, at 7pm we didn't have to wait long for a table with both outdoor and indoor available. We were greeted right away with water by a very friendly server and our waiter arrived shortly after and took our drink order. We ordered the stuffed pizza, the baked cheese and a side ceasar. ( I should have read about the fresh anchovies! It was the only thing I didnt like.) For being fairly busy, our wait staff was right on top. Not so overbearing so you can't have a conversation and not so far away that you cant get service when you need it. A very friendly atmosphere. I would like to give a special point out to Patty. She was not our server but I have been in exactly 2x before and made a point of remembering me and the boys I was with and came over to say hi! That is what is so great about having a neighborhood restaurant. I am a La Barra fan and have the card to prove it. read more

I've been here twice and I enjoyed the food both times. However both times, we felt the service was lacking a bit. We sat for what seemed a long time before anyone came to take a drink order and also felt that the waiting time for getting food was a little long. We will go back since we live nearby. Hopefully we were there on off nights or they've worked some things out. read more

I have to say I was really excited about having a new restaurant close to home, but this place was very disappointing. We ordered burrata and heirloom tomatoes for an appetizer. The tomato was so under ripe that it was almost white. There was some olive oil drizzled over the top, but no salt and pepper used in this dish. No flavor at all. We ordered a small deep dish pizza and bracciole. The pizza was decent so that's the only reason why I'm giving a 2 star, the bracciole on the other hand was awful. First of all it was served warm on top of parpadelle. Not hot warm almost room temperature. The bracciole itself was not tender enough and just had an unpleasant consistency. Definitely not beef short rib as they state in the menu. Not much flavor either. Lastly, the service was just blah. Our waitress wasn't rude and we received everything as we ordered, but she made no effort to be nice and brought us our check without even asking us if we wanted anything else. Not even dessert! read more

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This is an upscale pizza place. Our bartender, Carl, was friendly and provided good service. The restaurant is clean and modern. We dined al fresco and things went downhill from there. It was not a busy evening. We waited for one hour for water and bread. Yes one hour. The staff must have smoked from the same bong as they walked around in circles. I asked for salt and pepper twice and never received it. The service is amateur. My Sicilian seafood "small plate" had one human grade shrimp topping it. The remainder of it was fish bait swimming in a colorless lime/lemon based dressing. It cost $14. The deep dish pizza was tasty with a nice crunchy crust. If you're in the mood for a bottle of wine and some good pizza I would recommend La Barra. Please do not ask for any salt and pepper. read more

Service was ok, Pizza was ok, The Beer I had which was recommended by our waiter was bad. When I told them I didn't like it, they were nice enough to take it away and offered to exchange it for something else and still got charged for it, had I known I would have just drank it. Prices are high and I don't think the pizza is that good. I live in the neighborhood and thought this would be a good place to go weekly with the family. Not my favorite place!!!!! read more

Service was beyond excellent. The food, not so much. Recommend the calamari, fava toast and arugula salad. Skip the short ribs. And, the Brussels sprouts. Love tapas, but just wasn't crazy about this place. read more

A really nice change and something very different for the suburbs. We moved from Chicago to Berwyn, six months ago and find it challenging to find restaurants that are of high quality. La Barra is one of the few exceptions. I have an allergic reaction to the overuse of garlic and a really bad reaction to tomato paste. I always have to ask if the restaurant uses tomato paste in their sauces. The garlic thing is just me gauging the skill of the chef and recipe at hand. Our server was concerned with my inquiry and made sure the chef was aware of the allergies and I was aware of the ingredients. La Barra does not use paste in any of the sauces we tried. As an aside, tomato paste has a far greater pH (acidity) level than tomato sauce and simply adding water and/or heating the sauce for an hour or two does not negate the high pH level. To get paste down to the pH level of tomato sauce, you'd have to cook the sauce all day (about 8 hours). So, the simple solution is just to use sauce, which tastes a lot better anyway. Servers may not realize it but Garlic allergies can cause a wide range of symptoms from gas, bloating and upset stomach to diarrhea, hives and in a worse-case scenario, anaphylaxis, where the person can stop breathing altogether. La Barra actually knows how to use garlic - as a SPICE and not as a major recipe component. That noted, we started with a moderately priced wine and the La Barra Garlic Knots. These diminutive, baked croissants are lightly brushed with garlic butter. They were excellent - and coming from me that means something. We also had Mama's Meatballs with marinara, ricotta and Parmesan. The meatballs were very tender. So much so, that my guess is they use veal in the mix. The flavor and execution were on point. We followed with the Chicken Milanese Caesar Salad (with Romaine, arugula, kale, radicchio, Parmesan, shaved cauliflower, lemon Caesar dressing). One of the chefs brought out the salad and asked if we wanted him to split it for us, offering us new side plates, which was a very nice touch. The entrée-sized salad was well made. The breading on the chicken was crispy and hot and the greens were fresh and cold. The dressing was light and good. We followed that with the Dante Margherita Artisan Pizza (Organic tomatoes, fresh marjoram, Wisconsin sheep's milk artisan cheese, organic tomato sauce). The pizza was like nothing else we've had in suburbia. The crust was crisp, thin and buttery and the toppings were absolutely fresh. Overall, an excellent experience. There are only a few improvement points; (1) Our server was getting a bit anxious when every else was leaving and we were still enjoying our wine. (2) After our server poured the wine, he wasn't seen again until the pizza arrived. Different people served all the other dishes. (3) The timing of our food was a bit rushed. (4) The other staff were very friendly and accommodating. Our server could've been a little more involved. read more

This was our first time visiting this restaurant and let me tell you such a disappointment. After we were seated our server came over and asked if we would like to order any drinks,it took about 10 minutes to get 2 cokes. Mind you they were not busy. As time went by and placed our order for pizza we started to notice other tables were being served bread before there food came. However that was never offered nor brought to our table. After waiting close to 30 minutes for our pizza our server brings over a pizza that had only 4 slices left. Our pizza was brought to the wrong table and after other customers ate more than half of ours they wanted us to eat what was left of the pizza other people already had touched and eaten from. That is beyond unsanitary and I would never give them my business again! read more

We've been to La Barra three times now and our experience with the food and service has been inconsistent. Our last visit was yesterday for Mother's Day. We had made reservations in the city, but decided to support a local restaurant after noticing that La Barra had a brunch menu for the occasion. We got seated at 12 and the (short, blonde) waitress who took our order was not very friendly nor made eye contact. After serving our drinks she disappeared for half an hour until we had to send another waitress to get her. She then apologized for the wait and offered bread (something she should have brought out as standard). After 45 minutes waiting, our very simple brunches and burger order finally arrived. We noticed there weren't very many people dining at the restaurant, so why it took so long is still a mystery. My daughter's burger was tiny, the fries were overcooked, and the lettuce that came with it was wilted. No pickle came with her dish, although listed on the menu. The rest of the food was fine, although we wish they had a dairy-free alternative to the polenta in some of their dishes. Overall, our sense is that La Barra is overpriced for the value and inconsistent with the quality of the food and service. We're all for supporting the local businesses, but not at the expense of a pleasant dining experience. read more

Their marinara sauce is amazing! Love the pizza! Gluten free crust is available and very good. (For gluten free). Nice selection of wines. Outdoor patio is wonderful. Attentive and pleasant staff. read more

This place is very unique and different then most places in Riverside. The first time I went, I wasn't super impressed with the pizza. The second time I went, I was pleasantly surprised. Especially with the very generous and helpful staff. I came to order pizza with a visa gift card I had received for Christmas. When I went to get it, I found it wasn't in my bag anymore. All I had was $3. The owner (or I assume he was the owner) offered to pay the leftover money for my meal. I have never experienced that much kindness in a restaurant or people who truly care about there customers. Very glad to have this place near my house. read more

WOW. I've lived in Riverside my whole life and was sceptical when this opened in in DT Riverside. Me and my mother in law went anyway this past Wednesday. We were served by the most INCREDIBLE waitress (Kate I think). She recommend braciole which ASSAULTED any flavour palate GORGEOUS. 10/10 would recommend read more

Been here a couple of times. Food is great, service was great both times. The atmosphere is very welcoming and staff very friendly. Super busy and crowded and I can understand why. Although, drinks are a bit high priced, we're not in downtown Chicago so I think they could come down a bit in price. $10 for listed drinks, not including wine. I requested Rumchata with Frangelico and they were $12 for a small glass (pictures posted). I will give them 4 stars because of the high priced drinks. Otherwise, worth returning to for food and ambiance. read more

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Started eating at La Barra shortly after it opened, due to its location. I live in the city and have family in Hinsdale and Oak Park, and it was a great middle ground (it's only a 20 minute train from Union Station). The food is awesome! It's very versatile; you can split a large pizza or get something a little more rich ($ and taste) on a Friday night! I have never had a bad meal, but I find myself continuously ordering the short rib - it is phenomenal. I always leave La Barra very full, because the menu is stacked with great options front to back (appetizers/entrees/desserts/weekly specials). The ambience is also very versatile. The dining room feels like an up-scale Italian restaurant, which it absolutely is, while the bar offers huge TVs and an awesome selection of drinks, along with the full menu. As a craft beer fan, I love their draft selection - it's not the typical selection you see in a nice restaurant. La Barra is the perfect option for any occasion. read more

My wife and I came here on a whim and found the restaurant quite nice. Nice decor inside and out. They didn't seem too crowded and we were seated right away. Our server was very pleasant but she seemed a bit frazzled. I figured she was just beat up from a busy night and we weren't in a hurry. So no big deal. We ordered small plates and drinks and the food was a little slow getting out to us. But our server graciously apologized and offered us dessert on the house. I think that's the right way to do business. We had the zucchini strings. They were very good. Someone on yelp complained that there wasn't much red sauce with them and there wasn't but I didn't care. I liked them as they were. We had mamas meatballs. They came with a scoop of ricotta and they were really good. The goat cheese with red sauce and toasted bread was ok. Nothing really special. I guess you can't have a winner with everything on the menu. As I said, our server offered us a dessert. We had the tiramisu. It was giant and fabulous! Overall we would certainly visit again. I'd love to sit in the cool bar for a couple drinks. La Barra is a cool, family friendly, hip joint. read more