Feels like old Chicago - great food and great service. I had their Eggplant Parmigiana and a glass of their Chianti, both great! 10/10 recommend for a date night or if you have people visiting! read more

La Scarola - Eggplant parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super tasty! Nice atmosphere and our waiter was really good and nice. Portions are large and took half my meal home. Seemed like they really want to keep patrons safe during covid too. read more

La Scarola - I had the gnocchi special. Would order it again - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This by far is my favorite Italian restaurant. I love coming here every time I'm in Chicago. So many great memories the place is wonderful. My favorite sea bass in the world read more

La Scarola - Seabass - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Authentic Italian. Non-pretentious atmosphere. Attentive service. Don't be afraid to order traditional Italian dishes. They are better that what you make. read more

Great Italian restaurant and wonderful service. Drinks and food were spot on. The neighborhood has changed a lot over the last few years but the quality here is still the best. read more

Massive portions and friendly staff, free bread service, ambiance feels like you're in italy (coming from someone who has been many times)! Very authentic and delicious I always recommend it to people. read more

Always delicious ...just wish you could book on line instead of having to call for a reservation. Definitely recommend booking a table even during the week. read more

Upon advice from a sound source I finally made my way to La Scarola. I've been in and around Chicago my whole life and never heard of this place. Vibe: Old School genuine Italian. Tightly packed tables that are setup, taken down and rearranged constantly and with the precision of a marching band. Loud with talk...if there is music you can't hear it. Professional staff. There is no indication of anyone needing to be told what they need to be doing or hour to interact with customers. Food: Fanfrickintastic. We started with Shrimp Amore and house Chianti. The Shrimp Amire had great flavor and the shrimp tasted fresh. We had the veal chop over risotto and it was very well prepared, served hot and had plenty of flavor. We also had the Pasta Amore (special). Full of scallops and shrimp. Portions are generous. Ended with Cappuccino. Service: We were seated immediately upon entering and this place was hopping. Our waiter was Ryan. Great guidance, attitude and professionalism. A gracious host. Value: Good value. Moderate to moderately expensive by quality and quantity are really up there. Repeatable: Yes. Great experience. read more

La Scarola - Veal chop - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I missed the old moms and pops Italian cuisine. No frills or pretense just amazing food and super friendly and attentive service. Went for my friend's birthday, just the two of us and she was very impressed with her dinner and drinks. Well come again for sure read more

What a fantastic place. Armando treated us like family as soon as we walked in the door. I had : Grilled octopus Grilled calamari Chicken parmesan All were delicious full of flavor - I will be back here next time I'm in Chicago. read more

La Scarola - Chicken parm - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Admittedly, not an Italian food guy....but this was hands down the best Italian meal I've had. Shrimp Armani was nuts...then whatever Seafood Special I had was out of this world. Risotto with scallops, calamari, and shrimp...big boy shrimp too. I was already full by the time the entree hit but forced myself to eat a good 1/3 of it. Lorenzo was great as was everyone there. I'll stop I'm every time in Chicago from now on - can't miss place in Chicago. read more

Always a classic. Family style Italian restaurant with that warm hospitality, generous portions, and DELICIOUS food. My go to always is: Penne Ala Vodka Grilled Calamari Tiramisu You wont regret it. read more

I haven't dined in at La Scarola, but I did Do takeout from here and loved it! So my review is only about the food, not the service. Did takeout from here via Uber Eats and I loved the food. We had the Shrimp Armani as an appetizer and this was amazing! For my entree I had the Pollo Italiano and it was delicious, but I wish it came with a side of something. The bf had the Ravioli and said it was good. All and all, I highly recommend La Scarola based on the food. I'll definitely be going there to dine in at some point. read more

The fried calamari was decent but the grilled version was rubbery. My seafood pasta had a generous portion of tasty shrimp, but the pasta tasted boxed and the red sauce that was supposed to be spicy was just salty, and the volume of it drowned the rest of the dish. Also, the bread tasted old and the waitstaff aggressively tries to sell you expensive things you don't want. No. I don't want an after-dinner drink and stop pushing it on me. This isn't a disaster of a restaurant by any means. It's just that you could find much better Italian food nearby. Piccolo Sogno would be a far better option. read more

There are so many more Italian restaurants within blocks of La Scarola that I highly recommend. I can't believe I was just denied being seated. I was by myself walking in at on a Thursday evening at 10:15 and a smug waiter said they were closed while gesturing with his hand moving across his neck. Just an absolute snob about it as well. They are open til 11 on Thursdays. But not to this guy. The restaurant was buzzing but still had open seats. But this waiter refused to seat me because they closed in 45 minutes. So apparently they are open til 11 as it says, but it's open til tho waiter thinks he's done at 10 pm. I lived in this neighborhood for over 10 years. I highly recommend many of the other Italian restaurants within a few blocks. I have had the food, and it's not worth it. read more

We came here for a celebratory evening. We made a 7 PM reservation. As other reviews state, they won't let you in the door until your whole party is there, even in the depths of winter. The main guy running around seating people was friendly enough, but the woman came off cold and rude. The rest of the ambiance in the restaurant is hit or miss. There's a few tables are under bright white lighting by the kitchen, and then the back of the restaurant appeared to have a much brighter and less intimate vibe as well. Our food was to also be hit or miss. All the appetizers were unimpressive. They seemed bland. The main courses were all good, I think everyone was pretty impressed by those. We enjoyed the wine we picked out as well. By the end of our meal, you could tell they wanted us to give up our table. The main guy (mentioned earlier) brought some mini shots by and pretty much asked us to get up in exchange for the drinks.. felt a little odd. read more

Amazing loved it great food and service very fun and reasonable will definitely go back!

Food was excellent, service was excellent. The place is always high energy and fast paced. The owner, Armando is pure class. If you are looking for an old school Italian spot, this should be high on your list. read more

Four stars for the food, three for service. We were seated quick and able to order fast. Served complimentary bread but it's nothing special and not as fresh as I would've hoped. The menu items however were amazing! We got two orders of penne pasta with plain vodka sauce and the pollo a la man cow but with fish instead of chicken. Appreciated the accommodation great as I am pescatarian but the fish sounded delicious, as it was. Portions are giant! The piece of fish was about the size of the whole plate and the leftover pastas were enough to have a whole entire. This is definitely a place where sharing is a good idea. The service was quick but nothing great. The fish fish was missing almost all the ingredients like olives and artichokes which is why the meal was ordered. They did bring out the missing ingredients eventually but I had to ask a couple different waiters until it was ultimately brought out between 5-10 minutes after being served with no apology which was kind of a bummer for me. Luckily the fish was super fresh but it would've been nice to have the full effect with it being cooked with all ingredients! read more

See all

9.7/10 Food was 10/10 Service 10/10 Only critic is that I wish they removed the paper from the tables. Food was amazing, order from the days special and you'll be amazed. read more

I swear to you, they have the BEST fried Calamari! It's like a seafood donut. Thin, crispy, fried breading with a delicious cocktail sauce. I sometimes randomly google it just so I can look at it and daydream about it like a freak. IG: @krysdishes read more

La Scarola - Fried Calamari - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I can't comprehend why people come here. It was highly recommended by our concierge, but the food was below mediocre. I ordered Ravioli and it was slathered in a ton of cheap tasting vodka sauce and they were not cooked and they were in a shape I've never seen they weren't round or squared and huge. I ordered meatballs and they were also huge, dry and just awful. I think my husband ordered a vodka sauce also with a penne pasta, and meatballs, it was this huge disgusting unappealing plate of sauce, pasta and huge meatballs. It was so much food it was truly a huge turnoff. The waiter was really nice but I don't go to eat to have a nice waiter. The bread they served was stale. Sorry I have nothing good to say about the food and that is what we went for. I would never return there, I'm still in horror of the amount of food and under cooked that came out to us. And it wasn't cheap. I just don't get what people like about it. read more

Love it. So fire! My go to Italian spot when I have out of towners in I want to impress, or for a nice date night. Also, never had a bad experience with the staff! Love this place read more

We had an excellent dinner here and were able to obtain reservations on the same day. Their Shrimp Armani was tasty in a very mild spicy sauce with succulent large sweet shrimps. The Sinatra Pasta special was delicious with a good amount of scallops, shallots, shrimp and mussels. I loved their Chicken Vesuvio - the chicken breast was juicy and moist in a garlic cream sauce with green peas/roasted potato slices. Service was excellent and friendly. They also have outdoor tables with heaters. read more

See all

This place is a Chicago staple. I absolutely love the vibe, it's old school Chicago italian food. There are pictures of the owner with famous people all over the walls. And the food does not disappoint! I think they are known for their veal chop. It's fried, served over potatoes, and bigger than your head. It's really tasty, but honestly, what stole the show for me was the linguine and clams. I don't usually order linguine and clams, but my cousin does and recommended it, and I won't come back here without ordering it. If you are ok eating loads of garlic goodness, I highly recommend this dish. I would also recommend the antipasta, you can't go wrong there, and really any of the other pasta dishes. They have all been terrific. read more

My wife and I came in for the first time after one of our customers recommended La Scarola. Didn't disappoint at all! From our Baked Clams and Pasta Fagioli soup (Amazing) to our Chicken Parm and Veal Chop Dinner. Everything was delicious. Old school Italian food served with big portions and plenty of flavor. Had enough to take home for another meal. Armando and his staff are superb and very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend and will be back for sure ! Mike and Vicki read more

Dined on Chilean sea bass, grilled octopus, baked clams and concluded with Tiramisu. This was a beautiful spread -- everything seasoned to perfection. You can tell everything is made with passion. Luis our server took care of our every need. The highlight of the evening however was the host owner Armando. He was once again celebrating his birthday. Not only is he the owner but also the entertainer. The vibe is all about warm hospitality. We have spent many dinners here including Christmas Eve. We look forward to returning. Support this Chicago institution. You will not be disappointed. read more

So this review is based off of a pick up order made last Sunday in the Lakeview area. So I was excited to see La Scarola was coming up north to Lakeview H.S. to provide their food last Sunday @ 5pm. I ordered their Sausage and Peppers, Calamari, Lasagna, Eggplant Parm and a slice of chocolate cake. Things did not start off smooth as pick up time was between 5pm-5:30p. When I arrived at Lincoln Park H.S. around that time there was no car in the parking lot to pick up the food. Then a minute or two later, I got a call that the driver was a few blocks south which I thought was strange because why wasn't I informed. I guess La Scarola called those who ordered to mentioned the pick up location changed. Fast forward to 15 minutes later and it was dinner time! We were pumped, however the food was less than warm. So ok, the price you pay and we reheated most of it in the toaster oven making sure it did not dry out and unfortunately, it did not have the usual "oomph" that La Scarola delivers after every bite. The Sausage and Peppers were the best highlight of the entire meal and also I think a side of sauce/marinara would've been amazing as well. While I appreciate the effort to bring it up north, I think either you get carry out if you live a few miles away from there or once things get back to normal, the best option would be to eat there. read more

La Scarola - Looks amazing but didn't hold up well even after an toaster oven slow reheat. Very bummed. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Easy one of the best Italian meals I have ever had if not THE best! Really cool atmosphere as well. A lot of history to the place.

This place is more than just your average mom-and-pop Italian restaurant. It has that authentic homemade Italian ambience and I love that about this place. The food does take long to come out however once it comes out you know that it was made fresh and that's the reason why it took so long. All the ingredients in the recipe taste fresh and everything is piping hot. I was so greedy that I didn't even get a chance to take pictures of my food I only got A chance to take pictures of my appetizers, although it is a little ways out from the Chicago city center if I'm ever in Chicago I would definitely go back to this place for dinner the food is impeccable and the service is great as well. read more

La Scarola - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow. Was recommended to visit when we came to Chicago and what a huge disappointment. The owner was friendly although the service was below standards. 2 stars for the owner greeting us and for the cleanliness of the establishment. I will K.I.S.S this (keep it short n simple) the server had no personality and was unfriendly. I ordered the pasta with sausage and when my food arrived the pasta was cold/hard and sausage over cooked. I had to ask for more meat sauce and all that was brought to me was a bowl of tomato sauce (maybe I'm wrong although no meat in the sauce) my wife was not a fan either of her dish. We were disappointed in our overall experience. The establishment was packed which was great to see for business. We won't be visiting again. I posted a picture of my dish, not an attractive or mouth watering presentation. Hopefully the next guest has a better experience. SYOY read more

La Scarola - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Such a lovely place. Feels like I got a little piece of Chicago history when I went there. It is very obvious that it is very loved local place. The service was amazing and the appetizers and the pasta was immaculate. Really recommend the Grilled Octopus read more

Best Italian food I've ever had-- and I haven't even been to Italy. So that's gotta tell you something. Seriously though, I had a friend recommend La Scarola and I'm so happy I visited. The bruschetta was the freshest tasting, most flavorful bruschetta I can remember having. I had the Cheese Ravioli al Forno which was absolutely delicious-- each bite was better than the last.. until I was overly stuffed and kept eating, then it wasn't so delicious but that isn't a knock on the quality or taste, more of a critique of my own self control. One of these years now, I'll learn. It's also worth noting that apparently this hung out in my drafts for about 3 years before I got around to finally posting [oops] (which is why I don't go into any more details about the rest of my meal). Here's what I remember: Loved the atmosphere, loved the food, loved the service, don't love that I don't live in Chicago because I would love to eat here more often. read more

Scarola is the best. I've hit it up a few times, but last night sent this place over the top and it will always stay there. It was packed and people weren't leaving their tables (that says how great Scarola really is!), so we waited a few minutes - not a big deal to anyone whose ever eaten out of their own kitchen before. Some guy with his people starts giving the owner a hard time about not having a table for him. Dude had no reservation and he's trying to push the owner around despite no reservation! Owner was great. Kept his composure while this other guy ranted in his face about owning restaurants - if he owned restaurants he would have already understood. BTW: I had chicken piccata with artichokes and mushrooms. It's not on the menu, I just asked for it and it came out. The waiter made it happen!! I love this place. Find the owner, say hi. Being nice to other people goes a long way. M read more

La Scarola - Last spot of mussels sauce that didn't get wiped up! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What an amazing place! The food was truly amazing and so was the service! Honestly the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy (even though recently I ordered the not very Italian-sounding Pollo alla Mancow! But still, one of the best dishes I've had). The owner comes to greet you at the door and takes you to your table. Place was packed on a Tuesday night! Awesome ambiance and decor, real old school. You know a place is GOOD when you keep thinking about your meal and experience days after it happened, like I am now. La Scarola is a national treasure! read more

Atmosphere, food and people are all amazing! Took my mom here for her birthday and she loved it! read more

See all

I love this place. fun, loud and delicious. I love to eat here and get sauce all over my shirt! Penne vodka my fav. The lasagna is good too. The rav ioli is great, the asparagus salad is a MUST it is cold. and so good. read more

Long life Armando and Chicken Vesuvio! Our concierge recommended this little local Italian restaurant when he learned one of us wanted fresh seafood, the other wanted chicken vesuvio. We hoped for excellent food quality without breaking the bank. Enter La Scarola. This tiny little Italian eatery was packed to the gills Saturday night but everyone was having fun and eating amazing food. The servers were attentive but their pace was very quick as they took care of their guests. My boyfriends sea bass was great as was the sausage and pepper appetizer. I got to have my first chicken vesuvio in 15 years and was not disappointed. We split a piece of chocolate cake for dessert and it was delicious too. Loved La Scarola and can recommend it without hesitation. read more

See all

Great Italian food. atmosphere was great, so as service. I truly enjoyed the grilled octopus

We made a reservation weeks in advanced, called, followed up to be sure we were scheduled. Well, totally blew us off! Keep telling us , 20 minutes, went across street to wait. Went back oh, another 20 minutes. They lied, they suck! DON'T RECOMMEND! read more