I'd like to preface this review by saying that my family has lived in St. Charles for 30+ years and we've been to Francesca's quite a few times since its opening. I've always had a good time--I love their crusty warm bread, calamari, their pastas and chicken dishes. However that all changed a few weeks ago. My boyfriend and I went to dinner on a busy weekend night. There were a lot of big parties, families, etc. Everything was going well until we found a large shard of glass in our banana bread pudding. It was half the size of my palm. Since the bread pudding is served with ice cream I originally thought that maybe it was just a chunk of ice, but we even cleaned the object and saw it was clearly the bottom of a broken glass. We were absolutely appalled. The waitress quickly took the plate away, the manager came out to apologize and said the whole meal was on them, and proceeded to blame corporate, who prepares their desserts. I don't know who's to blame. We got out of there quickly and unfortunately won't be going back. I can only hope that nothing like this happens again in the future, particularly with it being such a family restaurant. read more

There are a few nit picky reviews that bring this place down, but it is actually quite good. That cook pasta just right. My Tutto Mare with a zingy red sauce was a dish I could eat every day without complaint. Delicious. The mussel and little neck clams were just right. The shrimp and squid maybe a tad overcooked... but not bad. Service was VERY good. Plenty of wines by the glass and an extensive wine list, too. read more

Loved it. My husband and I each had pasta dishes and they were fantastic. I couldn't wait to eat my leftovers for lunch the next day! My only complaint is that it's small and the tables are extremely close together. We were seated in the tables along the wall (booth on wall side w/ chair on dining room side) and the tables next to us were so close that I felt like we were having dinner with a bunch of people we didn't know. In the future I will ask to be seated in the main dining floor and not against the wall. read more

Came on a Sunday evening (celebrating Valentine's Day early since my husband would be out of town). If I were just reviewing service, I would give them five stars. Our server was outstanding. If I were reviewing food only, I would only give them one or two stars. read more

The best restaurant in downtown St. Charles! Pasta is delicious, service is great. It never fails to disappoint. 10/10

If I want the best martini in the tri cities I only go to Francescas by the river in St. Charles. The Bartender Lisa makes the best martini around. I have voted her best Bartender in Kane county! Nobody works harder and still is attentive and personable with her customers! Highly recommend!! read more

I've visited Francesca's for both lunch and dinner. The owner is extremely friendly and is attentive to guests when they are waiting for a talbe. I enjoy arriving a bit early for a drink at the bar before being seated for dinner with friends. The menu changes frequently based upon what is in season. I really love their pizza with the super thin, crisp crust and fresh mozzarella. It makes a great lunch or an appetizer to share before dinner. The caprese insalata is also a favorite appetizer. I would give them 5 stars but the tables are very tight, as other reviews have mentioned and the open ceiling design format makes the place very loud when they are busy. It's sometimes difficult to have an intimate conversation. I highly recommend Francesca's for a group outing but might choose a more intimate setting for dinner for two. Regardless of the occassion, the food and service will not disappoint! read more

Wonderful service, wonderful food! My wife and I spent the day after valentines here. We were seated right in front of the fireplace in a beautiful low lit dining room. Bruschetta is a standard appetizer for us if the place has it, and Francesca's had the best we've ever eaten! We talked it up so much the table next to us had to have it too. We both had variations of chicken which was incredible. Tender, moist, perfectly flavored and cooked. To top off the night, they have one of the most amazing dessert menus I've ever seen. I wanted every single thing they offered! We got a valentines special dessert, heart shaped raspberry mouse on chocolate ganache covered in a raspberry sauce and fresh berries. I can still taste it now. We almost ordered a second! What separates Francesca's from other "high end" restaurants is the freshness. All of our ingredients for the meals were extremely fresh. This made the meal light and full of flavor, leaving us with a feeling of satisfaction without the need to loosen the belt a few notches. Our server was the best we've had in years. He answered all of our questions and offered recommendations when he could. The owner must be extremely proud of his restaurant and it definitely shows in the quality of food and service. Not only will I go back, but this is my number one recommendation for anybody looking for a date night in the area. 6 stars if possible. read more

Love this place. Pasta made fresh and fast. Menu with diverse options, and good ambiance. One night we went for a double date and there was live music! We have not been disappointed yet. The servers are friendly, attentive, and make everyone feel like a VIP. They really stay on top of keeping beverages full, even water. Customer service makes all the difference when dining out. read more

Had a wonderful meal here at Francesca's when in town for Horse shows. The food was very good and the atmosphere is very cozy and fun. The pasta was to die for! read more

Came here with my wife to celebrate our Anniversay. It was much more than I expected! I felt like I was at a 5 star restaurant in downtown Chicago. The tables were formally set and the wait staff dressed very professionally and friendly. Our wine was brought to the table quickly with a basket of warm fresh bread. Both of our entrees were delicious! Tiramisu and coffee was a perfect way to end a perfect meal! read more

I'm not familiar with the saint charles area, but at first I wasn't sure what to expect with this being a little bit to the side and the outside well, not looking to impressive. However, the food was amazing! Had some short rib butternut gnocchi. Amazingly taste and large portions. read more

Food was fresh tasting and the service excellent. The pasta was a tad too al dante. The banquet room we sat in needs to be brightened up a bit. Oh yes, good bread! Dishes were served with fresh basil and rosemary. No shortcuts taken here. Overall, I liked it. IBB read more

The food was excellent and the service was quite attentive. My wife and I had chicken dishes for lunch and the serving size was excellent and the sauces were exquisite. Definitely a stop to be made if you are in the area read more

Great menu that has interesting and delicious new choices each visit. Friendly and professional service. Recommend for a nice night out.

Great food, great service Lisa behind the bar is amazing and Hector is always so inviting. Best go to place never disappoint.

Very busy on a Saturday. Great food but service not so good. Error on one order. Never received corrected order before we were done with our meal. read more

Went her for dinner because we received a gift card as a gift- and wanted to try it out. We were seated near the kitchen, so it was noisy and super crowded (it was Valentine's Day weekend- I didn't realize I had not written a review). The service was very good despite it being busy. Our meal was delicious- and the portions were huge! I ate 3.5 meals out of my one dish. I would definitely go back, gift card of not- but would probably try and pick a quieter evening is those exist! read more

No wait on a Friday at 7:00 pm was a treat. The server was friendly but that helpful. I order the pork shoulder with mashed potatoes, it was delicious. Pork was very tender and mashed potatoes very creamy. My husband ordered some pasta with sausage, I thought the sausage was a hard and the sauce could have come from a jar. We had profiteroles for dessert, the pistachio ice cream was good, the pastry was not fresh and the chocolate sauce also could have been from a jar, it could have use more cocoa and butter and less starch. Ambiance was good, the music a little loud even though we were on the back room. read more

We went here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and the place was pretty empty so we had the full attention of the waitstaff. Everything was done in a timely fashion, drink orders taken promptly, food brought out quickly, dishes cleared away, do we need doggy bags? yes one. I was impressed. I had the Pasta Primavera and the sauce was excellent. I also loved the plentiful amount of veggies mixed into the dish. My friends ordered shrimp entree and were not so pleasantly surprised to see that the dish did not include pasta. I think they just assumed it would from the description but all they got was a few shrimp, a couple of tomatoes and a few asparagus tips. Be sure to read closely so you're not surprised. The place seems nice but not overly fancy. Pretty large but yeah I too thought we would actually be on the river. read more

We held our wedding rehearsal dinner here, more for location than anything, but we were pleasantly surprised. I had been in constant contact with Gabriella, their event coordinator, and always found her available and eager to answer any questions that came up. The food that night was delicious and plentiful (endless family style)! Their tiramasu was to die for! Some cons-small parking lot (but you can find street parking) and the stinky Fox River. Other wise, will definitely come back when keeping it local on date night with the hubby. read more

I've long been a fan of the Francesca's Restaurant group even though I tend to only be pushed into one or two dishes on their menu due to my picky tastes. We met my parents here on a Friday night. We made our reservation through OpenTable.com and when we arrived we were told our table was ready and we were taken right to it. They even had the high-chair I had asked for already there, so they really weren't b.s.ing us that they had our table ready. There are a few staples on the menu but most of the menu is hand-written daily with a wide variety of pasta, chicken, and other dishes. I never knew they had a kid's menu which is why we probably haven't been to one in a long time. Meal quality is always spot on. Rare to have a meal that stinks here, and yes, as many have said, they've put a lot of tables into this spot so in some parts of the restaurant, you might be a little closer than you like, but I've also found this in their downtown Naperville and Frankfort spots. Prices have seemed to stay the same over the last couple of years, but portions have shrunk to maintain those. Understand that, but they are still using fairly large plates so it's a bit more obvious. read more

We went to Francesca's for our 35th anniversary a few weeks ago and had a wonderful experience! From the moment we entered, we were treated special. Our table was in a perfect spot, we were toasted, treated, and pampered. Definitely recommending Francesca's by the River! read more

The atmosphere is nice, elegant but cozy. But that's all that was good. We, my husband and I, felt like they were trying to turn the table as quickly as possible. About 5 minutes after we ordered our food came. We were unable to enjoy our wine for a quick minute and don't believe our entrees were freshly made because they came so quickly. The food was mediocre. My pasta was hard, not al dente, and sauce bland. We weren't even halfway finished when a server asked if we needed to-go boxes. Not impressed and sorely disappointed. read more

Have you ever been to one of the many Francesca's before? I suggest it if your not in a hurry or don't mind a loud atmosphere that you thought might be romantic. I love there food here and have never had a bad meal. It's just a little tight and very loud. I Also went there for Valentine's Day once and it wasn't the right time to go. Any other time would be best. read more

I would give this 2.5 stars, but not an option. The good: service was excellent, could relax, enjoy and take our time. we were not rushed. and when the kitchen messed up one of the 6 orders at our table, the restaurant comped us the plate, which I thought was the right thing to do. my husband had veal medallions which were over done. they should have been med rare and they were more med well. the pasta side was ok, nothing special. i had pork loin which was over cooked and dry and the shitakke wine reductions sauce was salty. speaking of salty, the mashed potatoes were almost inedible. i think they salted the water the potatoes were cooked in, used salted butter, then added more salt to the mash. the braised cabbage lacked flavor. the tiramusu was not good, my husband thought his lava cake was ok. i most likely will not go back. i really don't understand how this places gets 4-5 star reviews read more

Second visit to a Francesca's location. Solid good food & service. Bruschetta is always a hit. Had a pasta dish with shrimp that was to die for! Looking forward to going back again while the current menu is on. I think they are one of the few good places that are open on Mondays. What a way to start the week! read more

Higher-end Italian comfort foods done simply and very effectively. My wife pointed out that the host made an effort to say hello to us before seating the party in front of us. Not hard to do, but overlooked at many places. Our server had good suggestions and I don't think our water glasses ever got half empty. I had pasta in a tomato-cream sauce with vegetables and goat cheese. It was so good (and plentiful) that I had to force myself to stop eating at a point. My wife got the veggie lasagna (special of the day) and it was sublime. I've not tasted a lasagna like that before, but I'll order it if it's a special next time we go. I imagine we both would. read more

Attended a luncheon there last Friday the 15th. Fairly large group of senior citizens and a few younger folks, too. The room was very spacious...and very cold. Given the open ceilings and air conditioning blowing from the large pipe..well, not much anybody could do about that. The wait staff, with the exception of one young man who quite frankly shouldn't be working with the general public (when one of the ladies at our table made a comment about the cold, he yelled at her "What do you want me to do??!!!" The other staff were impeccable and REALLY hustled. The food was great-- we had bruschetta, calamari, salad, pasta with chicken and spinach, Italian sausage, bread and a lovely profiterole. The staff really ran around to keep drinks filled, serve bar beverages, etc. Very impressive read more

Went here for a rehearsal dinner. Everything was excellent: Appetizers, salads, pasta, meat.... service, drinks, room, ... Would highly recommend this place for a rehearsal dinner. read more

Francesca's is good -- not fabulous but good. The calamari and the firey marinara were my favorite part of the meal! I was deciding between two dishes and made my choice based on the taste of the marinara. My main dish definitely didn't have the same kick to it. The ceasar dressing is awful. I don't know if they are trying ot go super-gourmet with it, but it had to zest to it at all! And yes, the name is somewhat misleading. I thought it would be closer to the river too. Oh well. The service here was fantastic. Our waiter was funny and very attentive. We also had several refills on water and dishes cleared several times by the staff. The great service would bring me back. One other minor complaint -- we were seated along the back wall and the table were so close to each other! We could have easily joined in on the conversation of the people next to us or even taken a bite of their food! read more

Dawn was AWESOME! Took our orders very efficiently and stocked up on the bread whenever we were running low. Everyone ask for Dawn she's amazing. read more

I always order the mussels in spicy tomato sauce. And salmon for the main course is always a winner. read more

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We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary at Francesca's By The River on Sunday. We had the fireplace room and had eighty guests. The event planner Gabriela who was such a pleasure to work with. She was so helpful with her suggestions and so knowledgeable. The room was beautiful, the food delicious and all the staff was amazing and so accommodating! Their service was fantastic!! Our guests are still calling and texting us to let us know how much they enjoyed everything. Everything was absolutely perfect. If you are looking for a venue that is amazing in every area book Francesca's By The River. You can't go wrong! Huge thanks to Gabriela and all the staff for making our special day so memorable! read more

Food okay, service was good. Table location terrible as th we y stack as many together as possible. Loud and no privacy, but if you like having dinner with 100 of your closest friends this could be worth a try. read more

Stopped by here for lunch with the family on a Monday. We had the lasagna special and it was delicious!! Nice and clean restaurant. I will definitely come and visit again read more

I went to Francesca's for the first time this weekend, and my boyfriend and I loved everything we had! The food was flavorful and delicious. I ordered the rigatoni and sausage, and he ordered a filet that was melt-in-your-mouth good. The drinks, especially the bianco sangria, were great. We also ordered the calamari to go because my boyfriend says that its really good there. The place was packed that night and I have to say we still received great service. Our water glasses never went empty, and as soon as we were done there was someone there to clear our plates and clean up. The waitress was very pleasant and friendly as well. We had reservations and were seated right away despite the crowd, and the coat check was a nice surprise. I definitely plan on coming back! read more

Francesca's is a wonderful restaurant where we feel comfortable and treated very well consistently. We celebrate special occasions there as well as enjoy mid afternoon leisurely lunches on Saturdays at least once/twice monthly. They have a wonderful gluten-free menu including fresh gluten free pasta that tastes amazing. They accommodate special requests well. Francesca's has THE BEST Caesar Salad ever. We really enjoy "our" waiters there. Brian and Mario make the meal extra special because they are always kind, charming, funny, and professional. read more

After much planning in advance and agreeing to Francesca's very strict terms for a party of 24 in a private room for a work dinner I cannot begin to express my disappointment in the professionalism of their event staff and management. It sounded like we were at Chuck E Cheese's. What a waste of money to spend on doing my work meeting here. You could NOT hear a thing with the the according doors, that didn't even shut, separating us from what sounded like a toddler Birthday Party. I'm shocked they accepted both parties knowing the nature of my business that night was professional. When I asked for a manager it not only took multiple requests, but it was dismissed as a non concern. If you want decent pasta, go there. If you want good service and a quaity event DO NOT spend your time and money here. read more

Mio Modo - Separation system from 1 private party to another. Paper thin accordion doors! I would NEVER host a dinner event or shower here again! - Italian Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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THANKSGIVING BUFFET. They do it every year. We've been to three in last four years. The first year we were very impressed with outstanding service and a tasty meal. The past two years have been very mediocre. Today it was very crowded and difficult to walk between tables going to get your food. This means waiting in line to get food from buffet and carrying plate while trying not to disturb those seated and eating. I bumped into another customer twice. Our cocktails were very strong. My margarita tasted like (and looked like) tequila in water. The turkey had been under the warming light too long and was dry. Husband said prime rib was ok. They stuffing/dressing was watery. Yes, watery. Almost a soup. Green bean casserole was also green bean soup. Tasted horrible. Other buffet foods were ok. Just ok. Cheese and salad spread was nice. Some of food was lukewarm and had been sitting a while. Really not much different than Golden Corral buffet. Only this buffet was $48 a person. Service was ok. There was a chocolate dessert bite that was tasty. Next year we are making other plans. read more