Arrived at a restaurant at 2:30 pm. Was able to put my order in at 3:00 pm. If you are in a rush, or simply don't have unlimited time....do not go to Passero. It's a very frustrating experience that will ruin your lunch/dinner. This is a continued issue that keeps happening no matter how many times we go. As a customer, I will rather choose a different place, which is why I'm not going back anymore. In today's age, I do not understand why a restaurant, which has relatively good food, simply can't fix this. Things happen sometimes, but they can't happen all the time. read more

Love this restaurant! Food is on point, delicious and quality is outstanding. I go every time we're in town. Reservations highly recommended! read more

See all

We had reservations at Passero tonight for Mother's Day. I had only been here once before, just after the pandemic, and we sat outside. Passero is located in the old California Pizza Kitchen, and I like the new decor. The place has the feel of a nicer restaurant (see my pics). For our appetizer we ordered the brussel sprouts--they were the best that I've ever had! The bacon and the sauce (sweet) were delicious. Not sure where they rank on the healthy scale, but very good : ) For dinner I ordered the Asiago crusted prime hangar steak--it was good, not great. The crust was tasty, the meat was a tad undercooked, and the sauce was ok. I might try the chicken parm next time. For dessert we shared the key lime pie and the peanut butter chocolate pie. Key lime was good--too sweet for me and the pb and choco pie was rich, but outstanding! The service was good. Recommended. read more

See all

Cacio Pepe was suddenly OFF the menu. Waitress said it was "out of season" WHAT?? I have been to over 100 Italian restaurants; since when is Cacio Pepe "seasonal?" Since none of the other pasta plates had a white cream sauce, I tried a pizza. It was horrible. I ordered it without the arugula and it showed up LOADED with arugula. Waitress did not apologize, just blamed it on the kitchen. It was also soggy and bland. Bad food and horrible service. Would not recommend. read more

We usually have great service but food is a 50/50 chance if it is good or not. The eggs were not cooked all the way but they had no problem remaking them. read more

Food is always excellent, and service is very well done. Great for date night, ok for kids.

Tried this 3 times and continues to be just awful. Veal dish was disgusting. This feels like a city restaurant but is light years

The food was outstanding! Like absolutely delicious. 10/5 for the food. That said, took off a star because I was not really impressed with the service at all and was put off by the vibe/unfriendliness of the staff. read more

I must say the service was excellent, but the food did not meet my expectations. It was my first time back at Passero after a few months. The Brussels sprouts were delicious, but the carbonara sauce was lacking; it had an excessive amount of pepper. read more

I see some bad reviews and I don't understand. The entire family loved our food, service and the general vibe last night. Food was delicious. Pasta was fresh and the chicken was great too. No one complained at all. Our waitress was so nice and attentive to us. Food came quick and hot. The vibe was lively and made us feel great. We will certainly come again. Thank you for making it a great night. read more

Went to Passero for my first time this past Wednesday and I was blown away, truly! To start, my waitress was absolutely phenomenal and made the experience even better with her sunshine, bubbly personality (I wish I remembered her name or I would definitely mention it). We ordered the brussel sprouts to start and they were really, really good. For my meal, I got the Fusilli and WOW! So, so, SO good. I would go as far as saying this is one of the best pastas I've had since I was in Italy this past summer. To end the meal, we got tiramisu which was very delicious. In addition, it was my step mom's birthday so they made it extra special bringing out a sparkler with her birthday dessert. I really cannot recommend Passero enough and can't wait to be back sometime soon! read more

Passero - Tiramisu with sparkler - Italian Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

See all

Made dinner reservations for a party of 5 on a Sunday evening a week in advance to celebrate a birthday. The restaurant was not full by any means and they had plenty of open seats scattered throughout. When I walked up to the hostess I mentioned I was meeting a group and she said "oh yes" and while pointing in the general vicinity of the room told me they table was "over there". Upon being seated in a round booth our group had a difficult time getting in as they had placed a table for 2 so close to the booth, we were only able to enter on one side. The couple sitting at the table next to us looked uncomfortable as they did not expect 5 additional guests joining them for dinner. Literally felt like we were on top of each other as our table were almost touching. The table on the other side of them stayed empty, as did many other tables. The seat planning could have been thought through better. While our table enjoyed all the dishes, especially the half charred pepperoni and half wild mushroom pizza, if you are gluten or dairy free your options are extremely limited. After we had finished our meal, the waitress brought a bottle with a sparkler and a small dessert for the birthday girl. While the gesture was wonderful, she never asked if anyone wanted to look at a dessert menu prior to bringing the dish and did not provide any silverware. The sparkler blew out before we even had a chance to sing happy birthday. So we were left sitting there waiting around for several minutes before she came back and we could ask for spoons and a menu so the rest of us could enjoy dessert as well. It's the little details that matter, and Passero did not pay attention that night. read more

Passero - Italian Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

my best friend lives in this town and loves Passero and ever since she brought me the first time I've been wanting to go back. This is my second time here and I'm so glad we came back and had another great experience. I was so excited for the pasta that I didn't even take a picture of it. But believe me, we cleared our bowls. I got the fusilli vodka and it was phenomenal. With this type of pasta I thought it might be too firm but fit was perfect. The garlic bread was a great way to start ( a little tough and crispy but overall the cheese made up for it). I got the "sweat emotions" cocktail and it was very good. We ended with the perfect treat - tiramisu. This place is great! Service & ambience are great for big or small gatherings. read more

Passero - TIRAMISU - Italian Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Slow service. Watched the wait staff talk in the kitchen more than anything. Took almost 10 minutes to get waters for the table. The food was not worth the wait. Everything was over seasoned, especially the fries. Had to knock salt off the fries just to make them eatable. Zero reason for us to return. read more

Enjoyed everything we got from Passero! We did family style and got to enjoy a bit of everything. I loved the mushroom pizza and other apps we got!! Pastas were standard but pretty tasty. Prices were fair especially when splitting everything. Not the type of place you'll have a ton of leftovers after. The drink I got was really good (which was what I would expect at $15 each). Didn't have any of the issues with service that ppl had mentioned before. It was a little loud but quieted down as the night went on. read more

See all

Passero is in downtown Arlington Heights and excels at not just creating some of the best food, but also delivering some of the best service I've received since moving here. Everyone from the hostesses to the servers and bartenders, the cooks and food runners are all actively trying to make your dining experience exceptional. And they pull it off (seemingly) quite easily. The inside is modern and stylish with a unique bar top and kitchen in plain view. The patio isn't quiet when the trains are coming by but otherwise it's fantastic for summer nighttime dining. If you want to sit outside make a reservation, we went twice both during weeknights and each time it was hopping. I think the star of the show is the desert, followed closely by the pasta, but I've yet to try the summer specials. Here's what I had and how I'd rate them. Brussel Sprouts 5/5 Exceptional and full of flavor! Get this. General Tao's Cauliflower 4/5 Good flavor, and sweet, light Not Another Caesar Salad 5/5 It really isn't, and I won't spoil it for you by telling you all the different ingredients they add to make it unique but they use a Greek yogurt to make the dressing, very light, and very delicious. Cheesy Garlic Bread 5/5 This comes out piping hot and they pour an oil of some sort onto the bread table side when it arrives. Comes with sauce for dipping and is the perfect compliment to any pasta or salad. I'd suggest this more for parties of 4 or more unless you want to take it home. It's quite a large portion! Pappardelle Napoletana 5/5 This was a braised short rib + fennel sausage pasta dish with veggies and romano. Definitely not for the lighter diet, but totally fantastic. I paired it with a Chianti and it really impressed me. I had the Spaghetti Carbonara the previous trip here and it was also absolutely amazing. It does have a raw egg on top which you mix in when it arrives, so it's not for everyone, but WOW the flavor profile and punch that dish had made me crave it again. Now, desert. Let me tell you the two deserts we had on different occasions were both out of this world. The butter cake was also 5/5 Pictured here is the Key Lime Pie 5/5 The graham cracker crust is perfection. And I've never seen a raspberry compliment to a key lime pie before but it absolutely works. What does Passero do right? Simple, everything. Kudos to the entire staff, you've got a regular customer right here. read more

See all

came here for our anniversary and we were not disappointed! was not the best italian restaurant we've been to but still enjoyable. we started off with the garlic bread (recommended by our server) and it was soo good! The brussels sprouts were also tasty and crisp. for the mains, i got the cacio e pepe and my husband got the rigatoni. both were great! decent portions too. we capped the dinner with a dense chocolate peanut butter pie. we were so full and couldn't finish because it was so heavy/sweet. next time we'll opt for a lighter dessert. overall, i would recommend! read more

See all

I was not impressed with the food or prices. I had the halibut which tasted like it was a pre-breaded frozen piece of fish. The lemon sauce was very good & the broccolini stalks were partially inedible. The flowers were good but very uneven cook. They do not even give you bread so our waitress said she could bring us 3 slices of ciabatta for $5.00. (What??!!!). We ordered it but weren't happy. My friend had the short rib which was tasty but the portion is minuscule for $38!!! Come on!! The wine is very overpriced & they also add a 3.5% surcharge & give you tip suggestion that is based after including the taxes & surcharge!!! Rip off!!! I won't be back.Too many other good restaurants out there!! read more

I'll never get tired of this place. Service was lacking for the first time tonight. But everything else was top notch! The garlic bread I had for the first time! I'm so regretful not getting it before! Of course as always the best brussel sprouts and the whipped ricotta are a must! I opted for chicken parm and got to try a bite of the pork chop as well. It's great! Dessert I had the gooey butter cake and the best key lime pie! read more

Classy. Friendly service. Our server was very helpful in helping us pick out the best option ( FOBO was a big problem, we want to order everything). The menu was very simple yet very impressive. They have a perfect drink selections. Free parking read more

Fun place for cocktails. Bar atmosphere was lively and waitstaff was kind. We were very tempted to stay for food with our prime view of the kitchen and seeing all the prepared orders come out. Will be back again! read more

Passero - Italian Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

I've read good reviews for this resto from fb group sites. The place is easy to find with Free street parking and some public parking. The resto looks so nice and comfortable. Outside and inside seating available. We ordered the chopped salad and chicken parm. The chopped salad is really yummy as suggested by the server. My daughter ordered the chicken parm and she was kinda disappointed with the texture of the chicken. I tried it and it had a weird texture like fake. Probably it was from frozen chicken and too salty for me. The service is great though. Im glad I tried it but no second time for us. read more

Passero - LORETTAS - Italian Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

See all

I just went in there and the servers told me they couldn't accept my I.D because it wasn't a Chicago I.D. The both ladies called it weird. They asked me if I had a passport. Don't go there if you're not from Chicago. Dumbest thing ever. I'll never go back there read more

Passero has always been a good restaurant in our rotation. I think the combination of foods offered on the menu are really great. There's enough choice for everyone. My wife really loves the penne with vodka sauce and the pizzas (gluten free friendly for her allergy!). The last time I went I got their burger and it was fantastic! read more

If you're looking for food that's delicious and fresh, this is the restaurant for you! The food here definitely tastes unique, and the freshness of the preparation is evident in each bite. This restaurant reminds me a bit of seasons 52 and Cheddars, with a menu that covers a wide variety of flavors -- especially highlighting the fresh pizza and pasta. The service is quick and friendly, and dining room is fairly large. Prices are a bit on the higher side, though in line with the finer restaurants in Arlington Heights -- but the quality is reflected in each dish. The fire roasted calabrian brussell sprouts make the vegetable quite tasty and delicious. The publican bacon helps to temper the sweetness of heaven's honey quite well, which makes a nice topping to the slightly crispy brussell sprouts. The calabrian chile adds a nice smokiness to the dish. The charred pepperoni brick oven pizza has a delicious dough that reminds me of the great dough on the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship. The Ezzo "cup and char" pepperoni adds a nice flavor without being too salty, fior di latte mozzarella provides a soft and creamy cheese topping, and fresh basil adds the perfect touch to match the light flavored tomato sauce. Delicious and highly recommended. The chicken parm was a bit different, as the chicken quarter was bone in but this was prepared in nice crispy manner with juicy meat. The star of the dish was really the fusilli vodka which had a perfect al dente texture and was matched with a delicious mix of red sauce, provolone cheese, and parmesan cheese. This is definitely an elevated version of a popular favorite. The pappardelle napoletana is probably the best version I've had in a long time. Once again, the pasta was the star of the dish with a perfect texture. The short rib had a good amount of fat to it, and the sweet fennel sausage and braised root vegetables added a great flavor and heartiness to the dish. Overall, excellent food and wonderful flavors. A bit more expensive than going elsewhere but the quality and uniqueness make this a great value and wonderful place to enjoy a special meal. read more

See all

The timing was way off~ got our dinner as we were just starting to enjoy our appetizer. The shishito peppers could have been other than al dente and the center of the garlic bread was cool. I wish the onions on top of the meatballs would have been freshly done and crispy. My friend said the pasta was good but Sebastian didn't ask if we wanted grated Parmesan and come to think of it, he didn't ask if we wanted anything but water. We'd been here years ago and we decided to try it once more. read more

Everything I've had at Passero has been delicious. On my most recent visit, my friend and I went all out with an appetizer, entree, drinks and dessert. Whipped ricotta was an amazing appetizer. The only downside was it didn't come with enough bread. Not wanting to waste the cheese, we asked for a couple more pieces of bread. Our server didn't mention there'd be an additional charge for it -- we only found out when it appeared on our bill. I can't think of another place that has charged for bread in a situation like this. Anyway, the appetizer was very good. I had Loretta's chopped salad with chicken for dinner, and it was also good, and definitely large enough, especially since we'd been filling up on bread and cheese! I'd definitely order this salad again. We finished up with a piece of chocolate peanut butter pie. It's a good thing we shared it, because it was enormous! We actually brought about half of it home! It was very good, and again I'd recommend it. Our server was friendly but unobtrusive, and our patio table was right next to a heater, which was perfect on a cool fall evening. Passero can be on the pricey side, particularly if you enjoy multiple courses, but it's well worth it for a special occasion or just a fun splurge. read more

See all

The restaurant ambiance was great, music was a tad loud. The food was delicious and the service provided was excellent. Would highly recommend for a nice dinner. The price was reasonable. read more

The food was delicious. The service was excellent. The ambience was very energetic. There's a large variety of menu items to choose from as well as drink items. read more

Alright listen, I've heard tremendous things about this restaurant, but I really thought people were just being over-the-top.... until I tried it for myself. Now I finally understand what the hype is about! The food here is something else. Fresh, real, delicious. I tried the General Tso's cauliflower, the lemon cesar salad, the Loretta's salad, and a frozen Aperol Spritz cocktail. Everything was 10/10. They used to have a smaller location down the street, and thank goodness they moved to a bigger location because it was popping here! Definitely make reservations, especially if you're going at a busy hour or on a weekend day. They also have a big outdoor patio on the side of the restaurant, as well as a spacious inside. Overall, this definitely made it to my top 3 favorite restaurants in the downtown Arlington Heights area. Absolutely perfect for date nights, drinks with friends, and family dinners. 100% recommend this place!! read more

Passero - General Tso's cauliflower... yum! - Italian Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

See all

Love this place! Accomodated and 12 person same day reservation for a 21st birthday! Excellent service, amazing food as always, and nice birthday surprise at the end! read more

Oh my gosh is this place fantastic! Most delicious filet mignon I have ever had the pleasure of ordering. Broccolini 10/10. Calamari out of this world. And the ambience was lovely for date night! Joseph was attentive and knowledgeable and went out of the way to check on us and engage in quality conversation. We have two young children and don't get out much, and the whole experience was so incredibly worth our time and dime. read more

Love Passero! We go here often for special occasions or just because; the food is always solid, customer service is great and drinks are strong read more

Miguel is amazing, and his staff equally so. What a wonderful memorable night we had, all because of their incredible food, service, hospitality, and atmosphere. Thank you so much for giving my friends and I the perfect way to celebrate and wish them goodbye before they move across the world! read more

Food & service are outstanding every time. Ambience is great. Very well run restaurant. We love the cheese garlic bread, pastas, and burger. Their burger is amazing read more

Passero - Italian Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

We'll one menu item we wanted was all out, ended with lobster ravioli, that was very good. Also ordered Carbonara, the portion was kind of small and didn't look like llke the picture, the sauce was too brown and for mostly a past dish it was too pricy. The service was good. The ambiance is nice but I don't like the seating, not enough privacy, tables are too close together. All and all i think the place is a little over rated. read more

We have always loved Passero. We eat there quite often. Food is great. Ambience is lovely. Etc. Today, I have a different reason for loving this place. This past Saturday, we had brunch there after our younger daughter's First Communion. Somehow I did not realize until today (so about 5 days later) that I couldn't find my late mother's beautiful emerald ring that I had worn that day. My mom passed away in 2018 (my dad in 2016) and this ring is extremely special to me. (I always knew it was a bit loose on me, and I rarely wear it, but figured that it was heavy enough that I'd feel it if it came off....such was obviously not the case.) After looking everywhere today, the only other place I could think of looking was Passero. I arrived at 4:30 when they opened. I explained the situation. The minute some of the staff heard I had lost a ring, one of them said, "Is it green?" I said yes and she said they had it. I actually burst into tears immediately and they were all just so very kind. Some even gave me a hug. And the young man gave my daughter a cake pop while they went to get the ring. I am beyond grateful to the staff there. I'm not sure exactly who turned it in (maybe someone named Miguel as his name was on the envelope that held my ring, but not sure) but am so very appreciative they did. Rings are small and not everyone is kind and honest. Someone could have easily pocketed that and not thought twice. It meant so very much to me to have that ring back. THANK YOU to the staff at Passero for making my day, doing the right thing, and saving something so incredibly important and special to me! :) read more

Good BUT BEWARE...I know they are all doing it, but ENOUGH!!! Surcharge for "labor, benefits, supplies". Hell no! Tired of being nickled and dimed. They did take it off when I asked but so many do not even look at their bills!! read more

Like Danny R, we visited on June 25th and were so disappointed! We love Passero but our waitress and busboy were clearly coached by the manager to try to take our plates half finished, offer boxes, pushing us to leave. We were only there for 1/2 hour when the 'eat it and beat it' process began, with 2 tables open behind us! Our regular spot has become only interested in volume! read more

We were given a carafe of water and two small glasses. Had to ask for ice. The wild mushroom pizza was good. The chopped kale ceasar salad was passable only. The greens were only kale - no lettuce. The kale was chopped into long, skinny pieces which were hard to eat. We asked for dressing on the side, and received a VERY tiny little container of dressing and had to ask for more. When the pizza came a little while later, we had to wait for someone to come back to the table and ask for plates, salt & pepper, and parmesan cheese. This place is now really a bar that serves food. It is extremely loud in there. The music was turned up way too loud for comfortable dinner conversation, to the degree that the server said she couldn't hear me. Although the server took our order, each item was delivered to the table by someone from the kitchen who merely dropped the item on the table and immediately left -- not giving us a chance to ask for something ( i.e., plates). The tables are VERY small. Again, there was no salt/pepper, parmesan, bread/rolls. or anything on the table. On top of all of that, this place is extremely expensive for what you get. For a party of two, the bill included 2 glasses of house cabernet, one kale ceasar salad, and one mushroom pizza -- the bill was $84.00 !!! Given the poor ambience, poor service, lack of seasoning items on the table, food that is just OK, and the extremely high price -- we will not be back. There are better Italian restaurants with much better ambiance, food, and service that are more reasonably priced. This has just turned into another one of those downtown Arlington Heights restaurants/bars that's loud and mediocre and, of course, good luck finding a place to park. Spend your money elsewhere. read more