Ok - It's back. Rosebud on Rush has returned to former very solid status. It may well be the change in ownership. One of the other Rosebud restaurants told me about the breakup of the business and sale... and advised me to try it again. Eat inside downstairs for the best experience. Cozy and just a bit elegant. I always ask if they have the giant prawn cocktail which is never on the menu but often there. The bartenders are good. read more

Loved the bolognese, it is perfectly savory & nutty. The portions are also great-- chicken Milanese & parm were MASSIVE. Loved the wine I got too. read more

Rosebud on Rush - Ribbons Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The tortellini carbonara was tasty. However, the bread basket was horrible. Bland dinner roll, grocery store quality. Not the Italian bread I of your dreams for sure. read more

We were lucky to have the best waiter, Jaime. He recommended the shrimp risotto and it was amazing. I cant wait to come back to try more!! read more

Rosebud on Rush - Jaime is the best waiter!! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

the Food was awesome. the atmosphere was great! i had the eggplant appetizer and it was the best i ever had. for my meal i had the short ribs and polenta and that was very satisfying and perfectly cooked. Service was a little slow on a slow Monday night. read more

Quick service. Great staff. Food was impeccable. Would highly recommend. Many options on the menu

We ordered takeout from Rosebud. It's always packed so I figured it was really good. It was decent! Maybe it was because it was takeout but the pasta just wasn't that tasty. read more

Had a great meal solo at the (prohibition era) bar with a delightful bartender and a tremendous veal parm

I was blown away with my entire experience at Rosebud on Rush - the food, the service, and the ambiance were all impeccable! Highly recommend! A couple of friends were in town visiting on short notice so we needed a last minute reservation and we decided to give Rosebud a shot. I've always seen the place packed when I am in the area, and now I know why! It was very easy to make a reservation for dinner for four online and when we arrived we were seated right away. It's a pretty large space and we sat on the upper floor. Our waiter, Nicholas (if I'm remembering correctly), was fantastic! Funny, kind, attentive, and engaging. He had great recommendations and some great quips! We ended up ordering a fettuccine alfredo, baked ziti, an 18oz steak, and an 8oz filet (mine). We also got cannolis, chocolate cake, and cheesecake for dessert. Wow - these guys don't mess around when it comes to portion size! Everything was pretty big and we needed a couple of boxes. It was all soooo good! My wife said the fettuccine was the best in town, and my filet was cooked perfectly (medium) and tasted great. My friends also said their food was great and that it was the best restaurant they'd been to in Chicago. The desserts were also top notch! All in all, this place was amazing! We will definitely be back and I hope you give this place a try and it's as great as it was for us! read more

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I have mixed feelings about my experience here but I maybe should have known something was up when I saw on their website that Rosebud is undergoing a transition. Per the website, I thought maybe the entire restaurant was changing from Italian to Mexican but speaking with the waitress, it seems like it may only be the first floor (out of three floors) but it seems like that was not even definite. I came here with my wife and 3 year old and we sat on the first floor which was being changed over to a Mexican theme. I have to wonder why the change because I honestly thought the change Italian food we ordered was absolutely delicious. Very fresh pasta and flavorful sauces. Highly recommend both the ribbons bolognese and the rigatoni aka vodka. Waitress was friendly and personable. read more

Love the brunch and shared plates. Eggs Benedict was perfect and taters were perfectly cooked. read more

Rosebud on Rush - Great taters - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I made reservations for this restaurant three months in advance. And then called two days before the reservation to make sure we could either get a booth inside or a table outside on the patio. I was assured there would be no problem. We got there and the maître D said it would be a 40 minute wait for a booth and there were no tables on the outside patio. He was not accommodating at all or even that friendly. He wound up seating us down in the basement against a wall with zero view and a bunch of people all crowded in like cattle. Extremely extremely uncomfortable area to eat. You feel like you're in a dungeon or you're put down there because you're in a timeout because you've misbehaved. We were meeting another couple so we just decided to take that table. Miguel was our server and he was lovely. Pretty expansive menu. The food came out nice and hot with very large portions. The Chilean see bass melted in your mouth. The baked ziti was very flavorful and satisfying and the chicken Parmesan was really tasty as well. Not inexpensive by any means and not worth it if you've got to be stuffed in the basement. Overall, it would've been a really enjoyable experience had they not stuck us down there. And even after making these reservations so far in advance what's the point of reservations, if they don't honor them?! I would've given them 5 stars had the hostess not been so rude and they would've honored our reservation. read more

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Loved it! Super charming old school Italian restaurant atmosphere, photos of celebs on the wall. Dinner was delicious. Table bread was good, not awesome. Baked clams were delicious, whole clam in the shell under the breading, tasted great, wished the clams were chopped up in it though. Seabass dinner was AMAZING, huge filet, nice and lightly crisped on the edges, the fresh spinach and tomatoes were in an absolutely delicious sauce with capers. Totally get this if you like fish. Lamb chops were delicious as well, came with fresh asparagus and a really good sauce on the side. Dessert was ok, a 14 oz several layer carrot cake. I'm particular about frosting, and this was not a traditional buttercream style, so I don't really recommend it. Perhaps the other desserts would be better. read more

Called to ask about a reservation and they said they had walk ins and close at 10PM unlike their Yelp page hours. When we walked over 5 minutes later this male server interrupted us talking to say they had no reservations at all. The Puerto Rican (maybe Indian?) looking male host/server (greasy slicked back hair with glasses) was also very rude + dismissive and insinuated I called the wrong location saying they quote "have 13 others locations". Showed them the call log and address on Yelp and he verified their number/location was correct. The front hostesses seemed afraid to talk as this guy was hostile in taking over our conversation. We were very excited to eat here and it was ruined by this experience. Please save your time and skip this joint. We were able to make a walk in reservation at Italian restaurant Volare down the road and were treated like valued guests (unlike Rosebud), plus the food was amazing! read more

Arrabbiata was delicious. Large dining area, quieter downstairs. Good service & vibe. read more

Rosebud on Rush - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had a great experience with friends here. Definitely come with your appetite because the portions are large! Enough to bring home for a late snack or lunch the next day. The chicken parm is a must! Eggplant stack was a great starter paired with a house salad. Our server was very attentive and friendly. We were the last people left in the restaurant and they were still extremely kind and made sure we got our desserts and boxed everything up for us. Great for groups or an intimate date night. read more

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We enjoyed Rosebud in Little Italy of Chicago a couple years back so we couldn't pass up trying another location while in Chicago recently: this one, Rosebud on Rush. And again, Rosebud lived up to the tremendous stars given by many on Yelp. The location is just off of N Michigan Ave so it was very walkable for us but easily worth a drive if you must. The location has a cool vibe with outdoor sidewalk seating but we elected to stay inside and were placed at a quaint, white-tablecloth-covered two-top downstairs. The bread/parmesan/olive oil starter was delicious--yeah, yeah, sometimes the simplest parts of the meal make an impact; I do love good fresh bread. And having fresh parm on the table is key at a good Italian restaurant. We didn't have to pester the waiter for this requisite garnish and could enjoy embarrassing amounts of it without feeling guilty. ;) I had the ribbon bolognese, and my husband had his go-to veal parm. Both were excellent. I loved the ribbon pasta (a first for me), and the bolognese sauce was tasty. I loved the garnish (ricotta mixture?). I got to sample the veal before my husband polished off the hubcap-sized portion, and it was tender and cheesy. It came with a small side of pasta which barely got a look from my husband as he devoured the main entree. We were too stuffed for dessert but saw some impressive ones. I did end with a cappuccino which was a nice option that was a little better than your typical post-dinner coffee. Only surprise was a 3% service charge on the bill without any explanation and which you could ask to have removed. That's very odd. Who gets this? Not the waitstaff. It left a nickel-and-dime taste in our mouths after paying handsomely for our meal. Now you need another 3%? Yet, we felt we'd look cheap to ask to have it removed. It made for an awkward end to a good meal. read more

In the downtown area today with the family, reached out to RL as our regular spot, was in formed they were full!!! What???!!! After all these years!!! Other options were coming to mind when Rosebud on Rush was in plain site. Plan C was Hardrock Cafe. But stepped in and didn't know which direction to go outdoor or downstairs. Finally a waitstaff person popped out and informed me that the host would be with us. We decided to dine downstairs...our waitstaff was Kristen M. She asked if we were ready for drinks but we all went with iced tea & a Pepsi. Antipasto consisted of Fried Calamari & Stuffed mushrooms. Various breads were placed at our table along with EVOO & parmigiana cheese.The antipasto was delicious!!! My Bride ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana, my middle son ordered the chicken parmigiana both had pasta Al dente with marinara sauce. The rest of us went with Their burger, medium rare, one with cheese the rest plain, with normal toppings. Fries all on the side. The dishes were great except for the burgers: they all came with cheese, and were well done & charred. We waited long enough for these meals that to send them back & wait would just be a waste of time & energy. Service was spot on, but the chef lost our orders in translation. Eggplant parmigiana was a large portion so I'll try it and see if maybe I should have ordered an Italian dish instead of the burgers. Mangia & Cheers! read more

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The portions at this place are absolutely huge. You def want to show up hungry. Food is fabulous, I had the pork chop, sweet and spicy. VERY good, highly recommended. read more

The outside appeal drew me in first with the huge bright red corner awning and quaint checkered tablecloths. The hostess Greeted us with a smile and we were seated immediately to a lovely outside table. ( I'm a people watcher, so I'm in heaven) The weather was perfect, the atmosphere was some of the best in Chicago and my dinner was total perfection! If your visiting the Magnificent Mile, Rosebud on a Rush should definitely be on your itinerary. read more

Rosebud on Rush - Great service from start to finish!! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My long time friend and I have been coming here for years - they have the best sausage and peppers ever! We had a nice caprese salad, and had the sausage and peppers for our main meal. We had delicious cocktails first and also a nice red wine - had to save room for their coconut cake, it was amazing... Wonderful service too, I love this place! read more

What a delightful experience from a staple of the Chicago landscape. When walking you travel down memory lane viewing photos of celebrities of past and present. Immediately upon sitting down I was greeted with exceptional service and a menu that makes you want to scream "Mama Mia". I took my two children to this experience and although they weren't greeted with a children's menu they were greeted with a plate of spaghetti and meatballs that makes you want to invade Sicily and plant a flag. This place plane and simple is a delight of service, ambiance and food and a must visit for any local or traveler to Chicago. read more

I came here for my anniversary dinner with my husband, and we had a great experience. I started with an espresso martini and it was creamy, sweet, and strong! It was delicious! My hubby and I shared the chicken parm and we asked for alfredo on our side of pasta. So glad we shared because this meal was big enough for 4! The chicken parm comes out on a literal platter. It's humongous! It was perfectly cooked and the sauce is homemade and tangy. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and were even treated to a rich chocolate mousse cake for dessert! My only gripe is that the tables are really packed together and we were placed in a very back corner, though service was still great! read more

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Came for Valentine's Day. Got a bottle of Quilt wine (fantastic). Server was good and cracked some dry jokes. Place was dimly lit and full of people. Overall food was good. Cheesecake was yummy dessert. I wonder what the tiramisu tastes like... read more

Great place for a good lunch! We stopped in for a quick lunch bite and we were amazed! The food was great, but the dessert was perfect! One of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had! read more

Rosebud on Rush - Their Godiva chocolate cake - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visited lunch time Monday March 31, 2025. Sat in the outdoor section which was just okay. Our table was so wobbly it was annoying. Service was MEH and the food we ordered, Spaghetti and Meatballs came with some kind of bland rolls, not Italian bread, were even less desirable. We have been to other Rosebud locations many, many times and this location did not even come close to our expectations of a Rosebud Restaurant. We are in Chicago often and will write this restaurant off our list. read more

Traditional Italian menu. Good spot for large gatherings. The staff was welcoming and able to fit our party in last minute! read more

Rosebud on Rush - Table - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My son and decided to make an impromptu visit to Rosebud's on Rush after a day of shopping and walking Michigan Avenue. I was surprised there wasn't a wait, as it was Easter Sunday. There were plenty of seats, which made things much easier for us, especially since we're still socially distancing. Prior to placing our order the server, Salvador, served us warm, crusty Italian bread. In an effort to keep everyone safe, the restaurant serves the bread with olive oil and parmesan cheese which comes in individual portion cups, which I appreciated. I ordered the 1/2 dozen baked clams and sautéed spinach. Both were incredible? I will say, the clams were rather small, but I would have paid double if they were standard entrée-sized portions. The menu didn't offer an ingredients list, but I was tasting butter, onions, parsley, (maybe oregano), and bread crumbs. Once I finished eating my clams there was enough of the butter stuffing to use to sop the remaining bread with. The spinach was cooked with olive oil, garlic, and other ingredients I was having trouble identifying, but it was fantastic and the portion was generous. My son opted for the meatballs and French fries. He tends to keep things simple. The meatballs were gigantic and cooked in a rich, but velvety tomato gravy. I sampled a small bit from his plate and it was divine! I've always liked Rosebud's and will be returning soon! read more

Rosebud on Rush - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really enjoyed my food at rosebud on Rush Street. I had to French toast and it was absolutely delicious. In fact I think I'm gonna make some this morning LOL. My waiter was John the bartender and he was so cool. It remind me of one of those speakeasy times. The lighting was dim, the crowd was few, and the conversation was soft and enjoyable. So if you're looking for a good place for a weekend brunch, then I recommend going to Rosebud on Rush. read more

Rosebud on Rush - Delicious French toast - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great service, nice wines, traditional red-sauce Italian food in huge quantities. One star deducted for stupid pricing games: a 3% surcharge is added to the check with no explanation of what it's for, but they'll remove it if you ask. Confusing... We asked the server if it goes to them, and the answer was no, so we asked for it to be removed. Hey, you're a restaurant, not Ticketmaster. If you need to raise the prices to make a profit, raise the prices. It's not like this is the kind of place where people are going on a cheap date to begin with. read more

We can never come to Chicago without a visit to Rosebuds on Rush. Always consistent with delicious Italian food. We always make reservations just in case. Seated promptly. Service is always quick and thorough. Love that they can always make adjustments to the menu. I love Marsala but not on the menu but every time we come they will make this for me. Great service! read more

Rosebud on Rush - Baked Ziti - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Based on some of the recent reviews I read, I was nervous about dining at Rosebud on Rush. We have enjoyed fabulous meals here over the last 25+ years (when we lived in Chicago and while visiting since moving away). I'm glad I ignored the reviews and went with my "gut" or my "stomach" perhaps. We made a reservation a few days in advance. While they only reserve indoor dining, we were easily able to sit outside when we arrived for our reservation. Unlike other restaurants right now that are really struggling with having enough staff and often seat much later than the reservation time, we were seated right away and outside. It was a gorgeous evening, so it was nice to dine al fresco. The portions are HUGE. Unless you're starving or a very big eater, I would recommend sharing a dish. We skipped the appetizer knowing how enormous the portions are (although a little bummed about not eating calamari - oh well). My husband and I shared the linguine with clams in red sauce. It had one kick to it and was very generous on the clams in the sauce itself (chopped and blended into the tomato-based sauce). It was so much food we barely finished the one entree between the two of us. But I'm so glad we chose this dish. If you're watching your calories/weight/lifestyle, I learned a long time ago that linguine in red clam sauce is a great option if you go light on the pasta. Our son had the ziti with sausage and it was baked with a crusty layer of cheese on top. Excellent flavor as well. The only thing I didn't love was the bread they brought out. It was a more dense, rustic bread and the sesame seed twists were tasty, but very crunchy. We'll definitely be back next time we're in town. read more

Rosebud on Rush - Crispy sesame seed twists and rustic bread served before the meal. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Got delivery and quite enjoyed the past quality. Cavatelli al Forno - 4/5. Cheesy and wonderful. Cavatelli a little chewy but that combo of cheese and tomato sauce is so good. Square Noodles - 3.5/5. Tangy tomato sauce that we got more of on the side. Good quality noodles. You've gotta love tomato sauce and basil though as the core flavors. Nonna's Torta al Cioccolato (Chocolate Cake) - 3.5/5. My wife quite liked it. generous portion of chocolate chips. Decent quality cake. Garlic Bread - 3.5/5. The other reviews talk about the bread being garlic-y and on the crusty side, both quite true. read more

Eggplant stack is amazing. Huge portion. Malbec is great. Michael our server was wonderful and Katie at the bar was really awesome. I would never ever order cannoli but my wife did and it was fantastic. read more

Rosebud on Rush - Cannoli is fantastic - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Second time back to this restaurant in second city and I still love it. It feels homey, and warm and welcoming. The servers always do a great job as do the front of the house and back of the house. Everything is fast. I love that. It bustles and relaxes. Not easy to achieve imo. Food: salads are big enough for 2-4 to share. Simple, fresh and good. Din din: we did Petite filet trio cooked medium. That meat is tender and soooo good but the true star of the dish is the Demi glaze. Oh boy. Wow. My main squeeze had the steak and fries and it looked incredible but my sauce definitely beat his. Dessert: cheesecake with a fresh cherry reduction was PERFECT. Perfect. Also the crème brûlée is a MUST have. I have this for dessert everywhere and Rosebuds makes my top 3 list. Don't tell but I definitely, maybe, kinda licked the dish clean. Try this out (by the ever fabulous Peninsula Hotel) if you just want Italian food prepared and served with no pretense but lots of class. read more

Rosebud is a true classic Italian restaurant of Chicago. Experience a romantic or family dinner in the heart of Chicago at this classic. Great food and service. 5 out of 5 stars. read more

Delish!! In town for work. I've been to one of their restaurants in Schaumburg before so knew it would be a treat. We started with the Eggplant stack as an appetizer. Our server split it into 5 plates for all of us to share--nice touch. I wish I had taken a picture. The eggplant is sliced thin and coated with super crunchy bread crumbs (maybe panko?), some bruschetta and mixed greens. Despite being fried, everything tasted so light and fresh. Amazing. We saw the portions and knew they were HUGE, so we asked for guidance. He suggested one pasta, 2 meats. Papardelli with bolognese--add meatballs. Hearty meat sauce, the pasta was clearly made that day. Maybe even that hour. Melts in your mouth. But the meatballs---oh my balls! Tender and full of flavor. Chicken Parmigiana--it's the whole flipping chicken, people. Pounded thin, breaded, baked and smothered in cheese. The food is prepared with care and doesn't feel mass produced. Filet marsala--this was a special. The meat was cooked perfectly and fork tender. The star were the mushrooms though. That wine sauce they had been mingling in was phenomenal. May I please buy jars of that by the case? Service, ambiance and of course the food = 5 stars. Can't wait to go back ! read more

Rosebud on Rush - Papardelli with bolognese, meatballs, chicken parm and filet with mushroom marsala - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friend and I made a day trip to Chicago and this was our impromptu choice for lunch. We were seated in the tented veranda area instead of inside on a day when it was 17 degrees out, but we had overhead heaters that felt fabulous after walking in the cold snowy weather. Our waiter was amazing, attentive and gorgeous! The food was delicious and hit the spot! I highly recommend Rosebud on Rush! read more

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I love the restaurant. The portions are huge and delicious. The service is fantastic. Great atmosphere. The only annoyance is they add a 3% fee that they say is in lieu of raising menu prices. The menu prices were raised up sometime in the past 6 months by 10%. So that is not a truthful statement. read more

Rosebud on Rush - Chicken Parmesan delicious and super generous portion. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came for dinner during restaurant week and the service was friendly but I've never felt so rushed during a meal. The food came so quickly for the first two courses that we had to ask them to slow down the pacing. With every course, we were asked multiple times if we were done yet, even while chewing or with food on my fork. It really make the whole experience less enjoyable. Even after telling the bussers that we would gladly let them know when we were finished, they kept trying to take our food away. Given that there wasn't a shortage of tables, we were both really annoyed that we couldn't enjoy our dinner with constant interruptions. The Caprese salad was a bit bland but the calamari was just not good- dry, barely warm, and either over cooked crispy or over cooked chewy. The pasta (penne a la vodka) and steak really turned it around, so would recommend skipping starters for the main courses. read more