Jared, the general manager and Jon the bartender were phenomenal!!! One of the few places you can get drinks before 11am! Highly recommend!!

Oh my gosh...this place is BASICALLY like a more expensive version of Olive Garden - and dare I say it, it's not even as good!!! The portion sizes are enormous, which I believe they use to cover up the mediocre quality of their food. I ordered the specialty homemade square shaped noodles with meatballs, while my bf ordered the veal parmigiana. We both probably only ate about 1/3 of our meals because they were so gigantic, which I wish they had warned us about! But seriously, the taste of the food wasn't great at all...in fact, it was very plain; again, this place was ridiculously pricey for the quality of the food. We didn't even bother ordering dessert because we were so stuffed and disappointed in the food. I'd rather make my own pasta at home out of box, thankyouverymuch! read more

The food was great-- pasta with vodka sauce, chicken parm and House salad were delicious. Service was slow (especially in between salad and main course) but staff was very friendly. read more

Being a Chicago resident, I'm not allowed to rate this 5 stars. Everyone can name at least 5 neighborhood Italian restaurants within a two block radius of their respective condo that has food that is just as good or better than Rosebud, I know, I get it. Also this place is for tourists, so we don't go there. Bologna, this place has been top notch since the first time I had it as a tourist, to many years later as a Resident. I make it a point to order the specials now, as I've had everything on the menu over the past decade and a half twice over. This place is great for a date, family members in town visiting, or for a work function. Feel free to come here regardless of the circumstances as Rosebud delivers no matter what. The staff is professional, polite, and are a throwback to the days of customer service that are painstakingly slipping from our grasp with each passing day. The food is fresh and comes in robust portions. Yes, there are many great under the radar Italian places a lot closer in your neighborhood, but don't let that undercut the excellence that is Rosebud on Rush. It's summertime. If you haven't been in a while, head over for dinner or lunch and get an outdoor table. You won't be disappointed! read more

Excellent outdoor seating-check. Super friendly staff-check. Beautiful, well rounded menu-check. Delicious specials list-CHECK! Water filled constantly-check. Fast service but not rushed-check. Manager checks on you-check check!! Okay I only stopped here for lunch but this restaurant did EVERYTHING RIGHT!! The eggplant salad was a HOMERUN! It was layers of lightly fried eggplant accommodated by mozzarella, tomato, over a bed of arugula and drizzled with balsamic. It was delicious and perfect for lunch. You know when you go to a restaurant and everyone appreciates your business? That's how I felt. Oh rosebud, I love you and may have found my new favorite Chicago lunch spot! (Oh and the bathroom was lovely and the soaps were so yummy smelling...the details matter:)) read more

Rosebud on Rush - The eggplant salad is light, crispy and just the right amount of sweet and savory!! Yummy. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Solid dinner spot in the city, lots of rustic charm and layout. (Believe this may be the original location). Pictures of musicians, actors etc fill the walls which give it the rustic charm and look and everything you'd expect to see in a place like this. Dinner menu is large however simplistic at the same time as the food along with waitstaff is very well-done. I haven't ventured out of my comfort zone very often (either at this location or one of their others) however whatever I have ordered has been delicious. Calamari melts in your mouth like butter and is not chewy which is essential and you can NEVER go wrong with the Rigatoni Alla Vodka dish. Great spot for a nicer date, casual noise, making a reservation is necessary on the weekends. In regards to parking a few garages within a block or less of the restaurant. One con, leave the cheese on the table so that I don't have to bother the waiter & can eat my bread and oil in peace. Overall 4.5/5.0, Bravo RoseBud. read more

My first experience here was takeout and it wasn't what I expected. I had the house pasta. It was cooked well and the sauce was tasty however I had payed for extra jumbo shrimp and all I got were poorly washed, barely flavored, pieces of meat with tails.. and they gave me 3... Whaat??? From that one time I'm dubious to give this place another chance... read more

I love Italian food, so when a friend requested that I take her to Rosebud for her birthday I was a bit excited. I usually shy away from anything on Rush because of the over priced food, terrible club scene, expensive parking, and tourists galore. The dining room is located down stairs and is quite small. There is a big bar along one wall for which we were seated right next to. We were looking for privacy so this was a plus because we felt tucked away but the bus boys and wait staff frequently had to shimmy past us to get to the other tables. Not a huge deal but was a bit distracting. The service was quick but poor. We had a middle aged lady who I could tell just did not want to be there. She spoke very broken English and I could not understand the specials at all. I asked her to repeat some of what she had said and she acted like I asked her for $20.00. The only way I could give her a pass is if she was Italian, in an Italian restaurant, trying to speak English. Never the less she did recommending a nice bottle of wine and took our order correctly. The food is fantastic. We started with the fried calamari plate. I have had better, crispier calamari elsewhere but this wasn't bad. What was nice was that they knew we were sharing the appetizer so they took the liberty of splitting it up onto two plates. The entrees came out soon after, just like clockwork. My friend had the "special" cheese stuffed ravioli with vegetables and shrimp for which she loved. I too thought it was good but did not get to sample it until the next morning in leftover form. I chose the Veal Saltimbocca. This is my favorite of all time Italian plate. It consists of veal cutlets pounded thin with prosciutto and fresh sage, sauted, topped with mozzarella and served in tomato and white wine sauce with a side of pasta. They made it perfect. I'm going to give this Rush Street staple two stars because of the bland server. I know I eat late and I didn't even arrive until almost 9:00pm, but the whole time we felt rushed to eat and get going, After we finished our meals the server basically "cut us off" from ordering anything else by bringing over the bill. What was the rush on Rush St.? I understand she needs to get home and it was getting late but if given the chance I would have not only ordered another bottle of wine, but desert. Hello!!! Up sell and larger bill means a bigger tip! And yes, I am ignorant enough to tip on alcohol. Even as we were leaving they were still seating people. For a restaurant with a good reputation and great real estate they should have better service. My server might be more comfortable at an IHOP, or Navy Pier. Food was great, service was bad, they do have valet parking, and it is very pricey. I'm trying to find a reason to dine on Rush Street but this isn't it. No matter how tasty the food is, presentation is everything in dining. read more

I was enjoying my fresh pasta so much that I forgot to take a picture. The Rosebud Pappardelle tomato basil sauce oh my spouse had the clams and fresh linguine, both of these dishes were so good and highly recommend. This is a must stop for fresh pasta! Everyone here was friendly and helpful. read more

After my last visit they only deserve three stars. Many people, like myself and unlike myself, go to restaurants to celebrate events. We chose Rosebud's to celebrate my grandmother's almost 90th birthday. After making the hostess aware of our celebration as we sat down, we hoped for something. A free meal? No. A dessert? Maybe. A candle in a dessert? Sure, why not. The problem was that no one even acknowledged the birthday. Our personality-free waiter never said a thing to my grandmother about it, nor brought out anything with a candle. They didn't even try making it special for her and served her a bad piece of steak. Disappointing! You know what? I'm taking off another star. It really pisses me off when nice Italian restaurants can't train their wait staff how to properly pronounce Italian words on the menu and they are no exception. It's oh-reck-ee-ET-tay, not oh-REY-kay (orecchiette). read more

I was really excited to take my friend to Rosebud since it is a famous Italian restaurant near northwestern Hospital. Unfortunately my experience there tonight was below sub par. The waiter was awesome and this review has no reflection on him and his performance. The food was just gross. The mussels were grotesque and smelled bad. The chicken Marsala was too sweet like a bad sweet and sour sauce. The only food items that were good were the house salad and bottle of wine. Upon returning to the Hospital we both got sick. Need I say more? read more

Totally misled by the reviews here. Yes I do admit their service is good. However, the food is so terrible. I could totally tell that my veal was cooked from frozen food, and my companion had the same opinion on his dish. Chicago has a Little Italy, and so many great Italian restaurants in the city. If you're looking for Italian food, I suggest that you should go somewhere else. read more

Moved to Chicago about a month ago.. Decided to go check out the restaurants on Rush with my GF. As i walked out i was thinking, ' Now that we have seen the worst we can not get any lower'. The food was mediocre at best, even a little raw. A piece of lobster that we paid $28 for, supposedly a small one (7lb) had a piece of meat the size of a gulf ball and came in a plate of sauteed greens that will make the green giant blush. Calamari was extremely chewy and almost raw. I feel bad for the waiters who work there. I heard later that this place was better and then it went down the crapper! read more

I wish i could rate the food BUT we never got there the service was so bad. After hearing so much of this place, we were excited to eat here. We were sat at what could have easily been the poorest small two top up against the wall in rather empty restaurant. We were instantly brought water and a basket of bread. That's where the service ended. Literally sat for ten solid without oil, butter or menus, even after requesting them to two different staff members. We finally decided to get up and go and then were chased down and begged not to leave. From what we saw the food on the other tables didn't leave us wanting. Seems like an old school place with a lot of history that has run out of steam if you ask me. read more

Ate dinner here for the first time a few nights ago with a friend. We had an exceptional dinner with prompt and attentive service. Highly recommend the sausage and peppers and calimari for appetizers. For dinner, we had the lamb bolognese and the veal marsala. Good wine list with some affordable options! We were seated upstairs. I *think* they seat families with children in the downstairs dining room. If so, thats brilliant! Allows families with kids to eat out without disrupting diners without kids! Will be back!! read more

I went here for lunch with a former colleague for one of our "haven't seen you in awhile catch-up" lunches. For a 12:00 PM lunch reservation, we were seated were right away and found the place not to be overly crowded. We knew ahead what we wanted, and we ordered as soon we got situated at our table. I had the chicken Parmesan which came with a side of pasta. I loved the chicken: just right amount of crunchiness, cheese and sauce. The pasta, set on a separate plate, was so-so. The marinara sauce was a little watered down. My friend requested a special dish for dietary reasons: grilled salmon with a side of vegetables. We didn't see it on the lunch menu, but they were able to accommodate with no problems. We were quite happy with the food and service and wouldn't turn this away as part of our regular places for lunch. read more

Really not that impressed with this place. Bad things - The hostess was pretty snarky and we waited for a good 10 minutes in a cramped lobby area waiting to be acknowledged. Hardly any fish or vegatarian options on the menu. Pasta sides tasted like something I could make at home with a jar of Ragu. Good things - wine was excellent and well priced, Calamari was generous and delish. Valet guy was cool and let us go to another bar and leave our car there. In a city with so many Italian options for dining I'd skip this one and go somewhere better. This one lacks luster. read more

Warning on the back: This meal was consumed after a 15 hour work day and almost no food. Warning on the front: Martini and bottle of wine were consumed during the meal I was craving some good eatin when my cousin took us to this place. The menu was what I like ~ great selection of veal, pasta, salads, entrees. Verdict ~ Damn Good. Try the veal chop (it was literally a brontosaurus chop - imagine it being thrown into the back of Fred Flintstone's car and tipping over the car). The bolognese and vodka sauces were all quite flavorful and subtle. Prices were on the higher side but it was well worth it. read more

While back in Chicago in May I HAD to go to dinner at Rosebud again! I still had fond memories from my trip in 2008! And once again, Rosebud delivered. We ordered the Antipasto Misto which was supper delicious. I loved the sampling of cheeses, meats, OLIVES (most especially the OLIVES), and other veggies. It was the perfect little treat to snack on while enjoying our Gin and Tonics and waiting for the Italian Palooza that was in our near future! I ordered the Lasagna alla Rosebud and spent the rest of the evening and the better part of the next day in a carb comma. SO GOOD. Had I been able to finish my entire dinner, I surely would have licked the plate clean! The tragedy at the end of this amazing feast? My hotel room had no mini bar fridge and the leftovers went to waste. It was a fuckin' crime my friends. A CRIME! read more

Everything about this place irks me. I've wound up here on several occasions for one reason or another and am always astounded at how pretentious the service is and, more importantly, how mediocre and over-priced the food is. I know I can be biased against chain restaurants, but I actually came here for the first time when I first moved to Chicago and didn't even know it was a chain. I still hated it. Think of it as an upscale Olive Garden, only the food is twice as expensive and - dare I say it - not even as good. I'm not saying I'm a fan of Olive Garden either (I'm not), but at least they don't try trick people into believing they're eating gourmet Italian food and then charge them up the wazoo for it. I have tried a few things here because it's hard to believe that a place that everybody seems to like so much can be so bad. Specifically, the sausage and pepper appetizer is awful. How do you screw up Italian sausage? Well, they figured out a way: cook it until its bone dry. Awesome. Rosebud is for people who think that expensive Italian food automatically equals gourmet Italian food. Hopefully everyone will learn that this is not the case. read more

Our favorite restaurant to eat at in Chicago. The food is delicious with large portions. The service was extraordinary.

The family was in the mood for Italian, and this far exceeded our expectations. The antipasto, chicken Francese, chicken Milanese, and spaghetti and meatballs was all AMAZING. The service was also impeccable and even the manager briefly sang to our table read more

This is a great place for a nice lunch or dinner after shopping on the Magnificent Mile. You won't go wrong with most of the pasta dishes. The seafood appetizer platter is excellent. You probably would not consider a burger in a place like this, but, they make one of the best burgers in the city. It is not as good as Kuma's, but its not too far off. The burger is absolutely delicious. The skirt steak salad is also delicious. read more

Visited Rosebud in May 2009 with Hubby while on vacation and dined with my fantastic girlfriend who lives in Chicago. We had a really nice time here. The service was consistent and well paced. We were given some assitance in chosing a wine and were pleased to sit a while and enjoy the street sights while letting ourselves get hongray! Girlfriend had the Fettucini Alfredo, I had the Tortellini minus the procuitto and Hubby had the Ravioli. Girlfriend's meal was good, but it's pasta and Alfredo Sauce...nothing to write home about. I loved my dish and Hubby's as well. The portions were so generous that we allowed my girlfriend the local to take all leftovers home. Our hotel did not have a fridge with room for leftovers, which has not stopped me before....but I don't need to be gross eating luke warm pasta at 2am. I would go back...BUT with so many other places in Chicago to try I may end up sticking with the yummy memories. read more

I ate here last Sunday for the first time. The food was excellent (I had Penne alla Vodka and the Ravioli Quattro Formaggio). However, the service was a bit slow (VERY slow at the end!), and the prices were a bit high. I highly recommend the Penna alla Vodka. The sauce was the right balance of creaminess. Also, the outdoor seating was nice for a Sunday afternoon! read more

I love fine Italian, and this place did not disappoint. Extensive wine menu, my boyfriend and I shared glasses of the $9 white zin and Merlot so we could splurge a bit more on our meals. He got baked ziti and I had baked cavatelli. Both were delicious and huge helpings, he forced his down but I took about half of mine to go and the leftovers were just as good the next day. We were hoping to sit on the closed in patio that we saw people dining in the evening before, but they were in the process of opening it for spring so we got seated upstairs. Kind of dark and definitely loud with lots of families enjoying meals, but a comfy experience nonetheless. I smelled lots of fish meals coming from other tables, but we stick to pasta. Definitely a good dinner! read more

Rosebud on Rush - Baked cavatelli in the back, baked ziti in the front. Both were wonderful! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Decent Italian food, good service and nice atmosphere. (This simple, lackluster review is direct reflection of this place. Nothing special here.) read more

We had brunch outside on Sunday. It was beautiful out, the waiter was attentive, and the coffee kept flowing. Our table was very wobbly, so I just kept a foot on one leg (my kingdom for a cardboard drink coaster). I had eggs benedict with salmon. It was divine, I'd happily eat it for breakfast every morning. A friend had an omelet and loved it. The other friend got the berry white chocolate french toast (not a lover of eggs). It was on challah and absurdly big. I mean, it took up the entire platter and had a LOT of whipped cream. She ate her fill and we both helped, but not even half was gone at the end. This is a colossal waste of (delicious) food. The brunch menu is very small, but everything sounded terrific. It was an enjoyable meal, but the wobbly table plus giant french toast helping/waste knocked off a star. read more

I visited Rosebud On Rush during my first visit to Chicago and it served as a nice taste of one of the city's better eateries. The place was bustling on that Monday night, and although the tables inside were immediately available, an outdoor patio seat required a wait of about fifteen minutes. My companion and I opted to dine inside. Settling down into our seats on the second floor, we were served with a small assortment of breads. For our main course, I ended up ordering the Linguine Fra Diavolo, comprised of strand pasta in a spicy, white-wine marinara sauce, and shrimp. It was extremely tasty. While my overall experience was quite favorable, there were a few nits that prevented me from giving Rosebud on Rush a full five stars. For example, while the service was relatively attentive (albeit a tad snobbish), for some reason we were never offered a copy of the wine list. Overall, I would certainly go back to Rosebud the next time I'm in Chicago, provided I'm in the area and there isn't some other restaurant that I really want to try out. read more

I really dislike waiting. In the South, I felt that I rarely had to wait on a Friday night at a restaurant - or maybe it's because I was eating at the same time as all of the old people. Apparently you should make reservations on Friday nights - all of the restaurants a friend and I wanted to eat at had extremely long waits - except for Rosebud. They could seat us once we got there (I called ahead 20 minutes before we wanted to show up). They give you great olive oil and fresh bread while you decide. We decided to split the fish special that night - it was tasty and the portion size was definitely enough for two. Come here if you want to bring back meals for next week's lunch or share so you can try other things as well! The prices are reasonable for the portion size. While this won't be a go to place - if I think I can't wait another hour to eat on a weekend and didn't have the foresight to make reservations - I would come here again. read more

Less than mediocre. This is almost as calling .... Taco Bell a Mexican restaurant. Everything is drench in either cheese or garlic. Pasta is mostly overcooked, store bought, and bland. Nothing is fresh. read more

I went to Rosebud last night, Monday, for a business meal. I have been there before for a more romantic meal as well, but last night is fresh in my mind, so... It wasn't crowded, so we had a great seat and were able to talk without having to shout over the crowds. I can see how, if the restaurant is crowded, it'd be hard - the tables are fairly close together. Our meal was delicious. We ordered three appetizers that were excellent - the bruschetta was the best I've had, not that I am a bruschetta connoisseur. I appreciated that the courses were appropriately spaced, especially since we had so much food coming our way. All of the food was tasty and I left feeling stuffed and satisfied. We ordered a couple of bottles of wine for the table - \we were interested in one Chianti that they were out of and I was impressed with the waiters suggestion of a "better" wine at a cheaper cost. Overall a nice experience. read more

A tradition in Chicago that has a very nice atmosphere. The food is good but not great. Any pasta dish is a sure thing but unlikely to blow your mind. They force people to wait for every member off a group to arrive to seat people. That's disappointing. Service is a bit rough around the edges and the place is noisy which are two things I don't really mind. On the other hand, having waiters constantly rubbing themselves against my chair because the place is over crowded is something I do mind. read more

This place is awesome from the time you walk in... from The intimate dining room to the patio ... The cheese cake desert is the best town . The entire experience makes me want to come back tomorrow. The wait staff is friendly and great !Our waiter, Miguel very relatable and informative. He knows their product!! He made me feel like a guest ! read more

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So.. Still looking for the best Italian, and still going to Rosebud to find it. After giving a bad review to the Dearborn trattoria location, which got no response from what I thought were concerned ownership, I found myself at this location. So much better in all regards. Seriously do not hesitate to visit this location after being burned by the Dearborn trattoria one. I can't emphasize enough that this place has regained my trust in Rosebud putting out a solid Italian dinner. Please skip the other, even if it is closer, and make reservations here. Street parking is possible, I promise. read more

Fancier and more expensive than Maggiano's, but it's possible to get a dinner here for $30 total. The clam linguini is just totally loaded with clams. Service the kind of brisk and impersonal that's perfectly acceptable because it's fast, efficient, and attentive. Not a romantic place or one to be fawned over, you go here for the food. read more

Great food! We went on New Year's Eve and it wasn't as busy as i thought and they got us sat right away!

We came here on a recommendation from a friend. My friend told me that he came here to eat and was told that he would have the veal. We didn't get that recommendation or experience, but we did have great food. This isn't far from the shops on Michigan Avenue and has a very neighborhood feel. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. The night we went for dinner, it looked like the outdoor seating was pretty full. We opted for the air conditioned interior and had no wait. The interior is dark, packed with tables and a bit noisy from servers buzzing about tables and customers. It is perfect for small groups, but I saw a large group of 10 get seated right next to us. This place serves really large portions of very good Italian food. We started with the garden salad dressed with a vinaigrette (mine was just a little too heavily dressed). A perfect start to the meal. We continued on with the Chicken Milanese and Spaghetti with Meatballs. The chicken was lightly breaded and fried to perfection. It was topped with mild arugula, red onions and tomatoes. It was a perfect summer meal. (I should have not ordered the salad). The meatballs were large baseballs of tender, perfectly seasoned meat. It was a nice compliment to the spaghetti. After a couple of glasses of wine and a huge meal, we had to pass on dessert. I'd definitely come back and try other items on the menu. What a fun place to come to unwind and enjoy Italian comfort food. read more

Rosebud is a place that I've walked by about 1000 times and always wondered about. I finally went this weekend. The front by the hostess desk was super chaotic and crazy but we had reservations and got seated right away. I really hate places that make you wait even when you have a reservation so this was much appreciated. The atmosphere is very charming: dimly lit, clean crips linens, and dark leather and wood. Also our server was a very pleasant woman who was pretty attentive but not overbearing. As previous reviews have mentioned, the bread, oil, and parmesan is REALLY good, and we tore into it right away. The sad part is, this was the best part of our meal. The orders in our part of 3 consisted of lasagna, veal parmesan, and cheese stuffed chicken over cavatelli. We each dove into our meals and they were pretty good. Nothing outstanding, but good. Then we sampled each other's plates. Still the same flavor. Huh? 3 different plates, 1 taste. We discovered that no matter what is ordered, you're simply stuffing yourself with marinara and garlic. It's just packaged differently. It was like Olive Garden's neverending pasta bowls but about 3 times as expensive. Did I hate it? No. But with Chicago's plethora of awesome restaurants at our disposal, I probably won't be back. read more

Classic Italian, basement seating or outside. We had been walking all over Chicago, and just stopped in - no reservation was no problem. If you're hungry when you walk in, you will walk out stuffed. We split the eggplant parmesan, with a 2 meatball and sausage side, and that one meal had us both filled to the brim. We were laughing with the family at a nearby table, as they ordered a meal for each family member and had to take home a few pounds of leftovers. Loved it. Well dressed staff, very friendly, attentive service. Water gets filled promptly, food arrives quickly, dessert is offered with a wink because they know you're too full to eat it. If I were local, I would come back often. read more