Two things I don't like is 1; it's really claustrophobic and 2; the waiting. I choose to go inside and it was overwhelming at first the whole table was full but one table, (on the side note you have to make reservation) then soon I got comfortable. I started with one appetizer a the prawns scampi, a glass of wine, and the ordered the main course for me and the Fam. 25 mins pass by they brought the salads and bread this good. But then the appetizers never came in and I kid you not!!! it was 7 when we got there, it's now 8:49 almost a two hour wait our main course finally come outs.....it was delicious okay totally wroth the wait all my fam love our food. our stomachs was growling tho. That why I order an appetizer right?! Righttttt!!!They still had the nerve to charge me for prawns scampi for something I never received I was still kind of enough to leave a good tip 30$ for a 170 bill because of the food was 5/5 the service could of been a lil better and also our waiter experience a short term memory loss but thank you for the waitress to make my bill and get out us quickly and simple read more

Been here twice and had a lovely meal both times. We sat out on the patio both times and really enjoyed the atmosphere. Pasta dishes were prepared with skill and sauced perfectly. Meat dishes were tasty and succulent. Appetizers were just right and deserts were a great ending. Never had a disappointment. Chef-owner always came by out table to check that things were just right. Service was solidy but not always fully educated (not sure how the chef reccomended that the veal should be cooked). We will return when we want a special dinner in Chico. read more

As a restaurant owner I'm stingy with 5 stars but had a wonderful experience Saturday. Minestrone was by far the best I've ever tasted...by far. Great hot bread, decent antipasto tray. My stuffed cannelloni were excellent. Friends scallops delicious. Really miss the stuffed calamari like Angelo used to make. Only criticism is its understaffed on the floor. Waitstaff working too hard to really pay attention to the table. We stopped coming here because the food always took to long to come out but the last 2 times perfect. Best Italian food in town though this county has a real lack of competition. read more

My boyfriend and I came on a Monday and there was no one else there at 5:30. We were greeted by a nice young lady who took us to the patio in the back. Our server suggested the seafood manicotti for me, and my boyfriend got the lasagna. Both were excellent choices. My plate was very rich and delicious. Our food was paced well and we felt comfortable there. A salad, antipasti, and bread come with all dinner plates which makes the money spent more worth it. $25 for my plate and $17 for my boyfriend. I think $15 for a corkage fee is a little high.. That's why I gave the 4 stars instead of 5. I would recommend this place to anyone in Chico looking for some fresh, made from scratch Italian food. read more

I'm not sure why I don't make a point to eat here more often. We rode our bikes knowing that the parking lot is tiny and got there early so we could sit at a table over looking the creek in back. The calamari was amazing. Nothing else in town compares. The bread was fabulous. The service was attentive yet not smothering. The wine by the glass was superb. Then our main dishes were so tasty that we ate more than we should have! Give it a try if you haven't yet, or think of this gem next time you want something outside of your normal. Awesome. read more

Hands down the best Picatta in town! However they should serve it on angel hair and keep the watery Red sauce and penne pasta for kids. The facility could use updating. Especially since if you sit in the outbuilding there is no restroom easily accessible. And maybe it was a mistake but we were served balsamic and WHITE vinegar with the bread (good bread!) but ew?! White vinegar?!! It was harsh and nasty. That 100% was not olive oil! The Americana dish was also impressive. read more

Sicilian Cafe - The Americana dish - Italian Near Me - Chico, California

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Such a letdown! I had called to see if they made any of their own pasta from scratch. The answer was "No". Disappointing, especially in view of the prices that they charge. I can go to the finest Italian restaurant in Sacramento and get a beautiful and authentic pasta dish (homemade stuffed pasta of the day)for a similar price but there is no comparison in flavor, quality or ambience. I had the ravioli.........pasta was thick, tough and tasteless as was the marinara. The "beef" filling was a thin line of brown. Hard to distinguish it from the pasta. Chico has so much beautiful locally grown and raised products. Such a shame they are not celebrated here nor is the food culture of Italy. read more

This is the best Italian food in town hands down!!! Everything was amazing both times I've been here as well as the service. I've tried the seafood manicotti, calamari, & tortellini and prawns and everything was soooo good!! I definitely recommend this place! read more

Had a reservation for 7:30 and didn't get served our salads until 9. When the entree arrived it was cold. The wine we wanted to order was not available. The long wait enabled us to have some nice long conversations, but it was frustrating to eat so late! The service was ok, not particularly stellar. It was an expensive evening that was not worth the money spent! read more

Sold us bad oysters then argued and charged us for them. Refused to taste what we sent back. My poor friend at 3 ate one time (my fault, I dared her), I only had one. Both of us were sick later. Could have been handled better. Stuff happens but if someone sends something like that back I would not have argued at a minimum. I would have been happy without the verbal disagreement made three times from the kitchen. It was hard to share the thought quietly and we tried. The push back from the kitchen through the waitress made it a bigger issue. Won't be back, which is to bad, there were some very good qualities about this place, fixing issues was not one of them. read more

The best Italian food in Chico, bar none!!! The food is outstanding! The service is great .Everything is made fresh daily ! The owner is very personable and makes sure you have a good dining experience.....I give it 5 stars!! Went again last night , the best ever!!! OMG love love the food !!! Sam the cook and the rest of the staff they all work so good together! Thank you for a beautiful night and to the cook 5 Stairs read more

This place never fails to please, absolutely delicious. Best calamari in town, and literally everything on the menu is fantastic followed by excellent service. Love love love. read more

If you are looking for fast food, this is not the place for you. Go to Denny's. Sicilian Cafe is a true European dining experience. Good food takes time. You can savor an excellent local CA Foothills vintage, and enjoy the complimentary antipasti--herbed olives, green onions, fragrant salami with cheese, matchstick carrots, served with a flavorful french bread--while you wait for your FRESH, cooked-to-order dinner. Our group had a variety of dishes, and our 4-year-old granddaughter was also delighted with "Sophia's Special Pasta." After ordering, dinner was served within 45 minutes, which gave us time to enjoy our wine and antipasti, talk, chat with the friendly wait staff, and enjoy the murmur and laughter of folks surrounding-- ALL having a GREAT time, and enjoying their meals. My son from San Francisco, who is a "foodie" and has worked in the industry for years, assured me his too was a wonderful meal, and the wine very good. (He is a wine and cheese buyer for Whole Foods in SF, so he knows wine.) Son suggested the sommelier might consider adding some southern Italian and Sicilian wines to the wine list, though they DID have an EXCELLENT selection of local wines. The chef, James Taylor, offered to specialty cook anything we needed with his "garden" of fresh ingredients, if there were any special dietary restrictions. Such a variety on the menu, we found something for everyone. All-in-all a delightful experience. We will go back often, and bring our friends with us. read more

The worst customer service I've ever had. Waited 1 and a half hours just to get our salads. While a customer that was obviously a regular was in the middle of the entree by that time even though they showed up 30 min after. As well the waitress didn't listen to any request in our group of four people. One person asked for extra vegetables with their fillet and got 4 pieces of asparagus. I asked for meatballs on my pasta (that had white sauce) and got two meatballs covered in marinara sauce on the side. Over priced, terrible service and the worst experience I've ever had in a restaurant. 0/10 would recommend. Never going to go back. read more

First of all, let me "qualify" my remarks. I am a professionally trained chef. I have been cooking over 40 years. I've cooked in kitchens from resorts to 50 seats. I have been an instructor for Williams-Sonoma, and did a cooking show, years ago on Channel 3 in Phoenix, AZ. Additionally, of international cuisines, Italian is one of my favorites. I moved to Chico 12 years ago from the Bay Area and with few exceptions, frankly felt like I was in "restaurant exile" since arriving. While I can understand that in this small college town, places like Tres Hombres, Italian Cottage, Hulas & Cozy Diner would be popular, but they are a mere facade of the cuisine they try to represent. After reading thru some of the prior reviews, I have to wonder if, a). people do their "homework" before visiting, and b). truly have an understanding of the restaurant's cuisine. As an example, someone complained about the calamari being "soggy". We had the calamari. I expect that being in Chico, maybe they were expecting the typical, battered, frozen Sysco-boxed, deep fried a la "Long John Silvers"? The Calamari was breaded, as is appropriate for the Sicilian-style cuisine that they serve. COMPLETELY different texture; soft not crunchy. Light, and lightly flavored so to not overwhelm the flavor of the meat. And definitely the tenderest I've ever had! Calamari is one of those things that is SO easy to over cook, and takes expertise to do right. Kudos's guys for not screwing it up! We also ordered the Calabrese. Unfortunately, they were out of Heirloom tomatoes, so wasn't serving that dish. I respect & appreciate their commitment to quality. FWIW, many local stores have nice Heirlooms, and sometimes its worth it to buy "retail" to avoid 86'ng a menu item. I look forward to trying it at a later date. I'll bring some heirlooms from my garden just to be safe! :-) My wife had a Cesar Salad; as good as can be expected. I ordered the "Clam Chowder". It did not meet my expectations for Clam Chowder, one of my favorite soups. HOWEVER, in conversation with the Chef later, turns out the waiter misrepresented the soup, and in fact it was his signature Sicilan-style version which is nothing like a New England -style chowder you might expect, and in fact wasn't even called "Clam Chowder", (I forgot the actual name). With my expectations "adjusted" I better understood my soup! Take note servers! For dinner, my wife had the Scallop dish with risotto. While the risotto needed another 5-7 minutes on the heat, it was properly textured, and flavorful. Scallops were cooked perfectly; another one of those proteins easy to overcook! As I enjoy doing when I am in a restaurant that I think the chef "gets it", I ordered "Chefs Discretion", which is not on the menu, but a diners way of saying to the Chef, "cook for me what you enjoy cooking, and want to share with me-no holds barred!". I was NOT disappointed! I received a seafood cannelloni, that was generously stuffed with a light sauce. EXCELLENT! My wife made me trade plates halfway thru. Finally dessert. We shared a creme brulee and a cannoli. My wife enjoyed the creme brulee so much, I was afraid of a reprise of the famous restaurant scene from "Harry Met Sally"! I was definitely the creamiest brulee I have ever had. The cannoli was excellent as well. Service, was appropriately prompt & attentive. The prices were appropriate for the style and quality of this restaurant. It is comfortably small, so get their early, or make reservations. We arrived a 6pm, and were only the second table seated. But by the time we received our entrees, the place was packed. You arrive late without reservations, then EXPECT to wait. And bear in mind, people go to a place like this to ENJOY their meal & and each others company. So don't expect the same speed of table turnover you get at Denny's! There you have it. I know its long, but I wanted to make sure this place got a fair and informed review. And also, it is fair to say that every restaurant will have its "moment" when things unintentionally happen that would not meet yours or the restaurants expectations. Even the "revered" Sierra Nevada" screwed up my meal once. But never judge a place based on one bad experience. Go back again, and give yourself and the establishment a fair opportunity to get the intended experience! read more

I have always liked Sicilian Cafe, until now. Unfortunately, on this occasion I found a whole grasshopper in my salad. The hostess acted like it was no big deal, and said the greens are organic. Ok, I guess it happens. They replaced our salads with soup as we no longer had appetite for salad, and my husband found a hair in his! Two gross things in our food in one night?! My chicken piccata was good, and my husband said his spaghettini was alright, but the meatballs were bland. The chicken was the only redeemer. They gave us free dessert to apologize...but I would have rather had at least one of the meals removed from the bill, as we didn't want dessert. So for $56 we got hair and grasshoppers in our food and sweets we didn't care for. I guess we won't be coming back. Thanks Sicilian Cafe read more

Pretty impressed! I was up in the Chico area for a business trip (yes there is nothing up here) and our CEO took us out to dinner to celebrate how our tour of the plant went. One of our Gridley coworkers suggested we try this place out since it reminded him of his own grandmother's Italian cooking. We had our own private table in the back (in a little cottage overlooking a green pasture and pond) and went straight for the wines. I had a glass of their Chianti which was nice and then our boss ordered 4 bottles of an impressive Merlot and Cab (I can't remember the names!) - recommended by the Chef, James Taylor (who is also Italian and don't be fooled by the name ;). We ordered the calamari and shrimp scampi to pass around - I wasn't too thrilled with these appetizers - the sauce for the scampi was light yet flavorful but the calamari was more of long pieces and no dipping sauce (I love sauce...no sauce.. no good!) For my main entree, I ordered the salmon carbonarra - it came with a huge piece of perfectly cooked salmon in the middle; but there was not enough pasta I felt to go with the dish. I was longing for more fettuccine to soak up the sauce. Overall, a nice place to sit and enjoy a looooooong meal and try some different wines. read more

Best restaurant in Chico. Quality Italian food, friendly service. Best canneloni, period -- SF restaurants included.

Inauthentic, oily, separated sauces, murky soups, greasy overcooked pasta, not a fan of this place. Every time somebody eats here, an actual Sicilian dies I'm pretty sure. read more

Let me preface this by saying that I am an Italian food snob, so I was ready to dismiss this place. However, I am glad I didn't. Great wine list, friendly and prompt service, Lovely outdoor enclosed patio, but most importantly, the food was outstanding. My husband had the seafood manicotti and it was rich and delicious. My scallops were seared to perfect tenderness, nestled in a deliciously rich bed of mushroom risotto. I cannot overstate how good this risotto is. It is what risotto was meant to be. For dessert, we had the tiramisu because we heard the chef had made it from scratch and it was some truly delicious tiramisu, better than anything I've had even in North Beach restaurants in San Francisco. Creamy, yet light - not too sweet, with a beautiful balance of ingredients. While the prices are more than I usually pay when I go out to dinner, if you are in the market for a special dinner and their craving some real Italian food, go to Sicilian café. read more

Great food! You have to get the calamari. If you're going to drink anything alcoholic it's pretty pricey but the food is worth the price. Nothing to complain about. Check out the patio! Even when it's 100 degrees, It's nice and airy with a view of Chico creek! read more

My Mom came to visit and James created a perfect date night for her. The whole experience was amazing. Food that was fresh, cooked to perfection from the Calamari Appetizer, Veal Masala to the Scallops- he won't disappoint If you haven't had the opportunity to experience this wonderful little jewel in Chico- you must. read more

Best Italian in Chico hands down! The place is always crowded and loud but they have a nice back patio that is a bit quieter. Service is decent but sometimes somewhat slow. The food is the real masterpiece though. Go for the food. Delicious sauces, fresh fish, gorgeous presentation. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. read more

I wasn't going to write a review -- we went to Sicilian Cafe in July, for our 10-year anniversary dinner. But yesterday, I picked up the Edible Shasta- Butte with an advertisement for Sicilian Cafe proclaiming the food to be "local, organic, gluten free." That runs quite contrary to my experience. I asked the waitress for a recommendation for a main dish that's vegetarian and very vegetable-heavy. She said, (direct quote) "we're not a farm-to-table restaurant". Oh. She was pretty unhelpful, and needless to say, we were surprised --did she feel accosted by my request for vegetables? I was pretty upset. I ordered pasta primavera. (No vegetables -- not even a non-vegetable, a mushroom, was present. It was a very expensive mac n cheese.) Incredibly disappointing, and I don't think I deserved the treatment from the rude waitress. I'm sorry, where are the local and organic vegetables? **UPDATE** oh! i remember why she responded that way -- she initially recommended a meal that featured asparagus in July -- not possible in Chico, and I asked "Where do you get asparagus in July?" (because I was under the impression that the vegetables were local). She said, "at the grocery store" and then said "We're not a farm-to-table restaurant." Yucky service! read more

We went for lunch although it was a special occasion. It was not crowded. I know Italian food very well having eaten eaten many meals cooked by my Sicilian grandmother and having traveled extensively in Italy. I had the Veal Picata with a bit of pasta & sauce on the side Veal Picata is a good test of a chef and this dish passed the test with flying colors. The meal was authentically Italian including the side pasta which had a surprisingly good sauce. The service was faultless. (a special note) Chico has a very small Italian American population and in my opinion, many, perhaps most, of the reviews of Chico's "Italian" restaurants are written by people who prefer more Americanized food. read more

I have loved this restaurant for years. The food is fresh and always great. One of the best items is the eggplant parmigiana (not on the menu - call ahead and ask for it). All the sauces are amazing. The prawns are the best in Chico. I cannot say enough about how fabulous this cafe is. The reviews on here do not do justice to the food. read more

I am a fan. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind about dining here: 1) the restaurant is LOUD and not very private 2) food is consistently good, even great sometimes 3) don't get too eager about eating a dish you liked during your last visit; the menu isn't always the same. BRING BACK ARANACINI! read more

Have eaten at the Sicilian Café for the past 30 years, whether it was Papa cooking his calamari for the Sons of Italy or Angelo's Sicilian Café or Kathy's Sicilian Café...I followed them all over Chico to eat their delicious food until...last Wednesday night. Returned to town and this is the place I always visit but was so disappointed the other night. Wednesday night, 6:00 p.m., didn't have reservations and when we walked in the door there were only 2 other parties in the main dining room and were told that the only tables available were the three by the main door or patio, which we chose one of the tables by the door and each time the door opened, it let the cold air in. So we sat down, 4 of us, all long time patrons of this restaurant. Ordered dinner, our favorite, Veal Piccata with an appetizer of Calamari and a bottle of wine... Then the snotty, little waitress, who kept going to the waitress station to check on something but couldn't come over and clear out dirty plates or make sure that we had the right utensils, disappeared and about 15 minutes later brought out the cold bread with antipasto plate and wine. Finally the calamari came, no one came back to check if we were finished with the appetizer. The dirty plates were still on the table when the dinner plates arrived. If it hadn't been eaten in 5 minutes, it was cold and for the first time I was eating cold piccata. Was never asked if we wanted another bottle of wine, which on a previous visit, four bottles were shared. Guess when you're paying close to $30.00 per plate, you expect better service....Dinner bill came close to $200.00, the service was atrocious...have never experienced this before and maybe it's time to try some of the other Italian restaurants in Chico...I've heard that they are very good and the service is excellent....prices aren't bad either. read more

We had a reservation and I let them know I would most likely be late. The person on the phone said "no problem. We will hold your table." We did show up late and were told by the hostess it would be 5 minute wait. She was doing busy work while we sat and watched. There were 5 empty tables and when we were finally seated I asked why the wait and was told it was because we were late for our reservation and their flow would be interrupted. Really? It took us 40 minutes to get a salad. What flow? It took over an hour to get our entrees. The food was not up to their usual quality--carbonara was more like Alfredo. Overall it was disappointing. read more

The food is consistently exceptional. James Taylor will make sure your meal is made with the freshest quality ingredients and served deliciously hot. I have never been disappointed in the quality of food and exceptional service. Bianca will happily greet you at the door, Jeremy will discreetly and professionally make you feel like you are the only customer he has, and Christine will make sure you never go without. By far one of the best restaurants in Chico with an executive chef that's a native Chicoan. Best Chicken Piccata in town. read more

James is a wonderful chef. Food was fabulous and the service was wonderful. It was great to be back in Chico.

I had a terrible birthday dinner here. I can't even begin to describe how much dissapointment I had with our experience. Wilted soggy salads, and we were told at 7:30 they had no bread left which was unfortunate as we were all hungry and ended up waiting over an hour for entrees! Happy freaking birthday, $180 later. Never again! I've been told this place is great... yeah, not so much! read more

Really like this place. Went with a group of 7. Chicken was prepared moist with very good sauce. Spaghetti with meat sauce another plus. House recommended red was a good choice. Baked garlic bread - gone in a flash. Generous portions. Like eating at Nana's house. We received attentive and friendly service. Pricing was on point with level of food etc. No dessert this trip since we had decided on Shuberts. Definitely a return spot. read more

My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary. It was a cozy restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was great. We received a complimentary dessert. We will be back again for sure. read more

I always enjoy the food here..Service is sometimes slow but worth the wait!.. I like that the antipasta apps come complementary...

The food was okay. Our server was a sweetheart. But dinner for 3 with one glass of wine was $75. Way to pricey for smallish portions and okay flavors. Probably won't go back. read more

Had dinner here last night with friends and family. We all loved our food. So very good. This is a very cute intimate place with great service and wonderful food. We will definitely be back. read more

Where to begin? Maybe with waiting? Yes ,if you go to Sicilian Cafe hold all plans for anything else because most likely you'll end up spending more time than you've ever spent before waiting to get your food. At least thats what happened tonight when we went. Party of only two people seated at 6:25 pm received bread and seating fast since there was only one other couple in the whole inside seating area. After we ordered our drinks and food at 6:35 with prompt decisions the waiting began. First we waited for the wine that never came and then after 15 minutes and our questioning the server came back and let us know they didn't have the wine ordered and made a "substitute." This was alright except for the fact that our food wasn't to arrive until 7:35pm a whole hour after ordering. The food to be honest was quite good with the exception that the salmon was cold. With fear of waiting another few HOURS we didn't mention it. To make up for this tremendous wait we received complimentary deserts which came in a timely manner but weren't served with any sort of beverage refills at all. Then after we received the bill and paid before the waiter could even leave we were notified 10-15 minutes later that they had to go run for change. Don't bother maybe asking the customer if they would rather pay with their ATM; just figure it into the equation somehow that after an hour and a half of sitting in chairs that make you hunch over and looking at mirrors that all point to a horrible mural of vaguely recognizable "grape vineyards," that we'd maybe just rather wait another 15 minutes. 6:25pm-8:18pm (And yes I kept track) I will not be returning to this restaurant save your $75 and go anywhere else in town that has something to offer other than empty apologies. read more

I don't normally write reviews for restaurants, but the public needs to know. The food here is decent at its best. For an appetizer, we had the calamari, which was soggy and flavorless. Everyone's dinner around me was sub par unless it was soaked in butter. What makes this all hard to swallow is the price. Dishes were pretty pricey for what you get. Most pasta dishes are around $20, with any meat dishes in the mid to high $20's. For what you pay, you'd just expect more. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. Also, there was a dead ant in our salt shaker. That's just gross. read more

This is our favorite restaurant and our go-to spot for celebrations. There's no need for us to look at the menu: Calamari and house Cabernet to start; Caesar Salad for my husband and mixed green salad with a mix of Italian and Blue Cheese dressing for me; Shrimp Scampi for my husband and Chicken Americana for me. There's never room for dessert! Chef James is amazing and we always look forward to seeing our favorite waiter, Nick. Years ago we had Sicilian Cafe cater a pre-wedding family dinner for 35 or so. It too was wonderful. Highly recommend. read more