If you get the salad get the dressings mixed. I ordered the Marsala with veal, really nice. Wait staff was attentive and tiramisu was good.

The staff is nice and knows their stuff and the food is great. and try the steak it will knock you off your feet.

This place has by far the BEST calamari in town! A Must try!

Took my mother here for her birthday. Another great dinner. Everything I have ever eaten here has always been wonderful. Last night had the calamari originale.....great dinner! read more

Not sure if it had been a busy night, had a reservation for 7:30, our table wasn't "ready" while plenty of tables appeared available. Food was great great great, I do not have one negative comment in that arena. However, our waitress was completely unpleasant. Also, appeared to spend lots of time explaining menu items and chatting with guests around us and paid little to no attention to us. Our entree plates were cleared 25+ minutes before she offered us a dessert menu which took her about 5 minutes to produce. By the time our bill was paid and we were able to exit the establishment, it had need approx 50 minutes of us is sitting at a bare table. read more

We were excited to be returning to a restaurant I always held in high regard but were so disappointed in the service here! We received a gift certificate and chose a Tuesday evening arriving before 6 p.m. Perfect as there were only 4 other people in the restaurant. After receiving our menus, our server disappeared. We had to ask for wine, water and it only got worse from here. We got our wine, waited and finally placed our order. In the meantime a party of 4 men and 2 women arrived and sat at the table next to us. To make a long story short, this table was FINISHED with their many coursed meal before we received our antipasta plate and bread, of which we again had to ASK FOR! We had ordered an appetizer of oysters in a nice wine/butter sauce but had no bread to dip! Our dinner, which was the signature dish, was still not at our table when the party next to us was leaving. The server, upon our inquiry of "what the heck happened here" replied that she had a miscommunication with the kitchen and was sorry. We received our check (of which there was no adjustments made) and asked for a take home container for our leftovers. Never got it. Needless to say, although the food was good, we will not be returning. We rarely eat out and to me, service is an intricate part of the dining experience. I have lived in Chico for years and will not be returning here. read more

I never miss to go here for my birthday because I love there mussels over garlic pasta. Yum, yum...I am getting hungry again just thinking of it! read more

Best calamari and best chicken piccata I've ever had. If you're in Chico or anywhere near and craving Italian it's a must-stop location. Message me if I'm wrong. read more

My fiancé and I have been blown away each time we've been here...1 lunch and 1 dinner. Both times were great! service was excellent and personable...food was beautiful and authentic...prices were...well...you are at an upscale restaurant...not a dollar store. read more

I've been going to Sicilian Café for years, and I'm always pleased with the service, the food and the ambiance. Last night was no exception as my husband and I arrived for dinner to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary. My husband had the prawns carbonara, and I had the sea scallops over mushroom risotto. Both were outstanding. But the reason I'm actually posting this review is to praise our lovely server, Kayley. She was attentive, warm, and a complete delight. Just wanted to make sure she gets the accolades she deserves. Thanks, guys. Keep up the good work. read more

I'm not sure why everyone has attacked these guys but, maybe I just went on an amazing night. So, new to Chico and decided to give Restaurant Week a go. Randomly picked Sicilian Cafe and was glad I did. Arrived shortly before 6pm on a Monday night and the place was empty! I mean, people working there and no one else. Asked if they were always this dead on a Monday and the hostess said Mondays are hit and miss. I won't lie, them being that empty made me really question if I wanted to eat there. Was seated at a nice table in the corner of the restaurant, where I could watch everything going on. Was immediately presented with both restaurant week menus and their normal menu. I chose a meal from the more expensive restaurant week menu and boy am I glad I did!! Antipasti platter came, and it's interesting. 2 slices of salami with cheese on top (white but not sure which one), 3 green olives, banana pepper, carrot sticks, and a raw green onion. The bread was nice and warm and I really liked the presentation of the oil with balsamic...really neat trick. Clam chowder starter was decent. I used to live in Oregon (where chowder is an art) so I thought it could have been better but, it was decent. I would order it again but it's not something I'm going to hunt them out for. The people next to me had field salads and they looked really good and were rather large. My entree was the best thing of the whole meal! I had the filet with calamari. OMG!! The filet was HUGE!? I was expecting like a 6 oz little thing but I'm sure this had to be at least 12 ounces. I ordered medium and was perfectly medium rare, just like I love my steaks--I've found if you ask medium you get perfectly medium rare. The calamari were bodies split in half and breaded in an italian flavored breadcumb then fried. The lemon provided was great for flavoring, as they needed a little something. Seriously, I may just use these guys as a steak place because the filet was that good. Dessert. My second favorite part of the meal. I had their chocolate cake. Absolutely amazing! I really am not a chocolate person and would normally go for a fruit based dessert but, this just sounded the best bang for my money. And, I'm honestly glad I got it. It was basically a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream on the side. There were a few candied nuts that were amazing too. I ate every single bite of the cake and ice cream. If you love chocolate, I can guarantee this is the dessert for you! Service was incredible and they even profusely apologized for my cake taking about 10 minutes to reach me--the menu stated the cake is baked to order and requires extra time. I was aware there would be a lag between my entree and the dessert and had no problem waiting. The couple with the salads requested gluten-free pasta and the kitchen had no problem accommodating their request and apologized for the slight wait they had to endure. Honestly, I cannot tell you much about their Italian cuisine because I didn't really have anything Italian. BUT, I am definitely returning because I found it to be a quaint restaurant with great service. I will agree that this probably isn't the restaurant to go to if you want an intimate conversation that you don't want anyone to overhear. I could hear the conversations at the 3 tables around me but, they were groups and probably didn't care. So, if you've gotten this far, just give this place a try and then write your own review! read more

Its good but its a hit and miss . I had one great meal and two just ok .

Went here on a Sat. night and although it was busy, it was'nt unbearably so. Started with a party of 4 with 3 more arriving about 15 minutes after we were seated. Once seated and given our menus, never saw any waitstaff until the others arrived. No bread, water, anything. Even though there was a wine menu, the waiter never even asked if anyone would like some. It isn't a very extensive list, so we all passed. So finally the bread and water came. Like someone stated earlier, the bread was like Winco bought sourdough with the standard olive oil/ balsamic vinager dip. I suppose this fits this place, but how about getting creative with a variety of breads? We ordered oysters on the half-shell, and they were small but flavorful- but not worth $2 a piece for. And then we waited, and waited................ finally the salads came. But wait- 7 of us at a not so large table, and they had'nt cleared the empty plates of oysters and anti-pesto yet. Very awkward. After everyone had finished with salad, we waited, and waited.............. finally the main courses came. Everyone's entree with the exception of a veal dish were rather small if you ask me, but it still was enough to fill you up. I had the calamari originale, which was breaded and fried, and it was good. The main reason of the 2 star rating of this place is the service. HORRIBLE. No one ever came back once we started with the entrees to see if everything was ok. My wife had to ask the waiter 3 times for more bread. ( He said it was in the oven warming up. Huh? Should'nt resturants have bread up and running at any time??) Our water glasses were not refilled until they had taken away our entree plates. One plus thing about the evening was their desserts. Good job on the dessert selection. I feel good service can make a place with with average food an above average experence. But average food with poor service = fail. We will not be comming back. read more

I was excited to try the food here, but was sadly disappointed by both the food and the staff. We will start with the food. I got some sort of chicken pasta dish. The chicken that they used in it was the consistency of a chicken nuget and my pasta was over-cooked. The overall flavor was pretty good, but it was not the quality that I would have hoped for for the price. My fiance had the lobster... He shouldn't have. As for the service, our server looked like she was in her mid to late thirties. I don't usually note the age of my servers, but in this instance I would like to make it clear that she had a lot of experience and was doing fantastically at first. When she asked how the food was, my fiance told her what was wrong with his dish. He did this in a vert kind way, stating that he only wished for the kitchen to know so that they could avoid making the same mistake on other people's meals. She seemed to take the comment as a personal attack. She stopped serving us at that point. She walked past our table and scoffed at us, never refilled our waters and even had one of the other servers bring us our check. This is where I am confused. I have only been working in the food-service industry for a short time and I already know not to take constructive criticism personally. She was very childish and ruined the rest of our evening. I would not recommend that anyone goes there for any reason ever. By far the worst restaurant experience I have ever had hands-down. read more

My fiance and I don't come here as much as we'd like to, but we crave the Chicken Americano and Prawns Scampi. We have always had a wonderful dining experience at Sicilian Cafe! Yes, the staff is usually young and somewhat clueless, but it is wonderful food with a great wine list! The complementary antipasto plate is always a nice touch by the restaurant. I also recommend the calamari for a starter! Can't go wrong with this restaurant if your looking for an intimate Italian dining experience. read more

Delicious food and educated staff on their wine selection. My fiance and I have been here a few times now and not been disappointed. There was only once when we had a longer wait, but they were packed that night, so it was an understandable circumstance. Friendly staff and great Italian food. Still need to try their dessert read more

My wife and I went here last this past weekend for our anniversary and had a wonderful time. It had been a while since we last dined here and we forgot how much we enjoy it. The food is wonderful! I had Chicken americana and my wife had the prawns scampi, both were delicious. Try the calamari for an appetizer, its really good. The service can be a little slow as it was busy, but we weren't in a rush and like to "dine" and take our time. Our server was very friendly & accommodating , she made our anniversary feel special. We tried the new warm coffee brownie for dessert and really enjoyed it. We recommend this place for a nice dinner. read more

The food is awesome. And the staff knows their stuff. Would and have gone back again

I wanted to try somewhere new in Chico for valentines day and this was my pick. I could not have been more satisfied! The menu was full of great options and I didn't have any trouble picking out items I would enjoy. I was warmly greeted upon walking in. I ordered wine and it was great! My husband who typically doesn't enjoy wine even enjoyed it! The food was great, the price was reasonble, and the service was lovely! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys Italian food and a fun , calm environment. read more

Great eats. Good service. Good for a relaxing meal. Inside dining acoustics need some dampening.

Favorite restaurant in Chico. Food is excellent! Service is wonderful. I highly recommend Sicilian Cafe!!!

This is hands down the best Restaurant in Chico. The food is fresh, well thought out and cooked to perfection. I wouldn't go anywhere else when I am in town. James makes everyone feel at home and the service is exceptional. I crave their Chicken Piccata and Calamari appetizer and can't wait to go there again. Thanks James for being such a rare talent here in Chico. read more

This place is great! It is one of my favorite places. I love their spicy seafood medley, its wonderful!. It is a little on the expensive side, but you get a lot of food, its not a la carte. I don't get the negative reviews...maybe they work for the competition? I did notice they get lots of their good reviews filtered, check those out for more good reviews. Great place to go for a nice dinner. read more

The veal is to die for, cooked to perfection. great selection of vine from local vineyards and a very nice atmosphere.

I'm really surprised at all the negative reviews. We have been going to this restaurant for years, even as it has moved locations. I always order the veal, either marsala or picatta, because it is by far the best I've ever had. My husband always gets some type of shellfish and Mr. Finicky is very happy. I have never ordered pasta because I'm Italian and make my own. The only problem we have experienced similar to others is the wine issue (the reason for only 4 stars). More times than not, they do not have in stock the wine we selected from their menu! Over the years, we just learned to ask what they have before we order. read more

A wonderful little Italian restaurant with great specials. James won't serve it, if it's not fresh. This is our go-to spot for that special dinner and they never disappoint. read more

Great place for a date! Service is good, good wine section, good food, good environment. But it was a little warm inside, hard to battle the heat in Chico though! I would go back! read more

This is definitely our date place - we just celebrated our anniversary there, as we have in years past. It was a wonderful, leisurely meal. The food was outstanding, as always. The service attentive. The warm chocolate cake & cannoli have always made the dessert choice hard - now the espresso brownie is vying for the top choice for dessert. read more

Had a great time with family! Fillet was cooked perfectly and the service was excellent. We felt right at home. My bother had the Salmon carb which he loved! A fantastic place to go and celebrate life! read more

We decided to go to a nice dinner here... We did have a reservation which was nice because it was very busy. We sat down and had our waiter come over. We asked him various of questions regarding the menu. He didn't have a clue about anything. He was like "I really don't know". If you are a waitress you should know the menu. Our food came out and it was VERY hot.. Had the minestrone soup and it was disgusting!!!! It was like a leftover veggie soup from last week. It also had no flavor. Then dinner came out and it was bleh... Not anything special. Tomato sauce was so bland and it tasted like ketchup lol!! Not super well made. Steak was good but you could tell it was not very high quality meat. The prawns were good also. The only thing they saved us here was the desert!!! We had the sorrbetto and it was delicious!!! Super full of flavor it was lemon.. This place is good, not great. Mediocre I feel like. Problem is won't be coming back anytime soon. Give it a try and see what you like. read more

Somehow my prior review got deleted for my fav. Italian place. Dined here on Saturday night, it was busy and we waited a bit longer than usual, but it was worth it. I loved the Salmon special that was topped with a tomato-basil salsa, we all shared calamari appetizer ( always have to have it!) any my friends had the Tortellini with Prawn Sauce, Fillet Mignon and Eggplant Parm. Everything was great. Service was a little slow, but our waiter kept smiling and took good care of us. We all shared the warm espresso brownie...to die for! Lovely evening. read more

Love the calamari. Salads are fresh and I especially enjoyed the filet of sole and creamy risotto. Yummy!

I went in last weekend to have a nice dinner with my wife. It wasn't a special occasion for us but just a nice evening to enjoy one another's company. When we arrived we stood in the doorway while several employees looked at us and quickly walked by their podium and into the kitchen without saying a word. We were finally greeted by a hostess who was actually very pleasant. To the hostesses defense also a few people reviewed that they were upset that the hostess did not know about wine. In Chico the hosts are young college students. They do not know about wine. Why would you as a guest ask the 20 year old host about wine before you are even seated to your table? Anyway, I was feeling better about our experience because she was so bubbly until we were seated at a table that was so close to two other tables that our chairs were overlapping. I asked for another table and was told that there weren't any tables that were any better. "What?!?" I made a reservation. They should have saved me an adequate table. That is the point of a reservation. Once seated our server didn't come by to say hello for almost ten minutes. I was thirsty and luckily our hostess came back after a few minutes and finally filled our water glasses so we had something to drink. Once she arrived she asked us "How are you guys? Do you want something to drink?" First of all my wife is not a guy and it is offensive to use that slang in a nice restaurant. Secondly, do I WANT something? Why do you think I am here?!? Ask me what I would like to drink, not "what do you want?" She made us feel unwelcome with the way she spoke to us. After ordering she took a long time to get our wine. I understand she was serving more tables than just us but she walked from table to table and then back to her podium and laughed with her coworkers for a few minutes before catching eyes with my wife and immediately getting our wine out to us. Hmmm, did she forget? Our food was decent once it finally arrived. Nothing to write home about. It took so long between my salad and my entree I wasn't even hungry anymore. Our server kept asking if we "were done yet". Come on! Even the hostess came by and asked if we were still enjoying our meal or if we would like a box. The hostess was one hundred times better than our server at customer service! Our server needed some training on the right and wrong words to use with customers. She also touched her face and rearranged her hair so many times I stopped counting. Never once did I see her wash her hands. Overall we were very disappointed with how we were treated for the amount of money we spent for the evening. If we ever do go back we won't even worry about making reservations because they didn't make any difference. I would also refuse to have Christine be our waitress. I would rather wait for someone else... Anyone else. read more

I came here on a double date for a birthday dinner and did not enjoy my time. The service was not responsive or frankly gave a damn about their tables. Our appetizers came out immediately and we waited over an hour for our entree. They were out of the desert we wanted and everything seemed overpriced for what it was. Will not return. read more

If I could give this restaurant no star, I would. It's pretentious, expensive and incredibly mediocre. The service is pathetic. The red sauce tastes like it came out of a can, the seafood is not so fresh, and as one reviewer wrote "seems like it was cooked by a high school student". read more

Bummed. Have lived in Chico for 11 years and finally went there with my fiance for valentines day. The person i made reservations with was helpful and seemed genuine. I was informed of a limited menu with very high prices, but i figured lets do this right. Again, bummer. The choices of meals were pretty unimaginative for a special occasion. The appetizers were pretty blah. I ordered the lobster, something i do once a year. It was overcooked, rubbery and stuck to the shell stubbornly. Our waitress, who was awesome and cheerful all night asked how our food was and i told her. She immediately froze up. She offered to replace my plate, but i figured since my fiance was digging in, i'd just settle hoping i may get a brake on the meal. She infact offered to check and see if she could do something about it too. Our server gave us a complementary glass of champagne and we didn't see her again. She sent someone else over to our table to give us the check. She never checked back in on us. M.I.A. When we looked at the bill, full price. She didn't even have the courtesy to come over and tell us she couldn't do anything about it. totally shrugged the responsibility off. Ruined our V-Day. All we could talk about after was what a bummer it was that our server chickened out, when our disappointment wasn't even with her, it was with our food. We never got impatient or nasty with her. I have to drive by that place almost every day and I think about what a crappy night and how much money I wasted every time. For good Italian, go to California Pasta Productions. read more

We have dined previously at this restaurant and have had wonderful experiences. First let me say the service was excellent! The food on this visit, however, was not very good. We had calamari appetizer. Some of the pieces were so tough my husband couldn't chew them. The salad with Italian dressing was wonderful. The French onion soup was also delicious. I had veal marsala with vegetables. The vegetables were so salty, I couldn't eat them. The veal, on the other hand was tasteless. My husband had the seafood manicotti and it, as well as the side spinach, was very salty. We both normally use a fair amount of salt in our food, so when we think it's salty, it is! read more

Do not eat here unless James is in the kitchen! Dinner for 8 on my birthday. 7/12. This is usually my favorite go to place for Italian and I was so disappointed! Ordered the scallops over risotto. Risotto had waaaay too much wine. Inedible. Scallops so overcooked that they could probably bounce off the floor. When I returned it even the server said they would not eat it either. The only reason for two stars is because apparently my guests were ok with their meals and our server was really good. The next time I make reservations I will make sure James is in the kitchen or won't bother going. Sorry James, but this time my dish sucked. Server did deduct my meal from the bill which I would expect. Hate to give my normally favorite Italian such a poor review but I was so disappointed on my birthday. Get rid of the fill in "chef" (term used loosely). read more

We celebrated my youngest son's birthday here at his request. He's a freshman at Chico State. The last time we were here we celebrated my birthday, when my oldest son was a freshman at Chico State. I love this restaurant and was happy when my son requested it. The pace here is very relaxed. The service is wonderful and attentive. The dining room is comfortable. I enjoyed a superb glass of sangioves while we chatted and munched on the complementary antipasti plate, and bread. There was has something for everyone to enjoy while we waited for the next course. My daughter requested caesar dressing on her house salad. They made her house salad a caesar salad. Nice! I ordered the butternut squash filled pasta. I think it was cappelletti. It was soft and delicious! On both occasions the chef has cruised through the diningroom to check on his guests. This is not a formula chain restaurant. If you're looking to eat and dash, this is not the place. I like that there is no pressure to get moving so they can seat another round of guests. I'm looking forward to our next special occasion at Sicilian Cafe. read more

A cozy place, with good bread before the meal, nice antipasto plate, and a good wine list. The meals we had (a special of the day and the eggplant parm) were only so-so; the eggplant was soggy, the risotto nothing special and the price a little high. The staff was friendly and attentive. Worth a trip when you want something new, but not a place to become a regular. read more