This place has been in business for 100 years. I can tell why. Looking for a perfect spot for a date night? This cozy old school familial place has that Italian charm you are looking for - sweeping you back in time. The customer service here is just right! From a nice greeting from the bar when you walk in to the server at your table, they make you feel right at home. The food is impeccable! At first we were not sure we would like it, but boy were we wrong! We started off with the duck polpetta - this small plate was absolutely fantastic and the sauce it came with had you scraping the plate for more. (Note though: the menu says THREE and we only received 2...) Our meals came with soup or salad and we each got a salad and soup - the salad dressing was out of this world. The minestrone was just okay. On to the entrees. My date ordered the salmon with a side of fettuccine Alfredo - this was cooked to perfection - so succulent and the seasoning was beautifully topped. I ordered the Veal Modenese - it was so flavorful I am still thinking about it the next day and how I could have it over and over again. Don't sleep on this place - make a reservation sooner then later, it's such a beautiful spot, if you like being taken back to the old time of Italian restaurants. read more

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we tried del rio again saturday night after a 15Y absence. the valet kindly showed us which door entered the restaurant and we were greeted by our host and seated immediately. our server was crazy busy but got the job done. she took our drink order and left us to check out the menu. i had the salad and spaghetti marinara. my better half ordered the chicken piccata with angel hair pasta. side salad with house dressing, tomatoes, artichokes and olives. dressing was great. breadsticks and warm bread were delivered with butter (we swapped it for olive oil) while we wine tasted. the marinara sauce tasted as if it were simmering all day. it was that good! the chicken piccata got a good--not great review. shelly our server checked in with us to make sure all was well. service was excellent. the room is old school charming; tables a bit close together, but not uncomfortable. a generous menu with many choices. read more

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Great food and great service. Classic Italian restaurant with a home-cooked meal feel. Loved it read more

The Del Rio Restaurant - Homemade baked lasagna - Italian Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

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I love del Rio it reminds me of a great Italian restaurant. I love the old vibe with service and the food.

The service was outstanding. The dinners were all delicious. The owner was there and was so warm and welcoming. read more

Any place that has been in business 100 years must be doing something right. The restaurant is timeless and felt like we could be in any decade. The service was outstanding - shout out to Shelley, our waitress, who was charming and warm and passionate about her job . The food was pretty good - I had the Branzino fish special with roasted veggies and my dining partner had the shrimp scampi. Request a table upstairs if you want a quiet environment and one downstairs if you want a fun, lively, energetic vibe. Overall the old school charm of this place made me a fan . read more

Tired looking Italian restaurant That is well liked by the neighborhood. The food was ordinary and very expensive. I won't be back. read more

Classic old school Italian restaurant, recipes unchanged for decades. The only issues encountered were slow service to take order (sat for 30 minutes without having ordered any food of any sort) and the place was very warm and bright. The service picked up after other tables left and the temperature adjusted down as well, but still was very bright. Overall I'll be back as it was a good experience! Delicious food and chocolate tort was awesome. read more

My first time here and went to celebrate my dad's birthday. It was really good. A wonderful place preserved by time. Service was great, we will be back! read more

This is my favorite Italian-American restaurant in the world. It's got everything you'll want to enjoy a nice date night or for a dinner out with a group of old friends. Fresh warm bread with butter and cold drinks are always a good place to start! A mix of amazing entrees and pasta sides with fresh seafood and the best chicken parm you'll find. Oh, and get the gnocchi. It's so soft and pillowy... you'll eat the full side by yourself and realize that everyone out with you was hoping you'd notice their hungry eyes. You know, you're welcome to get your own? Yeah. Everything here is good. The service is incredibly friendly and helpful. They will make you feel right at home even if you just landed a couple hours ago and are still jetlagged. It's just the best. TL;DR: If you are thinking about going out for food North of Chicago, eat here. I promise you'll love the experience. read more

Menu descriptions are inaccurate. Food isn't cooked well. Had to send my entree back as the pasta was undercooked.

The best Italian food I've ever eaten!! I went there with my family when I was a young girl and never forgot the wonderful family atmosphere and delicious authentic Italian dishes. The portrait of the owner's mother hung in a place of honor in the beautiful dinning room. read more

We eat at Del Rio once a year with friends. It has been going downhill for some years now and this will be our last time eating there. 1) not even enough bread provided to give each of us a piece so we had to ask for more. 2) Salad was just some lettuce with dressing. No tomatoes, carrots, croutons or the usual things you would get on a salad. 3) The food was nothing like it used to be and very expensive. One diner ordered a filet cooked to medium. It was raw in the middle so had to be sent back. Just too expensive and they are not keeping up their quality like so many other restaurants these days. Goodbye Dell Rio read more

Great dishes Veal Pargm best I have had. Cozy restaurant. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. read more

Came here for dinner while in North Chicago area. We were seated on the second floor of the restaurant. First, the service is absolutely wonderful. From the host to our waitress to the gentleman who checked on our table, it's the kind of hospitality you receive at family restaurants. My husband ordered baked ravioli, my son got the fettuccine Alfredo and I ordered the halibut dish with lemon and butter. The pasta dishes were delicious and heavy and rich. My fish was cooked perfectly but, alas, it lacked seasoning. I had to add so much salt and pepper to make it taste like something. So that was disappointing but the service was so nice, I couldn't bring myself to mention it to our waitress. Come here for the pasta and you won't be disappointed. read more

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Went to Del Rio for dinner a couple weeks ago. What a lovely Italian restaurant! It was my first visit there. The food, ambiance and drinks were wonderful and authentic. The Owner regaled us with some history & funny jokes. It felt like we were at a Friend's home! I enjoyed it and will definitely go again read more

the lasagna is top notch. truly delicious. tonight i also had the chance to eat dinner and they had a fire eater performance! never thought I'd get dinner and a show. highly recommend! read more

The Del Rio is an American success story - 95 years in the making. I've only been coming here for about 3 years, but I can feel the history when I walk in the door. In 1923 Linda Pigati, a young, twice-widowed, Italian woman with three sons, took over the The Del Rio Tango Club. She kept the name, but turned it into an Italian restaurant serving the Northern Italian food she grew up with. 95 years later, The Del Rio is still serving tasty Northern Italian cuisine, and is still run by her family. This past Saturday, (November 17th) our party of eight had 7:00 dinner reservations. The restaurant was at, or near capacity, and our party was seated upstairs (my first time upstairs). I don't think there is a bad seat in the house, and the whole restaurant is comfortable and inviting. However, the stairway is very narrow and steep, and might be difficult for some to navigate. I ordered the Braised Short Ribs in a port wine sauce, it came with asparagus and polenta. My meal was outstanding! I can't recall what the other seven in my party ordered, but everyone appeared to enjoy the food. The Del Rio has a full service bar. They offer a nice selection of craft beers including brews from: Ballast Point, Bells, and Goose Island; but, I would recommend going with an Italian Beer such as Moretti (on draft), or Peroni (in bottles). Service was friendly, and professional, and even gave us a free cannoli. My one complaint: We had a party of eight and only received one basket of bread. By the time the basket made it to me, all the bread was gone, and the basket was never refilled. I loved the sauce from my braised short ribs, and wanted to sop it up with some bread; so this was a little annoying, but it won't impact my rating. If you're ever on the North Shore, and looking for good Italian fare, I recommend giving The Del Rio a try. read more

The Del Rio Restaurant - Braised Short Ribs with asparagus and polenta. Delicious! - Italian Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

It has been years since we've been to Del Rio's and couldn't wait to go back. The ambiance is all that we remember, old school and very familial. The food was as good as I remember it so no disappointment there. All four of us were very pleased with the service and our meals. I guess the only downside is that it's very pricey. Our bill, with only 2 glasses of house wine was over $150 not including tip. 3 were pasta dishes over $20 each and 1 chicken parm. Pricing needed to be a mention. read more

My husband and I recently dined at Del Rio after not going there for several years. Our reservation was for upstairs. I did not care for that level as much as the main room. Our server was friendly and competent but a bit familiar to my taste. At one point, he sat down at our table to chat. Hmmm. We both ordered the Chicken Parmesan which was good but not my favorite. It had a cinnamon flavor to it that I did not care for. The house salad was with a vinaigrette and topped with blue cheese crumbles. Yummy! The housemade cheesecake is made with mascarpone cheese and it was decadent!! Our total was $160 before the tip. (4 drinks, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert) It was good but several other great Italian restaurants nearby have equally good food for less money. Not sure that I am racing back there. read more

Perhaps the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. The owner is very nice and he greets every guest. The DelRio will be celebrating their 100th year this year. Same restaurant, same location, same family. That doesn't just happen by accident. read more

I frankly don't see any value in this old resturant. Food was not good and they make too much on drinks. So many better choices in Highwood. Pass on this place read more

Went 3 times, WILL NOT go back. :-( I so wanted to like this place. It's so old school and I love that. The patina has patina on it and you just don't find a lot of places like this. Last night was our third attempt. We were dining with a couple we only see twice each year so we really wanted to have a good time and catch up. The ambiance was terrible with super bright lights. That was okay. My side order of garlic bread didn't arrive at the table until I had already finished the meal. That was okay too. No big deal. The busboy who tried to pick up my friend's dish while it still had food on it and she still had the fork in her hand...I could live with that too. Every few minutes someone was trying to move something around our table or take it away...I could even live with that annoyance. But when the owner came by while dessert was still on the table and literally verbatim said to us..." I need you...to leave." That's the straw. He tried to pause to be funny but it was absolutely terrible. We were literally model diners trying to enjoy ourselves. It was just under two hours at the table. Felt rushed all night. Then he said, "There are people who've been waiting 35 minutes to get the table." As if his bad management skills are something we should accommodate for in our Saturday night dining experience. Our reservation started at 6:00-ish so we were on time. I guess I need to realize Saturday night dining is limited to 90 minutes even though we ordered appetizers right away and then entrees right away and ordered dessert before our entrees were finished. Just an awful experience. The second time we were there was during their opera week. So it was a limited menu. It was also kind of a hot mess as dining was limited to the upstairs tables. We cut them slack for all of this, and didn't want that to be our gauge of how good the restaurant could be. So we came back for a third try. I'm patient to a long point, but this was terrible. read more

Had a very nice birthday dinner here for my wife. Six people and all we happy with the food. Were very busy when we arrived so it took a little time to get our order placed. Most of the dishes were very rich and filling. We shared a wonderful chocolate cake. Had two bottles of a nice reasonably priced wine. Server was very good and on top of things. read more

Del Rio is awesome. Been around 95 years for a reason. Shrimp scampi was awesome. Very cheesy and garlicky and delicious and ample bread to sop it up with. Plus the bartender is great. No chintzing on the pours! Also minestrone was great, sausage and peppers great and the rigatoni with meat is really good. Definitely a very very solid place! read more

Great place to get dinner. The staff is extremely friendly and the owner is very knowledgeable about the highwood/highland park area. The one prices are great. I loved the beef spare ribs! Make sure you make a reservation because this place fills up fast! read more

Excellent all around! Cracker crust pizza = amazing! Pasta dishes were bomb! Service was great.

My parents and I came here to celebrate my dad's birthday. Plus it is one if our favorite restaurants in Highwood. A jazz band was playing various old cover songs and soundtracks that night. The decor is old fashioned, but it felt like I was visiting my great grandmother and great grandfather's home. We each started off with a glass of wine and share two appetizers. You must check out their wine selection. Some date back to the 1800's and most bottles cost less than retail. Appetizer: We had the butternut squash ravioli and the characterie board (grapes, cantaloupe, 3 types of cheese, 3 types of meats, mini toasts, and 2 spicy spreads). The waitress was very nice and gave us extra portions, so it would feed three people. Normally the board feeds one to two people. She also kept checking in on us, filling our wine glasses, and even surprised my dad with a delicious flourless chocolate cake. For dinner: I had the seafood rotini, which was excellent. The rotini pasta was in a light cream sauce with shrimp and scallops. I will be back soon! read more

You'd expect any restaurant that can make it 95 years has got to be pretty good. Del Rio doesn't disappoint. The food is just excellent. Bill is a gracious host. This place will easily make it another 95. read more

Like the low key atmosphere. Service was okay. But food wasn't up to par. I had eggplant and could not distinguish sauce from eggplant. Just mush. Disappointed. read more

We love Del Rio. This place is a gem. It is old school in the very best way. The food is consistently fresh and good, the prices are more than fair, but what makes it great is the staff. They are efficient and so kind. We had dinner there with my teen daughter who has autism and they went out of their way to make her feel welcome. We are customers for life. read more

Owner of this restaurant is a great guy. Had so many good stories and really made the meal that much better. I highly recommend this old school Italian restaurant read more

Food was up & down, charcuterie nice as well as some of the pastas but chicken parmigiana was way too saucy. Decor is well beyond its ages.

We have dined at Del Rio MANY times, but never had the opportunity to enjoy Opera Night. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable evenings I have had in a long time. The food was great, the performers were great, the crowd was great, and I have to say I especially enjoyed the last song of the performance. God willing, this will be the first of many Opera Nights for us. Great job, Bill, staff and performers! read more

Terrible! I don't understand the hype. The tomato sauce had no flavor except a somewhat burned taste. The pasta was over-cooked, perhaps due to an effort to bring out all the dinners at once. I'd rather wait for al dente noodles than wait while all the dishes were prepared and served for a party of eight. The meat dishes were average but the eggplant parmesan lacked spices. I would go to Rosebud or other Italian restaurants anytime. read more

The best ciopino I have ever had. No body makes it better than Del Río and Bill is the consummate host!

Great place with a long tradition. Such a great menu. Impeccable service. Highly recommended

Went here last night with Hubby and a couple of neighbors. Hubs and I went here in the summer and sat at the bar. It was fun and all, but I'd rather sit outside in the summer. However, this is a great "go to" place in the winter! They keep it real warm inside. Having been chilled all day yesterday, it was a welcome feeling to warm up. We didn't get cocktails, so I can't comment on that. I had a glass of wine which was fine and ample for me to get through dinner on one glass. Our dinners came with either soup or salad. Three of us went for the minestrone and one got a salad. The minestrone was very good. Lots of veggies and good spices. I topped mine with a little parmesan (the old school kind sitting on the table) and it was delish. I got chicken cacciatore sitting on a bed of polenta. They serve half a bird, but it's a small bird, so not really an oversized portion. I took home 2 pieces for lunch today. :-) Hubby got the lasagna ($19) and liked it. Next time he said he will get the chicken parm. One of our party got the branzino special. It looked fresh and cooked to the correct doneness, not overcooked. Our neighbors shared the homemade cheesecake and raved. Hubby and I shared the butterscotch sundae. It was two scoops of vanilla ice cream with butterscotch on top. Not an over-the-top sundae, but it was just what we wanted. small and simple. Our server was friendly and efficient. The owner came over to see how everything was. He instructed how to eat the Branzino "correctly". We felt well taken care of. The ambiance is very old school neighborhood italian. This place has been around since 1924, and it's no surprise. They cater to those that want that old school experience. (If you want something more "city-fied" go next door to Ballaro.) They just need a little Frank Sinatra playing in the background. Hubby and I used to go here when all the restaurants in Highwood were old school italian.... 30 some years ago. It hasn't changed... and that, my fellow yelpers, is a good thing! read more

The Del Rio Restaurant - Fabulous chicken cacciatore - Italian Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

I've been going here for 28 years. Always like it. This time they stuck us up a flight of steep stairs even though I told them I broke my hip 4 months ago. I don't know if it's the same owner or not but the guy in charge that night was not very friendly. Their upstairs room is very old and kinda dingy. Food was still good and they still have a great wine selection but the prices on the wine have gone way up. Used to love it, will have to find a replacement.. read more

Celebrated a birthday with a group of seven. Best to get with a reservation, upon entrance at 7pm the place was filled. There are a little less than 25 tables, all seat a min. of four. It is a cozy, dark, little Italian place in the northern burbs. The clientele was composed of mostly older people, 45+. No children in sight, mainly couples. Well decorated, a good place to bring a significant other, or have some good food with friends. Call to top shelf liquors, good wine list, and the cocktails I had were created perfect. We'd heard that they have a great baked lasagna, which is what most of the group ordered. I had a filet, "al forno", which means that it is seasoned with Italian spices and garlic and topped with cheese. All main meals come with salad and pasta or you may opt for just a pasta dish with salad. I.E., the filet would be accompanied with salad and pasta. The sauce is tasty; you can taste the herbs, its plump, not sweet so much. You'll definitely grab for some bread to dip. I felt the portions were small, I am used to meals with size relative of Cheesecake Factory, especially when most of Del Rio's dishes are priced right around $20 dollars. Steak with a slightly higher cost dependant on cut/oz. Wait staff is quick with refills and cleaning off tables and the owner makes his rounds greeting customers and making you feel welcome. Desserts and coffees are priced around $5 bucks, all the desserts were very yummy. For those of you sundae lovers, their ice cream sundae has a fudge bottom made with chocolate liqueurs. Honestly, I like Baskin Robbins sundaes more. Stick with the Tiramisu or the "flour-less" Chocolate cake. Very yummy, order both and share the fun. Bathrooms were tiny, just a little bit bigger than on planes, serves one. Wait area provided. A full size mirror right behind the toilet. Funny! To be able to view your "Bo-jangly-jangling" A good Italian dining spot if you are dining out here, but not worthy enough to leave the city for. read more

The Del Rio Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

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