This review is for the pizza I ordered for takeout. My past dine-in experiences have been four stars (I've dined in three times in the past nine months or so). I like their salads, pastas (I like that half portions are an option), and the prosciutto pizzas. However, today we ordered three pizzas. They got one of the pizzas wrong - giving us the giova instead of the Napoli. That wasn't a big deal because the two are similar. However, the big disappointment was that the margherita pizza was the saddest margherita I've ever seen. Literally, it looked like a cheese pizza from Domino's with three basil leaves thrown on top. Based on the margherita pizza alone, I would have rated the food just one star. I'll still return to eat at Trattoria but I'll be sure to choose my pizza more carefully. read more

Trattoria D.O.C. - The most pathetic margherita pizza I've ever seen. - Italian Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Second time now that we have ordered something for pick up / delivery and the order was wrong. We ordered two sides of broccoli and it was listed on the receipt but we were given potatoes. We called the restauarant and they said the chef might have misread the order. Previous order the tuna was undercooked and inedible. read more

I've always had great food here, but I have to say in the 30 plus years I've lived in Evanston... I've never been talked down to for asking if they had change for a dollar. It makes me embarrassed for the community to have a manager like that who are feeding the residents. read more

I have been to the dining room here and liked it, but most recently we ordered three pizzas, cheese and arugula, 4 cheese and sausage and mushroom. All three were good, but not excellent. The four cheese was somewhat bland and needed more/some tomato sauce. The other two were better. All three pizzas were good with beer but all 3 needed salt. Although I generally use a fair amount of salt so I don't blame DOC for that. I would order from here again, but the pizzas at the original DOC on Lawrence (now Himmels) were better. read more

See all

I was up in Evanston and wanted Italian, so we googled & ended up here! This was really good pasta & Italian food. I asked for Rigatoni pasta with Vodka sauce - I didn't enjoy all of the ingredients listed on the menu in some of their dishes, there wasn't a ton of simple dishes. They were able to make my simple dish for me and it tasted great! We sat outside, and it was a cute area. I got a glass of Prosecco for my drink, and that was great too. For dessert, I got the Tortino di Cioccolato dish - it was delicious and a great way to end a meal. My only knock is since we were outside, I think we were forgotten about a few times because it wasn't as busy, but we were at the restaurant for a while & it took a little bit to get things we requested. Other than that, this is a great spot for some Italian food! read more

Trattoria D.O.C. - Tortino di Cioccolato - Italian Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all

We love Trattoria because they don't seem to be trying to hard to be snooty or fancy. The setting is elegant the casual, and the food is very good and well priced. It is family friendly -- our kids have loved it since they were four and five years old, in part because some of the dishes are very straightforward and simple. Now that they are in their teens, we appreciate some of the more sophisticated and complex dishes. It is a great experience! read more

See all

Service and attitude of all staff was super good...friendly knowledgeable and attentive waiter Aden Ambiance is really low keyed and offers a pleasant atmosphere Food? Wish I could agree with the reviews giving a thumbs up.. to me it was bland to a fault... Others in the group enjoyed theirs but my sea bass was limp without texture and sin flavor Bread was not worth eating... On a positive note,the brocollini was crispy fresh, perfectly cooked and had a super flavor. Choose wisely and cheers read more

I've been to Trattoria 4 times now. The food is good, not great. Our service was fine. Bit pricey for what you get. read more

Excellent service and wide selection of dishes. A good location for celebrations. Plenty of parking in the neighborhood.

Food excellent service. Excellent ambience excellent. Highly recommended. I will spin several afternoon summer and evening dining alfresco there. read more

This is an exemplary restaurant. The Carbonara was the best I have ever eaten, even in Italy! They nailed it. The bacon was crispy and the sauce and spaghetti perfection. The lasagna was amazing, as was the Chianti Classico -very good. I am a food critic and this restaurant gets a top star rating. Service was also exceptional. a gem of a find in Evanston Chicago ! read more

Still a great Italian restaurant with delicious food and reasonable prices. Service was a little slow but I understand that finding workers is a problem. Love this place regardless. read more

Take a look at the pictures. I ordered the grilled duck breast medium rare, but it was overcooked. The duck breast was sliced first and then grilled. I've never seen duck breast cooked like that before. It's like slicing raw beef steak into individual slices, and then grilling it. The skin was also not crispy at all. The skin was rubbery, and the fat wasn't rendered down. What a shame to cook a great piece of meat in this way. They were generous with the grilled calamari, but the taste was bland. I doubt I would be returning again. Once and done. You should probably pass on patronizing Trattoria D.O.C. read more

See all

Great service ! We had a birthday dinner for six, they accommodated with a birthday treat at the end. Friendly, fast service . The Italian food was delicious. Even our vegetarians left happy! read more

Just had their Thanksgiving specials and they were all delicious! I've ordered from them during the covid shutdown and their food is consistently great; kudos especially for the risotto and pasta. Order through their website so they don't have to pay the delivery services fees! read more

Service is ok. The pizza is very good. I didn't like the salmon it was very raw. But the atmosphere is not bad at all.

I chaperoned a group of seniors to Trattoria D.O.C. on a weekday afternoon. We had a great time. Food was delicious and service was great. Our meal was served family style and my guests seemed to enjoy that. Working with Giulianna as far as booking date/time & menu was easy and convenient. Pricing per person was very reasonable. I appreciated the nice custom menus that were at each place setting. Lovely white linens. Metered street parking available. Restaurant is conveniently located on Main St. within walking distance of a variety of shops. I would definitely return again in the future. I great spot for date night, family dinner or group dining. read more

This place is outstanding! We were there for lunch for the first time and had a great experience. Our server was very friendly, professional and attentive. The food was spot on authentic. We HD the Bucatini All'amatriciana and the Tagliatelle Bolognese, both wonderful! They have a nice selection of good wines, we had Prosecco (brand new bottle and nice poor) all very nicely priced. One thing that was very interesting is that they offer a small version of most of the dishes so you can sample a couple. Great find! read more

Gus was crazy and left review the calzone was hard to eat was really cheesy the food was great nd the moctail was very kiddy but needed more charry read more

Tried it and will not return. We ordered the meat lasagne for $18 the smallest portion size I've seen for that price. Supposedly three meats in it. Couldn't barely find any meat. It was bland, tasteless and very mushy. Pizza was bad too tasted like a premade store bought pie crust and they threw a couple of cooked sausages and mushrooms on it then heated it up. Saving grace was the tiramisu. For $8 the portion was aceptable. Would not recommend and would not try again. Just not worth the rip off prices in these hard times read more

See all

You know an Italian Restaurant is good when they have good bread.. I had three baskets. The service is friendly, the food is fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere of the restaurant is fairly spacious. The price on the other hand is a bit expensive but the portions are big. The alcohol section is filled with great choices and reasonably priced. Overall the experience is wonderful and a must try for Italian Food Lovers. 5 Stars - BruhMonJee (DJ on SoundCloud - Media Chillaxer on Twitter and Instagram - Serious Couch Potato on XBOX and Mobile - Reviews on iTunes/App Store, and XBOX) read more

See all

Last night both of our kids had other activities so my husband and I decided to try this place. What a treat! The restaurant was full but they had a walk-in table to accommodate us. The vibe was warm and wonderful. The restaurant smelled good. The food we saw being brought out was ample and looked delicious. I think the bread is homemade and very good. Service was attentive and casual and the prices are fair for everything. My husband had squid ink linguini with seafood, the quality was excellent! I had seafood risotto which was among the best I've ever had. The shrimp were large and super fresh and the variety of seafood included was just excellent. We also share a pear/Gorgonzola salad, excellent too. My only complaint is the chairs are old and very wobbly which feels unpleasant like "will I fall on the floor"? This could be easily remedied by repair or just getting some new ones. At one point also, whatever the kitchen made was smokey, I wished they would have opened the front door to let in some fresh air but I'm smell sensitive! We've already made a reservation to eat here again in a couple of weeks!! Nice to find a low-key excellent Italian restaurant in the area! read more

Trattoria is among the most popular restaurants in the whole of Evanston, and it's easy to see why. Fortunate patrons who are able to snag a reservation here will be treated to a slew of outstanding salads, pastas, and pizzas in an upscale but unpretentious atmosphere. My family and I visited the restaurant on a busy Saturday night. Not a table was empty, and a line of hungry customers snaked out the door. I started with the Saporita salad, which features arugula soaked in a tangy and salty balsamic vinaigrette. I found the portabella mushrooms on top to be flavorful and moist--a perfect complement to the goat cheese and mild red peppers on the plate. It was all I could do not to fill up on salad before my entree arrived. I ordered the Melanzane alla Parmigiana (eggplant parmesan), and it was doubtless the best I've ever had. What's more, it left me energized rather than uncomfortably full. No noodles, thick layers of fried breadcrumbs, or eggplant seeds were necessary, and only would have weighed down this surprisingly light dish. Instead, Trattoria serves thinly shaved slices of the vegetable with starchy mozzarella and a sprinkling of parmesan surrounded by a sweet and hearty tomato sauce. Simplicity is what makes this dish so perfect. I also tried the Ravioli di Pollo, which features noodles filled with ricotta and chicken. I found that the so-called "pink sauce" dolloped on top added a marvelous depth of richness to the bite. For those with a greater appetite, I also recommend the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, which is an egg pasta tossed in a heavy meat sauce. Struggling in vein to pronounce the Italian names of each dish is the only downside to dining at Trattoria. In case you're curious: D.O.C. is an Italian acronym that describes "wine quality standards" of high mark. While I don't drink and therefore did not foray into the vast wine list here, it is evident that the chefs of this kitchen apply their high standards to food as well as drink. I will be thrilled to return to Trattoria in the future, and recommend it anyone in the mood for a truly special Italian meal. read more

My wife and I are huge fans of this restaurant. We keep comparing the food to other Italian restaurants on the North Shore and in Chicago proper, and it always meets or beats anything else. My wife is a devotee of cacio e pepe and she has found none better in Chicago. Matching the wonderful pastas are the Italian-style, wood-oven pizzas. I particularly love the quattro stagioni, which is authentic and delicious, particularly the tangy olives and first-rate prosciutto. No, the ambience here is not exactly stylish or swank, but the service is always first-rate. And what really matters is the food, and, in that regard, this restaurant consistently hits home runs. read more

My mom and I dropped in here for a quick dinner on the day that I moved into Evanston and it was perfect. They seated us quickly, the service was great, and the food was even better. It's a little more expensive than most places that I would go but luckily they have the perfect solution - half plates. My mom and I both ordered a half plate. I got the gorgonzola gnocci which was DELICIOUS. It melted in your mouth and was gone much too soon. Although I wanted more in my mouth, my stomach was perfectly full with half an order (plus bread). We also ordered a Caprese salad which was great. I'm used to having some form of balsamic involved, which this one did not, but it was still super good. They have a good wine selection and also some great beer choices. The inside seating is nice but they also have a nice little outdoor seating area in the front. I'm looking forward to returning and trying all the other kinds of pasta! (one at a time of course) read more

Delicious Italian cuisine, friendly & attentive staff and affordable prices. We especially enjoy their salads, pasta & risotto dishes and anything Al Limone! One request we have is to please heat the bread before serving it. Warm bread would be much appreciated and would make the meal stellar. Since Covid has eased up a bit, the tables up near the windows are too close together. A bit more space between tables would feel safer and be much more comfortable. read more

So, there are certain places that are generally good to the majority of people i.e. McDonalds, KFC, and Subway. I could be wrong, but tens of thousands of successful locations says otherwise. Then there's other places that are highly praised because they satisfy a certain demographic. Trattoria D.O.C. is the latter. I think Italians will praise this place because it's basically made for them. Nothing wrong with having a restaurant and being authentic and geared towards certain people, in fact, that's a good thing. All I'm saying is that my experience probably would have been better if I were Italian. The food was just "ok" to me, and overpriced. I received, what seems to be, a half a plate of Ravioli for $18, one German bottle of beer for about $8, and a slice of cheesecake for for about $8. That's expensive. Again, to an Italian person that may be customary. I do want to add that the atmosphere was nice as well as the staff. I had no problems here. The food came in a reasonable amount of time and it was good. This place is worth a shot, at least once, if you bring a date and want to have a nice, quiet dinner, in a beautiful Italian backdrop. Contrarily, if you just want to have some good Italian food without breaking the bank, there are other options. Buon appetito! read more

This is a pleasant Italian restaurant in the middle of an old fashioned block of main street surrounded by lots of interesting shops. Pizzas are served uncut so they don't get soggy, and there are some interesting salads. I had a combination of celery, apple and radicchio that was quite refreshing. The wine list has some uncommon offerings by the glass, including the seldom seen primitivo. There is some sidewalk seating that's perfect on a nice day. The only downside is that it's not inexpensive, and there doesn't seem to be a lunch menu, so two courses can result in a rather pricey noon-time meal. But on a nice summer evening it's certianly a good outside dining option. read more

Trattoria D.O.C. - Anchovy, tomato, arugula pizza - Italian Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Don't believe the mediocre reviews. This is one of the best Italian restaurants in the Chicago area. I have never had a bad meal here. Their Roman-style pizzas are outstanding. I have tried several pasta dishes and never been disappointed. Salads and appetizers all first rate. Same with desserts. Oh, and I have to mention the bread. Baked the wood-fired oven, it is really good. Service is excellent and they remember their repeat customers. read more

Food is ok. Every time I have gone the service has been fine as well. This most recent time however, the service really was terrible. I'm not one to comment on wait staff because hey we're all humans. BUT this was on a Wednesday, 8pm, hardly anyone in the restaurant and it still took 30 minutes for appetizers, and 40 minutes for the entrees. What was even weirder was they had specials, as restaurants usually do ha, and every time one of us said we'll have "blah blah" special our waitress would say, "oh we actually just ran out of that"! It was like some weird game. Like maybe you should let us know what you *do* have instead of putting the table through a bizarre guessing exercise. My food was actually really good except for the giant inedible alien on my plate that I totally cold have done without. read more

Trattoria D.O.C. - Don't know what this is and it does not taste good - Italian Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

We so enjoyed the outdoor dining on the side street; traffic blocked off and a DJ spun records. Young waiter, with curly blond hair was just right... freshly professional. Hubby's pasta and my pizza were very good. We like to support the Evanston businesses. read more

Staff was extremely you and untrained. Far from what you expect from a fine dining experience, Applebees has better service.

Horrible meal, options that don't make sense (I can get you noodles, but no sauce. Huh?) service was not good. Food is not good - tomato sauce is like Ragu or Prego direct from the bottle. Nothing traditional available like Chicken Parmesan or Frutti di Mare only version is risotto. Staff do NOT have answers to questions. This would be the third bad meal at Trattoria DOC, so you can't say we didn't try a few times. We won't be back. read more

I don't find this restaurant anything special given the poor service and everything I had wasn't better or even as good than other Italian food I've tried. It took a while to be seated with the restaurant being short on staff. The waiter wasn't attentive in terms of giving us much water or checking on us about our meal. The menu is extensive in pizza and pasta, but not really anything else especially on the poultry and other meat dishes. I started with the fried calamari and the sausage and mushroom pizza. The fried calamari was the best dish I had. It was a nice light breading, the seasoning was perfect, and the calamari was tender and cooked well. The pizza was nothing special. Although the crust was thin and crispy, there wasn't much sausage on the pizza in comparison to the amount of the mushrooms and I found the sauce to be too heavy and sweet. For my entree, I got the linguine and clams. The clams were fresh and were tender, but the sauce and pasta was very bland and not enjoyable. This doesn't hold a candle to any other linguine and clams I've tried. I would not come back here, the service is terrible and I rather go to my usual Italian spots than make the drive here to a place that doesn't hold up to the enjoyable meals I've had at other places. read more

pizza soggy, sopressetta flavorless and not crispy at all, no flavor in crust. prices high for very mid food.

Don't know why it took me so long to try Trattoria D.O.C. It's a great local neighborhood spot that if you're looking to satiate an Italian craving. What I love most about Trattoria D.O.C. is that you can get 1/2 orders on just about everything (minus the entrees). If you are a food lover (which I assume everyone is), you can get a little of everything!; multiple appetizers, salads, and pasta (oh my!). You also unlimited bread while you wait for your food, though I find it odd that you have to specifically request for parmesan and red pepper flakes. Overall, I enjoyed Trattoria D.O.C and will certainly be back. It's a great place for a casual weeknight dinner. read more

I am now a regular customer or as much as one can be during and epidemic. And it's still a great place to eat. So because of my inreased frequency as a customer and the fact that I haven't had anything but great food there, I added another star to make it *****. read more

This is an excellent Italian restaurant in Evanston. The service was top notch and my gnocchi (it is so hard to find) was excellent. The restaurant is bigger than it looks from the outside so we didn't have to wait for a table even on a Saturday night. read more

Food was mediocre at best and a bit overpriced. Service was excellent. Nice location and, to their credit, they did not rush you.

This is a quaint neighborhood Italian restaurant, perfect for date night or getting dinner with friends and family. Our waiter was attentive and made good suggestions. I had the 1/2 order (which I really appreciate bc I can never finish my meal, the portion size was just the right amount for me, they don't skimp out) clams and linguine and my bf ordered the spaghetti de carbonara. The meals were cooked in simple ingredients but prepared well and tasted yummy! It felt like eating at my Italian grandmother's house that I never had haha . Highly recommend, I really don't understand why this rated higher. This place is comparable to many of the popular Italian restaurants (maybe even better) in Chicago. read more

Trattoria D.O.C. - Italian Near Me - Evanston, Illinois