We are local Des Plaineites....So we are glad to have a real authentic Italian Restaurant in our neighborhood. They are friendly, accomodat-ing and have very good food for very good prices. Everything is ala-carte if you want a salad or soup, but the portions are generous. Just enough to eat without taking home leftovers. It's a BYOB, without a corkage fee. Very small so go early or late, or you'll wait for a table. Enjoy!!! read more

this is an update. My gourmet group came here in October for one of our occasional nights out, which we started years ago going to Chicago Magazine's ten best restaurants. I live in Des Plaines and love this place so we came on a Saturday night with reservations for the eight of us and BYOB with pro secco and a nice california red and white and shared two appetizers, four entrees and two desserts. My friends from LSD, Park Ridge and Evanston loved it. The bruschetta were universal favorites especially the mushroom with white truffle oil. People were out on the sidewalk for over an hour waiting to get in. Go Via Roma! read more

Baked bread with mushrooms & Mushroom Risotto was AMAZING! The Vodka Pasta was okay. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients, and will definitely return. Best thing... BYOB!!!!! read more

I love this place! We've been going here since it opened and will continue to go back. As with most places there are pros and cons. PROS - * Food is almost always consistent. I am a huge risotto fan (which is hard to find done correctly at many places). The risotto here is very good. Only once did I find it to be a little less tasty than it usually is. The pasta dishes are yummy, they have enough variety for our vegetarian family and our meat-eating friends to all go together. * The staff is super nice. They recognize familiar faces and are always pleasant. * The place is cozy and comfortable (size can be a con at times too). It also has outdoor seating in the back for the spring/summer which is nice. * Works for kids/families. We have a 4 year old and he loves coming here. They are accommodating for little kids and can adjust the dishes accordingly. *Prices are good for the portion sizes. (I always end up with a little doggie bag) CONS - * The place is small which on a less crowded night works well. Only a few times was there a wait and it can also get a bit loud when it is packed. *Sometimes slow. There have been a few times when service has been pretty slow. It is a small place so having too many staff can make it really crowded so perhaps less staff is the reason it takes longer on busy nights? Again, only an issue occasionally. * No website. They have a facebook page but I wish they had a dedicated website with a menu (so I could forward it to interested friends to view). Also, I've suggested to them that they post their daily specials on their facebook page the day of, so you could see what they have before going (sometimes this sways my decision as to whether I would go there or somewhere else that night) but they said they didn't want to do that (in case it changes I guess?). Otherwise a good solid place that I love to go to! read more

Four of us dined there on a Saturday night. Service was excellent. Very nice atmosphere and decor. Price was very reasonable. Food was freshly made and tasted really good. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Easy to get to and easy parking. BYOB. We will definitely return. read more

So far 2 times, 4 of us have dined here for dinner over the past 6 months and were very delighted with the freshness of the food, friendliness and knowledge of the wait staff and the atmosphere. We will definitely be returning for more good tasting food. The menu has a nice selection, everything is fresh and homemade. Being able to bring your own wine also makes the evening fun! Easy to get to and plenty of free parking. You won't feel ripped off when you dine here. read more

We tried this place bacause it had good reviews and was BYOB. Also, this is a small, family owned place and we love to support neighborhood places like this. We went on a Saturday night and had to wait about 40 minutes to get a table. We sat outside for a bit and contemplated leaving because of the wait. As we were sitting there, multiple groups of people came by to look inside and mentioned to us how great this place is and how much it was worth the wait. So we waited. GREAT idea. This place was OUTSTANDING and well worth the wait! The food was delicious and reasonably priced. Plus it was BYOB! Aside from the food being great, our waitress was very friendly and even sat down at the table to talk for a bit. Then one of the owners came by and sat down and talked to us. Everyone seemed to know each other in this place. We felt like a guest in their home. Ambiance, service, and especially the food was spectacular. Keep up the good work and thanks for a great evening. We will be back. read more

First visit - next time will BYO - kudos to owners for not charging their patrons a cork fee! Granddaughter and I ordered an app I'd read that prior patrons raved about - steep at $19 and wasn't that impressed (olives, fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, 4 slices prosciutto, couple pieces of marinated artichoke) good but way overpriced. My entree was served hot and directly from heaven and I cannot recall its name but was from the pasta section, was tiny tortellini stuffed with meat in a delicious tomato sauce and I had leftovers for next day. Granddaughter liked the Chicken Limone very much. No room for dessert! Place was fairly empty when we arrived and every table was taken when we left. Definitely will be back; noticed repeat customers and friendly owners. read more

Fantastic!!! Dined here the saturday before Valentine's day my husband had the lobster fettucine pasta and I had the short rib with rigitoni and let me say both were the best meals my husband and I have had in a very long time . Our server Caitlin was top notch and the owner Lisa who seated us was as sweet as can be she gave us some great laughs . serious I would have paid triple what we paid super reasonable for the quality and portion my only regret is that i didnt know about this place sooner byob no cork fee thank you. very tiny place worth the wait ! read more

Via Roma is the best! We have gone countless times and never had a bad experience. Warm, welcoming, make you feel like family. The food, atmosphere, and BYOB- all perfect...This is our favorite dinner spot! read more

Great food and atmosphere. It is a cozy restaurant with great Italian food. Also the fact that it is BYOB for wine and beer is amazing. They have had different specials each time we go, and I've tried something new every time. Haven't gone wrong yet! Staff is friendly and take time to explain the menu and specials. They have been very welcoming such time we have been. I do not have a single complaint. read more

I absolutely love this place. It's small but a great atmosphere bring your own wine or beer and the menu is modern/unique and always changing. Prices are favorable too. Diamond in the rough in Des plaines read more

Wow! The food is very good here, but I'm glad I wasn't paying! I ordered the ravioli di zucca, and it was the first time I've had pumpkin ravioli and I'm definitely a fan. But the food was a couple dollars more than I had expected, but I do admit I'm a pretty cheap person, especially when it comes to Italian food. I also felt a little underdressed, they were also a bit fancier than I had expected. read more

I was a bit put off by the handwritten menu and how hard it was to read. But the prices seemed reasonable. The food came and the portions were generous. And then there was the taste. I have not had a meal that good in a looooooong time. My friend was a bit disappointed that what she ordered on the menu was not available (I guess it's seasonal), but was still extremely happy with what she did end up ordering. I ordered exactly what I wanted and was not disappointed at all. I will be going back there... as regularly as I possibly can. read more

Des Plaines is a food desert (for good food). Via Roma is great and is worth the visit. The food is excellent, portions are perfect and priced right. BYOB is the best part. You may be waiting for a table but it only tells you that people have found this place and are coming back. The owners are very nice and the staff is prompt and polite. read more

full disclosure: I'm a chef. Went to Via Roma at the promise of a simple italian meal by an italian chef. I was not disappointed. I ordered the veal marsala and got perfectly cooked veal, properly seasoned and lightly sauced. No sprinkling of olives or sundried tomatoes or any other pseudo-italian cliches. My wife got a silky carbonara with flecks of black pepper (thus carbonara, mimicking the soot from coal miner's pasta. Supposedly). Al fresco lunch for two, impromptu mimosa courtesy of the aranciata (which they sell) and a small bottle of proseco from a liquor store around the corner (courtesy of the very nice waiter's directions). Plus a smooth capuccino with nice crema, a fresh tasting tiramisu and a delicate hazelnut gelato for $36. Can't beat that. read more

My meatballs were obviously pre-made via a plastic bag from Trader Joe's (how unauthentic can you get). Even one homemade meatball made well, beats this. Overall, the veal parm. was ok and my daughters both said their fettucine Alfredo tasted liked Digiorno's brand sauce from the local grocery store. Ambience was mediocre especially outside: the chairs were uncomfortable (wrought iron). I expected better based on reviews and we will not be back. read more

Cozy place, good food, great customer service, byob! What else can you wish for? We had a romantic Saturday evening dinner with my husband. I love their chicken meals. read more

I am sad to say that I will never be able to come back to Via Roma after the terrible way my friends and I were treated last Friday night. I actually love the food, and have been coming to this restaurant since it opened. My 5 girlfriends and I came here for dinner. We waited over 2 hours to be sat, it was a long wait, but we knew it would be worth it. We were told by the hostess that we would be getting the next available table outside, but when the next table opened up, another group went to sit in it, without even being told to do so by any of the Via Roma staff. When I went to talk to the host, she told me these people came before us. I knew this was not true, because I saw when they arrived. I went inside to speak to the owner, whom I have spoken to many times, and she basically told me that my group and I had not waited 2 hours, and there was nothing she could do. All I got was a "sorry" with a shrugged shoulders from her. She couldn't care less. Four of my girlfriends whom never ate here before, refused to eat at this restaurant, once they saw how the owner treated me. I have worked in the restaurant industry for many years, and I, nor any manager I have ever worked with, would have ever treated a guest like this. read more

By far the best Italian food I've had in & around Chicago... I still dream of their risottos! Anytime I'm near Des Plaines, I try to make it back. read more

Great food. We had the mussels in a white wine butter sauce as an appetizer and fresh fettuccine with a tomato-beef pot roast sauce. The dessert was called croccantino which is like a combo of cheesecake and vanilla custard with a spiced walnut graham cracker crust. Top notch. read more

ZERO STARS! ! ! ! ! But i couldn't post this without adding a rating. I will NEVER come here again. After hearing all the great reviews of our family and friends I was actually excited to try this DUMP. We were waiting 2 hours for a table after being told that we'd be next 3 TIMES! It was light out when we got there and dark when we left without eating! When we asked the owner about our tables that we'd been WAITING on, she tried to tell us that we hadn't been there for 2 hours and that the people that decided to sit on their own, in what was supposed to be our table, were waiting before us when we WATCHED THEM PARK AND WALK IN AFTER US! None of us will EVER be back here, including the 3 of us that frequent here. Soooo disappointed that the customer service was terrible. AND she had the nerve to ask us if we were still going to eat there!! read more

New location is bigger and the outdoor seating is great. Annoying that they don't take reservations. If you show up with a group and have to wait an hour there isn't a bar to hang out in. We only go at off times or when we think it will be quiet. Food is pretty good but new tables/chairs are so small everything seems crushed on the table. We were a party of 4 with 2 bottles of wine and there was no extra room. We decided to share appetizers and dinners and were given tiny plates for both courses. I wondered why until I realized larger dinner plates would never fit! And no serving utensils for shared dishes. Had to ask. Really? Bring a serving spoon or a big fork. Even the 'antipasto' platter was served with a sharp knife and a spoon. How about a fork to pick things up? I'm being picky but for their prices they should know this. It wasn't crowded but we lingered and didn't feel rushed. Nice waiter and very attentive. Just need a little more elbow room and maybe some paper on the tables or white clothes. Or some more down lighting. Feels cold and super cramped. read more

My wife and I have eaten at this restaurant a couple of times. They oved to their current location, we have been wanting to try the new place and it was Des Plaines restaurant week. so we went. We got there at 500pm. It was not too busy. Then it exploded. Restaurant got very busy and VERY, VERY noisy. Forget about having a conversation, unless you feel like screaming. By the time we left, at 700pm, there was a very long line outside. Second problem. Not everybody has 2 hours for dinner. Third problem. It took a full 20 minutes for the server to bring us our check, even though we repeatedly asked her for it. I finally had to ask the server at the next table to get our check for us. After she finally brings the check, she never came back to get the payment. I had to give it to the server from the next table. After all of that, the owner brings the the credit card and receipt back to me, and acts like everything is all good. The other problem here is, the food is really good. I mean really good. The long line is justified. Of course Des Plaines is pathetic when it comes to restaurants, so take it the way you want. The food is still really good. Not as good as Giacomo's, but still really good. My advice to the owners. Improve your service, and fix the noise problem and you have a GREAT restaurant. read more

While the food is very good, the attitude of the owner (hostess) is not good for business. She is getting a touch to big for her britches. I've watched her be rude to customers, for showing up when it's busy. read more

Food was good, fried calamari is to die for.

Absolutely love this place. We moved to Des Plaines about a year ago and have been here a few times now. My husband and I have been to Italy twice in the last year and I can say that this place has got that Authentic Italian down pat! It's busy and loud and small and crowded but honestly it is such a great atmosphere everyone in there is happy and laughing and enjoying there food that at least for us it makes it all the better. Food is GREAT! BYOB as everyone said is really nice. Can't wait to go back. Saw a review saying if you like applebees you'd like this place, I don't know what kind of gourmet applebees they've been to to compare the two haha. Seriously from a couple who have eaten at dozens of 'off the path' authentic Italian restaurants in Italy (not the touristy places) we are transported back when we are here. Don't miss it. read more

The portion of my meal was skimpy. I had the veal...3 pieces which where lunch meat thin (maybe 2 ounces) for $21! I was still hungry even after salad and dessert. Everyone in our party agreed that overall the meal was good and the byob feature is nice but not worth the extremely long wait to be seated. read more

Great food!! Lisa is so sweet and welcoming! We have never had a bad meal here. And it doesn't hurt that it's BYOB!

Amazing Italian food!! Very busy but the staff was extremely nice and attentive-will return

Our favorite local place for dinner. The grilled octopus appy - fabulous! The risotto - delish. Oh... the oosygooeyummy burrata appetizer - do not miss out. We've eaten there several times and never have been disappointed. It's a small place so it fills up - but it's worth the wait and in the summer nice patio seating in the back. It's BYOB so many people enjoy that too. We come because the service is excellent and the food takes you to happy land. It's right off the train - so very accessible to those who don't live in the burbs. Worth the trip. read more

Nice and relaxed atmosphere; family-oriented. Yummy pasta, wonderful pizza and unforgetablely wonderful lemoncello cake!!

I guess I visited a different Via Roma than most of the reviewers. I have been there twice for lunch and I wish I could say that even one time was good, but I can't. The second time was worse than the first. 1st time I came around 2:15. There was no one dining but there where left over dirty tables from lunch. This surprised me as Lisa, who I found out was one of the owners, told me that she didn't have time to clean them yet. Then she told me that they close @ 3 and I would have to order as she needed to leave at 3. Hello!!! Why I didn't leave then and there I don't know, but i should have. Maybe I wanted to give then the benefit of the doubt. She only had two pieces of bread left so that's all I got. I was thinking, how am I going to sop up my homemade sauce? Well, not to worry, I couldn't even eat the sauce. I ordered Rigatoni Amatricana and the pancetta was so dry and hard that I picked it all out. No time for dessert or espresso, Lisa had to go. 2nd time I came in earlier 1:45. The chef was preoccupied talking with one of his vendors. I ordered on of the specials , Bolognese, should have been Italian Meat Sauce but it wasn't. I asked for Rigatoni pasta instead of Penne and I got that horrible Amatricana sauce again. I brought it to Lisa's"s attention but she was busy doing something at the register. When my dish finally returned to me all they did was put Bolognese on top of the Amatricana. They didn't make me a fresh dish or even rinse the unordered sauce off my pasta and put on fresh sauce. I decided to keep the pasta as a first course and order the pork chop as my meal. Well, couldn't happen. Green peppers hate me and the chops are precooked when they come in and green peppers is one of the ingredients. No special orders and no customer service. Because everything took so long, I just left my pasta as it was inedible and asked for coffee and dessert. Again, Lisa was in a rush and there was no one to serve me. If you want REAL FRESH ITALIAN bypass Via Roma and head down to Oliveti's, They really know what SERVICE is all about and they NEVER, NEVER, NEVER rush you no matter what time you come. Now I understand that every body has a bad day so I may give then a try one more time but as far as I'm concerned Oliveti's is tops in my book. read more

hey all, let's show our support for finally getting a great value, home made pasta, italian BYO place in des plaines. this cozy little spot has been a revolving door of forgettable spots for years. finally, a couple who know what they are doing have landed here. carpaccio was terrific, with fresh aruglula that was so peppery, and some fresh grated parm! server forgot to offer pepper, but that is forgivable to me anyway. home made pastas, ncluding a light, fluffy gnocchi, are amazing and so incredibly affordable! PLEASE GO, let's keep it hear for years! read more

We had heard about this place from a friend, went tonight around 8:30. Too loud inside, thankful that a table opened up outside, an older woman took us out and pointed where to sit. Held our menus hostage while chatting with a customer. Waitress was very good...ordered risotto shrimp scampi, she stated it was a good choice since it had been on Chicagos Best. Calamari app was delicious, the Scampi reminded me of tomato soup and rice (flavor was bland) . Salernos beats this restaurant hands down...like I said the waitress was fabulous! Im so sorry, I would love to support local restauants. Should of tried the chicken.... read more

love the location. server was informational, nice, funny, couldn't ask for anything better. food was wonderful. good size. full of flavor.

I don't often dine out in Des Plaines, as the culinary options usually aren't that interesting. The other "Italian" offerings (Leona's, Oliveti's) are beyond dull, not to mention their service is not much to write home about. Tonight my dad decided that it'd be a grand idea to take the family out, and I wasn't too thrilled about it, as I'd made plans for a great sushi place in the city. Ah well, family first. Upon walking it, I have to say that I was very impressed that all but 2 tables were filled (one table had just emptied, the other was our reservation). The music wasn't too loud, which made conversation easy. BYOB enabled us budget minded people to bring along 2 reds & not pay lots for good wine with dinner. I'm a big fan of BYOB. The service was excellent. The staff was very attentive, & the owners came out to say hello & have a chat (apparently my folks are relative regulars). The soup (eggdrop something or other with spinich, I'm horrible with names) was very good, with a variety of flavors & textures that I savored from start to finish. I'm not a big fan of pizza around Chicago (I grew up in NY after all, our pizza is not warm cheesecake topped with tomato sauce), but Via Roma served up a very genuine Roman styled thin crust pizza for an appetizer. I had veal with mushrooms in wine sause (again, bad with the names) & potato. Mmmm mmmm good. The portion size was huge, & since I'm a bit diet minded, I decided to eat only 1/2, slowly. Even slowly, I devoured (savoring every bite) each & every last bit of it. Lastly, the desserts. Out of 6 of us, 4 ordered gelatos. The others had hazelnut, strawberry & pistachio (sampled the hazelnut & pistachio, excellent) They were out of teramisu, which is what I originally ordered, so I opted for pumpkin gelato. Pumpkin??? Gelato??? Oh my gosh was it ever so tasty. Anywho, to explain the 4 star rating instead of the 5: The bread, while served warm, wasn't the best I've had at an Italian place. The DRAFT. The winter brings along a rather unpleasant companion, the cold wind that sweeps through any room when a door to the outside is opened, leaving everyone chilled through the bone. Via was nice & cozy warm as long as the door remained closed, but everytime someone went in or out, there was an unpleasant reminder of the frozen tundra outside. My one suggestion that would bring my rating up to a 5: Get one of those temporary cold weathery doors to put up before the regular door to block out the wind. Lots of places have them, & they make a HUGE difference. I can't wait to find out what this place is like in warm weather, with the outdoor seating. Hope to return soon! read more

We were in Chicago just overnight before catching a flight home the following day. We found Via Roma here on Yelp and gave it a try. We were not disappointed! Restaurant was clean, tidy and quaint. Service was efficient and friendly. Food was fresh, piping hot and delicious! Would definitely recommend! Owner was milling about to make sure everything was running smoothly. Great evening! read more

I love this place! The food is amazing, the bread always crusty yet soft, dipping it in the oil and parmesan yum...This place is BYOB with no cork fee. Sometimes they run out of wine glasses but who cares, bring in your own glass if you don't like it... Save room for dessert, the gelato is out of this world!!! The owners are so nice and genuine. You will not be disappointed! Plenty of parking out back. The place is small but that make its even more intimate. Small outdoor patio for dining! Check it out!!!! read more

This restaurant was outstanding. By far the best cooked seafood I have ever had. Not to mention it was BYOB, which is always a plus. My boyfriend and I ordered the grilled calamari for an appetizer. The amount of calamari they give you is a lot for the price it was. (I think on Friday there was a special and it was $20) For dinner I ordered the risotto in vodka sauce with shrimp. My boyfriend ordered the zuppa di pesche. I can't stress enough how perfectly cooked all our seafood was. The mussels in his pasta and the shrimp in mine specifically. A lot of restaurants tend to over cook those and they become rubbery, but this place had it down to perfection. We also enjoyed the atmosphere here. It felt very old school Italian and "homey". We would definitely come back here. read more