Francesca’s on Taylor

This is my go-​to Italian restaurant in Chicago. I have been going here for more than 15 years and it’s still GREAT. I also like to take out-​of-​town guests here and have never been disappointed. Salads are fresh, pastas are tasty, and meats are well cooked and flavorful. The menu changes often, as it should, and you can always try something different, especially in the variety of pastas that they offer.
Service is also friendly. It’s also not hard to get a reservation on a weekend, as long as you book a few hours in advance. Parking is also usually not a problem, and you can find spots on Taylor street unless you are there at 7pm on a Saturday, but you still may be able to find a spot. Finally, I love the ambience. It’s comfortable, warm, and you might even feel like you are in Europe.
I’ve only tried one other restaurant in the Francesca’s Chicago chain of restaurants, but this one is a stand-​out.

The husband and I greatly enjoyed our experience at Francesca’s on Taylor this past Thursday evening AKA Jazz Night and $ 5 Martini Night. Despite the crowds accommodating Rush and St Ignatius graduation parties, we received excellent, highly professional and patient service from Sergio.
The kitchen managed to keep up with the demand without sacrificing food quality and each plate displayed a graceful attractive presentation.
It was noisier than usual, but that contributed to the overall happy ambience.
I highly recommend Francesca’s on Taylor!

Ridiculously good pastas. I had a cheese ravioli with grilled chicken and 3 cheese sauce which was exquisite. The sauce had a smoked flavor which I was not expecting, but was blow away by. My wife had a sausage filled pasta which was also extremely flavorful. The portions are also perfectly sized. For dessert, we had the chocolate banana bread pudding which was also delectable.
Can’t wait to go back!

Wonderful Italian experience great service great ambience great food I couldn’t have been more pleased. As a New Yorker I am very fussy at my Italian food and this restaurant was excellent

Walked in last Saturday night for dinner. Completely on a whim. Every table was filled. Good atmosphere. Couldn’t ask for better service. Bread was fresh. I ordered the linguine w/​jumbo scallops & spinach in a tomato cream sauce ($ 21), it was amazing. Everything cooked perfectly. Great portion, I couldn’t finish. My date ordered the cheese ravioli w/​chicken & peppers in a cream sauce. He loved it. For dessert, we ordered tiramisu. A sweet finish to an amazing dining experience. I wish Francescas was in Cleveland.

Service and food are fantastic! Will be returning soon to try a new dish. Only downfall is I wished they had more vegetarian options.

Large enough that walking in without a reservation on Saturday around 7pm still allowed a party of three to be seated in about 15 minutes. Accommodating staff invented a Fernet cocktail for my friend on the fly and got us set up with crusty bread, powdered cheese, and a bowl of hot and fresh fried calamari while we mulled our entrée choices.
I would say that their pasta cook (s) and I are not on the same page — my friend’s spaghetti was overdone, in my opinion, and the special I got was essentially four large seafood wontons with an Italian flavor profile; the concept was likable but the wrappers were gummy where gathered and sealed. Dessert though, was excellent. Really more of a 3.5 star experience but I really appreciate not having to wait forever to be seated.

I called at the very last minute in need of a place to feed a volleyball team (and Parents) in town for a tournament on the Saturday night before Easter. Patrick answered the phone and was immediately engaged and displayed a can-​do attitude. He never missed a beat… even when I told him I had 35 people! He made it happen.
Sergio and the rest of the staff delivered an outstanding dining experience and made us feel very special. The food across the board was outstanding, the wine selection is spot on from a breadth and price level. My wife has dietary restrictions and they nailed it when she ordered the chicken and the asparagus special. The Spaghetti dei Sardi was phenomenal. Perfectly balanced. An informal survey of the group says we order 12 different dishes. ALL OF THEM WERE EXCELLENT!
One special note, my daughter is a big fan of chicken parm. It was not on the menu but he did it. Large portion and some of the best we have ever had.
I will be going back to Francesca’s again and again. This is the kind of place where you feel at home, enjoy great food and bring your friends.

Favorite italian spot on Taylor! I come here every time I’m craving a great pasta, fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic, and carpaccio or fried calamari. The food is always fresh and flavorful. Service is great and attentive. They also take reservations, even for small parties, which is nice. I love the ambience of the place, particularly on Thursday evenings when they have live jazz.

My wife and I went here with family and friend to celebrate my younger twin brothers 34^th birthday. One made reservations for a Saturday evening. The majority arrived on time and was immediately seated by the friendly staff.
The environment is very cozy and warm, very inviting. We had pretty good vibes. There was mixture of people with Hawks jerseys, to dresses to men in jeans as well slacks. Again, very inviting.
Our server was very knowledgeable of the menu and wine/​drink items. We started with Bruschette con Rucola e Caprino which was DELICIOUS… Eyes were like ROUND SAUCERS… My brother order the Calamari fritti; which I heard was also great. I had the dinner salad which was huge and tasted VERY WELL. I didn’t think I would be able to finish my food, which was content with. My wife had the Insalata Caprese which she was said was also GREAT… At this point we bof (yes B.O.F.) felt that the food was DEFINITELY ON POINT thus far. For the dinner my wife had the Lampuga con Fagioli which was a mahi mahi dish that was surrounded by a layer of tasty sun-​dried tomato pesto… I only had a taste of it and man-​oh-​man I was FANTASTIC… I had the Tilapia della Casa which (shaking my head) was UNBELIEVABLLY GREAT!.. From the first bite I could not believe it was tilapia. I ate more like thick pieces of cod rather than tilapia. The sauce made with garlic, roasted peppers, red onions and white wine complimented the dish with flavorful bust of citrus. The finish it off we (my wife and I) shared the Pasta Aglio e Olio… Oh My… (shaking my head again)… Was UNBELIEVABLE by itself. When we mixed it with our own dishes it took the entire dish to a «whole-​nutha-​level»… My wife had a Riesling wine and I had simple lemonade and EVEN the lemonade was FANASTIC!.. We bof (yes B.O.F.) looked at one another said, «How in the hell is EVERYTHING good, from beginning to end?»… WOW-​WOW-​WOW… Some people at our table finished with after dinner drinks, regular drinks and dessert. My wife had a dessert and she thought it was great as well. We bof (yes B.O.F.) were VERY satisfied with the entire meal (especially finishing everything and not feeling like we had glutton ourselves)… We will DEFINITELY be back!
Our home church is literally right down the street and around the corner from this place and we have NEVER been here. Now THAT my friend is a shame. This place has been here forever and I can certainly see why it is a neighborhood and fan favorite! Keep up the GREAT work!. .. .

This place never disappoints… service is always great! The flavors of their pasta dishes are amazing as well… ordered takeout and brought dinner home… it was just as good as if I were sitting in the dining room.

Ordered catering for a Christmas party and would highly recommend Francesca’s on Taylor. The food was amazing, plentiful portions and the manager was so helpful in the ordering and pick up process. I had never been there before but will definitely return!

Great! !! Ambiance is great. It’s children friendly, Italian Food great, drinks great, Amy our server is WONDERFUL!!! The manager (don’t know his name) VERY ACCOMMODATING.
Second one I’ve been to and they’re both great.

The minestrone and bruschetta appetizers warm up my appetite.
The salmon was sautéed with tomato purée sprinkled with zesty lemon wedge. The spinach was perfectly prepared sealed with a thin film of moisture.
Desserts were my favorites. Didn’t expect much from the profiterole, but it turned out to be quite an interesting piece. The outer shell was crunchy filled with vanilla bean gelato.
We lucked out to dine in an empty dining room all to ourselves. Photographs turned out wonderful as we sat next to the window. The brightly lit ambience makes for a wonderful Christmas Eve lunch.

We had a wonderful wedding anniversary dinner. Any took excellent care of us and the food, as always, was terrific.
Francesca’s was hopping with festivities including a wedding reception encompassing both of the back rooms.
Happy Holidays to our Francesca’s on Taylor family.
I highly recommend Francesca’s on Taylor!

I am use to going to Francesca’s in Frankfort. We thought we would go to dinner before the theater. We had horrible service. We ordered Filet and told the waiter we wanted them brown inside. He said order them Medium well and then if they were not brown he would take them back. They were pink well lets say red and he never came back to the table for 5 minutes! 1 filet was less red so we each ate that one. We cut the other one and set it in the middle of the table the waiter did not even look. We asked for potatoes without shallots. They offered french fries??? When I got my noodles with no sauce I wanted Parmesan on it. the guy did not ask me he did one turn of the Parmesan grater and left the table. No waiter no busser no manager around. So then it came to desert. I asked «do you have regular decaf tea they said yes and brought be mint tea. I said I will just have hot water and honey. Can you bring honey? 5 minutes later the waiter finally came and and I asked him for honey. He looked at me for a second and moved to the next table. Weird. What append to this restaurant? If the waiter insists that you order your filet medium well and he insist he will bring it back to have it cooked and does not come back ??? So 2 dinners for $ 60.00 I would have rather went to the Signature room and had a wonderful dinner than partially raw meet with a brandy (there was no brandy) cream sauce. There was butter and cream sauce that was separating. So who do you tell. The manager was running around never came to the tables. The guys who were helping did not pay attention they dropped the food asked a question and never came back. Waste of time and money. When my guest said wow the waiter did not even stop and listen ?? how weird? Refund yes they should have. Manager walking the floor to ask how things are yes he should have. Waiter that paid attention and bussers that could speak English and follow through yes. Waste of time, money yes! They had a wedding in back and that was their priority.
What a total disappointment. Francesca’s in Frankfort is worth the drive. Taylor street go if you want ot be ignored, get raw food and have no manager contact.

Service was excellent! Portion size of the pasta was large. Very tasty Italian restaurant located in a cute area — little Italy. Definetly give it a try. Price is also very reasonable. I recommend the appetizer mussel or fried calamari. For entrée, their seafood pasta was delicious!

Ah Francesca, my love! Somewhat of a Chicago tradition — quaint old-​timey décor, incredible food, good portion sizes, amazing wine selections, live music (some nights I think), incredible fresh-​out-​of-​the-​oven bread basket, sweet service. Favorite Italian place in the city. Period.

Great menu and good food. I ordered the Salmone alla Fresca, which was great! I typically prefer Francesca’s on Chestnut, but this location is a neighborhood gem.

Absolutely amazing experience! We needed to wait 20 mins for a table even with a reservation but it was worth it. Some of the best Italian food I’ve had! My family shared three dishes and I could honestly not tell you which I liked more. The staff made us feel like honorary guests. When the waiter came for our order my brother asked for the veal. They were out, but rather than just say that the waiter offered to make the dish with filet mignon for the same price! We later ordered grappa to share and they upgraded it at no additional cost. I have nothing but good things to say about this place and will be back!

The service was wonderful, the food was flavorful and everyone was super accommodating with all of our requests. Kudos to management for a job well done. I recommend the Ravioli.
I will definitely return to this establishment the next time that I am visiting Chicago.

Now that I have had their delivery, and been disappointed with their delivery, I am going to lower them by a star. Great food, should always be great food. Not sub-​par in one instance and good in another.

Good food, not blow me away awesome but a nice Italian meal I don’t mind paying for. I love this neighborhood though, lots of students and locals strolling past. There is nothing uppity about Taylor Street and I love that.

We met a dear friend here for a long, leisurely lunch on a recent trip to Chicago. For our reservation, we got a great window table. Our server, Natalia, I believe was new to the business and I expect she will improve over time.
I ordered the Penne del Pastor, a spicy pasta that was very tasty. I thought the sauce might have been a bit too thick for my personal taste but it was tasty and well cooked. My husband ordered the Pollo alla Salvia, a chicken breast in light tomato sauce. We both enjoyed our dishes as well as the wine we chose, a Consentino cabernet savignon.
Nice place, established tradition, good food, satisfactory service.

Great food, good service. Phyllis, the hostess, has greeted us for many years. Katrina was cheerful and professional. Our only complaint is the music! Apparently the corporate office is not aware that this is an Italian restaurant! Some Puccini would be more appropriate or at least Frank and Tony. The music they have now takes away from the otherwise great dining experience. Please play appropriate music for an Italian restaurant!
As the lady friend of the above writer and as a food and music lover, I have to say the music they have now is ennough to send me looking for another restaurant.

Came here about a week ago. I had peppers and sausage as my appetizer. That was very good. But I just love Italian sausage though. I got a chicken dish with mozzarella and spinach. Sounded very good in principle, but just average to me. I think the meal had too much lemon juice for my taste.

I’ve been here a handful of times and sometimes I need more than one visit to write a decent review. I’ve been to Francesca’s at the Promenade and it was subpar although the interior was much more upscale and «Fancy» If you will as apposed to this one on Taylor being much more cozy which I’m not such a fan of. I like open space and I don’t like touching backs with strangers while I’m eating or being constantly interrupted by finicky children. They should either find a different way to have the floor plan or take out a table or two.
I’ve worked at a Spanish restaurant in the past and no way in hell did our manager let us stand in one corner and do nothing. Well that’s what these servers and bussers do. I was there for a good 2 hours the few times I’ve gone at different times throughout the day/​night and it’s always the same.
I know. It sounds like if I hate this place. But in all honesty I think that if they step their game up here and there they will be an outstanding place to dine at. The food is amazing. Just the atmosphere is a bit of a drag, not a lot of movement. I will say that all the servers I’ve had, had been nice to me and all had knowledge of the menu and I always like making them choose any plate of their choice and they haven’t let me down. They know what people like and they nail it. The Pesto linguini with scallops and shrimp is to die for as well as their risotto which is so rich and savory. Their salads are pretty amazing as well. Their lunch menu is mainly what I go for and I don’t remember what I’ve had in the evenings. But I’m sure it wasn’t bad. Everything I’ve had is great. But like I said. A little sprucing up won’t hurt and will actually benefit the place.

I have been to this restaurant several times and I have to say that I have been happy time and time again, but this last time fell short for me. I wanted to share this place with my family members because it’s always been a go to restaurant for me.
Our experience started with our waiter that was not as attentive as I normally like. I don’t know if he was short handed, but we could not even get a busboy to come around our table. I can’t stand crying children when dining out and this particular night we had around 3 tables with them. Not the restaurants fault, but it takes away from enjoying your evening.
We started our evening with the mussels, calamari, and caprese salad. The mussels were not as good as the last several times I had it. Normally they have the muscles marinating in the sauce and we can dip our bread in it, but this time they were really dry and most of them were empty. The calamari was kind of sad. Seemed as if our table received the small leftover crumbs from everyone else. The caprese was ok. No waiter or busboy around to offer fresh ground pepper and impossible to get them to our table to even ask for balsamic vinegar.
For the main course, I ordered their special cod dish. There was nothing special about it. It was really bland. My parents each ordered the tilapia and that seemed to be ok, and my sister ordered their salmon which was good. My brother ordered one of the pasta dishes with spinach and cheese and ended up being sick afterwards. Not sure if it had something to do with the food he ate here.
Kind of disappointed with this visit. My family was not impressed one bit. I’m not going to write it off my list. Will visit again and give it another try.

awesome food and great service by Nicole. luv going there and being treated with warmth!!!

Fabulous dining experience in Little Italy! Service was impeccable, drinks were delicious, and the food was divine!
I’m almost embarrassed to say what all we tried!
–Appetizers: calamari with dipping sauce and the bruschetta with fresh mozzarella! (The calamari was my favorite.)
–Entrees: I had the rigatoni con pollo– it was so rich I couldn’t eat much of it– my boyfriend had the salmone pagliacci which was served with vegetables in a white wine sauce that was to die for!
–Dessert: tiramisu– the best I’ve ever had!
–Drinks: I had Riesling with dinner, and my boyfriend tried their Goose Island seasonal beer. I also tried their sparkling Riesling with dessert– it was fantastic!
We will definitely revisit this place!

My party of 3 secured a reservation through open table.
When we arrived 4 minutes early we were greeted by the manager. He was so friendly and seemed genuinely happy that we were dining at his establishment. We were then seated immediately and once again thanked for choosing Francesca’s.
The lighting was low and there candles on the table. The décor was a classic wood with a modern/​contemporary underscore. The music was indie/​alt rock at a very reasonable volume. The ambiance was overall very nice.
Our server was friendly as could be although he was a little slow at times. This would be the only negative part of our experience.
I ordered the tortellini al funghetto. The dish contained mushroom stuffed tortellini in a aromatic white wine cream sauce covered in mushrooms and garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano. The meal had a beautiful smokey and woodsie flavor. It was really unexpected but very well done.
I will definitely be back sometime and I will suggest Francesca’s to my friends on the hunt for some yummy Italian or vegetarian meals!