Franconello’s

I took my aunt here for Mother’s Day! Absolutely great experience. The food was great. I had Veal Marsala! Excellent choice! Also, dont miss out on dessert. The Carrot Cake is to Die For!!! I will be back!

We made reservations for a group of five to celebrate mother’s day with a nice dinner. I had never been here before but my parents had and they were raving about their last visit. I think I made the mistake of filling up on bread because by the time my chicken picatta came I could barely eat it. My favorite part of the meal was definitely dessert. I’m not a huge tiramisu fan but this was easily the best tiramisu I’ve ever eaten. It was so light and delicious, it may have converted me to a tiramisu lover. We also ordered the brownie sundae and they was just as perfect. The caramel gelato made it perfect. Make sure not to skip dessert when you visit. The only thing I thought was a little weird is that desserts were not listed on the menu so you will need to ask your server about them.

One of my all time favorite restaurants. Always great food and always a good time. Appetizer’s delicious. Great calamari. Baked clams. Pasta is always perfectly cooked al dente. Steaks and chops, veal and chicken always so tasty. Tiramisu is the best I’ve had anywhere. Highly recommend giving it a try. You’ll love it.

I want to like this place. Ambiance is nice and sometimes you don’t want to go downtown. But service is meh and so is food. Crusty bread is nice as well as solid drinks from the bar but the food left little to be desired. Short rib raviolis just gross. A shame to drop $ 100 for 2 appetizers some drinks and a shared entrée that was just plain yuck. When we said we didn’t like it they didn’t offer to replace but said maybe our dog would like it. Lol. Won’t be back.

Had dinner here last night and I love this place! Very nice on the inside and the food was amazing. Had the short Rib Ravioli and Caprese salad. There were no leftovers!

As an Italian girl from New Jersey, this place was a little slice of heaven. Proper Italian food prepared and managed by proper Italians; we ordered the oricchiette with sausage, linguine with marinara, sautéed spinach with garlic, calamari and some wine and took our four year old twins with us. Staff was very friendly and the food was delicious. Portions are generous; each entrée can probably feed two people. I saw a salad on another table that made my mouth water and I’m still thinking about it; I think it was their chop salad. I will definitely have to return to try it out.

Now open for lunch!!! Monday thru Friday 11am! Don’t forget happy hour 2pm– 6pm ½ price apps and 5 $ vodka martinis 5 $ wines by the glass (bar area only) make your holiday reservations today! Cheers!

We live close and can always count on a great meal and friendly service. It is the perfect neighborhood Italian restaurant. The specials are very good, a chance to try something you don’t find everyday. The bar is also comfortable and worth coming in just for a drink.

First time there at the pasta dishes are worth the price, the quantity is for 2 – 3 people depending on appetite !

A few weeks ago six of us went to dinner here. From the outside it doesn’t appear to be much. However we were in for a great surprise. The interior of the restaurant has a modest décor. However the staff was courteous, professional and attentive.
We were warmly greeted by our waitress. Who told us about the specials for the day. We were happy that they had quite wine and beer selection. After ordering our drinks we ordered appetizers. We made a few inquiries about the menu. And then decided on splitting our meals. The waitress mentioned that it was large portions (we were happy to hear that!)
There was also no charge for splitting the meal.
The salad was fresh, the bread soft and then the main course. The chicken was moist & juicy. The potatoes perfectly roasted. We opted not to have dessert. Simply because we were full. Although I do not live on the southside. I would definitely make the trek back over to have dinner.

My husband and I went on a Sunday at 3:15. It was perfect timing. We ordered a salad which was freshly made and the dressing was superb! I love Italian food. I live near the resturant so it’s perfect. We can’t always trek downtown so it’s great to have local excellent food. The staff was very nice. The food was delivered fresh and hot. Best Italian food on the south side of Chicago. I highly, highly, highly recommend this place.

Fellow Unilocalers, please use caution when reading others reviews. Franconellos is amazing and some of these negative reviews are totally absurd. Complaining about getting a delicious cup of soup you didn’t expect? Just remember some people are never happy. 1-​steak vesuvio is awesome and puts high rated downtown steak houses to shame. 2– the minestrone they give with entrées is hands down the best I’ve ever had. It’s spicy and broth like amazing! I’ve had multiple chicken dishes that were all excellent and their specials never disappoint. Dessert here another home run and many are very share-​able which makes it harder to talk yourself out of! Everytime we’ve been here the service has been great. The hostess is always welcoming and warm. The wait staff are always prompt without being pushy. They are friendly and helpful with suggestions :-)
Unilocal on my friends!

Totally unexpected and delicious! I would say this restaurant is a bit of a hidden gem in Beverly. They have a huge, gorgeous kitchen and a great chef. I had the sausage (home-​made) rapini raviolis and they were perfect. Dessert was also delicious. We tried the lava cake and the tiramisu which was ALMOST as good as my own. I’d definitely go back if in the neighborhood.

Yeah not impressed at all. My theory as to why the surrounding neighborhood loves this place has to be the fact that they see their friends/​neighbors/​family there and can catch up with them. Quality from top to bottom is less than any significantly more casual Italian chain. Starting from the moment we walked in the hostess stand was not professional. I mean they take reservations written down on a yellow legal pad. The gentleman taking us to our seat was preoccupied with the valet attendant whom had some sort of issue with the vehicle ahead of ours. Nonetheless the host was not very inviting nor enthusiastic. We were seated upstairs which was bright, very loud due to poor construction of the room, and looked like a small reception room. It was not very aesthetically appeasing and had zero ambience. Our server came over quickly with menus and said he’d be back shortly. When he arrived I asked for a drink menu so he referred to the food menu with all the wine and beer selections. The wine list was by the bottle only and had no mention of selections by the glass. I asked about a martini list and his response was «we don’t have any martini’s but I guess we could make one.» That sort of threw me off since the Unilocal review pictures had several posted of martini’s. Anyway she decided on a glass of wine instead. On to the food. I started with a Caesar salad which was ok. The romaine for the salad was left in stalks and the croutons were the size of blocks-​way too much work for an average salad. Entrees were Gnocchi and Chicken Marsala. Our plan was to share. She tasted the chicken first which yielded a less than pleasant facial reaction. «Here taste this» she says. Never the question you want to hear at a restaurant when someone’s face looks borderline disgusted. Well I taste and inmediately understand why the facial contortions occurred as I did the same. The chicken was old/​bad/​rotten whatever you want to call it. And they used canned mushrooms for it. That’s cheap and lazy. Disappointing is an understatement for what some people think is a great place. It shows the lack of decent places in 60 643, 60 655 zips. I will say the gnocchi was pretty good, but that is kind of hard to screw up. The meatball although pricey at $ 8 or $ 9 was very good. It’s kind of pathetic what people will settle for so as not to have to drive.

For our experience this past Valentine’s Day, I would give 3 ½ stars.
My husband and I had reservations for dinner at 7. We were told there would be around a 10 minute wait and to go by the bar, as they have no seats or area for those waiting to be seated, which was fine. After only about 2 minutes a man came by to seat us. The décor is very nice, though seating is a bit tight. I found myself having to move some empty chairs and excusing myself as we tried to follow the man seating us. Upon being seated, our server was by shortly with menus.
Our server was Valerie, she began by lighting the candle on our table and asking if we would like Pepsi or some wine «if [we] are old enough». I kindly stated that I am pregnant and asked for lemonade, which they don’t have, so I had an iced tea instead. As she went to put in the drink order, a bus boy set a basket of bread on our table. When she came back, we put in our order and began to wait. Soon after, another couple looking not much older than ourselves was seated next to us. Valerie came by and began to wait on that couple, but I noticed a few differences in her service. She told them about daily specials, including the day’s fresh fish (I wouldn’t have even known they had any specials, too bad, some of them sounded rather tempting). Then she poured olive oil on their plate in the center of the table (which ours remained dry until I had to inquire about it later). Our appetizer arrived, which was the baked clams, which were ok, though tiny. Soon after she came with 2 cups of Minestrone soup, saying they came with our dinner. Mind you, she mentioned nothing of this when we ordered, and I later found the menu only states «served with soup», which if she would have informed us was minestrone, I would have asked for a salad instead, as I’m not much of a fan. Regardless we began on the soup, our plate from the clams still in the middle of the table, then as I’m less than half way through the soup, she’s trying to set the entrées on the already cramped table, «too much food?» she asks me. So I took a few more bites of the soup and moved to the entrée.
My husband ordered the pork chop, and it was gorgeous! Thick, tender, and juicy, with a gorgeous crust on it, served with some potatoes. I ordered the chicken piccata, which upon first glance looked nice, served over linguine and topped with capers. I tried to cut into a piece of the chicken, and struggled at doing so. I was expecting it to be dry, but instead it was oddly rubbery, like over cooked calamari. My husband asked me if it was ok, so I cut him a piece to try. He had the same confused look on his face, and asked me if it was cooked all the way. Now I knew it wasn’t just me, and as our server came back to check, I showed her how tough the chicken was to cut and mentioned it’s rubber like qualities, so she asked if I would like to order something else, and went to get a menu again, leaving the chicken. I’m not normally the type to send food back, but being that I am pregnant, I didn’t want to take a chance. She returned saying the owner wanted to see the chicken, which she then took, and returned with the menu. This time I decided to avoid the chicken, and opted for the eggplant parmesan. When that finally came up, it was much better. It was extremely cheesy, topped with some chopped fresh basil (which I love), and served with a side of what looked like either a penne or mostaccioli in a slightly spicier red sauce, which I also enjoyed. What was beginning to annoy me was our server who rather than sticking to a simple apology, kept going on, every time she came by our table, about how she was glad I enjoy this one better «.if you don’t like something, you don’t. They understand, they’re a small family owned restaurant…». I swear, if she would have mentioned it one more time about how I simply just didn’t «like» the chicken, I was going to tell her how it’s true, I don’t like rubber chicken, and that I find it more appropriate for Svengoolie than on my dinner plate. Good Lord! LoL
All in all, I want to try giving this place another chance. It’s close by, so perhaps we will return at a later date (when I can actually try some of their selection of wines)…and hopefully we will have a less awkward server ;-).

We like the new restaurant. The menu is updated and the quality and price are well worth it.

Ahhh. much like Mjolnir, many a treasure has been forged by the majesty of fire.
I had visited this restaurant prior to the gas explosion and subsequent fire that left the building’s interior in ruins. While the food was scrumptious, I found the previous service to be lacking and was not particularly fond of the neglected décor. It seems that Franconello’s has enjoyed a surprisingly-​savory rebirth!
The remodel is a joy with a tasteful nod to the past… An old school Supper club vibe. Comfy, upholstered booths, a wall of banquette seating peppered with sconces and vintage photos of all the greats bring a smile to this gal who just adores vintage goodies.
Consistently fresh entrees with delightful salads (sometimes on special) and house-​made pastas and desserts make this spot a win for me. The courteous servers have grown to be more attentive and are unquestionably eager to please. If they are uncertain about something, they are quick to gather an informed response. I cannot recall a meal here that was not immensely enjoyable. While the ambiance is warm and inviting, it does tend to run rather loud; I suspect this is due to an acoustics issue. Immaculate with crisp linens and a snazzy bar upfront, you’d be hard pressed to find anything similar in the area.
Their Eggplant Parmesan is among my favorites. ***Even as a garlic fiend, I seriously recommend asking them to ease up on the garlic for their garlic-​based ENTREES*** (Not appetizers) By default they are heavy handed with it.*** Since dishes/​many sauces are made fresh to order, you can easily omit onions, for example… but onions rule, so don’t do that. ;) For dietary restrictions this is a bonus. When I DO need an *insane* garlicky fix, I get their Shrimp ala Casa appetizer. The breading is fantastic, so after you’ve eaten the shrimp, add some olive oil atop the remaining crumbs and dip your warm bread in it! There are always amazing special dishes of the day. (Lasagna is available only when it is a special, for example.). Some lovely choices on the wine list. The addition of a few craft brews and house-​made Sangria would be a delight! Martinis and cocktails are well made and ever so tasty. I’m hoping they entertain the notion of Alfresco dining on the balcony in the near future. Balcony is open for rented parties, however. Let’s spruce up the building front, folks!
Private lot with valet available and meter-​free parking along Western Avenue. Reservations are recommended on weekends. After dinner, stroll down Western Avenue and stop in Horse Thief Hollow to sit a spell over a tasty microbrew or cocktail.
Franconello’s is a local gem that is in keeping with fine dining you’d expect deeper within the city… only with better parking. ;) We do Italian rather well here on the Southside; yes, indeed. Abbondanza!

My wife and I go here as often as we can. Great food, great service, nicely renovated space, and very fair prices. With Koda and Café 103 gone, this is the best spot to eat in Beverly for something on the nicer side.

My parents were coming to visit Chicago from Cleveland. They wanted to take myself and two of my friends out for dinner before they left town. Luckily, I have great coworkers who said to go to Franconello’s!
We walked in around 5:15 pm on a Sunday night and were seated right away. We were greeted with two loaves of bread and olive oil with parmesan cheese. Our server was good and made sure to give us some time to look over the menu before taking our orders. The menu is pretty extensive and the descriptions make everything look amazing which it is. The specials also sounded amazing. The level of good service did not end with just our server for the evening. The other waitstaff was great. Sometimes you have to wait forever to get a refill of your drink, not at Franconello’s. The staff was really attentive.
As others have said the portions are big which means, I get to have lunch for the next day! What is not to like about that?
The deserts were also great. I loved the canoli dip. It tasted great. Also, the piece of carrot cake was huge and tasted good as well.
We all left feel full and satisfied. One of my friends said it was the best Italian food he has had since he left Italy. Good job Franconello’s.

I took my fiancée here last night for her birthday. I’ve driven by the place hundreds of times and never knew it existed until last week.
While the prices did seem a bit steep (including the wine) the quality was extraordinary. The portions for the entrees were large — we both had leftovers but the appetizer of bruschetta seemed small for the price.
Overall a very pleasant ambiance and experience. A nice place for a special occasion.