Pazzo’s @ 311

I’ve been to Pazzo’s a few times — sometimes for a sit down business lunch and other times at the take-​out area. It’s not a destination by any means but is a decent nicer lunch spot in the loop. The take out area is a nice option and is pretty quick when you are on a time crunch. The menu is large and there is something for everyone. Service has generally been pretty good.
Most recently, the table shared the calamari and hummus appetizer. The calamari was nice and hot without too much breading. The hummus was tasty — particularly the red pepper humus. I had the chicken piccata (chicken with roma tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic in a lemon wine sauce) and came with capellini pasta. It was a large portion. The chicken was cooked nicely and the veggies were good. The pasta was just okay — I like more of a bite to it. Most of the table enjoyed their meals. However, the risotto special with a pesto sauce was not given good reviews by the table and while I didn’t taste it, I wouldn’t order it.

Good size portions. Was not impressed with the calamari as it was a bit bland. It was busy at lunch at waiter was overwhelmed so the service was just OK.
Will go back again.

Read that they have good calamari so I decided to check it out. I arrived 15 minutes after they opened and, as I usually do if I am alone at lunch, asked if I could grab a seat at the bar and was promptly seated. I had a meeting at noon so I didn’t have a ton of time. Three employees were there just watching the news so I sat there for a few minutes. None of them could be taken away from their leisurely time so I started sort of looking around thinking maybe they were waiting for me to take the lead but again I was not acknowledged. They then started making very discriminatory comments that I found very inappropriate. Obviously the manager thought so ad well since he came over, said something and turned off the TV. If you cannot separate your time from a bar patron to an employee, you are probably in the wrong profession. And even with that distraction gone STILL no one glanced my way. I looked down and it had been exactly 10 minutes… awkward! I got up and walked out. The hostess apologized on the way out but no one else was coming in; I know you saw me sitting there without being waited on, as did the manager. If you don’t want my business, happy to give it to those who do and who don’t offend their guests.

This spot is close to my work so I’ve been for a couple work lunches and have been very impressed with the food, service and experience in general.
I had the tuna, which was so nicely seasoned and cooked, I ordered it a second time. The portion is very generous and comes served with grilled asparagus and roasted potatoes. I asked if I could have a side of pasta with vodka sauce instead and they were happy to accommodate! Others had the salmon, which looked great, and was similarly generously portioned. The pasta dishes looked yummy too.
Service is excellent, very attentive and friendly. The décor is kind of interesting too. The atrium almost looks like something you’d see in a movie set in Miami or something. Then the inside is dimly lit, almost for a secret rendezvous.
Overall it’s a good place for lunch in the loop, I’m a fan.

Pazzo’s is a great spot for lunch in the Loop. I’ve come here a couple of times and have never had a bad dish. I’ve dined on both the Pazzo’s Express which offers fresh sandwiches and salads to go, as well as at the actual restaurant. Today I ordered from the Lunch Menu for carryout online, I got to the restaurant to pick it up but it wasn’t ready. It happens that there are four Pazzo’s locations and that I had picked the incorrect one. Instead of turning me away I was offered the food I ordered from the other location at no cost (since I had paid online). The staff was very friendly and helpful during the confusion. Great customer service, along with the food is one of the reasons I will keep coming back here!

I cannot say enough great things about Pazzo’s! My new husband and I had our ceremony and reception there is June and the day could not have been more perfect. Fay Swenney is absolutely amazing, and doubles as an awesome wedding coordinator. She made sure everything was just perfect the day of, and made the whole planning process so much easier. I would highly recommend Pazzo’s to anyone looking to get married in the city, but not wanting to pay the city price tag!

We had our ceremony and reception last night and I would not change a single thing. The décor, food, and service were top notch. Fay Sweeney is an angel — she was so helpful and went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly. It was a perfect day!

We had our wedding reception at Pazzo’s on 05÷23÷15. For starters, this venue is beyond gorgeous. It has an ambiance to it that I have never noticed anywhere else. Planning our reception with Fay was simple. She has worked with so many couples and knows what works and doesn’t work for this venue. After meeting this wonderfully sweet planner, we were stress-​free. Throughout the planning process and the wedding night itself, she was there to make sure everything was perfect (and it truly was!)
We served Mediterranean Chicken/​Petite Fillet as our entrée and Eggplant Parmesan as our vegetarian option. In addition, we had the pasta starter and house salads. All of the food was delicious and I can’t wait to go back for a dinner date soon. I knew I wouldn’t have much time to eat and asked for a box for my dinner– they gave me one! We loved our midnight snack when we got back to the hotel!
One thing I would recommend is to pay the extra fee to have the staff wait to clear the tables at the end of the reception. This was definitely worth it as we have heard people say they felt like they were getting pushed out at other events because they walked away from their tables and came back to no table. We also asked that they wait to serve food during speeches and it helped so we could hear everything.
Honestly, this was the most perfect day! Not only is the venue amazing, but so is the staff. We wouldn’t have changed a thing about the day. This venue is fairly priced for what you get and Fay is the best person to work with. Ask her advice and you will not regret it!

Enjoyed the fresh pasta with scallops, Good size portions and the food was high quality. The scallops were huge with a nice sear on both sides. Would have preferred a little more spice in the crust of the scallops.
The place was virtually empty since it was around 6 pm and apparently the office district disappears from downtown Chicago after office hours.
Since I was only passing through on the train I relied on Unilocal to locate a place to eat located near Union Station. The Unilocal reviews were favorable and very helpful.
Pazzo’s is just across the river from Union Station in the atrium of the large building to the right of the former SEARS Tower. It is worth the short walk and quality and value is worth the effort.

The calamari here is fantastic. Crisp and seasoned to perfection, accompanied by a very tasty marinara.
The setting is incredible –palm trees and waterfalls.
The service is terrible. Let me explain.
My gf and I sat down for lunch at noon on a Wednesday. Our server was a tall slender gentleman, perhaps late forties, early fifties with kind of a hook nose. Could have been Arabic or some kind of Hispanic, who knows. Anyways, he seemed OK at first, not friendly, but cordial enough. After receiving our food, he did not check on us once. Mind you, their lunch hour was not that busy. When we finished, he brought the check and I gave him my card. Now, I rarely keep more than a couple hundred in checking, as I’d rather just move over what I need from savings as it comes up. This is just a quirky precaution in case I happen to lose my card. I had made a purchase earlier that morning and my balance was lower than the bill total. So hooknose comes back, tosses the card on the table and says «this is no good». Knowing I had more than enough in my account (but forgetting my earlier transaction) my first reaction was to ask what the problem was, to which he responded by throwing up his hands and yelling «there’s no money on this card!». Rude. Just plain rude.
Psychological assessment: a sense of superiority from working at a semi-​upscale restaurant, combined with a sense of inferiority from being a server at his age has adversely affected this gentleman’s behavior. If the proprietor of this restaurant is reading this, I strongly recommend a reprimand.
Final note: the Caesar salad, while plentiful, was mediocre. Try the Asian.

I had my wedding here on may 22,2015 and i couldnt be more pleased with the amazing service, beautiful venue and fantastic food. not to mention Fay, the event coordinator is absolutely delightful. she made my dream come true. she and this restaurant deserve 7 stars!

Our wedding this past weekend at Pazzo’s 311 was absolutely perfect! Fay Sweeney was amazing in helping us organize everything and setting everything up for us the day of the wedding. We didn’t have an aisle runner, but she placed one down for us anyways. All of the centerpieces were beautifully arranged by Fay and her staff while we went into the restaurant for cocktail hour. We got so many compliments on the food and beautiful atrium. It literally couldn’t have been any better! Thank you Pazzo’s!

Their bar food is great! Especially the pizza and its reasonably priced. Good place to frequent if in the area.

We were interested in having our wedding here. We met with their wedding planner and found her abrasive and inflexible to even our most basic requests. When we asked if special accommodations could be made for a brother with special needs her response was «we’ll seat him at the back» and that was the end of it. When we asked if we could run a bar on consumption she scoffed at us.
Needless to say, we didn’t bother sticking around to try any food.

We attended an office party at Pazzo’s at 311. The party space was large and more than adequate for our group. The appetizers were tasty– especially the fruit kabobs.
The wandering waiters were helpful and had some different offerings than what were on the buffet.
Overall everyone seemed pleased with our experience. A great place to have a party or group gathering.

So this is a hidden gem for folks that work in the loop. Want to go to an exotic lunch place that’s also super close? Search no more — Try Pazzo’s! (Geez I almost sound like I’m in a commercial but no worries this place was indeed that good).
Let me return to my reference of this place as a hidden gen — it truly is obscure and you wouldn’t find it unless you’re searching for it. But once inside — lo and behold — you almost feel like you’ve stepped into some place in Europe ;) What with the courtyard seating and center stone marble statue and fountain. Really cool place to have a nice lunch with your colleagues (or friends). And the food wasn’t bad either — portion sizes were huge and the service was nice. Do try this out!

I never knew this place was there — I’ve worked across the street for a few years. It is located downstairs, and the area is beautiful. You can sit inside the restaurant or in the indoor the patio section. We opted for the indoor patio area.
I came for a sit down lunch with a few coworkers. We all ordered different sandwiches. All were good and came with a pasta salad side. I had an open face chicken parm sandwich — and the chicken was very tender. The portabella mushroom sandwich looked amazing!
Service was good. We were seated and served and out of there in about an hour.
A friend said it is a good place to stop for a martini after work. I didn’t go into the restaurant area, so wasn’t able to scope out the bar seating situation, but I’m sure I’ll be back for that!

I came here for an event and I was amazing at the high ceilings with the wonderful palm trees within. It’s a beautiful venue spot for receptions and for any work functions. I’ve only had their fried green beans appetizer with a sweet creamy tangy sauce and that was quite marvelous — crispy green beans in a nice crispy batter with a dip that complemented it well — I must have munched on bowls of these! Staff were wonderful and friendly and took well care of all the guests and the attendees. I would love to come back and try out their other appetizers and entrees.
+high ceilings
+palm trees: D
+nice venue space

We loved our wedding at Pazzo’s. I think this 311 location does mostly weddings. We have tried to eat dinner there before and it closed early due to no guests. We went to the another Pazzo’s and had a lovely meal.
Summary of my recommendations for a wedding at Pazzo’s.
Fey: She’s great. She’ll do what you tell her and fill in the gaps for the things you don’t care about (I dropped off the flowers and came back and they were organized beautifully. She pays a lot more attention to you as the date draws near.
Acoustics: They’re not great. We paid for an extra speaker which should have been okay, but there was a problem with the dj so nobody could hear the speeches. Just make sure your dj knows what he or she is doing and sets up in advance.
Food: Amazing. Our tasting left us excited about everything and the food was good even on the day. They «strongly discouraged» more than one meat option, so we went with the petit filet/​mediterranean chicken combo and the eggplant parm – both were amazing. I’ve heard, «Best wedding food I’ve ever had», several times.
Drinks: Good enough. Open bar was included in the package and I’ve heard no complaints.
Parking: We had a problem as the lot filled up (not handled by Pazzo’s, but we had been told the lot had never filled up, and it did)… Fey was as mad as we were and helped us to got ALL of our money refunded… which we used to refund our guests for the parking they found across the street or in random lots.
Piano: Not in tune, don’t use.
Venue: Totally beautiful.
Husband: The best.

Apparently I’m one of the few that went to Pazzo’s for something NOT a wedding.
We had a business lunch there and got the small private room which was great, a little tight maybe but we all had a great time. The service was a bit slow but everyone was preoccupied anyway so I don’t think we really minded. However our waitress did mention that they had Tiramisu for dessert only for her to come back and say they actually didn’t have that, but mistakes happen.
The food was good, most of the table either got Penne alla Vodka or the special, risotto with chicken. The risotto looked superb and the chicken smelled fantastic. The Penne alla vodka was good but not great.
The downside was the same for every dish — every dish had waaaay too much garlic. It wasn’t just too much garlic flavor, but you could see the chunks of garlic and they were far too prevalent.
Overall though, good lunch and I would definitely go back (and ask them to take it easy on the garlic).