Barnellis Pasta Bowl

The service has been bad ever since they opened, but the food is great. The rigatoni ala vodka is awesome. The sauce is amazing and I simply don’t order it anywhere else anymore. Other sauces are a disappointment after tasting this. The Fettuccini Carbonara is a great dish with grilled chicken bacon and creamy sauce. The chop salad is big enough for two meals. This is great food surrounded by genuinely bad service. The orders aren’t ready on time when called in and it’s hit or miss whether you’ll get what you ordered, but the food is so good I keep going back. If you’re a fan of cake, try the chocolate cake, it’s the best ever. Just check the bag before you leave, it could be almost anything in there, if you’re lucky it might even be what you ordered.

When I’m craving a good pasta dish that’s on the Italian side, this joint tops most places. Incredible portion sizes. The Chicken El Diavlo, Chicken Siciliano, and Chicken Pram are my favorite pastas here.

Had dinner there yesterday, food was ok. We didn’t realize it was a fast food restaurant. They got my Meal wrong had to wait forever, wife was almost finished by the time I got mine. Won’t go back. I like the Greeks at Crystal Point.

Our meal was just ok. This is a fast food atmosphere we would not have chosen. My husbands lasagna was scorched and the Caesar salad was not like one we had before. It had egg and tomatoes added to it. A true fast food atmosphere. Will not return.

This is my go to for a quick or leisurely meal whenever I’m in Crystal Lake. My local Portillo’s does not have a Barnelli’s, which is annoying but a good thing for my waistline. They have the best pasta of any fast food restaurant and it’s a a nice option to the sandwiches, hot dogs, and beef options.
Favorites:
The Pesto Chicken & Mushrooms is my favorite among their pasta dishes. Every time I get it, it has a very good amount of both mushrooms and chicken in it. The flavor is very good and it’s not a heavy meal. But it’s huge! Great for leftovers.
Fettuccine Carbonara, ah the delight of indulgence! If you’re looking for a healthy option, this is not it but it’s amazing! The smokey cream sauce is very good (lots of butter, depressing if you warm up leftovers) and the bacon adds a wonderful additional richness to the dish. If you’re not calorie counting, get this!
The classic, the staple, their Fettuccine Alfredo is also quite good. While I tend to order the above referenced dishes, fettuccine alfredo is what I use to measure restaurants and their version is very good. The cream sauce is fairly basic but to some degree that’s what you should be looking for in this dish so in that it does not disappoint.
In all, I love the pasta options at Portillo’s. They are great alternatives to hot dogs or Italian beef. Expect a bit of a wait for the pasta but it’s worth it.

I love their fresh pasta dishes and salads here. Always great service. Loved the spicy pasta dish, but the name escapes me. Huge portions.

Inside Portillos which I love and Hate because I never know what choice to make. This place is on the healthier side of fast food. Great salads and the chicken parmesan sandwich is awesome because they pound out the chicken.

Sick of the old burgers-​n-​fries routine? Yeah, me too.
Masticiolli (sp?) in vodka sauce… yum. Love getting it with a meatball or two and that nice fresh bread that comes with it just makes it even better. Just a friendly warning, you’d better be hungry if you order all this food! They will give you an extra bread free if you ask for it ;)
Remember to ask for a little bit of fresh cheese grated over your pasta dish or salad when you pick it up.
The other nice thing is, unlike Portillo’s, you can get free refills on your giant soft-​drink.