Venice Italian Steak House

The Venice has a very pretty bar and white tablecloth dining room. I ordered P.E.I. Mussels in a white wine sauce, a dinner salad, and pasta Di mare. Their fresh bread was very good, I wished I had saved some for the mussels. The mussels were cooked correctly and the sauce was outstanding. The salads greens were fresh and appealing. The pasta Di mare sauce was great the pasta was a bit past al dente, almost soft. The service was good, I would definitely eat here again.

I somewhat enjoyed this place but I cannot give it more than 3 stars because of value and quality.
We went there for NYE and after having my eyes and heart set on the lobster ravioli and the scallops, THERE WAS A LIMITED MENU! Nothing my heart was set on was on this limited menu — which may I add had spelling errors that made me giggle!
Anyways, our server wasn’t very knowledgable she used the words «um… I thiiiink» a lot and that is concerning. Also, 9 bucks for a martini with WELL LIQUOR is absurd! Our 3 course ‘meal’ was 50 bucks a person and lacked ‘true’ flavor and my bf’s was so loaded with salt my hands are swelling thinking of it. 160 bucks for 2 ppl at dinner was not worth it; 3 weeks ago I paid 140 for both of us at Chicago Cut downtown and I drool thinking about it!!!

I am not a huge fan. It wasn’t terrible though. I would even consider trying it again and ordering the steak? Maybe the pasta just isn’t the best here.
My friend and I met for dinner and each ordered a salad and the chicken fettuccine alfredo. Both of the salads were fine. Nothing special. The pasta and chicken had a weird smoky flavor to it.
The service was friendly and efficient. The patio and the room that over looks outdoor area both look very pretty. Maybe I will try again in Spring.

A group of friends and I all had steak and I have to say it was seasoned to perfection! Michelle provided us excellent service and all of our steaks were medium well just as we requested! The atmosphere was very nice we got the table of our choice and I love the décor. This was my second time there and I know it will be someplace that I will come pretty often. The first experience was pretty awesome we came there after going to another event, they were actually closing but allowed us to come in and have martini’s. The Owner/​Manager even surprised us with their wonderful signature bruchetta and we sat on the terrace and had a great time. We were not even made to feel rushed to leave they made us feel like they had just opened for the day. I guess between working downtown and living in the Woodridge Area for so long, I am use to quality food that cost but I found them to be very reasonable. I noticed on previous reviews that several people mentioned a nice restaurant being expensive at $ 100 I guess I am very surprised they find that expensive since I’m sure they drank more than water and probably had two more than waters. I am use to a certain caliber of restaurant so I don’t blink to have nice food and pay $ 35+ for the entrée and then another $ 20 for two cocktails that is very average. I can’t belive some of you in NW Indiana said $ 50 is expensive per person when you most likely had drinks and possibly and appetizer included WOW! There are places for people that are not looking to spend money for quality and they are right down the street called Texas Road House, Pops for Beef and McDonalds. It is no need to complain when you are going out for a nice dinner you don’t complain wihen you run up a $ 50-​$ 100+ Bar Tab.

Slow service, and mediocre food. I ordered the baked crab ravioli… it was chewy, undercooked and plain not good. I ordered the cream of mushroom soup and was equally dissapointed. Bland and not even as good as soup in a can at your local gas station.
This was my first time here and came only upon recommendation and a gift card. I’ll come back to give them a 2^nd chance but I hardly think I’ll be surprised.
Also, if I’m throwing down 150 bucks for 3 people there shouldnt be a paper tablecloth. I felt like I was at Arby’s with frank sinatra playing in the background.
Ridiculously dissapointed. With so many restaurants in this area, you’d think this place would want to stand out.

First and LAST time here. When you’re a restaurant of this caliber and cost you’ve got one chance to get it right. First impressions, at a place that will cost two people over $ 100, are very important because most people can’t afford a second impression.
New Year’s Eve. At the time I made the reservation I was informed by Venice restaurant that because it’s new year’s eve they would have a limited menu and I had no problem with that. Showed up on time for our 9pm reservation and wasn’t seated until 10. Several other people were also waiting to be seated when we arrived. So we sat in the bar and had a couple of drinks. We were sitting at a place where we could still see the people waiting for tables. Couldn’t help but notice some people that arrived 30 to 45 minutes after us were seated before we were. Once we were seated our server saw that we already had drinks, gave us menus (which were a pre-​packaged 4 course selection consisting of — an appetizer sampler, then either minestrone soup, shrimp bisque or house salad, followed by a choice of 10 entrées and 5 deserts) and informed us that we’d be getting bread and olive oil shortly. So we began to order. And then we’re told that they’re out of the bisque (which we both wanted). Then told they’re out of the surf and turf. Then told they’re out of 2 of the 5 desert offerings (the chocolate cake and carrot cake that we had wanted, so we postponed our desert order). I asked the server if there would be a reduction in the price because they didn’t have all of the offerings on the limited menu. She said, «no.» After she took our orders (that we placed reluctantly) more than 20 minutes passed and still no bread. Then comes the appetizer sampler consisting of oysters Rockefeller, frimage and calamari with no cocktail sauce (all hot dishes)…and it’s cold. A little annoyed (to say the least) by this time I go and speak to the manager. She began by telling me that they overbooked and the restaurant can only handle so many and they booked way more than that. Then she apologized and told me she would do something about it. Within 10 minutes we received bread and olive oil and a hot appetizer sampler with the previously missing cocktail sauce. We also noticed that we had a second server assisting in an attempt to make our dining experience less frustrating. Then my wife’s filet comes out and it’s overcooked. By the time they bring back a new filet we’re both ready to go. We have our entrees wrapped up and because they don’t have the deserts we wanted, both of us choose something because we’re paying for it anyway.
The manager did take $ 15, which was appreciated, off of our bill. Even with that the total was still $ 105. I also appreciate the additional server coming along to assist our primary server.
The obvious issues I had were the overbooking (according to the manager). And because of that our 9pm reservation meant nothing.
Also, the lack of foresight by whoever is running the restaurant. Limiting the menu, then running out of things you were offering and still charging full price. Seriously?
And then the biggest mistake in all of this ridiculousness. The manager making their problems… my problems. Meaning, if you’re the manager of ANYWHERE and a customer comes to you expressing displeasure or disappointment for any reason, you apologize and try to do something to make the experience enjoyable. You don’t tell them «we overbooked» and «we can only handle so many people.» Customers don’t want to hear excuses. They just want you to make things better.

I made reservations for a party of 6 at 7:15 on New Year’s Eve. They didn’t seat us until about 8 pm and when they did, they squeezed another chair in a table that was set up for 5 back in a corner that was pretty tight. The food was tasty enough but nothing that any of us had was spectacular. We actually had a friend join us later and they were accomodating with that so that was nice. My husband ordered the surf and turf four course meal which was a filet and lobster tail for $ 65. Over ½ of the lobster tail was raw. We told the waitress after the fact and I thought she might take it off the bill… not the whole $ 65…but there was also an entrée of just a filet that was $ 55 so I thought she might charge us for just that but when the bill came the full $ 65 was on there. She was very nice but I think she was just swamped and didn’t really have the time to give us her full attention. Our meal took a really long time, which was fine because we were visiting with friends, but when it came time to order dessert, they were out of the two things I was interested in so that was a bit disappointing.

Horrible service. Came on New Year’s Eve to have a really nice romantic dinner with the hubby, we really don’t do this very often so i was really excited. Where to start? The service was not great. Our waiter was very scatter brained. He kept complaining about how short staffed they were and the service was slow.
They had a pre fixed meal and they ran out of stuff on they had on the menu by 8:00.
We never received bread or a drink menu. I had my drink refilled once the entire evening. In fact I had to poke another waitress for a refill.
The icing on the cake was when they ran out a tiramisu. Had my heart set on it!!!
And the waiter was very unapologetic. He was like, welcome to my life! Really??? He also said, the manager doesn’t care. Nice!
Will not be back. Ever. Don’t come here!!! Not worth the 55 $ per person.

Truly a beautiful restaurant, a lot of ambiance. The bread was warm and the served olive oil was first quality. Albeit, the waitress placed shredded cheese on our bread plates without asking, which is not proper protocol.
The calamari appetizer size was very generous, but too hot to have been released to our table. It was good, not great.
The side salad was very good. My linguini with clam dish was just average, not many clams and the price paid was the highest I ever paid for my favorite dish. The waitress brought me the tomato based version rather than the white wine version I ordered, which was disappointing.
The other pasta dishes ordered were good, but again, not excellent. In terms of desserts, the tiramisu was very good, but we had better. The crème brûlée was very small in size and tasted okay. My Italian coffee was nothing more than a regular coffee with whip crème on top — not worth $ 7.
Dining with three people, including tip, ended up costing us $ 132. We can eat better quality Italian food at many other restaurants we frequent for less money. That truly is the bottom line.
We may return if we find ourselves in the area. However, there is little reason to make a special trip to this restaurant. A little tweaking of their food quality has the potential to make this a top Italian restaurant. And for a restaurant that mimics those found in downtown Chicago, it needs better qualified servers.

Great food and service. Filet was excellent and so was the chicken parm. Fettuchuni alfredo was rather bland. It would be nice if a soup or salad was included with the meals. We will return again for sure.

I searched through 10 restaurants trying to find this perfect meal! You must try this place! The hostess brought us right to the table of our choice. The service was impeccable, accommodating many special requests. Corey and Reynaldo were exceptional servers, and the bartender (can’t remember her name) made perfect drinks.
We had 8 oz filets, with baked potatoes and sides of sautéed spinach, as well as mushrooms and onions. All were delicious!!! I have allergies to dairy, and they were able to accommodate all my needs by sautéing in olive oil. We ate at 6pm, the restaurant was not crowded, and the ambience was elegant.
I forgot to enter through the back door, the only thing I think they could improve upon (or at least have better signage).
All in all– I’m a food snob from San Francisco and this place was on par with the best of Morton’s, magnificent quality, delicious food, and very reasonable prices. I will definitely come back here again!

3.5 would be my choice, if I could. Great ambiance … Beautiful back-​lit bar. Worth the trip alone, just to see it! Sat in the atrium. Waitress was new, not really on top of her game yet, but very nice.
Ordered Calamari, for the money… Abbondante! Just a bit salty. Great warm crusty bread with EVOO and grated cheese.
I ordered the shrimp scampi over linguini. Overall okay but too «saucey» and a overboard on the lemon… Pasta was perfectly al dente, though. 5 medium shrimp for $ 21, however seemed a bit skimpy. My husband ordered the crab ravioli… thought the wide array of toppings overpowered the crab (and not certain if it was all real crab or maybe perhaps part «krab» I can’t say for sure. Both Fish pasta dishes were served w/​grated cheese, technically tabu in Italy. The Avanti Pinot Grigio was very good. If we return, neither of us would order the same dishes again. Hoping some of their other dishes would be more memorable.

Our Dinner Club met here last night and we were pleasantly surprised.. The bar area was beautiful and a nice start to our evening. We sat in the patio area which was nice. The food was delicious and the service was decent. I think they could have used one more server for the patio and outdoor seating area. Our server handled it on his own which caused the service to be a little slow but he was still very attentive. We were in no hurry so that wasn’t an issue. My husband and I both ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca which was very tasty but they forgot to bring the side order of asparagus my husband added to his order. By the time it was brought to the table he was already done with his meal so he sent it back. They did not seem to mind that, did not charge for it and even brought a shot of Limon cello for the entire group as an apology.. we were all about that! Every one enjoyed their dinner and I would return for another try. The reason I am giving it a 3 star rating is because of the forgotten side and dessert was not offered.. But don’t let that stop you from giving it a try.

Delicious!!!
First timer. Had the smoked Salomon bruschetta… sooooo good!
For my entrée the gnocchi Gorgonzola… amazing!!!
Hubs had ny strip… cooked perfectly and tasted amazing! Service was great, prompt but not too annoying.
Yes, it’s pricey…$ 60 for the above meal… It’s a nice restaurant, and it so worth it!

The ambiance is fantastic! The menu has great variety. The bartenders are very skilled and can and will pretty much make anything. The prices were not bad for such a nice place. The bread, appetizer and salad were awesome. I was a bit disappointed with the dish that I ordered, but it was just not my taste. It was well made and beautifully presented. The Tiramisu was outstanding! Our server was also wonderful! She was very knowledgeable and attentive. I would definitely recommend this place and I will be returning.

We’ve been here twice. Both times have been great. The first time was for the Easter buffet, It was very good and worth the price. The second time was tonight, for a family celebration. Two adults and one child (9yrs old) I’m not sure why someone marked this place as ‘not being good for children’ There are plenty of kid friendly choices even though there isn’t a ‘kids menu’ and the staff is very accommodating.
Yes, I can see how some people might think this place is expensive but it’s not over priced. I think there are just some people who don’t know the difference between a cheap/​crappy cut of meat and a really good Prime cut of meat. You get what you pay for.
The only reason why I gave them 4 instead of 5 stars is because we thought the food was a bit on the salty side but that could be just because we are pretty particular about the amount of salt we use on our food. We will definitely go back again and just ask them to go easy on the salt.

The back patio in the autumn was lovely, as was my glass of wine. But, They are a restaurant so let’s talk about the food.
We started by ordering drinks. I had wine, and my husband had a beer, she brought a chilled glass for him, which was nice. And then she came back to see if we had any questions about the menu, and we realized after she walked away she had taken his bottle with her… it was ¹⁄₃ full. He was waiting for the head to go down on the glass, and she stole his beer: P
My husband was inclined to just let it go, but I felt I had to mention it to her. she did bring him another beer so at least there was that.
The menu actually looked quite delicious, and at an Italian restaurant, I thought I would like to try the pasta. So we ask the waitress if they make their own pasta. NO. …do they make their own ravioli at least? NO. Hmmm. Not a good sign. That’s ok, they have some lovely steaks on the menu. I am a small lady so I was inclined toward the 8 oz filet for $ 25, and my husband was feeling like the 20oz porterhouse. We begin our order, and I ask for my options, that come with the steak (ya know, potato choice, veg.) and she says it’s ala carte. How silly, and greedy is that? My husband is going to order a steak for THIRTY EIGHT DOLLARS, and the restaurant is so greedy they can’t put a ten cent potato on the plate? We should spring an extra $ 4 for a potato? and another $ 4-​$ 6 for a vegetable???
Could we have spent the extra on the sides? yes. Obviously we were there to eat, we bought drinks and were about to buy some of the most expensive items on the menu. But I LAUGHED when she said it was ala carte. And told her we needed another minute.
We decided on the artichoke spinach dip, which came with 4 slices of the same bread they serve in the basket. It was fine. my wine was nice. His beer was nice. But they turned $ 100 check into a $ 30 check for want of ten cents worth of potato. In this economy, restaurants should be doing more to make their customers happy, not insulting them charging extra for something so simple and expected. (and cheap for them to provide.)
We were super nice and polite to our waitress the whole time, and tipped her of course, it wasn’t her fault. But I will say, when we ordered an appetizer after all, she went from kind and helpful to cold, short, and inattentive. She aught not be mad at us for her employers bad policy and bagged pasta. Makes me wonder what else is not house made on the menu! ARe the sauces jarred? ARe the desserts bought frozen and thawed to order?

This place has a nice atmosphere, with a few different settings in which to sit, including outside, once the weather is nice.
The food is merely okay. The linguine al mare was fine, but certainly nothing to stand out; the sauce was a little bland.
I will say that the server was fantastic.
Bottom line: so-​so food. And you’re paying for the atmosphere.

Ever have such a ridiculous experience somewhere and just can’t wait to get home and Unilocal about it? Yeah… that was me tonight at Venice.
To be fair, I’ll start from the end of the evening by saying that the food was actually pretty good, good enough to shake the pissy mood our server initially put us in. Our party of four ordered antipasto, steak (filet and porterhouse), grouper with risotto, and shrimp and mushroom pappardelle with cream sauce. Mmm. How about…4 stars.
But the service! OK. Ready?
1) We walk in and the pleasant but timid and seemingly inexperienced hosts take nearly 5 minutes to hang our coats. It was awkward.
2) I had forgotten about the reviews I’d read that mentioned the unavoidable walk through the smokey bar, but there’s no NOT noticing it when you get there. Why the hell would you set up your restaurant such that every guest has to go into the smoking area? I’m usually not phased by cigarette smoke, but this was really bad… I don’t think there’s any ventilation in there. Not a pleasant smell right before you sit down to eat.
3) I think our server may have been stoned. Or maybe just actively trying to lose her job. She half-​assedly shows us to our table (we had to clarify whether she meant this table or the one next to it) and when we sit, asks, «Do you want me to bring you some water?» Umm… yes, please? «OK. Is tap OK?» …I don’t know, is it? This just seemed weird. It’s not like we’re in France.
4) (Real) drink time: My girlfriend’s mother ordered a Dewars on the rocks. The server comes back with something and after putting it down on the table goes, «I’m sorry, what did you order? I hope I got it right.» My gf’s mom says, «I ordered a Dewars.» The server, very unemphatically: «Oh…I may have mixed it up with Drambuie. Sorry, I get those ‘D’ liquors mixed up.» Indeed, she mixed it up.
5) My girlfriend ordered a beer. The server brought it out and walked away without ever offering a glass. We grabbed one from the service table next to us.
6) When we start looking at our menus, the server tells us that tonight’s specials are listed on the table placeholder. She walks away and we realize that no, these are just the drink specials. When she comes back to take our order, she THEN asks, «Oh, do you want to know tonight’s specials?» We say yes, and she quietly reads the list of entrees as if she’s reciting a eulogy.
7) When she brought our appetizers, she took away the small tea light candle to make room and never brought it back =(
8) I’ll stop.
Server friend, I’m really sorry if you were just having a sh*tty day or whatever. But I hope you find something to do that makes you happy… I gather this job does not =(
The other waiters seemed much more professional and, well, awake. The atmosphere, aside from the disgusting smokiness, is fine. Quirky and odd (random old black and white movies on repeat on TVs around the restaurant?), but fine. I’d try this place again but as another Unilocaler put it, don’t expect much more than dress-​rehearsal service from the staff.

Great Place!
My brother and I took my parents to Venice to celebrate their anniversary. Our family was very impressed. The restaurant is very nice inside and has a Chicago like feel to it.
Our waiter was very nice, attentive, and knowledgeable. They had nightly specials in addition to the normal menu.
We had a stuffed pepper appetizer which we all loved, and I would highly recommend. For entrees, we had the chicken saltimbocca, penne alla vodka, veal medallions, and ribs. Everyone liked their dishes and prices were reasonable for a special occasion.
We all enjoyed our visit quite a bit and would love to go back and try some other things on the menu.
The only negative thing I can say about Venice is that to enter the restaurant you have to walk through the bar first which can be smokey.
P. S. The au gratin potatoes were incredibly delicious and the pasta portions were very large.