Rizzi’s Restaurant

This is my very favorite Italian restaurant. The team, helmed by Chad, is amazingly efficient in such a tiny space. Getting around tight corners, in the dimly lit room, with big trays of delicious steaming pasta piled high.
Eric and Dave are funny, genial, courteous, and attentive. They really make you feel welcome, like this is Mama’s Italian Kitchen. I just expect a teeny Italian Grandma to come walking out of the back to make sure we all got enough to eat.
The soups are typically really good, and the bread is tasty!
Chad mixes a delish drink behind the bar, as the music plays on and the servers do their intricate dance around the tables.
I suggest asking for Eric or Dave when you come in. Then sit back and let them take care of you. Laugh, tell stories, drink, eat your fill… make some memories.
The only drawback is that it’s tiny, with 13 tables, it can be hard to get in.

This place is the closest thing to real Italian in this town.
If you want a Midwest Italian experience go to Avanti’s and get an order of bread sticks and «marinara with meat sauce» and get off my jock, bro. This ain’t no game at Rizz.
Second best pizza in town. New York Style Pizza at a great price.
*Underrated chant

Like other Unilocalers mention, I hesitated to write this review because this place is such a gem, that I selfishly don’t want it to get more popular than it already is. Arrived in a massive downpour on Friday at 6pm. The place was already packed! It’s a very intimate restaurant, so there’s limited tables. Instead of waiting for a table, we sat at the bar, which was actually comfortable and just fine with us. The bartender for that night looked like he was a little out of his element, but was friendly and helpful and we were able to order food and a bottle of chianti.
Started with the bruschetta, which was PHENOMENAL. Perfectly garlicky and diced finely, served on warm bread. Next came our salads with homemade italian dressing and more warm bread. Ah, the bread – we ate two baskets of it! For main entrée, I had the butternut squash ravioli and my date had Linguini with Broccoli. Appreciated that there were lots of vegetarian options here. Dessert was a crêpe stuffed with ice cream and frozen, topped with warm berry compote. Very light and refreshing end to a satisfying meal.
Only complaint is that the tab ended up being around $ 90, but we weren’t given an itemized receipt. Seemed odd, with but our mental math for the appetizer, meals, and drinks, it worked out correct. This place is awesome, local, authentic Italian food. Perfect place to share a romantic meal with someone you love. They don’t take reservations, so get there early, be ready to wait, or be okay with sitting at the bar. Also, may not be the best place if you have a large group as most of the tables are for 2 – 6 at most.

First of all let me start of by satin I LOVE Italian food. I moved to Peoria in Chicago and I was looking for something to fill my Chicago Italian cravings. Rizzis is it! I had the chicken Parmesan and it was AMAZING! Huge portion so perfect for left overs! I can’t wait to try more!

I have been an avid fan of Rizzi’s on State since I moved to Peoria over 10 years ago. I am very sad that it closed. But at least I have Rizzi’s on Sheridan, so I can still get my fix.
We decided relatively last minute to go, so we called ahead to see if we could get in. No reservations accepted at Rizzi’s on Sheridan. We always made reservations at Rizzi’s on State. I know the place is much smaller, but that only makes it harder to get in. Luckily, it was a weeknight and we were wiling to eat at the bar, so we were seated when we arrived.
The food and menu are exactly the same, but I am still getting used to the «New (to me)» Rizzi’s location. Gonna take some time.
I do definitely enjoy the pasta dishes. I also enjoy how they will let you «build your own» by subbing items or adding items. I always enjoy some veggies in my fettucini alfredo.
All in all, a great place. I do enjoy coming here for the best Italian in town. I just have to get used to the location.

The ambience of this place is perfect for quiet intimate dinners or lunch. The service was good, my glass of water was never empty. My dish came with a choice of either soup or salad, so I ordered their soup of the day which was a roasted garlic and onion soup. It was a taste sensation! The aromatic smell of roasted garlic was delicious in itself! For my main course I had the capellini in pink sauce which was terrific! The pasta was thin, but not as thin as angel hair. The sauce was creamy, but not too creamy that you get overwhelmed with sauce. The dish also comes with shrimp and mushrooms; they complimented the dish perfectly because the mushrooms absorbed the sauce. The only thing that was not up to par was their mozzarella sticks, which were served with the inside still cold, and that made me question if the mozzarella was a cheese stick? Anyway, everything else was amazing and I would definitely return!

After getting permanently laid off from work last week I thought I’d eat in more. So I’ll provide a review and if I can find work again I’ll eat out more. This was good pizza. We picked it up. 2 20 inch pizzas cost around $ 37. The slices are obviously 10 inches so huge. This isn’t a chain so the thought and care put into the pizza are there compared to pizza butt and papa toilets. This isn’t a place most people get pizza as it’s an Italian restaurant. I would eat this again.

Rizzi’s has my favorite pizza in town. It is wonderful NY pizza with a thin soft crust, just like the pizza of my youth when I was growing up in NYC! If you like that style pizza, definitely give it a try.
The reason I didn’t give 5 stars is that the wine by the glass is rather expensive, imo. $ 6 or $ 7 for a glass of red, and the pour isn’t that good.

Recently went to Rizzi’s on north Sheridan. As it was our first visit we were unaware that the bar tender was also the host. After waiting 5 – 10 minutes and witnessing a couple who arrived after us check in w/​the bar we did so as well. After another 30 minutes we were seated (figuring it would be worth the wait). Although our server was friendly he was equally inattentive. As for the food my dish was decent, but my girlfriends was inedible! The manger seemed apathetic to the full plate of food which was clearly hardly touched. We waited fifteen years to try it and won’t be back for at least that. Recommendation… go to Basta’s!

We went to Rizzi’s for a celebration dinner recently and we were not disappointed! Our waitress was knowledgeable and attentive. She was able to recommend a great bottle of pinot noir and a delicious appetizer (Arancini – sooo good!). I was not thrilled with my meal, but I would attribute that to me ordering something different than I would normally. The rest of my table loved their meals – especially the Chicken Parm and Chicken Marsala. We’ll be back soon!

Great food and amazing service. Prices are very fair and portions a large. Always made to feel welcome every time we visit. Highly recommend you try it! You’ll keep coming back

Went here based on good reviews and Renee’s comments about a hidden gem. It was good. Go there and try it.

My boyfriend took me here for the first time ever! I absolutely *loved* it!!! Our waiter (David) was phenomenal!!! Spot on service, the entire time! Bread was great, salad with house vinaigrette was amazing, I had the Tortellini Michaelangelo (subbed the mushrooms for broccoli) and it was yummmmmmmmmy town! And we shared a Tiramisu, which was the BEST I’ve ever had! Great surprise date night and a great dining experience!

Definitely one of the best restaurants in the Peoria area. Excellent food with a good selection of classic and house Italian recipes. Services is always prompt, friendly, and superb. They have a great wine list to boot! A great place for a romantic dinner for two or just a good meal

This is my favorite restaurant in Peoria! I keep ordering the same thing because it’s so good, but other items are good as well. My favorite is the cheese tortellini. I don’t even want to know the nutrition information. I’m quite sure there’s enough fat in the creamy sauce to kill someone. But I just have it a few times a year! I also love the pizza and salads. Service has always been good.

10* for service and how they care for grandma when we dine here.
Food is good, and portions are plentiful.
A Hidden Gem for Peoria for sure!

The hubby and I went here for a date night and really enjoyed our experience. We received a gift certificate, which unfortunately had expired (boo!), nevertheless the manager still redeemed it (yay!).
The lighting was very dim, and the atmosphere was homey, even when jam-​packed with people. Our waiter was great and attentive, despite having to serve a ton of tables at once. I ordered the chicken sorrentino (chicken w/​parmesan and prosciutto on linguini — delicious!) and my husband had a veal dish which he said was very tasty.
They had a very extensive wine menu, though we did not try any. The pasta plates and entrees come with a crusty bread that is very tasty (and also comes with olive oil/​salt & pepper/​parmesan, to make your own spread for the bread) and your choice of soup or salad.
Salad was better than I expected (made with romaine, not iceberg, score!), and hubby liked the minestrone soup, though it was not as hot as he would have liked. Portions were large (we had enough for lunch the next day), but not Olive Garden over-​the-​top large.
Just an FYI that they don’t accept American Express, so bring your other credit cards!
Overall, we think we’ve found our new favorite place for italian food in town, now that Ponte Vecchio is long gone. Good home cooking, romantic atmosphere and great service. Buon appetito! We know we did :)

The service I had the other night was excellent. The waitress was chummy and helpful.
The food, some of it thoroughly overpriced for what it was (linguini with broccoli was something like $ 13), was hit or miss. The (pasta e) fagioli soup was pretty good if a little salty and the warm bread was delicious. The roasted pepper and mozzarella appetizer wasn’t quite right somehow, perhaps a bit soggy and the cheese was thick enough to be overwhelming in the dish. The eggplant parm was decent. The house salad was utterly disappointing – swimming in dressing.
It wasn’t bad, but I won’t be going back for a while.