Graziano's Chicago - Niles

Always fantastic! The food is delicious, and the staff is very friendly.

I remember their salads being served in large family-style bowls, filled with onions and a delicious dressing, but that wasn't the case anymore. The salads now came in individual bowls, looking like pre-packaged garden salads that had been sitting in the fridge for who knows how long. The type of lettuce used was different, and even the dressing seemed off. I was so disappointed that I pushed it aside and opted for the minestrone soup instead. The minestrone was quite good, though it could have used more noodles. My family ordered a variety of dishes—there were five of us in total: pizza, eggplant Parmesan, chicken Vesuvio, fettuccine Alfredo, and bowtie pasta in creamy vodka sauce. My husband, who also grew up in the area and always orders the chicken Vesuvio, said it tasted completely different this time and was over-salted. He found the chicken dry and didn’t enjoy it. Thankfully, my bowtie pasta still tasted familiar. However, I found myself downing water because the food was unusually salty—I couldn’t remember it being that way before. The prices have certainly increased, which we’ve all become accustomed to post-Covid, but for five people, our bill came to around $177 plus tip. Only two of us ordered alcohol; my mother-in-law and I each had a glass of rosé priced at $10 each. To our surprise, it arrived in a glass that was barely filled to a quarter. I was not pleased with that. We were also shocked by how empty the restaurant was for a Saturday night at 7 PM—it was nearly deserted. Such a stark contrast to what I remembered.

We had a delightful dinner at Grazianos. Our server, Linda, was exceptional—she answered all our questions with clarity and seemed to anticipate our needs perfectly. She was incredibly helpful, welcoming, and attentive throughout our meal. We enjoyed the Chicken Vesuvio and pasta with tomato vodka sauce, both of which came in generous portions and were absolutely delicious. For dessert, we shared a slice of cake, and as Linda had warned us, it was indeed a large slice! The $3 charge for unlimited soup or salad was quite reasonable, and the house salad was crisp, fresh, and dressed beautifully. Our meal also included a basket of sliced bread, accompanied by olive oil and Parmesan at the table. This was our first visit to Grazianos since the pandemic, and we were thrilled to find everything just as fantastic as it had been before.

We enjoy dining at Graziano’s because the food is fresh and there is lots to eat.

Nice evening Bill was confusing with process fees and tip calculated asking for additional.