Franco's Ristorante
Franco's Ristorante — top-tier italian in Chinatown. Classic neighborhood feel, nothing here chasing trends. Straight from the source, no adjustments. "The beet risotto was creamy and full of flavor, the milanesa was perfectly crispy" — Javier Zamora. [$$, patio]
What 910 diners keep saying
What 910 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Me and my girlfriend came here for a nice night out and were not disappointed, the portion sizes were really good for the appetizer, main dish, and dessert. Everyone taking care of us was really nice and chill and the atmosphere was the same, it was small but perfect”

“Cozy restaurant with amazing food! Came with my husband and we were happy with our orders 😋. Will be back soon! Thank you 🙏🏼”

“Nice little place with a wonderful ambience. Very classic and retro. Instantly transports you back in time. Service was good and food was very tasty as well.”

“Amazing …. In Chicago for a couple days had to hit this place up … old school feel …… food is 10/10”

“Authentic Italian food with the best service and an expresso martini that I highly recommend. If you want your gravy spicy, just ask. You get warm bread right off the bat. I had the gnocchi and it did not disappoint.”

“I was the only customer in the restaurant. I was seated promptly. A gentleman brought over bread and water and my server came out about four minutes after I was seated. It is loud in the restaurant. The music is pretty overwhelming. The food was subpar. I ordered The tortellini carbonara. The peas that were in the tortellini, you could taste the freezer burnt on the peas. They were not fresh, which is very disappointing. It took away from the flavor of the rest of the ingredients. I ordered the fudge cake to go and it was pretty much the same that you would get at Olive Garden.”

“Such a frustrating experience at Franco's Ristorante. The food here is actually decent, but the service from the host and waitstaff was shockingly bad. To start, the host led us to a completely dirty table—it hadn't been wiped down at all and was covered in breadcrumbs, water, and spilled sauce. I honestly couldn't believe she didn't see it. Instead of cleaning it, she just tossed the menus right on top of the mess. When I asked if she saw how dirty the table was, she ignored me, grabbed the now-dirty menus, and just moved us to the next table over (which was actually clean). No apology, no explanation. Why lead us to a filthy table in the first place? It didn't stop there. When we got our dishes, the plates were noticeably dirty too, and our server didn't seem to care at all. We ordered the Fried Calamari, Nonnas Meatball, and Shrimp Fra Diavolo. Like I said, the food tastes fine, but the hospitality ruins it. If this place is supposed to be fast food, the prices are way too high. But if it’s supposed to be a proper sit-down restaurant, the service completely fails. Definitely not worth the headache.”
“I recommend the pork chop and the Martinis. The arugula salad, bucatini, sausages, and baked clams are my fav!”
“Franco’s is fire. I appreciate the kindness of the staff and managers towards me even though I have autism and their food is amazing and really good. Owner Frank is nice. They cook fresh and ready-to-eat food and keep the restaurant clean. Incredible Italian ice. Must come back. 10/10 Spanish: Soy critico gastronomico. El de Franco es fuego. Aprecio la amabilidad del personal y los gerentes hacia mí a pesar de que tengo autismo y su comida es increíble y realmente buena. El propietario Frank es agradable. Cocinan comida fresca y lista para comer y mantienen el restaurante limpio. Increíble hielo italiano. Debe volver. 10/10”
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