Caro Mio Italian Restaurant
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About
Caro Mio Italian Restaurant — clean, consistent italian in Lincoln Square. Order the Pasta. Built for a slow, quiet evening, and BYOB. Ross Karlins: "The pasta was incredible and seemed very fresh and authentic"
Experience Breakdown
Dave Kogan
301 reviews
“Again, not my ave, so I skipped, but my wife said was really delicious”
Highlights
Must Try
What Diners Are Saying
Diners loved
Some noted
I wish we could go back to times where people were thoughtful and allowed you to just enjoy a reasonable meal.
Calling this food Italian is a joke. The dishes were not even spelled correctly in Italian. $8 split fee is insane.
new update last time i went in alone and no one else was in there.
Location
4603 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
What 470+ diners say about Caro Mio Italian Restaurant
“Just delicious!! The staff are friendly and warm. The food is always spectacular. I love the...”
Just delicious!! The staff are friendly and warm. The food is always spectacular. I love the gnocchi and the pollo alla cacciatora tasted like an italian grandma made it. Really recommend this place for BYOB in the neighborhood!!
Hannah Berkowitz
Oct 2025
“A cute little traditional Italian restaurant in the heart of Lincoln Square.”
A cute little traditional Italian restaurant in the heart of Lincoln Square. The burrata is SUBLIME, and the rest of the menu ain't half bad either. It's BYOB, so grab a bottle of wine, and come here ASAP. They've got a 2 for 1 special on Mondays and Tuesdays to celebrate 25 years of being in business, and if you can take advantage of that deal, please do so!
Erik Burke
Sep 2025
“Such a cute place, really small and intimate.”
Such a cute place, really small and intimate. The food was all very authentic! We ordered: Bruschetta Agnelotti Rossini Pappardelle con Porcini Chocolate Soufflé They knocked it out of the park with every dish. The service was friendly & attentive. 20/10 would recommend!
Shelby
Aug 2025
“We came here for a date night and it did not disappoint.”
We came here for a date night and it did not disappoint. We had a blast and ate some amazing homemade pastas. I would highly recommend this to anybody looking for a fun date night and then you can pop over to the movie theater for a late night show
Larisa Marinescu
Oct 2024
“Best pasta I’ve ever had.”
Best pasta I’ve ever had! Everything is handmade and you can taste the quality of the ingredients in every dish. We’ve had the cavatelli con salsiccia, homemade rigatoni, and the penne matriciana (the latter two in my photo). Everything is incredible! My fave is the cavatelli since it has a delicious pesto sauce. Will come back again and again!
Chloe Streif
Sep 2024
“Oh my goodness!!”
Oh my goodness!!! We found it by accident and it turned out to be amazing!! The food was so delicious and the portions were generous so show up hungry! Best Italian food I’ve ever had!!! Atmosphere is also amazing!!! Friendliest wait staff and you could hear them speaking Italian in the kitchen. Of course Dean Martin crooning over the speakers didn’t hurt!
fred Brooking
Jul 2024
“Armando has family recipes you must not miss.”
Armando has family recipes you must not miss! He is a warm, inviting man whose kitchen staff perfectly execute his mastery of Italian cuisine. The desserts are fabulous as well! Warning: Caro Mio is a BYOB- si bring your favorite vino and mangia, bevi vino, e goditi un pezzetto d'Italia! (eat, drink wine, and enjoy a bit of Italy tonight!
D. C.
Mar 2024
“Delicious home made Italian food.”
Delicious home made Italian food. Wonderful pastas. BYOB. Small quaint cozy space. Friendly staff.
rob fischer
Jan 2024
“Absolutely zero complaints as this place was wonderful.”
Absolutely zero complaints as this place was wonderful! Very friendly and attentive service without being too much. We had the garlic bread as an appetizer which came with the best marinara sauce I think I have ever had, so yummy! For our main courses we had the Penne Matriciana, which had delicious meatballs and sausage, and the Linguine Arrabiata (they were kind enough to let me sub the linguine for penne and remove the eggplant). The arrabiata sauce was INCREDIBLE. Just the right amount of spice and so much flavor. Would absolutely recommend for the great food, service and overall cozy vibe.
Alexandra Henning
Jun 2023
“The pasta was incredible and seemed very fresh and authentic.”
The pasta was incredible and seemed very fresh and authentic. We were all very impressed. This is definitely some of the best italian in the city by far, despite the prices. You definitely get good sized portions for the money too! The gnocchi in tomato cream sauce, the pesto, the burrata and garlic bread, were all amazing. The garlic bread was some of the best Ive ever had. The chicken parm was enormous. The risotto was delicious, and the gnocchi bake in bolognese was very good too
Ross Karlins
May 2023
“The place was tiny and cramped prices are a little steep but the food was massive.”
The place was tiny and cramped prices are a little steep but the food was massive! Super tasty authentic Italian, great neighborhood place.
Nicole Brown
May 2023
“The best BYOB italian restaurant in Chicago, with generous Portions and Friendly stuff.”
The best BYOB italian restaurant in Chicago, with generous Portions and Friendly stuff. The manager Jean was great! The pasta Is really homemade, the Green Bean salad was just delicious.
Carolina Rivera
Dec 2022
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