Stefani’s Tuscany Café

If you have anything less than a 2 ½ hour layover don’t bother… Ordered food and drinks wait twenty minutes then asked about our order. 20 minutes later we walked out, the table behind us was going on their 30^th minute waiting for coffee when we did so.

I was looking for a better lunch option other than McDonalds, starbucks or Chili’s nearby & a United agent suggested Tuscany Café…
I am soo glad she did!!!
I do not understand the bad reviews for this place (i know there are many unhappy customers because of the long lines on security), my experience was great. The host/​busser, Favio and my server Nancy both put me at ease… they were very friendly & inviting.
I ordered the chicken with zucchini $ 23 (that my waitress recommend) and 2 glasses of wine $ 12 each, prices are like any other restaurant outside the airport.
My food came out fairy quick, was hot, looked pleasing and was very good. She offered me water and bread.
This will be a definite stop next time!

Ok I expect bad food at the airport but I am pretty shocked at how bad the service was. Hey Flávio — if you don’t want customers with kids that is fine, just don’t seat us. But if you are going to seat us there is no reason to be a jerk and act aggrieved the whole time. I don’t think I have left a single bad review in the years I have used Unilocal,but Flávio my man, you inspired me. Thanks for showing just how bad customer service can be!

Background
I’ve travel a bit via O’hare and been here twice. First experience was good, second was just ok.
Ambiance: — 3 out of 5
It’s an airport restaurant, expectation should be tempered but this place is actual ok. However, having said so, the noise level is high, without saying the space is tight.
Service: — 3 out of 5
Unfortunately this is where I think they can be of most value due to the fact its an airport restaurant, However, they did not capitalized on this. Service was slow and my waitress did not come back to check on me. But overall other folks are helpful.
Food : — 3 out of 5
1^st time around I order the shrimp scampi which suprisingly was quiet good. But my recent visit my italian sausage was sub-​par. I think I can probably get better sausage from like Jimme Dean. Again, I’m not going to rate them to low due to being in the airport.
Bottomline: —
I’ll probably go back 1 more time to give them one more chance. After all, it’s not really that bad. I would recommend to other if you really want a sit down restaurant.
DMAN

Stefani… your restaurant absolutely sucks. It is so horrendous I am surprised you aren’t out of business. Where do I start…
1. I really wish Unilocal had a zero rating because your restaurant for all intents and purposes should not exist. I don’t even think this restaurant deserves one star.
It exists because suckers like me, who are tired coming off a flight, just want a good bite, rest, and beer. A nice home style Italian meal sounds good in principle.
Wait I am getting distracted in the middle of my review (I am actually at this deplorable establishment while writing this) by the new Guido looking host. I guess they changed shifts from the haggard old lady who suckered me. So this dude hair slicked back with a horrible Italian accent just suckered their next victim into this house of horrors with his pitch about their tasty pasta. Sorry for digressing.
Anyhow…
2. The service is horrendous. We had a portly old gentleman who came 20 minutes after we sat down. So much for having a quick bite between flights… he was as stone cold as the food that arrived. He brought glasses of water… while my wife and I were looking at the menu, the waters disappeared!!! I then again asked this lady who bought us our beers after fifteen minutes explicitly for water and she acknowledged yet she never bought us any water. The food came with no fanfare but we were excited to eat. At the end of our meal, if you want to call it a meal, the waiter came by, dismissed my grievances, left a bill for overpriced food and asked if we wanted dessert. Eff No! The employees are droning, imbeciles who are clearly not interested in working for you, Stefani!!!
3. The Food. We ordered the Caesar Salad and a Margherita Pizza. After all how wrong can you get with those two selections? Surprise: What can Stefani get right!!? Nothing! The salad had sparse dressing, the Pizza tasted worse than cafeteria pizza from grammar school, and the freeze dried chicken on the salad… my dog would have sniffed it, and walked away! Keep in mind this was a $ 50 meal for something that would have made a McDonald’s value meal seem like 5 star dining. My mouth was watering while my heart was full of remorse while I walked past the McDonald’s in the terminal back to my gate I tell you. I’m just hoping I don’t start barfing by the time I reach my destination.
The best part of our meal were the $ 10 beers! I guess you can’t go wrong with something that comes out of the tap… wait… did I mention we waited 15 minutes for them too. But hey, we enjoyed every last drop. It cost us $ 35 per pint, after all! Do the math.
Advice: We wish we had read the Unilocal reviews for this joint before we decided on this dump. Fortunately, we spared a couple from the same misery by warning them as they approached the host. They were super grateful. So heed our advice and go to Chili’s or McDonald’s or heck, wait till you get on your flight and get bistro box on the plane. Whatever you do, avoid Stefani ‘s like The Plague. Worst restaurant I have ever been to. Hands down. Mic dropped.

Food was good and service was better than expected. A good option for a sit down spot in the B18 area.

In the B gate area, this was gem of a find during a layover!
I was looking for a better breakfast option other than McDonalds, starbucks or the Bagel Bakery nearby & a United agent suggested Stepani’s…
I am soo glad she did!!!
At 1^st I felt a little uneasy, as it looked way too fancy for what I was looking for. But the hostess and my server both put me at ease… they were very friendly & inviting.
Breakfast options are simple, and I ordered the bacon and egg breakfast.
At $ 11, that is very reasonable compared to a breakfast in Downtown Chicago.
My breakfast came out fairy quick, was hot, looked pleasing and was very good. Both the bacon and eggs were cooked as I asked.
My servicer, Eric, was fantastic, I was checked on enough to make sure I had what I needed, but not too much to be a pain while I ate.
This will be a definite stop next layover at the B gates I have.

Ate at the bar and watched/​listened while the bartender overcharged/​missed charged everyone around me, oh and me too!
This after taking :20 and 2 reminders to bring a glass of water. Food was okay although the soup is truly a cup for $ 8 not a bowl. Brought me the wrong wine the second time. Hoping I wouldn’t notice?
As they all know there, it doesn’t really matter at the airport, we’re a captive audience and probably not returning anyway. Be warned… Mind your bill!

Okay, I’m a Californian and used to great food. Still, this place was unspeakably bad. After looking over the «meh» menu, I settled for the Tuscany Salad at $ 14.95. What arrived was a plate of limp greens, canned garbanzos, canned hearts of palm, canned and chewy/​tough sundried tomatoes, canned black olives and surprisingly tasteless blue cheese, accompanied by a strips of what might be mozzarella and a lackluster salad dressing.
There was one piece of good bread — but the «extra virgin» olive oil on the table tasted like rancid machine oil. I was there maybe ten minutes, ate two or three bites, and asked for the bill.
The response: «Any coffee or desert?» Are you kidding me?
I’d avoid this place like the plague.

Pretty good airport food. Luckily the terminal wasn’t busy so we received good service and well prepared food. They have a large amount of seating.
We were greeted with warm bread and parmesan cheese upon arrival. There is olive oil at the table for you to make your own dipping sauce.
They have some good options to choose from on the menu. I got the chicken Caesar and my bf got the sausage penne with peppers and onion. The sausage was a little salty, but the pasta was able to balance it out. They don’t skimp on the portions at all. My salad was huge and the romaine was fresh.
There were crumbs on the booth so that was a little unappetizing.
Service was prompt and our server was very polite. Not too much energy in the place but it was also very slow.

Salami sandwich was UNREAL. The bread crispy and sharp balling provolone assembled by Javier who expertly sliced the salami paper thin, so thin you could see through the meat. The thin sandwich stood tall, even with a paper wrap. I sat, ate, then contemplated buying a second one but rather opted to download this app, sign up for service, and write this review. Thank you for reading this.

Ive aways had quick service. The food tastes great at a decent price. Can be a busy at times like all places in Chicago.

Looking over the reviews, some give this restaurant 1 star and others give it 4 stars. In my opinion it all depends on the server you get. The secret to getting good food and especially good service at this restaurant is to ask the host to seat you where Jeff can be your server. Jeff will make your visit much more successful than most of the other servers. For example, all I wanted (and craved!) was spaghetti and meatballs. This is not on the menu, but Jeff made it happen. He comes back from time to time to check up on you, and his service is prompt. Frankly, the guy is a stand-​out here and he needs to leave and get a job with a higher class restaurant; my guess is he is under-​valued here. Another good server is Yanaka, who was also able to accommodate me on another visit when I was told that Jeff was on break.
I’ve had some of the other servers, and they are terrible. On my first visit, a male server took off without bringing the ketchup with the fries, and never came back to check on me. Another male server ignored my request for assistance. I can’t say enough bad about some of the losers they employ at this place.
The quality of the food depends on what you order; ask Jeff for advice. I think their marinara sauce is superb, and the pasta is just right; for an Italian restaurant, isn’t that what you want to hear? If you order fries they will be up to par, but come on now, go to McDonald’s if you want fries. And I love the location of this place. It is kind of hidden and out of the way, which cuts down on the totally-overwhelmed-O’Hare-airport crowds. The prices? Well, its in an airport, and they know you can’t go anywhere else, so they stick it to you. That’s pretty much standard fare throughout the world, let’s face it. Given this standard, their prices are actually reasonable.
If I had rated this place after my first visit, I would have given it 1 star. Once I discovered how to make this place work for me, I now give it 4 stars. If you follow my advice, I think you will have a significantly better experience as well.

Not terrible.
Considering local options in O’Hare T1, B I probably made the best choice.
Some decent wines, hot fresh bead and parmigiana to start, low carb pollo Monte Carlo. That’s what I had.
If it were down the street from my Casa I may go 1−2x a year. At the airport during layover its stellar!

I ordered from the ‘to go’ area. The prosciutto sandwich was wonderful and they slice the prosciutto before you. I was greeted by Frealing, who was a total sweetheart, and even went to ask the kitchen if I could get a side of tomatoes. (Sometimes, a craving just hits ya!) He was extremely accommodating, and went above and beyond for the customer. Traveling isn’t always easy, but Frealing made it just a bit better!

This place is always somewhat busy, but it seems kind of out of the way and food is very average, and very pricey.
When the World Cup was going on (awhile ago) all the Lufthansa crew and passengers were packed in there like sardines because there were no other tv screens around.
How bad can it be?
Gave it a try the other day.
I was seated under a hot light so I asked to move to another table and you would have thought I had asked the server for his first born.
I don’t think I’ll be back.

Sat at the bar because it’s fun to talk to the bartender if you’re there by yourself. I had an appetizer & small salad: it was fine. It’s airport food: what can you expect? Nothing stands out to me, but I enjoyed it.

I am here as we speak, and I’m going to say my review does not need much of an explanation.
I start to sip my beer, open my eyes and there is a dead fly in it. I’ve added a photo.
Go elsewhere, this is disgusting.

Found myself on yet another layover, this time at Chicago O’Hare. I was lucky enough to be upgraded to First on my Boise-​Chicago flight (woot), though unfortunately it was at 8am and hence too early for a glass of red, even in my book. And while I was served a breakfast of corn flakes, a muffin and fruit, I was still pretty hungry when we landed. I knew couldn’t get through my 3 hour layover plus another 2.5 hour flight without eating, so went in search of somewhere to grab a bite and sit for a while. Wandered through several terminals and came across a few appealing options, but I didn’t feel like spending $ 30 on one sushi roll or $ 26 on a main course that likely wouldn’t even be that good. Why are airports so pricey?! Finally stumbled upon Stefani’s and figured a panini for $ 14 was the best I would do (gotta remember to pack a pb&j sandwich next time).
I was seated by a pleasant hostess and quickly thereafter approached by my server. Since I had already looked at the menu before deciding to stay, I placed my order of a water and the Pollo e Pesto panini. It was on my table in less than 10 minutes after I had sat down. Talk about prompt service, an important factor if you have to run off and catch a flight. I had nowhere I had to be, so lingered for awhile eating my meal and reading. The sandwich itself was tasty, though it was a little on the greasy side due to the generous use of butter for the grilling process. I particularly liked the pesto yogurt sauce that accompanied the dish. The Parmesan fries were also good, albeit by the time I got to them they were on the cooler side (my own fault for delaying consumption).
The restaurant was tucked away in a corner behind a gate and so wasn’t too busy or noisy. It was warm though, and I was thankful to have a sleeveless blouse on under my cardigan. Let’s be real, this is airport food and if I had a choice I wouldn’t go out of my way to go back. But given the over priced alternatives, Stefani’s is a safe bet and a nice place to relax while awaiting your flight. Maybe next time I’ll even get that glass of red.

As far as terminal restaurants go, this place is not bad at all. Sure, the prices are steep but so is everything else at an airport!
On my latest flight connection, I happened upon this place. I ordered a glass of cabarnet and then another because I had quite a while to wait before my connecting flight. I have to say, the pour was quite generous so I didn’t feel ripped off. Right after ordering my entrée, the waiter brought over some warm bread with a small plate heaping full of grated mozarella. I don’t like bread so I didn’t have any but it was quite a bit of bread especially if you like them. There is also a bottle of olive oil on the table along with other condiments.
I ordered the Salsiccia con Peperoni (grilled tuscan sausage with onions and peppers) which came with a side of pasta with red sauce. My meal was quite tasty and they gave me 3 grilled sausages which was more than what I expected. I took 1 and a half sausages to-​go with the rest of the grilled peppers and onions and about half of my side pasta.
Additionally, service was quick (but I also did not feel rushed) and it was nice for an airport terminal dining. Probably the best service I have ever had at an airport restaurant!
The place was clean, they changed the paper lining on the tables right away after a customer leaves to make room for new guests. But, like any other airport bars and restaurants, this place is quite cramped. That is to be expected, however. All in all, it was a terrific experience.

I was craving something nice and light to eat, after a flight from San Diego to Chicago. Walking around the terminal, as with other terminals there was a lot of fast food but nothing really that met my craving. No. I don’t want McDonald’s.
I kept walking and at the end of the terminal I found this locale. I was so happy to see that I could sit down and enjoy a meal; although concerned because I saw the average 3 star rating on Unilocal.I went in anyway.
I ordered the Tuscany salad and it was pretty great. It had a variety of greens, sun dried tomatoes, heart of palms, and chick peas. Yum. I ordered the blue cheese dressing on the side. Not usually a fan of this dressing, I was surprised to taste it and love it! It has cheese and is does not have an aggressive blue cheese taste. Win!
All in all I liked my lunch. I was light and pretty great for airport food. Check it out.

This is in the main United Terminal at the far end where the high B-​Gate numbers are, on the way to B22. It is not a fast food restaurant. It is fine dining and I do NOT understand where all the poor reviews come from. My experience was fantastic!
The service was quick and the bread was straight from the oven with a crust on the outside but moist and absorbent on the inside. It went perfectly with the extra virgin oil they provide.
I chose the Caprese salad which was huuuuge slices of fresh mozzarella layered with plump, juicy, fresh tomato slices. It was out of this world!
Then I got the Tuscany Salad which had provolone, hearts of palm, garbanzo beans, olives, sun-​dried tomatoes, and had a bleu cheese vinaigrette drizzled over it. It was just incredible.
I finished my dinner off with home made cannoli and a double Lavazza Espresso.
I will always eat in the United terminal no matter what airline I fly from now on. This was a real find!

After waiting for 10 minutes at Chilies and not getting a server, we decided to try this place.
Extremely horrible! I won’t describe much but I’ve uploaded an image of the pollo pesto sandwich I ordered. Try finding the chicken in there. At $ 14, it’s such a rip off! AVOID by all means!

I have eaten here before and thought it was ok, however, after 2 days of food poisoning I figured I should let someone know. Had the Caprese Salad and started throwing up on the plane 3 hours later.