The Del Rio Restaurant

I asked friends on Facebook to recommend an Italian place in Highwood, not too pricey, for a birthday dinner for a friend from the city who wanted the genuine complete experience. Several were suggested, and I favored Del Rio because the gluten-​free options were many and clearly labelled so I knew they got it.
We were all so happy with this place from the minute we walked in. Warmly welcomed by Bill, comfortably seated in the beautifully decorated, cheerful and cosy room, it was a party from the get go.
Bill treated us to an appetizer, since we are so charming and it was our first time there, and brought cheesy polenta sticks for the gluten-​free me. Delicious.
Three of us had the cioppini, I think that’s how you spell it. Seafood and fish stew, in a fabulous broth. We restrained ourselves from licking the bowls, which were quite large even though it’s listed on the small plate menu. Very hearty meal. We all want to go back and have that again.
Our server, Jennifer, steered us right every step of the way, Bill made sure we were entertained, and it was a perfect evening all around.
Thanks, Del Rio!

Cioppino Heaven!
Haven’t been to Del Rio since I was in high school (when dinosaurs roamed the earth!), but was THRILLED when friends suggested it – my wish was to go to Highwood from some old school Italian food, they suggested Del Rio.
Bill greeted us & entertained us throughout the evening, but it was server extraordinaire, Jennifer, who steered us to one of the most amazing meals I have ever had! She pointed out the Small Plates menu, which we never would have even glanced at, pointing out the entrée-​sized Cioppino. 3 of us had it & all but licked the bowls clean! Serious deliciousness!
Called my father on the way home & set a Cioppino date for the next time he and my bonus mom are in from MI. :-)
We learned this morning, after posting poetic on Facebook, that the Cioppino recipe was created by our old friend, Jay Bliznick. Thank you, Jay!
And thank you, Del Rio and Bill and Jennifer! We’ll be back!

The mystery of Del Rio is solved .
We went on Friday night with friends and we’re excited to go there according the good reputation of that place !
We ordered antipasti plate who looked liked a sad jewel party plate. Prosciutto, salami, cheese, .
Have NO taste.
Then we had veal Parmesan which is supposed to be THE family recipe from grand ma. Sea bass over cooked and taste like rubber
Veal was over cooked and thin like a ham slice
Tomato sauce was over salty
I think those guys have forgot how all grand ma
Are cooking in Italy
We finally tried the chocolate cake, it was our friend birthday. The cake was good.
But it was not enough to save the evening .
We won’t be going back.

Stopped in on a Tuesday (our first but not last time) had Peppers and sausage and spinach pasta, prosciutto cheese apps and both were very good (4 star).the bummer is the green peppers were not fresh but pickled.
.The Veal parm was awesome,(5 star) a little over salted for my taste but awesome. Desert the waitress was 5 star split a piece of cheese cake (5 star) and tiramisu (3 star) in half to give us a full piece. The atmosphere was old school and i get it if the under 35 – 40 crowd do not like it… I would like to give 5 stars but the risotto (5star) seemed to have canned mushrooms i maybe wrong on this (to the owner am i wrong?) O and The service was 6 stars.

The atmosphere and staff get five stars. The food is very good and consistent and gets 4 stars. Some dishes are outstanding, like the shrimp scampi. If you want to experience a traditional Italian meal in a wonderful environment I highly recommend this place.

The food, service and ambiance are definite reasons to make this place a regular dinner a destination!
Flavor and festive environment were great.
The first time we visited but definitely not the last.

Five stars for atmosphere and service.
One star for the dish I had last night, so average three.
I wanted the seafood that was listed in a dish on the menu with some fettuccine and a marinara sauce. Simple enough, even though off menu. Sever says, no way.
But she came back and said I could serve shrimp and scallops with the pasta and marinara. Great, thank you.
Manager comes over and says you would like it better with the spiral pasta, ok.
And then he adds, instead of the marinara, I recommend a bechemel sauce. ok.
So he has managed to change completely what I was told could be done to something that was on the menu, ok.
Plate came, looked good, served hot.
Get a load of this, the small shrimp were cut in half and placed on top to give the appearance of twice the amount of shrimp, very funny, searched for the scallops, I have seen peas that were larger.
The belchemel sauce was very gloppy, no flavor. There was not enough black pepper, red pepper flakes and parmasian cheese to rescue it.
One of the worst plates of pasta ever.
It is such an easy dish to make really well, hard to believe they serve that.
The minestrone was very good and served hot.
It only takes one bad dish and experience like that for me to not return.

Chicken Evviva with a side of fettuccine Alfredo is my go-​to meal that I look forward to consuming every time I’m back on the North shore. Friendly service, great atmosphere, fabulous food. Everyone must go.

We decided to come here on a Friday night (earlyish) without a reservation when our favorite local place had an hour and half wait. We hadn’t been here for about 15 years because we had been unimpressed with our experience long ago. Either we changed or they have improved. Probably a bit of both.
First off — amazing amazing wine cellar! They have so many bottles of wine to choose from that if you want to see a list of all their selections they bring it to you on an iPad. My husband saw that they had bottles from the year we were married and so he selected one. Boy the bartender had to work hard to get the cork out without causing a problem! He did it! Can’t say the wine was great but that wasn’t their fault we selected it!
For our starter we shared an order of their «small plate» of mussels. They were really good! Almost as good as my favorite but not quite. Since I can’t get my favorites any more, I will be back for these. My husband had an order of the tortellini soup and proclaimed it the very best he has ever had. We were told that all the pasta is homemade. We both went with the shrimp scampi for our entrees.. Not your ordinary shrimp scampi order though, it is just the shrimp they serve you a pasta on the side with your choice of sauce. The shrimp were plentiful, large and delicious. They had a bit of cheese melted on top of them. I was a bit disappointed in my pasta side. I ordered it with bolognese sauce and any Italian restaurant should know how to do a good bolognese sauce in their sleep. This sauce was just average. It wasn’t layered with flavor or had any real flavor at all. Just a shame. For our dessert we shared a piece of the flourless chocolate cake which was also outstanding!
A family run restaurant for almost a century, the place is charming!

The Highwood tradition lives on in this longstanding main stay veteran. I’ve been coming here since I was in diapers and now I come here with my kids who have graduated high school. You are greeted as family as you walk into this small intimate dining room which can get crowded on the weekend with regulars and new comers.
From the homemade unbelievably tender tortellini soup to gnocchi to the fresh fishes it’s hard to go wrong. Our favorites are the Lasagna, Veal Parmesan, Gnocchi, Salmon, Garlic bread and the soup.
The staff treats you like family and is there for all of your needs. They have an extensive wine list as Billy is a wine nut and his daughter is doing a great job helping run the place.
It reminds me of the days with My favorite inn for steaks across the tracks and my mom.
Great food and service.

I ordered the Bronzino fish. It was the size of a perch. And the pasta side was less than a cup. Bill for us four was $ 250.00. Won’t be going back.

Del Rio has been around since the 20s and bills itself as Chicago’s oldest Italian restaurant. And while it is apparently well known on the North Shore, I had never heard of it or been there until last week for a business dinner. It was a pleasant surprise. Stepping inside is a step back in time; the place looks like a movie set from the 30s or 40s – with a little 60s kitsch thrown in. Service was friendly and efficient. The owners are present and very friendly and accommodating. And the food walks a fine line between old and new. Appetizers are a blast, from shrimp scampi to the pasta prosciutto to the sausage and peppers. The house salad is up-​to-​date and a nice, light break from the cheese-​and-​meat appetizers. The meat is locally sourced and the pastas tasty. (I had a fine eggplant parmesan.) We didn’t have room for dessert, but I am already looking forward to going back soon. What a kick this place is… Love it.

My family and I have gone to DelRio since its inception. I remember the exact décor and attention to detail that today is still ongoing. I look forward to seeing the menu as it is so unique yet the same. Tradition is steep here and the food is amazing. northern Italian, and the wait staff as well as the owners are on the floor at all times. Romantic to say the least. Original EVERYTHING. The bar is also a step back in time. I go again and again! A+++++++++++

I have read the reviews and felt pretty positive going in. Our stay started with us standing at the door, waiting to be seated. We kept making eye contact with the waitress at the bar, but she kept pointing to a gentleman talking at a table. We were a bit frustrated, but we’re eventually seated to have my wine glass delivered to the table with lipstick across the rim. The food was a solid O.K., but between dirty dishes and sub-​par service, we will more then likely not be back.

Delicious Italian spot in highwood. As soon as you walk in your greeted with a friend welcome Its like you having dinner at your Italian grandparents. Very comfortable nice size cocktails .the wine list is one of the largest I’ve seen ever! Tons and tons of wines from all over there are two huge binders ! Food with great menu we tried the pasta prosciutto which was amazing cheesy goodness followed by the shrimp scampi which was garlicky and delicious. After that a nice crisp salad followed by the veal del rio and the pork chop both excellent. Also a side of gnocchi which was the best I’ve ever had! And a side of pasta bolognese which was also great. Dessert the tiramisu excellent And a simple raspberry sorbet topped off on fine meal! A definite gem !

5 stars for the nostalgia. First time I came here I was about 6 years old.
The food was great, as was the service. It was, however, stifling hot in there and the temp chased me out before I was really ready to leave.

Romantic Italian ambiance with authentic historic décor. The food is hearty and all made from scratch at the restaurant. Sea bass and gnocchi are amazing as is the tortellini. The service is excellent making everyone feel welcome. Call ahead and make a reservation for the table by the window for an extra touch of charm. Will be back for sure! Thank you!

I’ve loved this place for many many years. .. .. . Our family returns here over and over again for that quaint shot of italian atmosphere and undeniably amazing food. .. .
and terrific service. We were there just this past Saturday night. .. and as always enjoyed it thoroughly — I must say, we were very surprised to see how the prices have skyrocketed over the past year. .. and with so many viable italian alternatives, we were quite surprised by this. We love Del Rio. .. hope they keep their pricing in check moving forward. ..

We have been coming here for almost 40 years and there have been periods when attention to detail has been less than desired. Recent changes (particularly a new chef with new entrees) and entertainment on selected nights have returned Del Rio to its former glory as one of Highwood’s best restaurants. In addition Del Rios offers one of the best wine selections available.
Thanks to Bill (owner) and his daughter service has returned to its old friendly way. My wife thinks eating here is like dining at a friend’s house.

This is a neighborhood type of restaurant. The owner is the host. Most people walk up. The host and bartender seem to know everyone who showed up without reservations. If you like eating on top of each other, this is your kind of place. SRO crowds on the weekends. The restrooms are smaller than ones on a plane and dirtier too! Don’t know how they get away with the over crowding. Guess they know the Fire Marshall!
As for the food. Lasagna tasted like Chef Boy R D! Veal was good, small portions for the prices! Alfredo was horrible. I think the Italian cook took the night off. Been going there for the past two decades. It gets worse every time we go. The wife insists on going at least once a year. Oh, the drinks are expensive and the service was slow at 6pm. Imagine what it would be at 8pm?
Pass on this place!