Cuzzin’s Cafe

Restaurant was sold to new owners in November and is now closed.

Very good food and service. Ask for Mary (owner)

I decided to try out Cuzzins because of the good reviews. Unfortunately, I was unpleasantly surprised. To begin, based on the online menu and prices, I thought that Cuzzins would be a little more upscale. Instead, I was greeted by a waitress from 30 feet away telling me to sit wherever I wanted to. The décor is old and more of a truck stop feel. The only positive thing I can say about the food is the portions are huge. Aside from that, for roughly $ 13 to $ 18 an entrée, the taste just was not there. Neither my daughter or wife thought the food was very good. It was not bad by any means, it was just not anything special. All three meals lacked flavor. Lastly, the service was not very good either. Our waitress may as well have been a robot. She did little to enhance our overall experience. Our discussion after leaving the restaurant pretty well summed up the experience. For the price we paid, Maggiano’s would be a good comparison. But, at Maggiano’s the food is much much better, the ambiance a hundred times better, and the service much better as well. Unfortunately, Maggiano’s is too far away. There are numerous other Italian restaurants in the area, some with better prices, that are hands down, better than Cuzzins.

Very disappointed in this restaurant. We waited one hour to be seated. Our group consisted of three. The sour dough bread was fresh and tasted good. The soup was way too salty. Your blood pressure will sky rocket! The salads made up of lettuce and one cherry tomato was fresh, but the salad dressings were watered down. Blah! The entrees were OK at best. We had the cheese ravioli in vodka sauce which was only OK; the rigatoni and meatballs which the marina sauce was very good but the meatballs where only OK; and the linguini which was inedible. The linguini tasted like noodles with flour. Blah!!! The waitress took our order and we didn’t see her again until we asked for the bill. (Beware: we used a groupon which automatically adds a 20% tip on). So the total bill for Blah food, terrible service (I was a waitress for many years) plus two lemonades and one wine including tax and tip was $ 72.00.

I went to this restaurant based on a recommendation, and my husband and I were disappointed overall. First of all there is no ambience to the place. Secondly, we ordered our drinks and it took about 10 – 15 minutes to get the drinks. I heard the server say she couldn’t find a wine bottle opener. We were given a bottle of wine and 2 «on the rocks» mismatched glasses in which to pour the wine. We waited another 15 minutes before someone took our order. They were not very crowded at thie time we arrived. Once we ordered, the food came promptly. The staff were very friendly, but the food was ok and the service was slow. I do not ever plan on returning.

Slow, slow, slow service for basic italian food. Never again.

I was introduced to Cuzzin’s Café via a Groupon two weeks ago. The first visit was wonderful in every way. It’s a Café, so I knew it wasn’t going to be overly-​priced like some fancier interiors. The Café atmosphere coupled with the friendly staff, quick service and excellent food made this a great dinner decision. My children devoured their meals, and loved the fresh bread with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. I returned a week later with a different group of people, and we finished our meeting and our meal a little late and the Café accommodated us perfectly.
I went back Friday night, third visit in two weeks, and had the homemade Rigatoni in vodka sauce — yes, it is that good!

From start to finish this was restaurant was not a good experience. I went with my book club and only the first person to arrive was even greeted by anyone. After taking and bringing our drink orders, the server disappeared for over 15 minutes. Well, not really disappeared as we could see her waiting on other tables and gossiping with the other servers and busboy. When she finally came back to take our orders, she seemed annoyed that anyone asked questions about the dishes. It was our first time here, so why that was a problem is mystifying.
And then came the food. The calamari appetizer had too much breading and was soggy. The red sauce that accompanied it tasted like bland, watered-​down ketchup. My fettucini Alfredo was very good, though the sauce was a bit heavy for my liking. I ordered a side of Italian sausage — it was bland and one half was burnt. Glad I didn’t have it crumbled on my fettucini. One of our group had eggplant parmesan — the eggplant had obviously been an overly large, overripe plant — large seeds and soggy eggplant with way too much cheese and nondescript sauce completed the unedible dish. The owner was there when the waitress came over to check on things and was totally indifferent saying — that’s how we make it. However, they did remove the charge. The others said their dishes were okay, but not memorable. One of the women who almost always finishes everything she orders, left a third of her dish and didn’t opt to take it home (which she does on the rare times she doesn’t finish).
Once we said we weren’t interested in dessert, we weren’t offered coffee or asked if we would like anything else to drink. There was no one waiting for our table, so I have no idea why this wasn’t done.
To top things off, the bathroom was disgusting. There was a sign next to the sink to ask for paper towels back at the bar area as they were waiting for their hand dryer to be installed. Really?!? There was no excuse for this. Put a roll of paper towels in the bathroom for heavens sake.
Needless to say, this was a one and done for all of us. There are so many good Itallian restaurants in Chicago and the suburbs, there is no reason to spend your money here. Several of us joked that Olive Garden would have been better.

Looking at the video from Chicago’s Best WGN of Danny’s, I realized that I’ve been to Cuzzin’s. Shame on me for not reviewing earlier.
Now, for Italian in the OP there is no other place I like better than Rocco’s, but for something more laidback and casual (and also to try the fried meatball sandwich someday) I would not hesitate to go back to Cuzzin’s.
The food is good and the service was great. Forgot exactly what was ordered, but I do remember the service and remembered that the gf and I enjoyed ourselves.
Nice spot for the family and a casual night out for sure!

Went with a girlfriend last Friday afternoon at about 4:00. I had a Groupon that I paid $ 15 for $ 30 worth of food. I had also seen an episode of «Chicago’s Best» as they were featured. They open at 3:00. We were seated immediatley as it wasn’t crowded at the time. We were greeted by friendly staff who were also helpful in describing the menu. I ordered the Meatball Sandwich and the homemade potato chips. My girlfriend the Rigatoni with vodka sauce and crumbled sausage. Can u say DELISH?!? The portions were HUGE! We had to have them pack doggy bags. I will defitnley be back as I have want to try everything on the menu.

Since Danny’s Deli is one of my favorite places in the world, I knew that I would put my Cuzzin’s gift certificate to good use. Although it was a bit of a drive away and I was ravenous by the time I arrived, my boyfriend and I had a delicious dinner. We were seated immediately and I was excited to see that the menu was almost exactly the same as Danny’s. Our waitress took our drink and appetizer orders. Our fried romaine arrived and was lemon-​y/​oily and delicious. We were already done with our appetizer and our waitress did not return to take our order yet. I was nervous and still hungry. Finally, after giving her a little bit of an anxious look, she came over. I placed my order for the eggplant lasagna and my boyfriend ordered a pasta dish with vodka sauce.
Since no one had removed our fried romaine plate, I was dying to dip something into the delicious oil at the bottom of the plate. We had no bread left and I placed the basket near the edge of the table. To my dismay a new bread basket never arrived. Sad kids. It was alright since my entrée arrived soon after. It was enormous and covered in the famous red sauce. I was in heaven. The ricotta and layers of breaded eggplant were perfection. After getting about halfway though, I had to call it quits. I also had several bites of my boyfriend’s vodka sauce dish and it was delicious.
Although I may prefer the atmosphere and proximity of Danny’s Deli to Cuzzin’s, the food is perfect here. If I am ever in the area again I will be back.

Great food! Started with the fried meatball sandwich… very fresh salad with home-​made creamy garlic dressing (incredible dressing). My husband had the 4-​cheese lasagna, and I had the Chicken Milanese… Definitely, Italian comfort food in a comfy casual environment…

Tonight 4 of us tried Cuzzins Orland Park for the first time. Waitress was very good, portions very large (you can almost split a meal), pastafazool like salty vegetable soup, all 4 of us liked the main courses but we all thought the taste of garlic was missing. Eggplant lasagna was good.

Have been coming here for the past few months and the food gets better every time. Portion size is huge. One plate could easily be shared but your not gonna want to give up one bite. Tortellini Alfredo is amazing and u gotta try the meet ball. Family restaurant and it shows. Your welcomed and seated instantly, brought my wife and 2 young children and our waitress went above and beyond to make sure we were happy. Great weekly specials keep us coming back on a regular basis.

I really like this place. Food is great. House wine is solid. Neck bones are a pain to eat but quite good. Portions are big. Good for kids.

This restaurant is owned/​operated by the daughter of Danny’s café and deli in Melrose Park. Same great food, same family setting. Get in here and eat! Make sure to save room for the homemade desserts. My new favorite Italian restaurant.

This place is the real deal on Italian food. I have to say if you grew up in an Italian family then you will feel right at home. The portions at this place are huge and you will leave this place full with left overs for tomorrow. The sausage is real Italian sausage that has fennel seed in it. The pasta sauce is not something that came out of a can. The stuffed artichoke appetizer could be a meal in itself, Its so delicious and big. The décor is not fancy, so don’t come here for looks you come here for really good Italian food. This is a place I would take my Italian Grandma too. If there is a line. The food is worth the wait.
Now for Thomas J comments. I’m not sure who orders pork chops at an authentic Italian restaurant and complains about it not being authentic. but maybe he’s used to the Olive Garden. Hey Thomas try the neck bones or the tripe and then update your review.

I recently had dinner here with my family. I’m not going to lie; the ambiance is reminiscent of the waiting room at the DMV. Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely clean, just lacking in the style department. But you aren’t coming here for the décor. Their motto is «It’s All About the Food», and they aren’t kidding. OK, so I felt like I was eating in someone’s basement, but aside from that, it was good. DAMN GOOD!
There are many great specials throughout the week and they also offer an impressive catering menu for events of any size. In addition to the many homemade pasta dishes, there are also lighter offerings such as grilled fish, meats, vegetables, and salads. But alas, I didn’t come here to have a salad and an iced tea. The menu is serious, and so are the portions, so be prepared. Most dishes are large enough to share, and our plates were flying around the table back and forth so that everyone could try a bit of everything.
Our appetizers included a GIANT stuffed artichoke, polenta with sausage ragu, and salads (avoid ranch dressing in ANY Italian restaurant) and soups. All the starters were very tasty. We also shared an order of neck bones for the table with our starters. Those of you familiar with this kind of food know that neck bones are reserved for special occasions and holidays. It’s wonderful to see that they are offered on the menu and in specials several times a week. While they don’t sound appetizing to most, they’ve hit the mark here with these — they were absolutely delicious!
The chocolate cake and tiramisu were definitely memorable and even the coffee was good and strong, not like most watered down versions at other restaurants. The staff was very attentive and the management was making sure everyone was happy and well taken care of, including the kids, which is always appreciated.
This is a place for secret eating. You know what I’m talking about. You’ve eaten half of your entrée and take the rest home, only to eat it a few minutes after you walk in the door. It was that good. And sometimes you have to say screw your diet for a day. Grab some friends and put your eating pants on for a splurge every once in awhile. You will not be disappointed. After you’ve eaten everything, there won’t be any evidence left, so you can pretend like it never happened, until next time. ..

OK… this is true, authentic Italian food, the way Gramma did it!!!
We started with the fried calamari… do DIE for. the best ever!
next, we had spaghetti and meatballs, and pork chop Vesuvio with oven brown potatoes… WOW!!!
for dessert, we split a tiramisu and a cannoli and spumoni…
now that’s Italian!