Rosebud Old World Italian

This was our first visit and we loved the romantic ambiance. We were taken to a secluded table and found that the chairs were too short in the seat. I’m 5’6″ and my husband is 6′ and neither of us is overweight but we both found the chairs tipped slightly forward and you really couldn’t get comfortable. Really the only flaw in a great experience.
We had a wonderful server, perky, attentive and helpful. The food was good, northern Italian. I was surprised that there was very little fish on the menu but was thrilled there was veal. Hard to find in these politically correct days. I had the Veal Marsala and it was great. My husband had the Veal Braciole which was also very good. We shared the pumpkin cheese cake for dessert and it was en entire small cheesecake. We ate the leftovers over the next two days!

This review is for the service, as we never did eat dinner here.
For my birthday I received a GC to Rosebud restaurants, so my husband and I decided to use them for a nice night out. I received the GCs early January, so it was a recent purchase. We live in Palatine, so the nearest location would be the Schaumburg location. That’s based on seeing it on Meacham all the time, as well as the list of locations included with the GC.
We didn’t make a reservation, but rather decided to walk in, sit at the bar and watch the football games. I walked in, and none of the three people behind the host stand greeted or acknowledged me, so I led myself to the bar area and found a hi-​top. My husband and I ordered drinks, and when our waitress came back, we made casual mention of us having the GCs (as in «we’re here because we received a GC»). She then told us that they could not accept the Rosebud GC as they were in the process of transitioning owners (this is soon to be a Chicago Prime Steakhouse). But… the sign outside says «Rosebud»; the menu says «Rosebud». So to us, they are still Rosebud.
We asked to speak to the manager, and he wasn’t any help. He said that they called everyone who had a reservation to let them know, and all people walking in were told of this as well. Seeing as how no one acknowledged me when I walked in, I find the «we let everyone know when they walk in» hard to believe. He said they couldn’t take the GC because their system «couldn’t accept it», and they wouldn’t know how much is on the card. My husband asked if they could call another location and have them run the GC # to verify the amount. Manager said «no». Basically we were SOL, and he didn’t care. We decided to cancel our order and go down the street to White Chocolate Grill.
Our waitress there was awesome! We told her what brought us to WCG, and she took care of us for the evening. Seriously, if the «manager» at «Rosebud» had done the same, offered us an appetizer or dessert on the house to make up for the inconvenience (we have the $, but wanted to use the GC!), then we would have considered staying. But his job must be on the line because he just didn’t care.

We went here for my boyfriends birthday dinner with my parents. From the service to the food… everything was amazing.
The waitress came over with a big bowl of hot bread with a side of parmesan and olive oil… yummy!
We started with the calamari appetizer, which was huge, golden brown and delicious.
It was like a pound of calmer, a huge portion that’s rarely seen at fancy restaurants.
I had the pasta with vodka sauce, while not the best I’ve ever had, it satisfied my vodka pasta craving and was enough to have leftovers for a couple days. I also had a side of meatballs, which were huge and I believe had hints of veal in it! They were very juicy and flavorful.
My boyfriend had the veal parmesan, which he devoured faster than the speed of light. My dad had the veal parmesan as well. Clearly, both of the men were satisfied and impressed with their delicious entrees. My mom ordered the chicken parmesan. The chicken was as big as the plate and cooked perfectly.
All of the dishes came with a side of pasta, cooked al dente, with a nice marinara sauce.
The waitress was memorable, friendly and didn’t seem bothered by my dad running her for extra lemons, cheese and bread. They also serve Lavazza coffee… in my opinion, the BEST coffee ever.
I’m shocked to see the poor reviews for this place, as I’ve been coming here for years with my parents… I guess you just have to know what to order and HOW to order it.
My boyfriend also commented on how strong his drink was. It was almost all vodka and not a lot of soda, a rarity in most restaurants!

Went here for a work lunch with a decent sized group (9 people).
Service was good, once it hit it’s stride. It seemed to take a while to get everything going with taking drink orders, delivering drinks, then taking food orders. However, once it got into taking our lunch orders and onward, things went smoothly for a large group.
Food:
Appetizers were fine, nothing spectacular. We ordered some fried calamari and bruschetta to share around the table. Calamari was very much the standard fare, it was fine enough. The bruschetta was similar — nothing special but tasted fine.
Entrees all around looked pretty good — I can only write for mine, the Ziti Genovese. It was a huge portion of baked ziti under a delightful blanket of melted cheese with a good amount of Italian sausage along for the ride. It was a chilly winter day, so the hearty dish was most welcome.
Overall — it was a perfectly fine work luncheon, with good food and service. Looking over the menu, pricing seemed to be on par with similar places (e.g. Maggiano’s) in the area. Nice lunch, just nothing super special that sets this Rosebud apart from other Italian restaurants around.

I dined at Rosebuds Old World Italian for Christmas dinner with my family. First, we had 7pm reservations, but were not seated until 25 minutes later. We ordered the mussels appetizer; calamari; lasagna; chicken marsala; crème brûlée; cappuccinos. First the mussels were not fresh, to the point were the fishy taste made them unbearable. The rest of the food was bland and overpriced. Finally, when we received our cappuccinos, we asked for sugar and were told that the restaurant did not have any sugar!!! What?
Bottom line, this location is a big let down and very different from the original Chicago Rosebuds. I will NOT dine here again.

It’s not worth it. Food is expensive and not that good. We went there for friends birthday. The service is not the greatest and the waitress has big attitude!

I cant even talk about the food which is good, because of the service that we received-​I don’t know why I continue to come back to this chain… So some girlfriends and I were having dinner and we had salad, meals and dessert and we were doing some catching up so perhaps the manager felt we were there long enough… because the manager had a party of 8 waiting for 20 minutes…
So he comes out of nowhere and he doesn’t open with with «hi I am the manager can I buy you drinks at the bar because we have a party of 8 waiting» he just comes up and says «can I buy you ladies drinks at the bar?» We have no idea who this weirdo guy is who just asked to buy us drinks at the bar? Then I think he realized the confusion on our faces then he explains who he is and that he needs our table-​when we say no to drinks he says can i give you a credit for an appetizer next time… really? what about how you are cutting our evening short… so basically he kicks us out.
Did I also mention our server was exceptionally slow and we waited longer for our food to come out, our dessert to come out and we waited an eternity for our bill… but we were kicked out of the restaurant rather quickly when we imposed on their time to seat another table when we were good paying customers? It’s not like we just had drinks at the table… so since none of us were really wanting to drink we ended our girls night early and went home… wow thanks Rosebud for being a social killer.
I made reservations and I had planned this girls evening so it wasn’t just a spur of the moment thing where we passed by this non customer service oriented ‘restaurant’
I have never been kicked out or asked to leave a restaurant in my entire life it was embarrassing, awkward and disappointing but evidently the manager felt he was in right…
.

My wife and I met friends here on Saturday for dinner. We had a reservation, but we had to wait a few minutes to be seated. Not a problem.
Once we were seated, our waiter quickly came over to take drink orders. Marco was friendly, helpful, and extremely patient with us.
We started off with a bottle of moscato for the ladies, a glass of red for my friend, and I had a Peroni. We also ordered fried calamari and meatballs for appetizers.
After the appetizers were delivered, we ordered our meals. Everyone went off menu which is always dangerous because you never know if your order will be right. Fortunately for us, Marco was on point. My wife had a bowtie pasta with chicken and vegetables in light oil sauce. She really enjoyed it. I had a Zuppa di Mare that was not on the menu with a spicy red sauce which I managed to get on my shirt. The dish was too big for anyone to possibly eat. I ate about half and boxed up the rest. My friend had a baked pasta dish with marinara sauce while the other also had a Zuppa di Mare with an olive oil sauce. He said the sauce wasn’t impressive, but enjoyed it nonetheless.
We had no room for dessert, but stuck around to talk for a while due to the comedy show at Laugh Out Loud wasn’t until 9:30. Marco was patient and kept our drinks refilled while we sat and talked.
The dinner and service were great, and easily worth the price. This is a great place to go for a special occasion.

Today was my Birthday and my son Nick surprised me with an
early dinner at Rosebud, which I had never been to before today.
And, I was really excited to be here because friends and family had
raved about it to me, and after having a meal there today I see why
they were so impressed with Rosebud.
This restaurant is lovely, maybe a bit dark for my aging eyes but lovely
nonetheless.
And Helen our server asked if we wanted to sit by the window, but we
chose to sit in a great booth instead.
We came in to Rosebud at a perfect time, it was right between late lunch/​
early dinner and there was hardly anyone there at the time we were there,
however, I heard that it gets really busy later in the evening.
Funny thing about me, I usually feel uncomfortable in fancier type restaurants,
and Rosebud definitely has a Classic Elegant Feel to it.
But, I felt quite comfortable there today, we had a reservation and were
seated right away, and, within moments great Italian Crusty Bread with olive
oil and parmesan was brought to our table.
Since we came in at an off time we were offered the option of the lunch
menu or the dinner menu, supposedly the dinner menu includes huge portions
of food and we both decided the lunch portions would be fine for both of us.
And, when the meals were served, it was the perfect portion size, didn’t
need more than that!
I had a great Chicken Parmigiana Dish and my son Nick had Fettucini
with Chicken, and both of our dishes were outstanding in taste and quality.
And as if this whole time at Rosebud wasn’t perfect enough it appears
my son Nick called ahead and Helen our tremendously great server brought
me out the perfect size Ghiradelli Chocolate Mousse Cake with whipped
cream and 1 candle.
So, to Rosebud, Thank You for making today so special for me.
Would’nt have wanted to be anywhere else.:)

World Class! Our server was on point the entire meal and the service was top notch. The portions was very large and could of easily been split between two people or left overs saved for another meal. Great authentic Italian dishes with excellent flavor. The atmosphere was pleasant and fit for a dinner date or a family. The location was easy to get to and locate right off a main road. We will definitely dine here again.

Not that bad of a Italian joint. I’d been wanting to go to this place for some time since one of my buddies was raving about this place. Finally one day on a whim my friend and I decided to hit this place up for lunch.
Whenever I go to a new place I always like to get a little more food than I usually would, just so I can get a nice variety and see how it is. I always find it hard to really judge a place by just one dish.
Being that we were on a lunch break I had to keep it fairly simple. The olive oil and bread was good. The bread was a little tougher than I like, but wasn’t bad.
I had the lobster bisque to start. It was OK. Not as good as the lobster bisque at Texas de Brazil, but good. It had a nice consistency, color, and texture. I would definitely get it again.
For my entrée I had the eggplant Parmesan. By the time I had this i had unfortunately filled up on my bread and starter, so I was starting to feel rather full. I pushed through the pain though and ate on. I’ve had this before at other places and was never really all that impressed, but this was definitely much better. The shell was cooked just right for me. The previous times I’ve gotten it it was either soggy or to crisp.

This place is a disaster.
I made reservations two weeks ago for a private dining room for a very special Holiday Dinner! Party of 12! I called to reconfirm two days prior and was told everything was ok. I agreed to the private room minimum. On the day of my reservation I arrived 30 minutes early and when i checked in I was told that they gave away my private room reservation. The Hostess and Manager basically told me it was my problem and i no longer had my room reservation. No solution and my party showed up with no table available. I WILL NEVER GO TO A ROSEBUD EVER! They caused great embarrassment and inconvenience to those I care about most. After a lot of phone calls we ended up finding a cheap steak a few blocks away.
The reservation mess up is one thing. The i don’t care attitude in a service business is inexcusable! Stay away from this place…

I’ve seen this in a few reviews and I have to agree. I don’t get all the horrible reviews. I would definitely come back to the Rosebud. My experience is probably a 3.5, but I’m bumping it up to 4-​starts b/​c they treated us right.
What surprises me the most is that Schaumburg really only has two Italian restaurants: Rosebud and Maggianos.
Here’s the review:
I made a reservation on Open Table for 8pm, Saturday night. We were seated immediately (+).
The server was very friendly and attentive. The house was full and I thought the service was very good.
We sat is the larger room. Fortunately, they sat us next to the wall. I would have cringed if we got a middle table.
It was us and another couple. We all shared a small portion of our food. Here is what we ordered:
— Mussels in the spicy tomatoe sauce: A (The sauce was delicious.)
— Caprese salad: C (Can’t fault them too much. Tomatoes are out of season.)
— Pasta with a vodka crème sauce: A– (The noodles were amazing. The right texture. I’m certain they’re hand made. The sauce was good.)
— White Fish: A (I’m not a big white fish fan, but this was excellent. Very fresh and cooked to perfection).
— Seared Tuna: D (They missed the mark on this one. From the the outside it looked over cooked, but it was rare in the middle. Not sure why it did not turn out right. It was very dry and bland. Maybe b/​c it’s yellow fin. Regardless, I’ve had better tasting tuna at Portillos.)
— Wine: A — We ordered a $ 40 Cab and it was very good.
Overall, the Rosebud is definitely worth trying.

I arrived at Rosebud with high expectations. Unfortunately, I left with a very average dining experience. Our waiter was attentive and prompt, and I rate him highly. It was the food I found just average.
Upon walking into the restaurant, I first noticed the high noise level. I dined early on a Saturday evening, around 5:30 p.m. Undoubtedly the volume increases as the evening progresses. Diners are seated in one room with a high ceiling, allowing noise to really bounce around.
Now to the food. We were promptly served hot, crusty bread. I could tell it had just been prepared, so that was excellent. We then ordered a Margherita pizza as an appetizer. The crust was doughy and fresh. The basil was also fresh and flavorful. My criticism regards the sauce. It was an orange color and really lacked taste. It was very mild and did not have the sharp, pasty tomato taste I crave. The same sauce seemed to be used on my entrée, the eggplant parmesan.
For me to rate an eggplant parmesan highly, it must measure up to Harry Caray’s. At Harry Caray’s, the eggplant parmesan is served in meaty, solid disks with a rich tomato-​based sauce. It looks appealing on the plate and tastes magnificent. I cannot make the same remarks about the eggplant parmesan at Rosebud. It resembled a log with melted cheese covering it. The actual eggplant had a grayish tone and lacked the meaty taste I crave. The portion was large but the entrée was quite bland.
Another diner at my table raved about his dish. So, perhaps, it all depends on what you order. In my opinion, there are better Italian restaurants out there.

My boyfriend wanted to try a new Italian place, so he looked up Rosebud. At first we were skeptical because of the mixed reviews we read.
We got there and was told it was a 30 min wait, so we headed over to the bar to wait. It apparently was amateur night there (the senior bartender told us), so it took a while for us to grab one of the two bartenders attention; just to get a drink menu. Once the crowd at the bar alleviated we were able to get better service. The senior bartender took care of us and he was excellent! My drink was delicious, I ordered the Orange Dreamsicle.
On to our dining experience. The waitress was great, very helpful with helping us pick something out since it was out first time there. She gave me the best recommendation: Chicken Milanese! Best italian dish, and fairly light compared to all the pastas and pizza on the menu. The Chicken Milanese came with two amazing soft, tender breaded chicken breasts, topped with seasoned arugula, salad and pasta! I would highly recommend that dish! My boyfriend even loved it. My boyfriend ordered pasta: Rigatoni all a Vodka, which was also phenomenal.
Defiantly coming back again!
BTW:The bread and olive oil/​parmesan combination was AMAZING!

To me, the test of a really hard working business is to gauge their response to a mistake. When my family and I sat down at Robsebud over the weekend, we were without a server for at least 15 – 20 minutes. This infuriated me, especially when I kept looking around for assistance, practically gnawing on my arm I was so hungry. So I got up, dropped by the host stand and mentioned that we still hadn’t seen a server and we would really like to order. The host and Jamie, whom I presume is a manager of sorts, immediately apologized for the oversight, walked me back to my table and assigned us a server in nanoseconds.
And that’s not all. Beyond the profuse apologies for the wait, he offered us a free before dinner cocktail and a free appetizer. He certainly didn’t have to do that, but it was very sweet. We kindly accepted and went along our merry way, drinking and eating throughout the evening. It’s very much worth mentioning that our server, Courtney, was absolutely fantastic. She was friendly, helpful, and efficient!
Here’s what I snacked on in the cozy private dining room, as the main dining room was super busy and crowded on a Sunday night:
Caprese: ⁴⁄₅: A more than generous serving of thick cut mozzarella and slivers of basil atop thick slices of tomato. This can easily be shared! It was fresh and flavorful… a perfect start to the meal.
Oriecchette pasta: ⁴⁄₅: The orecchiette pasta was akin to a soup… in the most delicious sort of way. Imagine a giant serving of ear/​shell shaped pasta, dunked in an olive oil, garlic laden sauce with bits of broccollini. It was enough for three lunches! This pasta typically comes with sausage, but I asked for chicken instead. It was beyond tasty and I was the token Buffy the Vampire Slayer as I was pumped full of garlic for the evening.
Profiteroles: 3.5÷5: Again, a giant serving! Three mammoth profiteroles — a cream puff like pastry filled with ice cream with a side of chocolate sauce. The pastry was fresh but I hoped the chocolate sauce was thicker. It couldn’t stand up to the bold lemony ice cream that was crammed betwixt the pastry. Our table still managed to finish it all, though!
Overall, I had a great experience at Rosebud. For a restaurant and service to rally after a very rough start says so much about their commitment to customer service. I’ll be back, Rosebud!

Not recommended at all.
We came here and were sorely disappointed. Terrible service, blah food, and expensive prices to boot. That’s not a winning combination.

I almost wish we didn’t come here for dinner tonight. I was disappointed with everything. Came here for mom’s birthday.
Atmosphere was insanely LOUD. It was almost obnoxious. We couldn’t hear the people at our table talking. We were seated next to the kitchen so we were blinded by the light every single time that door opened.
Food was alright. We’ve had better at almost any place you want to name. Two of the people in our party ordered the strip steak… it was blah. Steak was cheap, chewy and just not right. Nothing tasted right. AND it was well overpriced. I had the spaghetti and meatballs (it was OK but nothing to write home about).
Service was quick. Saw our server twice.
Nothing good to say about Rosebud. We’ve been here in the past but I think this would be our last time for a long time.

Despite the negative reviews, my family and I had quite a pleasant experience. Our server was very friendly, but Char, who wasn’t our server, was absolutely great. She was so friendly and my daughter loved talking to her.
The food was good and the wait was not long at all. They quickly brought out some bread with olive oil and parmesan cheese. I had the Penne Bolognese, my husband had the Baked Ziti and my daughter had the Grilled Cheese & Fries.
The portions were huge & filling. All of our dishes tasted great. Char even made a juice blend for my daughter and refilled her cup to take along with her.
When it was time to get our bill, Char took my daughter to the register (which was pretty close to us) and showed her how to generate a bill.
We had great service and great food.

No offense to those who like it, but I’ve come to the conclusion that people who eat here don’t know better or aren’t picky about authentic Italian dining, which is okay.
Rosebud’s abomination of caprese salad includes onion and bacon and vinaigrette, wtf? Pasta in clam sauce includes half of the 1 lb. Morton salt container. At that pace forget dessert.