Francesca’s

We booked reservations for a party of 6 for Mother’s Day brunch. As the brunch menu was not online, we called to find out what was included. The person who answered sounded like she was reading from a list, which included an omelette station and carving station with prime rib, ham etc. When we entered the buffet room, we were underwhelmed with the lack of items. There was not an omelette station or ham on the carving station. They were also out of scrambled eggs, bacon and meatballs on several occasions. Mimosas were also an extra $ 5. Not what I expected for $ 42 per person. On the plus side, service was very good and the food they had was good when they actually had it available. This buffet/​brunch was not the
, more like a dud.

I am out for the 1^st time in years locally. I have traveled to many spots and had wonderful fare… I was very happy with the service (Brian) and the food was fab. Totally recommend. A must go!

I need to preface this review by saying that the group of 5 of us who I visited this Francesca’s with, including myself, have all waitressed and/​or bartended in restaurants previously. So we’re usually a server’s dream table. Always very patient and happy to let things slide that some customers might get upset about. But because of our experience, we’re also somewhat quick to judge a server who’s rude for no reason. That’s what we received the night we went.
Last Friday we went for a friend’s birthday, having all eaten and different Francesca’s before we knew the food would be excellent. It started with me, I suppose, I was the first person to arrive at the table. I’m currently on a diet that is restrictive, and did my due-​diligence to look up the menu before I came, but knew I wanted to let the waitress know in advance that I might have questions on a few items, but also clarify that this was *not* a food allergy, and merely just a dietary thing, so that there was no big worry when it came to my order. When the waitress first came to the table and I took the opportunity to tell her, all I got was a stare back and an, «…OK.» To which I could only reply, «Um… OK…» Suffice to say I didn’t bother to ask her any questions later and just did my best to order what I could eat, nor did she ever bring it up again.
That pretty much set the tone for the meal. I didn’t even mention it to my friends when they got there, but the service was rude throughout. Asked for some time to look over drink menus, and after 10 minutes of her walking past our table we got her attention and asked if we could order, and once again were just started at. Same with when we did the all-​too-​familiar «Who’s ready to order first.» «No you go first!» «Okay I know and we’ll go clockwise.» Everybody does it — but rather than a «Hey I can come back, it’s no problem» or «Does anyone have questions or should I give you a few more minutes?» we just got stared at, with an annoyed look.
We all commented to each other at the end that the service was a little «off». We did get a thank you after she picked up the signed bill (one of my personal pet peeves of a waiter who’s rude throughout and then suddenly saying thank you, but whatever). Anyway, I don’t know if this waitress was just having a rough day, and it didn’t necessarily ruin our night because as always, the food was excellent. But I can safely say while I’ll happily frequent a Francesca’s again, I will personally avoid this one, and hope that the waitress was just having an off night for the sake of other diners.

My husband and I have visited Francesca’s on occasional date nights for twenty years now. The food, service, and atmosphere haven’t changed. They are all exceptional. The warm homemade bread with olive oil and parmesan for dipping is one of my favorites, along with the brushetta alla romana, and anything covered in their tomato basil sauce! Even when they are busy, the servers are quick and professional. We tried the banana cream pie and torta lava for the first time tonight. Delicious! Perfect date night restaurant.

I’d like to preface this review by saying that my family has lived in St. Charles for 30+ years and we’ve been to Francesca’s quite a few times since its opening. I’ve always had a good time – I love their crusty warm bread, calamari, their pastas and chicken dishes.
However that all changed a few weeks ago. My boyfriend and I went to dinner on a busy weekend night. There were a lot of big parties, families, etc. Everything was going well until we found a large shard of glass in our banana bread pudding. It was half the size of my palm. Since the bread pudding is served with ice cream I originally thought that maybe it was just a chunk of ice, but we even cleaned the object and saw it was clearly the bottom of a broken glass. We were absolutely appalled. The waitress quickly took the plate away, the manager came out to apologize and said the whole meal was on them, and proceeded to blame corporate, who prepares their desserts.
I don’t know who’s to blame. We got out of their quickly and unfortunately won’t be going back. I can only hope that nothing like this happens again in the future, particularly with it being such a family restaurant.

I have been to two of the Francesca’s franchises around Chicagoland (the other being in West Dundee), and this place is truly a treasure. I have never been disappointed by a meal or by the service I receive here, and I am continually impressed at the relative affordability of Francesca’s. It’s remarkable that for roughly the same price as you might pay at Olive Garden (gags uncontrollably for several minutes), you can get Italian food of considerably higher caliber.
I made my first trip here about 12 years ago, and have been making regular visits a point ever since.

Was pleased to find that Francesca’s was open on Christmas Day and they even offered their full menu. Good thing I made a reservation because the place was at capacity.
The service was prompt and all employees were nice. We were given complimentary fresh, hot bread with olive oil for dipping to begin. After going here I went to the Arlington Heights location where we were given cheese as well but I am ok with not receiving it as adding cheese to your olive oil for dipping is not customary in Italy.
I opted for a cup of lobster bisque from the specials menu to start which was the best part of my meal. They don’t skimp on the chunks of lobster as some restaurants do.
I ordered the Gnocchi A’emelliana because the description made it sound VERY similar to bolognese sauce which is my favorite. The pasta was average and the sauce was good but a little too salty. I have had both better and worse bolognese. The portion was a little small for my liking.
My mother ordered the NY strip off the specials menu, which she said was cooked perfectly! It came with steamed broccoli and red potatoes. She got a hearty portion of each part of her meal.

My son and I came here for a Christmas dinner, one of the few restaurants that are open on Christmas day and first off was amazed at how crowded the place was. I made a reservation for 4:30 and very glad I did.
Given that it was Christmas and so crowded I was impressed with how they were able to maintain their normal Francesca’s standards. I’ve been to a couple of others and always have a nice dining experience. This one was no different. The service was a little slow but the server had a lot of tables so it was understandable. We started with the calamari… nice and light! We both loved it. I had the spinach ravioli which was awesome, a little on the rich side but heck it’s Christmas I’m going to indulge. They serve warm bread which is very nice.
They have both a decent wine list and craft beer selection as well, nothing to shout about but some ok choices. I really enjoy the local beer scene that we have going on in the Chicago area, but when eating Italian I go for a glass of red. The valpolicella was vey nice. The prices are reasonable for this area and type of restaurant.
I’m not in St Charles very often but if I find myself in town I’ll definitely go back.

It’s definitely our favorite in St Charles! We love the hustle and the ambiance of this restaurant!
Service… Always on spot.
Drinks… Yum
Food… Fresh, flavorful and truly can say have never had a bad meal here!!! Fish is one of our favorites and my husband craves their half roasted chicken …
Make reservations and come see what we love, over and over!

I came here for a date night with my boyfriend the day after Thanksgiving. We made reservations but the place was empty so we didn’t really need them. I had the ravioli and he had chicken. I thought it was good but it didn’t really blow me away. Service was good. We had a gift card so that helped of set the price of the meal. I did enjoy the dessert but unless we had a gift card I probably wouldn’t go back.

Food was fresh tasting and the service excellent. The pasta was a tad too al dante. The banquet room we sat in needs to be brightened up a bit.
Oh yes, good bread! Dishes were served with fresh basil and rosemary.
No shortcuts taken here.

Overall, I liked it.
IBB

I give this Italian restaurant afor the food and for the checks at the end of your dinner. I love their Margherita pizza and roasted chicken. The deserts are very delicious too. I been to all the other Francesca’s too. Elmhust will make our pasta al dente. The on in Naperville will make my requests a snap I like my pizza with extra basil and fresh garlic delicioso

Tried Mia Francesca’s in the city and hated it. I went out for my cousin’s birthday and he wanted to go here. Since it wasn’t my choice, I went. The food tasted nice and the drinks were good and the prices weren’t bad. But the next day 4 out of the 6 of us woke up with different scales of food poisoning. So no matter what was good that night, my opinion drastically changed when I spent my Easter sick. Thanks a lot Francesca’s.

I have been coming to Francesca’s plenty of times over the years to know the routine. It’s time for me to say «Ciao».
I stopped ordering pasta and entrees long ago because everything tastes the same. I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s just the same shit over & over again in a different combination. Some plates cost $ 14.00 and others cost $ 41.00…flip a coin & feel lucky!
And that’s not the real issue. First of all, the seating is uncomfortable because your packed in like Sardines. Secondly, the service here sucks & not because there’re slackers! To the contrary, they swarm like «Killer Bees» looking to cash in on a 4-​course meal tab. I’m talking relentless, aggravating & obnoxious!
If you fail to order a 3 to 4 full course dining experience, the servers just hate you!
«I used to like coming here for cocktails, & seafood appetizers».

Socal checking in. I hear they also have a location in San Diego.
Anyway, this place is one of the best Italian joints we’ve ever tried.
I don’t remember all of the names of the dishes we ordered because they’re all in Italian, but we shared everything so I can attest to the taste. I also took a pic of everything to line up what I’m describing.
For apps we got the calamari fritti and prosciutto. The prosciutto was good, but over dressed by the sauce. It masked the flavor of the prosciutto, but overall it was delicious.
The calamari was perfectly fried and the marinara not overwhelmingly tomatoey.
The burger we had was great. People underestimate a quality burger and this place definitely did not disappoint. On par with Kuma’s for you Chicagoans.
The tilapia was also absolutely perfect. The mushrooms were not overdone and the sauce paired with it in the best of ways. It was probably my favorite dish.
The seafood spaghetti was average, but classically Italian. Simple but full of flavor. I wish there was mushrooms in the dish to add a bit of meaty-​ness, but I digress.
The chicken limonette (?) was super tender and again, had a sauce that matched with it in the most mouth watering of ways.
The best part was the affordability. Food like this in Orange County starts in the high teens up to the high $ 30s. I don’t think K there was anything on the menu over $ 20
If you happen to be in this part of the country, this place is definitely worth a try.

The food at Francesca’s is good Italian, but it’s typical. There’s nothing out of the ordinary or special, but some of it is very good.
It’s very noisy, there are too many tables packed together in a small space, and we felt rushed through our meal.
I give this place 4 stars for food but only 2 stars for service and atmosphere.

I’ve been to this location a couple of times, but I think it had been two years since my last visit. But I received a $ 10 lunch gift card in the mail, so I figured I’d take advantage of it. I was seated promptly and took a booth. the bread came it out warm and crusty, just like it should. Dipped in herb-​infused olive oil, it was a delight.
I got the Italian salad, which was fancy mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, salami, capicola, mortadella, and provolone with a balsamic vinaigrette on a round wooden board. The presentation was really impressive. I prefer red wine vinegar over balsamic, but it was still a fine salad. I also got a side of sautéed shrimp, which was four good-​sized shrimp with chopped tomatoes sitting in a lot of butter and oil. The shrimp were cooked very well, though I don’t think the tomatoes were necessary.
I also had a small carrot and walnut bundt cake with candies carrots and cream cheese frosting. For $ 8, it was a great dessert and not overly heavy.
Plus, I have to give the server credit. There must have been ten tables being sat between 11:30 and 12 on a Wednesday and she was pretty much on her own, except for the runner who barely speaks English. She handled everything really well. Now I have the $ 20 card for dinner that I have to use within 12 days…

I have a love hate relationship with Francesca’s. The food is amazing, but the service and atmosphere have ruined the experience every time we’ve been here.
During our last visit, we made reservations. Upon arriving to the hostess desk, atleast four different staff members (two who appeared to be in management positions) periodically approached the stand, however would not look up or even acknowledge us. After 15 minutes, my mother finally grabbed someone from the floor and they came over and allowed us to check in for our reservation. 45 minutes later, we were seated. Why accept reservations if you aren’t going to hold them?
We were seated at a table with a 6″ space (no exaggeration) between the table next to us, which another four person party sat at. I was sitting directly beside a stranger without room to even place my purse or jacket on the seat between us. The lack of space not only felt invasive, but the volume of their conversation and the rest of the restaurant’s was exhausting.
The only saving grave for Francesca’s is the food. Overall every visit has been less than enjoyable. There is no privacy, inadequate space, and horrible service here. I do not recommend this location to anyone, as it has disappointed every time. If you’re looking for great quality Italian in a nice, relaxing environment where you are respected by the staff, then I recommend Za Za’s. or anywhere else in St. Charles for that matter. You may be better off saving your money going to Olive Garden.

Came here with my wife to celebrate our Anniversay. It was much more than I expected! I felt like I was at a 5 star restaurant in downtown Chicago. The tables were formally set and the wait staff dressed very professionally and friendly. Our wine was brought to the table quickly with a basket of warm fresh bread. Both of our entrees were delicious! Tiramisu and coffee was a perfect way to end a perfect meal!

I’m not familiar with the saint charles area, but at first I wasn’t sure what to expect with this being a little bit to the side and the outside well, not looking to impressive.
However, the food was amazing! Had some short rib butternut gnocchi. Amazingly taste and large portions.