La Scarola
Chicago
Reviews
WOW... This place was just wow.. Old school service with food that feels stright out of the 50s/60s... 💯% Italian American flavor with a touch of Goodfellas. Members of my family both had pasta dishes, both amazing.. Myself, I had the meat lasagna, personally I wouldn't order it again. I'm definitely going back.. Oh the Cannoli ehh...
A True Old-School Italian Gem! We had a fabulous meal at La Scarola on West Grand this evening, and it fully lived up to its reputation as a classic Chicago Italian restaurant. Celebrating nearly 30 years, this place has that perfect energetic, lively atmosphere with wonderful old-school vibes — exactly what you hope for in a neighborhood Italian spot. We started with the grilled octopus, which was tender and delicious. For our entrees, the chilean sea bass was outstanding, and the Penne alla Vodka (with shrimp, mushrooms, asparagus, and arugula in a creamy vodka sauce) was rich and perfectly executed. We finished with vanilla sorbet, a refreshing end to a fantastic meal. The service was great — they are attentive and friendly without being overbearing — and the entire environment felt warm, bustling, and full of life. The food was genuinely delicious from start to finish. In a city full of Italian options, La Scarola stands out as the real deal. Highly recommend making a reservation (they only take them by phone) and treating yourself to a memorable dinner here. We’ll definitely be back!
All of the food was amazing, as well as the drinks and the service. Hard to pick our favorites but we really liked the gnocchi, the veal chop was great, and the rigatoni with vodka sauce was delicious. Also the octopus was unreal. Overall, everything was a big hit and will definitely be back. Would definitely recommend!
The food was really good! The portions are huge so definitely need to share it! The inside is kind of small and very busy. I can see why this place is so popular! You’ll need to call to make a resy. I do not recommend walking in.
I highly recommend calling to get a reservation since it can get very busy and would require a long wait. We had the best Italian food I have ever had! We had the bruschetta that was well seasoned, light and crisp, pasta Mandera (which I didn’t get a picture of) but was beyond tasty and perfectly cooked! The creamy vodka sauce tastes delicious and this dish has a hit of garlic that sits well! I got the Panne Alla vodka which had a perfect ratio of shrimp, mushroom and asparagus. Although it initially seemed heavy the asparagus was a great pallet cleanser. There was a special that we had tried that was a variation of a carbonara that was are least favorite out of the three just due to the intense garlic taste and a sauce that was a little to thin. All of it tasted delicious over all and we will definitely be back! It was great to see the meals others ordered! They had big helpings that were great as left overs the next day! This can be pricy but I would say worth it. If you like a white wine their New Zealand Sauvignon blanc was lite and fruity that completed well.
