1500 W. Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607
*Disclaimer: We were not paid for this review. All opinions are our own and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Update: This restaurant closed for public dining in 2024 after 50 years of service. I am so upset as the Taylor Street location is so iconic. You can now rent out the space for private events only. Fortunately, there are numerous locations in the Chicago suburbs including one in downtown Naperville. Mike & I were in Chicago visiting my family for the week. One night, Mike, my father, and I all decided we were in the mood for great Chicago Italian food. We wanted to visit a nice, authentic city restaurant for the last night of our trip. We decided The Rosebud would be the perfect option. Each of us has dined here on several occasions, and we have always been pleased with the excellent food, service, & ambiance. This is my favorite fine dining Italian restaurant in Chicago. I really love dining at the classic old-school restaurant downtown on Taylor Street.
Rosebud offers a fairly large menu of Italian specialties. A few menu highlights include: Eggplant and Chicken Parmesan, Square noodles in homemade marinara sauce, Baked Cavatelli, and Tortellini Carbonara. They also carry Creekstone USDA steaks, a premier Midwestern based company which does not add any extra hormones or antibiotics and practices humane animal treatment.
The food on this visit was excellent, just as I have always remembered it in the past. On this occasion, I ordered Fettuccini Alfredo. The Rosebud does not offer a wide variety of vegetarian dishes, however, the few items I have tried, including last night's Alfredo, have always tasted perfect.
Mike loved his Ravioli with Alfredo sauce. We both agreed that the creamy Alfredo sauce was the best yet. My father ordered the signature lasagna dish; the only entrée he ever orders! He was impressed as usual, both with the taste and size of his meal. Mike and I were jealous that they do not offer a vegetarian version of this dish! It looks amazing! On a side note, they offer several gluten-free selections which are conveniently marked on the menu. You can substitute gluten-free noodles and they also offer a few apps, salads, and entrees.
The hot bread served with olive oil for dipping was a great pre-meal treat; in fact, it may have filled us up just a bit too much! The dessert menu looks tempting but I have never ordered from it. They offer: Tiramisu, Godiva Mousse Cake, Carrot Cake, Cannoli, and Italian Ricotta cheesecake which all sound amazing.
Service was outstanding - extremely professional in every aspect. On a side note, we have never encountered any bad service on any visit to any Rosebud location! Waiters are extremely attentive and professional.
The Rosebud dining room pleases with a classy, old-style vibe which is part of its' appeal. Inside, I feel as if I am in a different time period. Pictures of Frank Sinatra and other famous faces in the entertainment industry grace the walls. Did you know that The Rosebud was Frank Sinatra's favorite Chicago restaurant? He used to dine here all the time! Dim lights, elegant table decor, and Frank Sinatra background music add to The Rosebud charm. All these extra details put this Italian restaurants in a league above the rest. The Rosebud is a fine choice for a date, birthday celebration, or any other significant event.
I will always return to The Rosebud on each return visit to Chicago. Whenever I am in the mood for authentic Italian, I know that I can count on The Rosebud for a high quality Italian meal. Next time, I would love to try their iconic Square Noodles.
