Mario's Mondo Cafe: User Reviews

Mario (the cute Paisan), Sarah, Laura and Mario Jr (the amazing chef) are so hospitable! We came on a Wednesday and were FLOORED by the family atmosphere, delicious food and live music (Nicholas Barron & friends). This place is great for a romantic dinner too. A rare find!!!

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I have driven an hour out of my way to get their pizza! We moved. I wish they would open on the southside!!!

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I'm lucky to live in a Glenview neighborhood where Mario's Mondo Cafe opened almost five years ago. Consistent, inventive, delightful food experiences in a charming place. The owners work to make everyone feel at home, from tables for two to larger parties. I've tried almost everything on the menu, and Mario gets it right each time. Don't miss this great BYOB place for pizza, salads and special-recipe fish dishes. Yummo!

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Mario's is my favorite restaurants in any of the Burbs. Starting with the food, if you want real Southern Italian dishes, this is the place to be. From Linguine & Mussels to Baked Manicotti to Veal Picante to Chicken Vesuvio, you can be sure your meal will be done right!

The staff is friendly, inviting and accommodating to all situations. The family style catering options are like none other and are also very affordable. I had a lunch provided for my office of about 25 and they could not say enough. This was a year and a half ago and they still ask when the next time I will be bringing food from Mario’s!

Depending on the evening, whoever you choose to join you may have the opportunity to enjoy musicians that are living legends. If it is important to introduce your family, friends and loved ones to the music culture that is the foundation for the great artists we enjoy today, I suggest you check to see who will be performing at The Mondo Café.

The ambiance is perfect for date night or the family outing. The prices are affordable even in these tough economic times, and did I mention the food? It may be a little tough to find at first, but it is well worth looking. Bring your bottle of wine and Bon Appetite!

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Great food! There are lots of mediocre Italian restaurants around and this one was far from it! The mussels in a red sauce were awesome (we even got our very picky 2 yr old to eat them!) Specials were great - my husband loved the linguine with clam sauce (2nd best to Topo Gigio). Service was accommodating and attentive. Loved the BYOB aspect - we will for sure be back!

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As a loyal customer of Mario's Mando Cafe, I've had the pleasure of experiencing great fresh appetizers, entree with choice of having fresh homemade soup of the day or salad, and deserts since it opened. Myself as many of you find it hard to splurge on anything in these tough times, but I know and look forward to dinning here without being disappointed. I have tasted everything on their menu and I love it all, I especially like the fact that it's BYOB, you can have the drink of your choice to go along with your great meal . The ambiance is wonderful I look forward to the live entertainment that you hardly ever see at restaurant anymore, this place is great for all ages and events to experience and enjoy! I always have a hard time ordering because I wish I could have every dish on the menu so we over order to have food to take home for the next day.

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Food soooo tasty I keep going back for more, brought a friend (who hadn't tried it yet) last weekend and she loved it to!
We had grilled calamari steak, pasta arrabiata(i think that's how its spelled) which i ordered extra (spicy)hot and they were happy to ablige, and veal limon, so thin, so flavorful.....and last but not least a chocolate dipped canoli and a tiramasu,paired with a cappuccino(best anywhere, made right!)
Service was sweet and friendly as always :) thanks guys!
There was a man playing piano and he was playing requests, how fun!
Love the atmosphere, relaxed and casual, not stuffy.

Worth every penny!!

By the way, i've had the lobster there and it was awsome! (Rubbery lobster?? at Mario's...No way!!) ....and clunky glasses? I agree with the other guy, they just don't "get it"
other dishes there I would recommend
-mussels
-veal marsala
-chicken supreme
-linguinie w clam -red sauce
-bowtie pasta w vodka sauce and shrimp

Mangia!

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Being in the food industry and a world traveler, I have to share my delight in finding this word of mouth (they only advertise in the local Journal), hidden treasure! This place is very personal folks...you're in Chef Mario's Mondo = World so surrender to this unique mix of slow cooked w/freshest ingredients, old (oral family history) and new world recipes from pastas to seafood, tender veal and chicken dishes in a charming (not fancy or stuffy) atmosphere, eclectic mix of folks, music and art (for sale) in the most unlikely location in a suburban strip mall...luckily just 25 min N. of the city w/free parking and BYOB (no corking fee on Tues nites)! Live piano music every weekend with patrons often joining in & sharing their musical talents and dancing is encouraged! Dave Green, The Chicago Piano Man" was playing there on a Thurs night we were there; one Tues night, they had Latin Dance instructors, so this place can surprise you! OMG, they even do their best customize your order, so what's not to like? Regulars don't even look at the menu. Did I mention the home made tiramisu & cannolis...save room for these! Weekends are busy but worth the wait in this fun, welcoming atmosphere for all ages (bambino's menu & activities) but don't over look the weekdays (lunches, too) for a less bustling crowd and table side chats with Chef Mario and Papa Mario's stories! This place has hard to find heart & soul cuisine, atmosphere and service (so if glassware is important to you, you may want to go elsewhere :) Relax and enjoy all the down home charms of Chef Mario's World!

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I'd read great reviews and had high expectations, but after a meal there I was unpleasantly surprised. This place is, well, sort of weird and definitely overpriced for what we got. The highlights were that it is BYOB ($7 fee, which seems high for a BYOB only spot) and that it felt warm & friendly, and if you have kids it may be a decent choice for you. The room felt like a big casual eat-in kitchen, which I guess is ok, but it didn't seem right for some of the pricier menu options. Maybe I should have taken that as a sign, but we were celebrating and had brought a couple of nice bottles of wine so I ordered accordingly. The bread wasn't bad, but the only really good thing I tasted was the wine we'd brought. Sadly, like another review mentioned, the stemware is really unpleasant- chunky with an awkward shape and bulbous lip. It made me wish we'd brought cheaper wines. I rarely splurge on lobster and was terribly disappointed that what I got was rubbery & rather flavorless due to overcooking. I hate to say it, but I would have been better off going to lobsterfest at a chain restaurant. Dessert was fine, but not memorable. I guess this might be an OK spot for lunch if you live or work in the area, but I can't justify going back for dinner when there are so many good Italian places in Chicagoland to choose from.

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Probably the only place I've ever been, that I would be willing to try a new dish whenever I go.....The food is that good.

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