Francesca’s Amici opened in July 1999 and is the 6th restaurant in "The Family of Francesca Restaurants", bringing downtown Elmhurst a restaurant with a contemporary, casually sophisticated trattoria ambiance, good, rustic cooking, friendly service and fair prices. The menu features the zesty earthy cuisine of Rome and the surrounding areas of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. Located in the heart of downtown Elmhurst, the restaurant is centrally located to Downtown Chicago and the Western Suburbs. The design features a rolled-mesh ceiling, warm woods, colorful slate and geometric light fixtures. Striking black and white photographs of rural Italian life by Paul Elledge line the walls to create a comfortable, decidedly urban setting.
"This restaurant is fine for families. The food is consistent although it doesn't seem to be the same as the one on Taylor Street. Our dinner was good but our server was kind of flighty. She left us sitting for a really long time after we ordered drinks. Then she didn't bother to check on us again after the food arrived. It wasn't busy enough for us to have been forgotten. I would visit again and order the salad which were lovely. The Gnocchi was really good too."
Dined on 6/13/2013
2012
Special Features: notable wine list, kid-friendly
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"There were 4 in our party. We all had a different entree which was delicious. From pork loin, gnocchi, baked chicken and tilapia dishes were all prepared to perfection."
Dined on 6/07/2013
Special Features: good for groups, romantic, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, great for lunch, special occasion, kid-friendly
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"Halibut was in season and recommended by our waiter - it was bland and covered in arugula....no flavor really. The other dishes ordered were the Italian sausage pasta. Not really a "wow" factor...lots of pasta and not so much meat. It was noisy which is okay but there is nothing to absorb the sound. Won't be going back."
Dined on 6/07/2013
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"It's tough to find truly good food in the burbs, but Francesca's brings the city to us suburbanites. For starters we had the bruschetta, which I thought was excellent, and a Francesca's salad which was HUGE but just okay otherwise. For dinner I had the halibut, which was phenomenal. It was slightly crispy outside and moist and tender inside. It was served with peppers and some kind of light, slightly sweet (balsamic?) glaze. I gave the food a four instead of five, though, because I'd like to see more creativity and variation in the menu. Seems about 90% the same every time we come in and most of the dishes are pretty simple. Also, the salad was just ok. That said, it's still one of the best in the burbs and will for sure be back soon."
Dined on 5/26/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Left the boys with a sitter and chose to try out this gem as it is in the neighborhood. It's a lot bigger than it looks on the outside, but well insulated so it is still quiet enough for a romantic evening. Saw a few families with kids and it looked like they were enjoying themselves. There was also a group in another area celebrating a wedding shower. Great place no matter the occasion and the food is wonderful!"
Dined on 5/25/2013
Special Features: romantic, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, special occasion, kid-friendly
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"Francesca's is our go to restaurant for great food and atmosphere. This was a lunch with my six year old and they have a nice little kids menu for a great price. We love Francesca's Amici!"
Dined on 5/23/2013
Special Features: neighborhood gem, hot spot, great for lunch, kid-friendly
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"In a nut shell, the service was horrible and food was ok. To give you an example, we were sat at a table that was so wobbly that two drinks fell over into my lap. NO ONE CAME TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED as i was standing there soaking wet. In fact, even when I approached the server that was in the room at the time the drinks fell on me to ask for help he didn't even make eye contact because he was too busy setting the table. I asked to be moved to another table and they moved us to a table right in the door way. When I asked to be moved out of the door way I was told that the other tables have reservations. Needless to say, when we finally left, the table I asked to be moved to did not have anyone sitting at it. I will not be returning, ever."
Dined on 5/12/2013
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"as a positive when making the reservation the girl was very nice and accommodating .suggested we join Open table. With her welcoming attitude we were glad we chose this restaurant. But.... our reservation was less then 10 and we were sat at a long table , by the entrance/exit of the room. There was to much activity with this seating that made us all feel like we were in the way.
Food was ok. No flavor to the sauce. Wasn't asked if we wanted soup or salad which we knew would be extra,
We had to ask the server many times for more drinks, She talked to much to us instead of getting us served. We did not want to hear her life's story. Or asked about ours."
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: neighborhood gem
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Review 14 for Francesca's Amici
Overall rating
(Very Good)4/5
OpenTable Diner
Food
(Very Good)4/5
Service
(Outstanding)5/5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)5/5
Noise Level
Energetic
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"I really enjoyed Francesca Amici the last time we were there. I was disappointed this time. The service was super slow. The area in which we were seated was very loud, patrons talking over loud piped-in music in a small room with poor acoustics. The food was good so that helped from putting a damper on what was a special occasion."
Dined on 04/28/2013
2012
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"Very nice and friendly staff. Hard to comment on ambience because it was Easter Brunch so it was crowded and busy. Good brunch food at a reasonable price. The four if us agreed we would come back for lunch or dinner. Margaret"
Dined on 03/31/2013
2013
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"Service was perfect. We were allowed to have a liesurely meal while never being ignored. The wine by the glass list is somewhat small but our server was very knowledgeable about each selection."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2000
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"This Francesca's has better ambiance than the one in St. Charles but - fortunately - the menu is the same (love the food). The "Ravioli Madness" entrees we had were good, but we've had better dinners at Francesca's."
Dined on 03/16/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"Staff /food service is very good. Ordered the rigatoni and sausage entree was was just okay. Very skimpy amount of sausage with a mediocre sauce. The noise level was incredibly loud making conversation at our table difficult."
Dined on 03/16/2013
2011
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"My wife and I have been to F/A two times now. once for drinks after a movie and lately for dinner. Food was great and the service was great. The only complaint is that the ambience needs some work. Lighting/decor, noise reverb, table selections. We will probably try another Francesca's for our next outing."
Dined on 03/01/2013
2013
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"This is the first time that we had been to this particular Francesca's and it was every bit as good as the others. We arrived a bit later than our reservation due to traffic and told our server that we had to be out by a certain time - not a problem. Hubby had a caesar salad and the "rolly" that wasn't on the menu, but lo and behold!, he asked if they had any in the kitchen and they did. I had the proscuitto and mozzarella starter and tried the shrimp and pancetta ravioli on server's recommendation; it was fabulous."
Dined on 03/01/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, kid-friendly, notable wine list
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"This was my first visit to their Elmhurst location and the only reason I went is because I received a gift card. The hostess was very nice and she saw that I noted I was celebrating a birthday when I scheduled the reservation online. We went for lunch and didn't realize their lunch menu was so small. The server was not helpful, not personable and kept us waiting a lot. The food was not very flavorful. The pasta sauce tasted watered down and the fish I had was just ok. The best part was that the hostess arranged to have a birthday tiramisu sent to our table to celebrate the birthday and it was delicious.I have been to the St. Charles location for dinner in the past and it was a much better experience so I will go there from now on."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2010
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"I've dined here many times, and the food is always consistently excellent. I don't believe I have ever had a bad meal here. Service is accommodating and friendly, and the atmosphere is always enjoyable. I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant for everyday dining, as well as for a special occasion."
Dined on 02/22/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! Consistently good food and great service! We brought our 3month old with us and the hostess was so nice to give us a complimentary Francesca bib! They went above and beyond!"
Dined on 02/14/2013
2004
Special Features: good for groups, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, romantic
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"I thought the food was overpriced for what you got. I ordered a ravioli dish with spinach and only received six piece of pasta that were not that big for $16. Plus the sauce that came with it was very water down and lacked taste. My girlfriend ordered a pasta dish with shrimp and it had hardly any. The dish was very dry considering it was suppose to have a sauce on it. I have been to a lot of Italian restaurants including some mom and pop restaurants and Francesca's is at the bottom of my list. I don't understand why everybody raves about it."
Dined on 02/22/2013
2011
Special Features: notable wine list
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"Thank You so much with following threw with the email I send regarding the reservation for my husbands birthday. When I made the reservation I had mentioned we were going to be celebrating a birthday and not to mention it to the birthday boy. you guys didn't and brought out the dessert that I requested with a candle!!!! thank you sooo much. I had done the same at all restaurants and they always blew the surprise. not you guys. thank you and see you again! fyi your mussels are fab... we always come there for them
thank you again Jennifer Kruse"
Dined on 01/28/2013
2013
Special Features: special occasion
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"Our food was great but on Valentines Day evening the service left something to be desired. It seems as if they added more tables in the restaurant to accommodate more guests, which would be fine if the service remained at a high level."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2006
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