Taverna on Division Street

What started out as a very pleasant outdoor dining experience ended with getting lots of second hand cigarette smoke from a table immediatley outside the open doors of the restaurant tonight. At that 4 top there were three males smoking. It was the only table where partrons were being allowed to smoke, even after I first addressed the blatant violation of the Smoke Free Illinois Act to both my server and then the manager — who eventually used derogatory language and told me to leave. Meanwhile the smokers seemd to chuckle and enjoy the whole experience. Apparently the restaurant management feels it is (1 above the law which requires that any smoking area be at least 15 feet from the entrances and exits and (2 that the health concerns of a majority of the restaurant patrons are irrelevant. This was my seond visit and indeed my last to the Taverna. The restaurant can oly be as the example set by its management — and this is a very poor and totally unacceptable management.

What to do when your absolute favorite disappoints? This is a restaurant that I have sent over a dozen people to and one that I visited three times in last year even though I live in Dallas.
One response is to just let it go; anyone can have a bad night or make a mistake right? So I thought the waiter «hit the wrong button» resulting in three meals being served and mine becoming the second shift. Then I thought how disrupting to the evening for all of us as everyone ate slowly but inevitably finished before my Pasta came. How long does it take to cook pasta anyways? Of course apologies were profuse from the waiter who comped an after dinner drink in response.
Ultimately I thought what would other favorites do and I realized that (A) the owner or manager would have made an appearance and (B) my meal would have likely been comped. So Taverna has dropped down dramatically in my view and I sure will stop actively promoting it among Chicago friends and family. My sense is that success has gone to their heads sorry to say.

OMG … Fabulous Food and Service A+. Polite, Extremely Professional. We loved it. Will return.

My Wife and I both got had the soup of the day, tortilla soup, best I have had in a long time. We both then ordered the 8oz filet mignon sandwich with homemade chips. It was tender, juicy, and seasoned just right. Very fair pricing too, $ 45 fed the two of us, with leftovers to take home. Our charming waitress, Rikki, was an incredibly sweet girl. We really enjoyed chatting with her. That sort of service is a joy to be around. I will be sure to make it back here again the next time I’m in town. It’s not often I find a restaurant that pulls off a hat trick. Thanks again Rikki, and the rest of the staff at Taverna!

Another beautiful, ducked off establishment nestled in Melrose Park. We have passed it many times when in the area leaving Tom’s or Abruzzo’s and decided to check it out. And we liked it enough to double back for a second visit 2 weeks later.
DECOR AND AMBIANCE ⁴⁄₅
The place is absolutely gorgeous. Lots of clear lights, beautiful light fixtures, fitted table coverings and long windows. The fire pit is unlike anything I have ever seen and the picture on the wall of the bar area, is a nice touch. We learned from our waiter it was a picture of the tobacco fields in Cuba taken during the owner’s visit.
The playlist is reason enough to visit. We were told it was chosen by the owner’s wife.
Deducting a star because midway through our meal, I had a Richard’s flashback when the smoke from a lit cigarette filled the air.
FOOD ⁴⁄₅
We ordered featured specials with a plan to circle back to try other items during our first visit and regular menu items on visit number two.
Caprese Salad — 4 stars
The olives were a nice touch.
Chicken Valasco — 4 stars
Bone in chicken served with potatoes
Cooked with jalapeños but not as spicy as you would think. It was very good.
Chicken Vesuvio — 5 stars
Bone in chicken with potatoes and peas. Allow 25 minutes.
Steak Taverna — 4 stars
4 filet medallions served a ricotta risotto and green beans and mushroom medley
Very good.
Chicken Calabrese — 4 stars
Spicy. Served with a yummy risotto cake.
Ricotta Cheesecake — 2 stars
Very good but lacked the sweetness I craved.
PRICING/​VALUE FOR THE MONEY ⁴⁄₅
Prices were on par with what you would pay at a similar type establishment. 2 entrees, 2 glasses of wine and a dessert was $ 96 before gratuity. On visit number 2, an appetizer, 2 glasses of wine, 2 entrees and a soda was $ 76 before gratuity.
SERVICE ⁵⁄₅
Our server, Chris was great. He was knowledgeable and exhibited a warm demeanor you just do not see anymore. The female server the next time was awesome too. Very attentive.
The owner was there and very engaged. He took the time to stop by our table several times during our second visit. A nice touch.

Excellent food. I usually try the special of the day and have never been disappointed. Good service. Wonderful patio for nice weather seating. When doors are closed during cold weather, it can get loud because music is loud. People needing to speak loudly to be heard adds to the noise level.

5 Star ambiance, service, and food.
Taverna offers a modern twist on your typical neighborhood Italian restaurant. While offering traditional dishes such as Chicken Francese/​Veal Milanese and various pastas and sauces, they also offer innovative and flavorful dishes that are worth trying.
To start: The Rolled Eggplant and Ricotta, the Fried Mozerella, and the Pasta Fagiole
For dinner: I had the Filet Taverna and my mom and sister had the White Fish which were both incredible, and the sides of vegetables were cooked and seasoned to perfection. My dad had the pork chop milanese with a side of marinara and loved it.
The signature Shrimp looked delicious, although we didn’t get it.
My family is very picky when it comes to Italian food, but we HIGHLY recommend this restaurant.

A beautiful afternoon to sit in the spacious attractive outdoor dining area. I can’t even tell you what the inside of this quite cool place is like as I never left the outdoor tables. Service prompt, efficient and flawless. This is Italian, I’m Italian I felt at home but I was born in the Midwest must be some genetic sharing to make me feel like I miss the old country. If you have an appetite, and please don’t even stop here until you do have an appetite, try the Chicken Vesuvio which is more of Chicago area specialty, because Grandma knew Olive Oil is good for you as well as garlic and oregano. You may have to share the dish or take some home but don’t throw it to the dog, save it for yourself, heat it the next morning, sit outside and remember Taverna, what the heck Wine at 9:00 a.m. isn’t a problem at least to me.

I love this food real Italian food yummy I recommend

Food is excellent. Melrose Peppers stuffed with sausage. Pasta with vodka sauce crumbled sausage outstanding.
Service was excellent. Great neighborhood upscale with very reasonable prices.
Will be back soon.

Great neighborhood Italian restaurant. I’ve been to Taverna a decent amount of times since they’ve been open and all my experiences with the staff and my dish selections have been great. Chris always seems to be our waiter when we come in but no complaints here. He is assertive and super helpful with each of our dining experiences. The bus boys are very attentive, I’ve yet to visit where my drink wasn’t topped off by the time I was half through.
Food Portions — we typically get a few entrees (gnocchi with vodka sauce, pizza & one of the chicken dishes) and share since the plate portions are so large.
Atmosphere — casual, low key and welcoming. The outdoor patio and fire pit are great for summer and fall nights.
Price — the pricing is comparable to any other nice sit down Italian restaurant (excluding fake Italian restaurants like Maggianos or Olive Garden, yuck!) The last few times I’ve visited Taverna we ordered three entrees and soup, excluding our drinks the bill was around $ 60.00. Tons of food for the cost and always have left overs to take home.
Not sure how anyone could rate the place less than four stars but I suppose one bad experience can ruin your entire opinion… Perhaps I’m bias since I’m a local and am finally satisfied with a newer restaurant in the area. Either way, I recommend this place to family’s, groups of friends, couples or even if you are stopping in by yourself to grab a quick bite. They’ve yet to disappoint!

Sat outdoors on a Saturday on a beautiful night. The ambiance is cool, even sitting in Melrose Park. Food was average as well as service. Mussels were tough and wedge salad running. My wife and I split the steak special which was good. Our friends had a good pasta dish. Overall, need to go back to give another try. Place has potential.

Good food and nice ambiance. I loved their dinner specials. Good vibe!

We love this place! Amazingly authentic Italian food & the outdoor patio can’t be beat. The atmosphere is beautiful and you really do feel like family when you are there. Check out this neighborhood gem, it will be worth your while!

Perfecto
A great local cozy Italian taverna
Great selection top notch sauces
Chicken calabrese was excellent
Crispy with a snap risotto was incredible
Sauce spicy yet smooth and fluid
Rigatoni with sausage seductive and puts a smile on your face
Gnocchi were firm yet creamy
A real gem in Elwood park

This is a great restaurant. Our waitress was Mary and she was exceptional. We had tasty appetizers, eggplant salad, Grilled Squid, and baked clam. Entrees were large portions and very full of favor. For dessert we tried the Ricotta cheesecake, Spumoni, and gelato. Perfect evening for the patio seating.
We will definitely be back. Thank you Taverna for a great night with family, and some great food and drinks.

Great neighborhood vibe.
Anthony owns the joint, and makes u feel a part of the family from the first visit.
Beautiful mural/​picture of Cuba (huh?!) hangs behind the bar and fills the whole wall.
Food was delish. Authentic baked clams.
Anthony steered me towards the skirt steak. Wow, amazing. Great meat, cooked perfectly.
Others had lasagna and veal piccata. Very large portions.
Great dessert sampler, all house made.
This place is a hit; too bad I live in Denver… but will be back to have a cigar with Anthony on the front patio!

Just had a great lunch here. Best house chips I’ve ever had with a sandwich. Looks like the patio at this place would be fantastic when the weather gets warmer too!

The first and best reason to visit Taverna is the neighborhood vibe. We were there last night, and the entire place was jumping with people hugging and kissing and sharing bites from table to table. If you want to experience a real Italian neighborhood restaurant, this is it. But don’t worry, even non-​Italians like us were treated well!
The other great reason to visit is the décor. Visually the place is stunning. Not overly dressed up or anything, it just makes a strong impression. And that’s from visiting in the winter when the gorgeous patio wasn’t even open — although the spectacular fire was going outside). Inside, the bar, where we ate, has a great look, too.
The food wasn’t groundbreaking… mostly Italian comfort food staples. Specials were mostly regular menu items as well. But our food was delicious and served fairly quickly if that’s important to you. If you had an Italian grandma, this is what she’d make for the family on Sunday night.
Our servers (the two bartenders) were very friendly and attentive, too.
We’ll be going back. Lots of fun and worth the drive to Melrose Park.

Unbelievable décor and food was equally impressive. Had the chicken calabria which was cooked perfect with just the right amount of heat from the cherry peppers.
Can’t wait to go back with some friends.