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Buona Terra, Chicago, IL

Buona Terra

4.7
4.7
298 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 9 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
As one of the most beloved (and highest-rated) Italian restaurants in Chicago for over 22 years, the historic Buona Terra continues to serve scratch made pastas, brick oven pizza, fresh fish and seafood options as well as chops and steaks. The wine selection is meticulously chosen (and inspired by our yearly trips to Italy for the Vin Italy fair) to pair with our different plates made with the freshest ingredients.
Chef Chepe sources fresh items from the market daily. He butchers our fish and meats daily, makes all of our sauces and soups in house and most of our deserts. You might note that you see familiar faces as our servers have been with us since we opened our doors.
Whether you've been here a hundred times or tonight is the first visit, we think that you'll "Come for the food, leave as a friend".

Closed Super Bowl Sunday, February 9th.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Pizzeria, Seafood
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 17:00–22:00 Sun 16:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (773) 289-3800
  • Website
    http://www.buona-terra.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Jose "Chepe" Garcia
  • Catering
    We can make larger orders to go. Call and ask for our Chef, Chepe. He can tailor any menu to your needs.
  • Private party facilities
    We welcome you to explore our Private Dining options, perfect for any occasion.
  • Location
    3608 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60618
  • Area
    Irving Park
  • Cross Street
    Central Park
  • Parking details
    There is street parking available.
  • Public transit
    Blue Line Addison and Irving Park Stop,Irving Park Road Bus
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Private dining

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 298 people are saying

Buona Terra reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Chicago

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Chicago

    Italian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Buona Terra delights with its "delicious" Italian cuisine and "excellent service." A favorite for families and romantic evenings alike, it boasts "wonderful staff" and a cozy atmosphere. Signature dishes like Rigatoni Buona Terra and Pappardelle Bolognese are "favorites." Despite occasional noise, it's a "neighborhood gem" worth visiting.

298 Reviews

  1. Deepti

    Chicago2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on 2 March 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    We did not have a good experience at Buona Terre. Our server spoiled our experience for us unfortunately. He didn’t bother to come to our table at all. Our order was small because we stopped to have dinner for just us adults since the kids were not hungry. We felt the server didn’t care to serve us since we didn’t place as a big of an order as other tables. He didn’t come back after he took the order to check on us even once and when we tried to grab his attention to ask for a condiment, he seemed to ignore us. We were extremely offended and disappointed. I love the food at Buona Terra and have visited for years but this treatment will make me think twice before I visit again. Extremely disappointing. It was a busy night but it wasn’t like other tables weren’t being served. We were clearly being treated differently and didn’t do anything to deserve that.

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 2 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love going to Buona Terra! The food is wonderful and the service is so great! A great way to spend a birthday!

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  3. Andrea VIP

    Chicago140 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Buona Terra is amazing! Lively, energetic atmosphere with the nicest and best service, incredible food. You can never go wrong with their soup du jour, any of their pastas. Really can’t go wrong with anything. We dine here regularly. Great place for larger groups as well as small.

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  4. Ann VIP

    Chicago40 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 23 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a very busy night, and a little backed up but the guys pulled it off with grace and delicious food! We Always enjoy our time here! Great drinks, friendly staff and wonderful food! Pizzas and pastas are outstanding!

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  5. OpenTable Diner VIP

    Chicago6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 23 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Unfortunately having a reservation didn’t matter and it was very busy and disorganized. No one asked us about our reservation or time. We were sat late and had to ask for water 3x before they brought it.

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  6. Noah VIP

    Chicago7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and service! Cool vibe and atmosphere.

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  7. Renee

    Chicago41 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Really good menu and food. Really friendly service and welcoming owner. Great addition to the neighborhood. We will return for sure.

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  8. Ismael

    Chicago1 review

    3.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    Service is great, The food was good. The ambiance was way better at their first location. Needs the table linen cloth to give it a cozy feel like the other restaurant. The bread is now brought out wrapped in foil compared to the original cloth napkin.

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  9. Jacqueline

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The owners and staff are very welcoming and handled the Valentine rush well! The food was incredible as always. Pecan tart is a forever favorite.

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  10. Dakota VIP

    Chicago9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 9 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great dining experience! Service was excellent- we did restaurant week for dinner and it was a great value. Cacio e Pepe was delicious!

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FAQs

Buona Terra offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (773) 289-3800.

Buona Terra is rated 4.7 stars by 298 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 9 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Buona Terra

3608 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60618

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Central Park
  • Area
    Irving Park
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 17:00–22:00 Sun 16:00–21:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Pizzeria, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    There is street parking available.
  • Public transit
    Blue Line Addison and Irving Park Stop,Irving Park Road Bus
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Jose "Chepe" Garcia
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.buona-terra.com/
  • Phone number
    (773) 289-3800
  • Catering
    We can make larger orders to go. Call and ask for our Chef, Chepe. He can tailor any menu to your needs.
  • Private party facilities
    We welcome you to explore our Private Dining options, perfect for any occasion.
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