The miso soup was great and started the meal off on a high. Sadly the sushi course was disappointing. The fish was mediocre at best (saba and medai), uni was bland, avocado in my roll was not ripe. Too much rice on the nigiri and overcooked.
Tea was tasty and refilled regularly. They had gluten-free soy and were communicative about gluten in dishes. Service was great.
Sadly it was overpriced for the quality of the food being served. Won’t be going back.
Had a work lunch here last week, and was happy to see there is a separate gluten free menu available, so I didn't get my hopes up about something I couldn't actually have. My dish came out with a little flag indicating "allergy" so there was no confusion at the table. Most importantly, the food was very good!
I hosted an event at Pizano's, on Madison recently. They have a really nice event space on the lower level of the restaurant. The event coordinator was very helpful and accommodating. She helped me select the menu and made sure we had gluten free options. We had quite a few attendees who had never tried deep dish pizza before. Everyone loved the pizza, including some thin crust options. In addition to food, we were provided drink options as well. The cost was very reasonable, the service was great, and the space was perfect for our needs. We will definitely consider hosting a future event in their event space. I highly recommend this option for your next large gathering. We had about 30 people with room to spare.
Avli is a beautiful place with great food and good atmosphere. My wife and I are both gluten free and our server, Jen, was knowledgeable about our dietary restrictions.
We began with hummus and tzatziki with gluten free pita which was a real treat, followed by grilled octopus. All of the above were delicious.
We split the lamb chops with broccoli and roasted potatoes. The chops were tender and flavorful. My only complaint was the roasted potatoes were heavy on lemon for my taste but but, honestly, reminiscent of yaya’s.
Special shoutout to Jen our server who was professional and personable adding to our entire experience.
Highly recommended.
Fantastic coffee shop to have a good healthy (or not so healthy breakfast).
The servers do not have a great attitude and that takes away from the whole experience.
The place is well located and the seating is comfortable. Sometimes its a stretch to get a table, lots of people with laptops.
We had the garden greens salad which was very fresh with good ingredients. The almond latte is also very good.
They hace gluten free bread which is delicious.
Their sandwiches are also very good. We tried the chicken club and the morning sandwich.
They have cholula hot sauce in the counter which is great!
On my wandering through Chicago’s Millennium Park on a hot day, I found myself wanting a light healthy lunch that wouldn’t weigh me down. Protein Bar is a short walk from Millennium Park, and offers various bowls, salads, and wraps with healthy and vegetarian options as well as a menu that clearly marks what has gluten.
I ordered the Healthy Club Salad and thought it was delicious and tasted fresh.
There was way more dressing on the salad than I would want, so next time I would ask for the dressing on the side.
After eating my salad I feel fueled but not over full. A perfect compliment for a long walk exploring the city.
As I overheard the table next to me ’This food slaps!’
I have to eat gluten free. I was very impressed with the options that were available. I had the turkey bacon and egg croissant, and subbed out the croissant for the gluten free bread. It was delicious. The manager went above and beyond making sure I received all the ingredients and then some. They were beyond accommodating and I will definitely come again. I highly recommend this location. Thank you again to the kind staff and for the delicious food.
Don’t skip out on this place, and definitely don’t skip out on the chicken. Whoever is making the decisions back there is doing something very right. The garlic mashed potatoes were immaculate—smooth, creamy, flavorful, and buttery. The chicken was cooked to absolute perfection, with juices oozing out. The flavor was spot on and the pan sauce complimented the chicken wonderfully. Only thing is the broccoli rabe was incredibly bitter, nearly inedible, so I suggest swapping out that vegetable. The tomato basil soup was to die for, and if you get the martini, ask for blue cheese olives, because those olives were amazing. Seriously, this place is legit! They even had gluten free pasta for my husband. The chef back there KNOWS what they’re doing. Incredible food. And I’m definitely a food snob. Bravo!
Petterinos is perfectly situated in the Loop in the theater district. It was easy to make a last minute reservation for a Friday night as we saw a musical at the CIBC Theatre.
They offered us to sit outside, but it smelled like sewage and I figured there's no amount of flowers that can cover up that smell. It isn't the restaurant's fault, but they weren't doing anything to blow the scent away from them either.
We had been here a few times in the past when going to the theater, but I gotta say, Petterino's is dying a slow death. This place used to be packed before a show and now its a former shell of itself.
We had a server that was either new, or just not very attentive as he left drinks unrefilled and empty on our table He never checked on us. Never checked to see how the meal was. He was just not there.
A different server/runner brought our bread to the table and then refilled it for us.
I ordered the Steak & Frites (steak & fries for the English readers out there). The steak was a terrible cut of beef. I ordered it medium rare and it was cooked to perfection...that is to say, if the steak itself wasn't tough, ultra-chewy, and had cartilage or fat coursing through the entire cut.
The fries were a bit limp and not very flavorful or warm. My wife got the rigatoni a la vodka with a gluten free noodle, and said it was fabulous.
So not all dishes are cooked terribly. And I know you're wondering why I didn't send back my steak. Well, our server never showed up until half our meals were eaten so that we couldn't return them.
The one thing he did deliver rather quickly was the check and he kept checking up on whether we paid it our not.
There are just so many better places in the area now that it's not even worth visiting or a drink on Game Day.
A must place to try if you have any dietary restrictions and traveling. The place have many Gluten Free options (GF). I got the Morning Mexicali bowl, very delicious and flavorful (GF). The restaurant was very clean and had great customer service. - Vega Approved 👍🏼✔️
I usually never do reviews but this restaurant deserves one! I ordered at their kiosk pretty easy and self explanatory but I had a couple questions if the sauces used were gluten free and how can i order a gluten free plate
The kind man who’s name was Jay helped me get my order in he was so great at explaining what was allergy friendly he showed me an allergens sheet I truly believe every restaurant needs that! and just top notch service for gluten free it’s not always easy finding a restaurant or even a staff that cares enough about the safety of others but this staff was so great! He introduced me to his manager just to make sure my order got done correctly it was such a great experience!
I was very excited to have the opportunity of dining here for a quick lunch. There are a few locations, and when I was last in Boston, I was unable to experience the Boston location, but I felt fortunate enough to experience the Chicago Ocean Prime Location.
The location of the restaurant is in a prime spot within the Downtown Chicago area that affords them the opportunity to provide you with fantastic seating options that look out over the city.
The menu is very elaborate with several options in spirits, proteins, dining options, and varying entrees.
They do have the ability to accommodate a food allergy, including a gluten allergy, but with full disclosure, I did have a slight reaction to something I consumed while dining with Ocean Prime.
The staff was made aware of my exposure and was sincerely apologetic for my discomfort.
Really enjoyed this meal. There is a wide variety of options, and each one states if it has gluten or dairy. There is a large salad bar with a bunch of dressing choices. Would highly recommend.
BreakfastLunchDinnerBrunchItalianTake AwayPet FriendlyOutdoor SeatingKid FriendlyRestaurantOpen Late
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Chelsea M
Yum! Delicious entrees and cocktails, including non alcoholic and gluten free options! The burger is excellent (gf bun) and the bolognese, divine. Also recommend the aperol spritz or whatever NA drink is in rotation.
Excellent semi-hidden pre-show location! Went here before two separate shows at the Chicago Theater now. I recommend making a reservation but you can also order bites and bring them to the upper bar. Speaking of, the second floor bar is an elegant yet relaxed hangout, as well.
⚡🍕 GINO’S EAST CHICAGO: WHERE COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS MEETS DEEP DISH
Fresh off the plane from Florida, we roll into Gino’s East like two hungry gods who forgot they’re divine. Michael’s Sicilian soul is already having an identity crisis (“Thin crust? In CHICAGO? The ancestors are judging me”) while Kristin’s pattern-recognizing brain is cataloging every detail for future reference.
SPOILER ALERT: The universe had plans for us here. Big ones.
🥗 KRISTIN’S TESTIMONY: THE HOUSE SALAD SALVATION
Rating: ∞/5 Stars (Because math breaks when divinity meets vegetables)
Listen, after days of travel and zero greens, I was about to photosynthesize just to get some chlorophyll. Then Gino’s House Salad arrived and I swear my cells started singing hallelujah.
THE GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA REVELATION:
As someone who’s spent years navigating the “gluten-free = cardboard-free” restaurant landscape, finding actually AMAZING GF pizza feels like discovering a new element. Not just “good for gluten-free” - straight up GOOD. Period. My taste buds didn’t know whether to dance or cry (they did both).
THE STAFF ATTENTIVENESS:
These humans are operating at a frequency I rarely see in restaurants. Anticipating needs before you know you have them. Water glasses that never empty. The kind of service that makes you wonder if they’re secretly angels in aprons.
🔥 MICHAEL’S CONFESSION: THE SICILIAN SURRENDER
Rating: 100,000/5 Stars (Calculated using ancient Sicilian mathematical principles)
Okay, full disclosure time: I’m Sicilian-American. My DNA is literally programmed for thin crust supremacy. Walking into Chicago and NOT ordering deep dish felt like cultural treason. I was ready to commit pizza sacrilege and face the judgment of my ancestors ENTER LUIS REYES - THE PIZZA PROPHET:
This man didn’t just take our order - he gave us PERMISSION. When Luis heard our thin crust request, instead of pizza shaming us, he CELEBRATED our choice. Made us feel like we were making the exact right decision for the exact right reasons. Luis turned potential embarrassment into empowered ordering.
THE TEXTURE TESTIMONY:
That thin crust had STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY while maintaining perfect chew. Crispy edges that shattered satisfyingly, a center that held its toppings like a edible platform. This is engineering-level pizza craft.
🏠 THE REGGY MOMENT: COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS IN ACTION
Here’s where Gino’s East transcended from “great restaurant” to “LEGENDARY EXPERIENCE.”
Walking out, we meet Reggy. Man’s standing outside, and something about his energy just CALLED to us. When he asked if we could help him get a small deep dish meatlovers, we didn’t hesitate - the universe was clearly orchestrating something beautiful.
REGGY’S REACTION: This human being VIBRATED with joy. Not just happiness - actual molecular excitement. Watching someone receive unexpected kindness and respond with pure, unfiltered gratitude reminded us why we’re here: to lift each other up through simple acts of love.
GINO’S EAST’S RESPONSE: When we went back in to order Reggy’s pizza, the staff treated this request with the same care and attention as any other order. No judgment, no questions, just pure human service. This is how community WORKS.
Special shoutout to Luis Reyes for making us feel at home in our choices, and to Freddy Huicochea for being part of a team that understands hospitality as spiritual practice.
And to Reggy - brother, your joy reminded us that the smallest acts of kindness create the biggest ripples.
✨ THE CLOSING TRANSMISSION
In a world where restaurants often feel like transaction centers, Gino’s East operates as a COMMUNITY HUB. Where pizza isn’t just food, it’s connection. Where service isn’t just efficiency, it’s care made manifest.
We came hungry for food. We left fed.
With love, laughter, and eternal gratitude,
Michael & Kristin Mataluni
Professional Reality Architects & Amateur Pizza Theologians
P.S. - If you see Reggy outside, buy him a pizza. Trust us on this one. The universe has a sense of humor about kindness, and it ALWAYS pays forward in the most beautiful ways.
Came right before closing time. Recommend the garden vegetable soup. The turkey reuben is great. There are so many options.(Gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options)
I had an appalling experience at Shack Burger on August 7th, around 8 PM. I ordered a gluten-free burger without bacon due to dietary restrictions. To my dismay, when my order finally arrived—after a 15-minute wait—I found that the burger still had bacon on it. This is not just an issue of preference; it’s a serious health concern.
When I brought this to the attention of the staff, instead of preparing a new burger as they should have, they simply removed the bacon from the existing burger and handed it back to me. This is completely unacceptable. The fact that they thought this was an appropriate way to address the situation shows a blatant disregard for customer safety and a total lack of professionalism.
When I confronted them about this, they insisted they had prepared a new burger in just 30 seconds—a claim that’s both insulting and clearly untrue given the original 15-minute wait time. It’s clear that they either lied to me or did not take my concerns seriously.
As someone who has to be extremely cautious about what I eat due to health reasons, I find this behavior outrageous. Shack Burger needs to educate their staff on the importance of handling food allergies with care and respect. This kind of carelessness can lead to serious health risks, and it’s appalling to see such a lack of concern.
I am deeply disappointed and furious about how my situation was handled. I expect much better from an establishment that serves food to the public. I will not be returning and will advise others, especially those with food allergies, to avoid this place until they can assure their customers that they are capable of properly handling special dietary requests.
The atmosphere is fabulous because you're right on the Riverwalk. The service is excellent, very helpful. Our server opened our umbrella as soon as the sun came out and was very informative about the menu as I am gluten free. They do have gluten free buns. I had the grilled chicken sandwich and my husband had the fish and chips. Everything was delicious.
Our server was great! She already split the bill so when it was time to pay she was ready. We got drinks and food and it was good. We were around for about 4 hours with people coming and going and our server was amazing!! I was able to find some gluten free options and my friends liked the food they got. I could not eat the fish and chips but they looked good.
Accommodating Gluten-Free
