Little Italy Chicago: Restaurants That Neighbors Recommend!

Pompei is one of the oldest restaurants in Little Italy - it was founded in 1909!

Little Italy neighbors ranked them as a top restaurant for both Italian and Pizza on Nextdoor.

It's cafeteria-style, so you order and pay at the counter and then they bring your food to your table. They have a whole list of house-made pastas, which I HIGHLY recommend!

And, heads up: they have free parking for customers in the back.

What to Order:

• House-made gnocchi with meat sauce
• Ravioli
• Marie's special salad
• Chicken Parm streudel

P.S. As this is Little Italy, neighbors had more than one fave for Italian food. Francesca's on Taylor also made Nextdoor's Neighborhood Faves list!

Next up is Scafuri Bakery -- Little Italy residents' favorite bakery.

It's even older than Pompei, and has been a staple in the neighborhood since 1904(!!). They serve breads, cookies, and awesome cakes on Taylor Street, and they also ship nationwide.

You can learn more about them by clicking here: Scarfuri Bakery.

What to Order:

• Pistachio cannoli
• Donuts
• Italian butter cookies
• Hand-painted wedding cakes

Note: Scafuri Bakery has claimed their business page on Nextdoor, which is why there's so much info. Local businesses, click HERE to claim your free business page!

Sweet Maple Cafe is the brunch favorite amongst Little Italy neighbors on Nextdoor.

It's a family-run restaurant that opened 20 years ago, in 1999. They're open for breakfast and lunch every day, and close at 2pm!

What to Order:

• Cinnamon roll pancakes(!!)
• Country scrambles

Note: it's not on the Neighborhood Faves list, but I also love Stax Cafe for brunch in Little Italy!

Thanks to the neighborhood experts in Little Italy, I found this awesome Mexican spot right on Taylor Street: Chilango Mexican Street Food.

My absolute favorite thing I tried was the fish taco. It's topped with a COCONUT CILANTRO drizzle, which I loved.

They also bring you 3 different sauces with each order, so be sure to try them all!

What to Order:

• fish taco!!
• guac
• all the sauces

Little Italy neighbors' favorite coffee shop on Nextdoor is The Coffee Alley!

They're located on Taylor Street, and have been there for about 5 years. It's a cute spot with a very neighborhood feel. There's a bulletin board advertising local events as you enter, and the baristas are super friendly too.

What to Order:

• coffee
• mocha
• coconut chai latte

I love this Italian grocery store, Conte Di Savoia, and was happy to find it on the Neighborhood Faves list for Little Italy.

They have awesome handmade pastas and sauces that you can buy and prepare at home. They also have a fantastic selection of Italian meats and cheeses, and a small but mighty selection of Italian wines.

What to Get:

• 8-finger cavatelli
• Italian meats
• Barbera d'Asti wine (my favorite wine)