La Barra - Riverside

Such a great Italian restaurant. The food was amazing! They have a fantastic outdoor patio that is very clean and well lit. The service was very attentive at the same time reserved. Then exactly when to stop by the table. Fantastic place.

The food here is unreal, so much to choose from and tastes really authentic. Special shout-out to Tony for looking after us, I hope to be back soon!

From hostess (I apologize I forgot her name) to table service from Angela, to the wonderful waitress Zulia, customer service was the best. our dinner was amazing. We ate calamari, minestrone soup, and fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken / shrimp. We ordered carrots cake for dessert. Everything was delicious. I also ordered the shady lady, it was good. Thank you for everything. We will be back!

What an extraordinary experience ✨️ A memorable Regional Ethnic Wine Dinner were quality ingredients met chef imagination . ..thank you, La Barra family ...

I definitely recommend this restaurant! Authentic Colombian food! I ordered the special breakfast (calentado)! YUM YUM! 😋😋😋 The service is phenomenal! They make you feel right at home! OH!!! I can't forget to mention that I found my favorite Colombian soda here, MANZANA-POSTOBON! I will definitely be back! See you later!

Has both indoor and outdoor seating. There is another location I believe in Oakbrook area. I feel as though this location has much more to the cocktail menu. Is very kind, helpful, and informative. Food was filling and tasty. Honestly prefer this location over the Oakbrook based off of the service and food quality not that the other location has anything that is bad. I just prefer the home or feel options available here. Appetizers on trees and dessert. Everything is made well and he will leave feeling full and happy. I would definitely recommend for a good family dinner or easy lunch. I enjoyed the cocktails. They also have a good wine selection. Also available, which I always appreciate. I love they have a little events as well so please always check out their website for what’s going on throughout the month for specials and events.

Post Wedding appetizers... went for dinner, everything was exceptional. The Halibut was moist and delicious, the pork shank was perfect. Might have been the best burger I have ever eaten. All in a beautiful location.

The food here is amazing! We sat on the patio by the river and it was such a serene atmosphere. We tried the Brussel sprouts, which were just the perfect amount of crispy! We also tried the fried zucchini and it was so tasty! We also ordered a thin crust pizza with veggies and it was so good! They have a nice selection of wine too! Definitely going back!

First time diner here, came in on Sunday. The menu was a little different than what I found online because this is independent of the chain, but I would highly reccomend coming to this specific location. Service was wonderful from the moment we walked in. Staff was attentive, friendly and welcoming. Our server was patient and honest as she helped us decide what to get. (props to her as we were hungry and fickle) Everyone helped each other out, showing they were a solid team, which made our experience all the better. Fried calamari was great, but the grilled octopus was absolutely incredible. Presentation was beautiful as well. We had the Salsiccia pizza; sauce was savory and the dough perfect. For drinks we had the Joe-La Espresso Martini, Mediterranean Spa-tini, and the Shady Lady (favorites listed in that order, would order them all again!) For dessert we had The Oreo Cake (delicious but a little on the drier side) and the Pistachio Gelato (partner says it wowed his taste buds). We were in bliss. Despite being busy, the host and manager both came over to check on us several times throughout the evening. Loved the food, the service and the ambience. I'll be coming back again several times; excited to try the rest of the menu.

Bartenders recommend a pizza to go last night. Italian beef - Giardiniera & Sausage. This should go on be on the menu. Outstanding pizza thanks for the idea Tony. Now serving lunch on Saturday and Sunday!! Great spot to watch NCAA football or other cities football teams on Sunday. Great pizza and staff. Old school pan pizza cooked in seasoned pans. If you like to sit at the bar and eat then this is the spot. Awesome friendly neighborhood pizza place with fantastic food. Ask for Caesar tell him Ray Donovan sent you in.

Authentic Italian food, with friendly and cordial staff! Our waiter was born in Morocco, lived in France and Italy, and very knowledge with fine dining.

Best baked clams ever the food is amazing service is amazing the bartender is malana she is the best the owner is very polite and professional

Beautiful night, I highly recommend everyone to try la Barra, everyone is very nice and welcoming you. The food and drinks great.

I stopped into La Barra the other night with my wife to get a nice pizza pie! Our server was great and all… but the real magic happened when our bus boy, Luke S. appeared at the foot of our table with our food. Moving with elegance as swift as his, bussing tables never felt so possible. Never in my 54 years of life have I seen a bus boy deliver such graceful, efficient and charming ;), service! What a magnetic aura this young man carries with him. Next time you go to La Barra, keep on a lookout for an average height, curly headed brunette with whimsical features and you’ll know it’s him! Shout out to you LUKE S! And hey management….I smell something…I smell ITS TIME FOR A RAISE AND PROMOTION FOR LUKE S! YOU WILL BE SEEING ME AGAIN LUKE S!🤩 10/10 from me and my wifey!

What a perfect night. Our grandson turned 7 and Joseph Manzella couldn’t have nicer. He did an outstanding job. Very attentive throughout our 2 hour celebration Our table location was perfect for a child’s Birthday party. Seafood entrees and all Italian entrees were very good.

Had a fun time at La Barra. Food and drinks for our group were overall good. The prices are for drinks range from $12 to $15. I didn't like my drink as it was too sour but prob just personal preference. My friend thought the pizza was a bit salty. Our apps were great though, we tried the toasted nachos and calamari. Worth checking out.

I love their patio. We like to stop when we’re in town. It’s really walkable within the Riverside community. It’s nice that the outdoor dining is covered. Service is dependable. I wish you could make reservation for outside, but it’s currently just inside, while outside is first come first served.

Recently went for a Sweet 16 party and had a pleasant experience. Staff was so kind and on top of drinks and food. The food was pretty tasty overall as well! We’re excited to come back to try other food options.

I would highly recommend this restaurant. We went for our Anniversary and got our reserved table right away. My wife loved her signature cocktail and I enjoyed a specialty beer. We ordered the salad with roasted corn which was very good. We shared a thin crust pizza, the Dsnnys pizza which was tasty. I personally think there was too much onions on it, but was still good. We had the cheesecake with some fresh strawberries, and was also very good. The servers were good but could have been a little better. The owner was great and came over to make sure everything was satisfactory for us. The parking was easy to find in the neighborhood. We parked in a public lot kiddy corner from the restaurant. We will definitely return.

Great cocktails and delish pasta nestled in downtown Riverside. The baked lasagna with the Bolognese sauce was OUTSTANDING! Fettuccini Alfredo was also great. Worth the trip!

This place has delicious food. The service is quick food looks and taste great. Will be going again soon. You can eat inside or outside.

Really modern interior. Not much of a wait without reservation. Food was good. They only had pastas and pizza. The Chicago deep dish was fine. Service was dandy. I would return.

We got two pizzas a signature and a thin pizza. They were super good amazing crispy crust on the thin. Best thin in the area for me. And amazing customer service on a error we had. They truly went above and beyond. Mistakes happen but they were A++ in making it right and quickly.

I wanted to share some feedback regarding my recent visit to La Barra – Riverside. I came in last night with a friend for dinner, and while the service was attentive and friendly overall, I was very disappointed in how my leftovers were handled. At the end of our meal, the hostess offered to box up our food. We requested two containers, but instead of separating the dishes, she stacked dirty plates on top of my half-eaten lasagna before taking everything to the kitchen. Several minutes later, she returned with only one container — my friend’s leftovers. When I asked about mine, she replied, “Oh, we threw it away. I thought you were done.” Considering that my entrée was nearly $24 and still half uneaten, I was very disappointed that it was discarded without confirmation. While the hostess did apologize, no resolution or accommodation was offered. Ultimately, I paid full price for a meal I was unable to fully enjoy.

For the price they could at least throw in a soup or salad!! Honestly! Their food and service was good! I've had better though, but taste is subjective. Wanted to try the cannolis but they were all out. Had the tiramisu instead Their seasonal burrata with balsamic fig shared app was awesome! I'd order it for dessert it's so good! Bottom line I would definitely recommend and would go again. Would love to try their braised short rib with Chianti demi-glace!

If you come to La Barra, always try to sit at the bar. Service sucks if you get a table but the bartenders are great! I find that it’s also more lively during weekdays than weekends. Food recommendations: skinny deep dish pizza, fettuccine Alfredo (substitute fettuccine with linguini), crispy calamari, & eggplant parm. Cocktail recommendations: perfect pair and old fashioned Their BOGO pasta/pizza deals on Tuesdays are great too.

Have loved their Artisan pizzas in the past and was very excited to try their Tuscan Country Pizza. Ordered takeout and was very disappointed in this one. Mostly crust, not nearly enough goat cheese, ricotta (didn’t taste any at all) or blackberries. Hoping this was just an off day…

We've been to La Barra many times in the past and have always enjoyed their eggplant parmesan. This time, I thought I would try their whitefish. It was a bit slimy and tepid in temperature when I received it. I'm not one to complain and send food back. I just know that if we come back, I'll stick with their eggplant parmesan. The service was quite inattentive as well. After making a request for parmesan cheese (which they have readily available in those shakers), it was forgotten about. From the time we were seated to getting our tab, it was about 2.25 hours. So slow. It must have also been a "take your child out to eat" night. The children were rambunctious and noisy. Many running around. It really ruined the ambiance of the evening. And the parents were absolutely oblivious to their children's actions. The wait staff need to get new uniforms. The t-shirts are getting old and tattered. And seeing the slogan, "Legalize marinara", on the back of the t-shirts is passe. Black pants and a white button-down shirt would go with the caliber of the restaurant. Photo that I shared shows girls running around table while one is holding a cellphone to her head that displays a word that others are to describe without saying the word. Very disruptive to the other patrons.

The pizza here was delicious. So was the octopus I just wished there was a bit more of it for its worth of $20 dollars. The fettuccine pasta was a bit plain and not very flavorful which was sad. Overall the waiter was very friendly and funny and I’ll come here for a bite again!

Honest Review >>> I tried the deep dish pizza because I saw the good reviews. I honestly do not see what the rave is all about. 1. I feel like there was just too much cheese 2. There definitely wasn’t enough or any sauce. If you like bread and cheese on top with some small drops of sauce then this is your go to pizza. Now, with that said the ingredients were fresh and good. Which is why I didn’t score it horribly. But I wouldn’t say what I had was pizza. 🤷‍♀️ I wish I would have taken a picture. Also, I LOVE pizza and never have I thrown out pizza before but I honestly wasn’t going to waste my calories on it! 😅 😆 🤷‍♀️

Today my boyfriend went it for dinner and ordered a pizza. After a long wait, they finally told him they burnt it and that they already had another in the oven. After another long wait, he finally got his pizza and decided to bring it home. He brought a pizza with no sauce. Unbelievable! Very disappointed. We really like this place but this is beyond ridiculous.

Let’s see. The calamari was undercooked? Overcooked? Hard to say but it was chewy and tasteless. And this again as I asked them to take away the first offering. Second was not better. I have eaten here before. Totally surprised by the lack of quality. I ordered a medium rare burger. Overcooked and it was grisly. The server was obviously overworked but kind and expressed concern. I will give them credit, the fries were good. I often have their thin crust pizza and think it is really good. I also enjoy their arugula pear salad. But who is running your kitchen? Pay attention to the food! So disappointed as it is walking distance for me. Want a better meal you can walk to? Go to chew chew.

Carry out is worse. They tell u food be ready at certain time and not ready u get there they tell you 10 minutes more then take 45 more minutes. Plus some staff need more training especially how u respond to costumers.

Our waitress was absolutely awful! She rolled her eyes because we weren't ready with our order and interrupted us multiple times throughout the dinner. She made our birthday celebration alot less enjoyable!

Made reservations the night before. When we got there we were met by a "Karen" at the host station. Telling us our reservation was canceled. But we never canceled so that was weird. Not even greeting us in. Then apparently it was so hard for her to put a couple tables together for only 8 people. News flash. Basic customer service 101 Greet EVERY CUSTOMER with a smile & ask if they are celebrating anything special or??? Waitress was nice but place was DEAD & she didn't check in on our table often enough. Then we actually requested the restaurant play music becauseit wasn't on. You run a business...do you care about what new customers think??? Like wow 1st impressions of this place was awful especially cuz we were celebrating a bday & someone who was soooo looking forward to the BBQ pie. Unfortunately disappointing. Won't b back but they need to step up their game if they want return customers.

This was our second visit to LA Barra, first was good food and cocktails, but bad service, we thought to give it another try, and the time the server started out great, but when my friend pulled out a strip of a plastic out of the bottom of his drink, the waitress took it.\nAnd said I'll just tell the bartender it wasn't good, and poured some water into it so it wouldn't appear that he drank most of it. We didn't understand for logic, anyway, she brought him a new cocktail. Then when our food came, unfortunately, the same person at our table started to eat his food when he discovered along black hair cooked on to his piece of chicken. He did not want to say anything about it. So I called our waitress to the table and I explained my friend won't say anything about it , but I will and showed her the long strand of black hair, she looked with disbelief as if we put it, there, took the plate away and brought back half the portion that was taken away from that point she stopped checking on our table. After that, neither my wife or his wife could finish their portion of food nor did he. She, our waitress brought to go boxes. to the table, we took the leftovers, but through them out once we got outside. There was nothing taken off the bill. I have experienced working in restaurants, so does my wife, we could not believe they didn't even offer anything for the inconvenience we encountered. More so, my friend who got worst of it, a piece of plastic in this drink and a hair in this chicken. Terrible, we won't be back there again. We paid over three hundred dollars for the four of us , including tip, which was still a little more than twenty percent that she did not deserve.

I ordered carry-out for a special occasion with my parents. As my mom said, we’ll talk about this one for a long time. The Good. Caesar dressing, the calamari were very tender The Bad. They were out of one person’s first and second choice entree. I was told to pick-up at 5:30. Then, after waiting 15 minutes, I was told that the food would be ready at 5:45. It was finally ready at 6:00. The Ugly. The tiramisu: the sponges were dry, but there was liquid seeping out? The garlic knots were burnt (and didn’t taste like garlic). The salmon almondine (their substitute for the whitefish) was WAY overcooked. It looked like salmon jerky and had close-to-burnt ends. Nearly inedible. I ordered the arugula, spinach, and mushroom pizza. The edges were fine, but the arugula too closely resembled my lawn clippings earlier that day and it lacked flavor. All in all, we’re never going back. This was a restaurant that my mom frequently went to with her friends and that my parents went to together. I’d never been before and it was a horrible first impression. It was honestly one of the most disappointing eating experiences we have ever had.

We have been coming here since 2017. Never once had we had a problem with service or our food. Last time we ordered takeout the food kind of tasted different-- a little bland but we didn't let it stop us from coming back; maybe it was a bad night. Tonight we came back and decided to eat in. They still had the beet salad from years ago that I LOVEEEEEE...... I noticed this time it was only golden beets, no red beets- fine whatever no problem however, they tasted like they were previously frozen then defrosted... The whole salad had no flavor whatsoever... I was so upset I just left it on the side .. The bartender got a busy dinner rush and was kind of complaining how busy he was even some of his regulars were like "Hey what's the matter man and he's like I'm just busy"... Maybe pick a different career if you're upset that you're going to have a dinner rush... Especially in the food/ customer service business. He checked on us for 2 seconds and when I asked him if the beet recipe was different he just walked away and kind of turn his head and said "yeah"... The deep dish pizza also lacked a bit of flavor.... idk maybe they changed chefs over the course of a few years but the quality and flavor definitely has gone down ..... It's really sad because it looks so delectable but then when you take a bite there's no flavor.. Of course 25 mins or so later when he isn't as busy he is very attentive and wants to know how everything is actually So I just asked him for a box for the pizza and to send the beets back because they tasted wrong. You can clearly see he's talking about me and the appetizer with his fellow co-workers in the back laughing ... I get the bill and expected to pay for something that I said tasted wrong... I won't be back for subpar service and poor quality food

We had sausage appetizer, pasta, and deep dish Pasta with vodka sauce was too dry not enough Deep dish is not enough sauce. There are too much cheese. Veggie and sausage got burnt because too little of the sauce. Service was nice , decorated is nice. We paid almost $100 but a lot of room to improve food quality. One table was smoking on the patio, I believed there is a law you can’t smoke in restaurant where it is not dedicated area. The staffs ignored and let that lady smoke and ruin the whole guests.

I recently visited this place with family and friends. I thought this was Italian but it’s not. It’s no better than having a microwave dish. Pasta’s were dry and bland. All it takes is a bit of pepper and some salt. I understand it’s too much to ask to include a tiny bit of garlic and basil to make it flavorful but I think this places wants to be recognized as “the BLAND LAND”. I would prefer to go to any other Italian and place like Olive Garden does far more justice than this and it’s universe apart. Here the portion sizes are kid size. If you want to order a kid size meal for yourself then do visit but if you are an adult then watch out, they don’t have adult portion meals. The hostess is super arrogant. They wanted to seem posh to delay the seating while almost 80% of the restaurant was empty. They go by saying it’s by reservation for only and not to worry about, if you still dare to visit this abomination then you can easily reserve online 10 secs before and walk in but I must warn you, think twice, no think 10 times before visiting here.