Ballo

Straight outta the gate I gotta tell you: this place is loud.
And I don’t mean loud like there are many people talking, or loud like tables are close together, or loud like music pumping. I mean all three. Please hear me (pun intended) when I say the volume of this restaurant is LOUD!
Onto the food… it’s good Italian. The menu is nice and thoughtful and the servers are slick and try to flirt. The bar serves great drinks and you’ll feel a little like old-​school Chicago in this retro restaurants.
But unfortunately, right after you leave the restaurant your ears will start ringing…

It’s more like a 2 and a half but i’m not bumping them up to 3 because of my experience with their Valet. I parked my car at the corner of Illinois and Dearborn, right at the front door. My boyfriend gets out of the car and goes to the valet, who was standing no more than 10 feet away. They refused to take my car because I hadn’t parked on Dearborn for them. They made me drive around the block, in heavy traffic, to park it 10 feet from where I originally was. When they took my car, they drove right back onto Illinois, which is where I was in the first-​place!
We get inside and are met with a snooty blonde-​chick with an attitude. I’m assuming she was a little high-​strung from the V-​day rush, but that’s not my fault. She asks us to wait at the bar, and we declined since we’re not heavy drinkers. We just waited by the hostess stand and 5 minutes later she informs us that there are plenty of seats at the bar. Again, we decline.
They were good about getting us to our table by our reservation time, but everyone was so cramped together… even tighter than just elbow-​to-​elbow. This shows me that they are more concerned with squeezing out that extra dollar than they are about the customers’ comfort.
Our waiter was nice, but really tried to rush us… thereby only reinforcing the above paragraph. I mean, I get that it’s busy, but it’s Valentine’s Day; I want to have a nice dinner with the bf, not «fast» food.
The soup I had was decent but very watery. My boyfriend had the same complaint. The pasta dishes offered were basically the exact same thing, just different variations; most were just some form of pasta with a cheese and a red sauce. yawn. What about other delicious pasta dishes that have alfredo sauce, or a garlic & butter sauce? Of course, the entrees that cost twice as much had some more flair… make of that what you will.
Dessert was surprisingly very good; it was a Godiva Chocolate Mousse cake. Yum!
I’m sure this place is great on a normal day, but it’s clear that special days are not their forte. I don’t think we’ll be back.

I came here with a large group (about 15 – 20) of us and we were seated in the back area of the restaurant (the wine room). The menu was already set and was served to us family style. Both the service and the food were excellent. Some of the food we had that I would recommend include:
Calamari: You can never go wrong with fried calamari as an appetizer. Typically when you order calamari at a restaurant, you end up with an oily or soggy dish, but I was quite impressed with the crispness and the flavor of the calamari served here, along with the artichokes.
Rigatoni alla Vodka: Again, another dish prepared well, with the pasta cooked «al dente» and in a creamy sauce.
Desserts: Tiramisu and the carrot cake were both delicious.

Went there for dinner on New Year’s Eve. It’s a Rosebud restaurant, so you know you’re going to get good Italian. As with other Rosebuds, I can say nothing but «yummy!» about the food. It’s perfect old-​school Italian. The atmosphere was just what we needed to start out a night of partying. The place is fun — it’s young, vibrant, and energetic. I wouldn’t come here for a business dinner or on a date, but I’d bring the girls before a night out in a flash. I loved it.

Ballo has a special place in my heart. My now boyfriend (of dangerously close to a year) took me here for Valentine’s Day 2008… and it was one of our first real dates. The food was great, the atmosphere was romantic and fun, and we had great service. We met at the Grand stop and he had three flowers for me and when we got to Ballo our server brought an extra glass of water for my flowers!
I do remember that the crème brûlée wasn’t crunchy on top (which is bad, Ballo) but if that’s my only complaint, so be it!
Note: to everyone who complains about too many tourists… try going out when it’s not tourist season. I mean, come on. It’s downtown and if you go out during tourist times you have to expect that. It’s hardly Ballo’s fault. And no, I wouldn’t recommend this spot for large groups. But again, do your research and go to a place that is set up to accommodate you.

I thought this place was okay. I was there with a large party and I thought the food was good, the service was good, but I had… probably a bottle of wine so I don’t think anything would have bothered me. After the appetizers I was content just to skip dinner and have the rest of my wine. All the food presented was delicious. I also thought it was extremely loud in the restaurant; the waiter had to scream at us to be heard. The only thing that I thought was crappy was that the waiter said his name was Tom and that he would be taking care of me, but he only served my dinner and then left. No numbers exchanged, no making out at work… completely worthless…

I came here with a group of friends for a birthday dinner. We had reservations, we arrived on time and checked in. I realize that place won’t always have your table right away but waiting for 30 minutes and having our table given to a group of men that checked in after us didn’t really make one of my friends too happy or really the rest of us. My friend whose birthday we were celebrating raised an issue with the hostess (and she had every right to.) The hostess quickly found us a table but then we stood there waiting for them to set the table so that was a bit awkward.
Once we were seated our waiter came over and greeted us. He was full of energy. We ordered our drinks and then the waiter gave us suggestions about what we should eat. We ordered a large Caesar salad and the Mama’s Meatballs. Those two items would have fed all 5 of us. Then we sadly ordered 5 meals. We all kept eating our meals and barely made a dent. I’ll be having left overs for days. If you go with one person or a few people definitely get something you can split because there is so much food. For dessert we got the Godiva Chocolate Mousse cake. Holy crap was that delicious. We were all afraid it was going to be really rich, but it wasn’t it was AMAZING!!!
So overall this place was good. The wait was stupid since we had a reservation. The dining room was crowded and loud. The food was good and large enough to share. I’ll probably go back but I won’t rush to do so.

My sister and I went here and promptly ate everything put in front of us. The food was delish, pasta in vodka sauce but the most entertaining was the server. He used the word fuck several times but somehow each time it was endearing. You know those kind of people — that can get away with saying all sorts of foul things but still come out charming? That was him. We had plenty of wine, food and swearing and loved every minute of it!
Edited to add: I just went here again this past weekend and forgot to mention how great the bread is… Love.

Went to Rosebud’s for a nice meal with our friends that were in from out of town, and we were told it would be a 90 minutes wait. The server suggested Ballo’s instead and we were seated right away.
The waiter suggested the caprese appetizer with fresh mozzarella, pesto, and vine ripened tomatoes, which was absolutely fantastic. Our group quickly gobbled it up.
For dinner I had the Chicken Marsala, which is an enormous serving with two chicken breasts on it and a good amount of polenta. Other friends had the Chicken Parmigiana and the Steak and there wasn’t a complaint at the table. The price is completely fair for the amount of food you get. Easily could split a meal.

The first time I went to Ballo was a day of utter personal heartbreak of my own choosing… and I remember the music being so loud I couldn’t even order drinks. At one point I wrote my drink order on a bevnap and just flashed at the bartender when in need. But in hindsight, I didn’t have to answer all the questions with juicy details… fast forward a month or two and went for dinner with partner in said heartbreak. Had the most amazing meal ever and the only thing juicy was the chicken. Moist, juicy, lucious, perfectly cooked deboned chicken.
The pizza is brilliant. Perfect. And I know my pizza. Had a bite of a a few different flavors as I was with an Italian chef and they were trying out some new combos. All were excellent. Remarkable.
Service was a little on the «hey guys whats up» side which kind of shocked me being a Rosebud property but I didn’t find it offensive but I didn’t high five him either. Bro. My salad had the perfect balance of dressing to produce and again, that spectacular chicken!
Desserts were decadent and delish and had a platter sent (hey it happens, what can I say) that had a little bit of everything. Perfect tiramisu, a wonderful flourless chocolate cake, Zuppa Anglaise and I think profitoroles.
I didn’t even notice the music level this time because my head was spinning from the food. And its been the same ever since.

My first night in Chicago led me to the doorsteps of Ballo.
Great prices and generous portions, who could ask for anything more?
I ended up with the 8-​Finger Cavatelli, which was SO good! The sausage crumbs were slightly more salty then I’d like but when paired with the subtle taste of the noodles… wow. It was what I was looking for and I didn’t even know it.
Also on our table that night was the Rigatoni alla Vodka which was a great classic. Sorry meat lovers, this one is sans meat.
3 words for you: Zuppa di Pesce. YUM! Seafood lovers everywhere, UNITE! And a huge portion! You could honestly share it between 2 – 4 people. It wasn’t my order but I ended up with a hefty portion of it in my tummy ;) It’s a little bit more than the other two dishes but it is reflected in the size of the dish as well as the quality of the seafood.
Needless to say, I was rolled back to the hotel. Thank god for elevators…

Came here around 8pm on a Thursday night and we did not have to wait for a table. The place was moderately crowded with a friendly staff. The crowd ranged from mid 20s to 50s and the dress was predominately business casual.
My friend and I split a sausage/​red peppers appetizer and then eggplant Parmesan for dinner. The portions are large so you can get away with 2 dudes splitting meals here. Food was good and the atmosphere was comfortable. I will come back if I’m in the area.
Dinner with a few drinks was around $ 65.

So, let me preface my review by saying I have been to Ballo about 5 times and always loved the tasty Italian, loud but fun atmosphere, and great service… However, went on a Sat. night with my bf and we were rushed outta there… Come on, Ballo… It’s a Sat. night and for us to have been seated at 8:40 and signing our check at 9:10, something didn’t sit right… Our courses were literally being zipped to our table and despite our food being delish (as usual)-we really weren’t able to enjoy ourselves… Hmmm. and is just me or are there more tables in here?
Very, very tight seating

Ok, can I just say that the amount of food served here is gratuitous? I could have fed many starving kids in Africa with the amount of leftovers I sent back. Honestly, I’d still pay what I did for my meal if they served me half the size…
A large group of us came to Ballo for dinner during a conference. Good choice for a large group. The location was great, service quite good, our seating arrangement was nice too. The food was just so-​so.
We started out with a number of appetizers that we let our server choose based on the size of our group. Calamari, Antipasi platter, Bruschetta, chopped Salad — LOTS of stuff on the table. The calamari was awesome! HUGE pieces lightly breaded, seved with a cocktail sauce. That was the highlight of the meal for me.
For dinner, there were even more enormous amounts of food on the table. I heard rave reviews about the lamb chops. Some folks had Grandma’s Gravy and they seemed ok with it. I had the Pasta Diavolo and I asked them to spice it up a bit. Chunks of lobster and shrimp, tossed with penne pasta and served in an asiago tomato cream sauce. It was ok, but not great. I ended up eating the lobster out of the dish and being done with it.
The desserts were also enormous. I opted instead for a glass of the Limoncello. YUM!!! It was strong and sweet. Great way to end a meal. Let’s see — chunk of cake the size of your head or Limoncello? Decision not hard for this gal.
Overall, I’m not sure I’d come back here with, say my family. But I do think it’s great for groups. The service is tops and they know how to manage a big group. Prices were reasonable as well. If you do give Ballo a try, I recommend splitting an entrée, and definitely get the calamari!

Dinner with the Big A is always an event and last night did not disappoint. The Big A insisted that we meet at Ballo promptly at 7:00 PM. I arrived just before 7 to find the Big A and his daughter Leslie already seated at a table right next to the open kitchen. Let the games begin!
I perused the menu only to get an idea of what Ballo served, because the Big A ensured me that he would «take care of the ordering.» We started off sharing the Sausage and Peppers appetizer, which in my opinion when done right is one of my favorite things. Ballo does it right and does it BIG. You get five nice sized Italian sausages, a healthy portion of multi colored peppers, and most importantly a plate covered in yummy juice. Leslie went with the more heart healthy Sunday Salad. The Big A and I split the Brick Chicken, which is a whole boneless chicken cooked under intense heat pressed down using you guessed it a brick served with broccolini, potatoes, and a lemony garlicy sauce. The chicken was moist on the inside and the skin was dark, crispy, and delicious. The portion was GINORMOUS! I normally love a big portion, because I have insane appetite, but this was almost offensive. If I were to order this as my entrée I would feel intimidate and emasculated by the portion. Leslie had the Grilled Salmon served with broccolini and a balsamic reduction. To finish off the evening we went with the Godiva Chocolate Cake served with a raspberry sauce. The cake was good, but not amazing.
The interior is reminiscent of a 1960’s supper club. Red banquets, open kitchen, and a disco ball rotating above the dining room. The overall look and feel compliments the food they serve extremely well. The service was exactly what I was hoping for, an Italian waiter who came off like a distant cousin of the Gambino family. He was the type of guy who made sure you knew you were at an Italian restaurant. When he spilled red wine on my cream colored hat, I thought everything was going to head down hill. I mean can I verbalize my frustration to this guy who might very well take me in the back and turn me into tomorrow’s sausage special? There was no need for worry, our waiter swept up my hat from the table and returned a few moments later with the stains completely removed. Phew! I thought I might have to kick this guys ass… JK
Overall, the experience was a good one. Tasty food, good wine, great service, and great company. I’d go back.
1 Sausage & Peppers
1 Sunday Salad
1 Brick Chicken
1 Grilled Salmon
1 Side of Spinach
2 Glass of Zin
1 Vodka Gimlet
1 Chocolate Cake
1 Cappuccino
— — — — — — — — — —
$ 125

Ate here for the first time on NYE. I think they actually try to kill you with their portions. Amazing food and gigantic portions. I had Grandma’s Gravy. It was just a huge helping of pin wheel pasta with braised beef and pork in homemade tomato sauce. It was a power-​load of Italian goodness. One of my fellow dinners had the veal Parmesan. It was at least a 20 ounce cutlet. It covered the entire platter. They should give you a tee shirt if you finish it.
Anyway, we received great service from start to finish and it was just a good evening.
Club Lago will always be my favorite Italian joint in the city. I think Ballo runs a close second. I’d definitely go back.

Ballo is a very nice restaurant, however the restaurant was pretty dead for a Friday night at 9:30. Our waiter was extremely nice and friendly… and also goregous with longish blonde hair – straight out of LA style… hmm…
Anyway, for an appetizer we ordered the grilled calamari with balsamic vinegar. The seasoning was delicious, but the calamari was way over-​cooked and tough. For an entrée I ordered the linguine with white garlic clam sauce. The portion was massive with chunks of salty clam meat and a garlicky sauce. It was delicious.

We wandered past this place after not finding another restaurant we were looking for. So having not known anything prior to going there, I was pleasantly surprised. It looks like an old fashioned diner on the outside, but the inside is completely upgraded — its kinda like when you’re looking for houses and see one that looks totally crappy on the outside, but when you walk in you find granite counter tops, bamboo floors, surround sound hookups, designer paint, etc.
Anyways, back to the restaurant…
Pros:
* food was good and plentiful — I believe they are going after the «comfort Italian» market and do a good job. I had a special menu item which was exceptionally savory and someone else had a helping of the standard chicken parm that can only be described as «huge-​mungous».
* service was very good and attentive — no issues for us, but we went on a weeknight.
* ambiance — funky and unexpected for first time visitors
Cons:
* a bit loud — even when the place was mostly empty
* choice of entertainment — we sat through a bizzare Michael Jackson concert video and bolted when an Osmond special came on (the wait staff apologized profusely for both, but I wish I could deduct half a star just for that)
After skimming some of the other reviews, I would recommend going to Ballo earlier in the week (Mon. to Wed.) to get a better feel for the place if you don’t like crowds and the inconveniences that come with that. I went on a tuesday evening and it seemed more date-​y to me, with young, well-​dressed good-​looking folks (like myself) enjoying a good meal in an unusual environment.
Total cost for 2 entrees and 2 drinks, plus tax/​tip was approx $ 70.

I’ve been to Ballo twice now. The food is great… last time I was there with a huge group of girls celebrating my friend’s bday and we pretty much sampled it all. My favorites were the meatballs and the pizza. I haven’t been impressed with the service and it’s so loud that you can’t hear the other members of your party, but it’s definitely a very fun atmosphere (perfect for a bday or bachelorette party) and I’ve been very happy with the food.

The restaurant space attached to the Hampton Inn has seen so many changes in a relatively short span of years (does anyone remember Fog City Diner or Al Chula?). The location is not bad, but for some reason the restaurants are not hitting their stride at this corner of River North. Ballo and its Italian food may be the most successful establishment so far.