Salerno's Pizzeria & Catering - Mt. Prospect — Restaurant in Elk Grove Township

It's a really good basic "pizza joint". We had thin crust pepperoni and a couple of salads. It was very good, all of it. I was really just looking for a good, flavorful, fresh pizza and found it, but noticed a lot of the food coming out of the kitchen looked really really good as well (I'm gonna try a pasta or pork chops next time). Pricing on everything is decent, and service was excellent, a wonderful waitress and attentive helpers. I'm not into pretentious dining, so this place with its relaxed and welcoming atmosphere and straightforward delicious food, was perfect for me. It's a really good basic "pizza joint". We had thin crust pepperoni and a couple of salads. It was very good, all of it. I was really just looking for a good, flavorful, fresh pizza and found it, but noticed a lot of the food coming out of the kitchen looked really really good as well (I'm gonna try a pasta or pork chops next time). Pricing on everything is decent, and service was excellent, a wonderful waitress and attentive helpers. I'm not into pretentious dining, so this place with its relaxed and welcoming atmosphere and straightforward delicious food, was perfect for me.

Update May 2024: It's kind of hard to tell what's happening here. Either they have just moved to this space and plan to expand into a regular restaurant, or they have decided to really dial it back to be basically take out only with a few tables in the waiting area where you can eat. There is no more table service. You go to the counter to order and your food is brought to you. You get your own drinks etc. Part of the ambience of the old place was the staff. They seem to be gone. No complaints on the food but the menu seems to be trimmed down, although the prices have ticked upward, but then again whose haven't? A casualty of modern times, I guess. I can't really blame them, I think it's hard to keep these smaller places afloat nowadays. I suppose we'll all be eating at Panera (ugh) all of the time before we know it. So I guess keep ordering their food just don't look for a...

I’ll summarize the 3 major problems first, if you want more details, continue reading. 1: Norma (gray haired, 70’s) is a horrible waitress because she gives wrong answers when asked about different food items and she says insulting things to the customers. 2: The portabella mushroom wrap was bad. 3: There is a mysterious 3% service charge added to the final bill.

Details: While looking at the menu, we asked Norma if the portabella mushroom wrap was made hot or cold. Norma said “All our wraps are made hot.” When we got the wrap it was cold, so we asked Norma why is was cold and she sarcastically said “Well, you ordered a salad wrap, so of course it comes cold.” Then Norma asked me if my girlfriend was my mother, that was very insulting to both me and my girlfriend. Next, while eating the cold portabella mushroom wrap, we couldn’t find any mushrooms in it and it leaked a nasty gray fluid. Finally, when we got the bill, we noticed an extra 3% service charge. Norma butted into our conversation and said you have to pay that extra charge whether you pay cash or credit. I think the extra 3% service charge is there because restaurant owners are too cheap to print new menus with higher prices.

So, if you absolutely have to go to Salerno’s, avoid nasty Norma like the plague, get a different waitress. Don’t order the portabella mushroom wrap. Be prepared to pay an additional 3% service charge. Better yet, don’t go to...

Since they made their move to the new location I have noticed a vast difference. In their original location I would give them 5 stars. Now it’s dropped down to a disappointing 2 stars. Obviously the rent is much higher in down town Mt Prospect. It appears they’re cutting corners now to pay their big rent. I always had glowing things to say about them in the past. Told others they were as good as higher end Italian eateries in the area while being way more affordable. Now after the move I see portions on items I have ordered for years are reduced in size. Delivery items show up with no bread. For instance the eggplant Parmesan, it appears now you get less eggplant and they disguise this by dumping the pasta side into the same container that previously came in its own side container. The baked mostacioli looks to reduced in size and yet is almost $19 for pasta with marinara sauce dumped on it. This is the second or third time I’ve ordered from them since the move. Each time it was obvious they are slipping. I don’t think I’ll be ordering...