Lucia's — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

I lived a few doors down from this Italian BYOB restaurant for a while, and it's my favorite affordable Italian food in the city. Here's why:

Deli in front, restaurant in back. The deli has great made-to-order Italian fare including sandwiches, pastas, and salads. You can order fine cheeses by weight, or pick up some specialty cookies.

If you're looking for an affordable night out, head to the dining room in back. It's a candle-lit, white-tablecloth experience. But even better is the money you'll save by bringing your own bottle of wine (no corkage fee). The hybrid nature of this restaurant is unlikely to be found elsewhere in Chicago.

Another sign of greatness: The owner WILL be there. He's a wonderfully hospitable, mustached Italian man who knows that consistent involvement is the key to a successful restaurant. Chat it up - He has hilarious stories and will make you feel at home. But be sure to call ahead for reservations; the owner is very nice but I've noticed he gets slightly insulted if you rush in and expect to be seated, regardless of how many seats are available. It's a trait that, to me, shows he takes pride in his establishment.

Bottom line: Eat here....

If you’ve never been to Lucia’s, I suggest you drop what you’re doing and run. I swear by that place!! I’ve been dining at Lucia’s all my childhood and I seem to never get tired of anything from that restaurant. Sandwich’s you must try : Grilled chicken sandwich, Sams sandwich on the focaccia bread, Lucia’s favorite & The Ribeye sandwich! Hospitality at Lucia’s is also great! Feels like home. I stopped by today 3/3 Friday around noon, I placed my order to go for all the sandwiches above (4) paid and notified them I’d be back. I took around 20-30mins to return and realized my order was not ready. In the matter of 15mins the restaurant was so full!! Like I said I’ve been dining at Lucia’s for ages and I couldn’t feel more satisfaction at just viewing how outrageously busy they were. Such a proud moment. I love small businesses but Lucia’s will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope this restaurant continues to grow,...

We hosted a family dinner of 23 people here to celebrate after our intimate marriage blessing ceremony and it could not have been more perfect! The staff was very attentive and sweet. The owners made reserving the space and organizing the menu so easy, even coming around throughout the meal to make sure everything was good. We really liked that they arranged a space where we could all dine together as a family at one long table. They were very accommodating to the children we had there as well. And the food.... the food was amazing and there was so much of it!!! Every one of our guests raved about it! They even let us do single orders to accommodate our vegetarian guest versus having to order an entire tray. It was super affordable and the byob feature was fantastic! Truly cannot say enough amazing things about this place and how grateful we are to have found it...