Tufano's Vernon Park Tap — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

Holy cow where to start?? The place was empty, they put us in this section all by ourselves, waitress didn't even know if the Calamari was fresh or frozen.

Sat about 15 minutes before drinks were brought out (tons of wait staff, all gave us strange looks like we were sitting somewhere we shouldn't be) after a 10 minutes wait to meet our waitress (25 minutes in, just got drinks). Asked if the chicken for the chick parm was fresh breaded or frozen paties, told fresh.

After about 30 minutes and having to take my empty glass to the bar myself to get a refill on soda (waitress got stuck in the Bramuda Triangle?) I wander out to ask how much longer and bump into my waitress, chatting with the other wait staff, telling me "just another few minutes I'll check". She comes right back to the table with 2 plates of food, plates melting hot, food barely warm.

The chicken was clearly pre-breaded frozen patties. I was so disappointed. She comes back about another 20 minutes later, sees we aren't eating, and asks if we would like to go boxes (never stuck around long enough, or checked back to see if we were happy with our meals). I told her it was so disappointing I didn't want to eat it there, I certainly wouldn't want to eat it at the hotel.

She comes back with the check, for both meals all drinks. I'm beyond even caring at this point, I just want OUT (hopefully to find a place I can get a good bite to eat, I was still hungry). I go to hand her my credit card, and what does she say "sorry, we're cash only, there's an ATM in the bar".

No sign on the door, she didn't say anything about cash only when we ordered, screw it. I've got money in my account, I'll use the damned ATM. Oh, what? 3.50$ fee to use the ATM? GO FIGURE. So I'm telling my travel companion how this works. "So they have to pay the Credit Card company a percentage of our bill if I use a Credit Card, so they don't tell you cash up front, or you might leave, but they don't want to pay a credit card company. So now they don't pay the credit card company (cost of doing business, gonna ask me to bring my own dishes next time so you don't gotta pay a dishwasher) but now actually make more money off me to pay my bill!!"

Some guy in T-SHIRT comes up and ripped the bill out of my hand and says (rather aggressively) "how about I take care of this and you never come back?!!!"

I looked at him and said "you read my mind". Waked out, hailed a cab, went out and got some Steaks at the hotel restaurant.

Long story short;

Bring cash.

Four star pricing, frozen pre-prepared food.

Hit/miss (apparently) service.

If they're slow you're an interruptions to their work,...

Tufanos is a such a neighborhood joint that you will miss it completely if you don't know where to look! I love the old school Italian charm that it has and one of the unique features of this restaurant is that the menu is written on a big o' chalkboard. Although kinda awkward for the couple trying to have a romantic date night sitting under the chalkboard while I silently stand in front of their table for 5 mins trying to read/decide on what to get.

Complimentary bread that (from what I'm told) they make in house is the bomb dot com but wait, if you like mussel do yourself a favor and order the mussel in their white wine sauce and dip the bread in that garlicky, buttery, sauce made in heaven. Get the calamari while you're at it, it is so tender and soft on the inside, crispy on the outside.

To be honest I was borderline full just from the apps when my Cavatelli pasta in classic red sauce with sausage came out. I would say though coming from the explosion of flavors of the appetizers I was pretty disappointed that the flavors of my pasta dish was pretty one dimensional. It didn't wow me like the appetizers did. But overall excellent place to get your Italian cuisine fix.

One caveat though...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Tufano's Vernon Park Tap, and I can't help but share my exceptional experience. This Italian restaurant has undoubtedly secured its place as one of my favorites in the city.

From the moment I stepped in, the welcoming ambiance set the stage for a memorable evening. The service, consistently excellent, added to the overall enjoyment of the evening. Attentive and friendly staff made us feel right at home.

Now, let's talk about the star of the show – the food. The lemon chicken was a revelation, perfectly seasoned and cooked to tender perfection. Paired with a delightful Chianti, it created a symphony of flavors that left my taste buds dancing. The grilled calamari was another highlight, showcasing the restaurant's commitment to quality ingredients and skilled preparation.

Tufano's Vernon Park Tap manages to strike the perfect balance between a cozy atmosphere and culinary excellence. It has become a go-to spot for me whenever I'm in the city, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a genuine Italian dining experience. Cheers to Tufano's for consistently delivering on both...