Buona Terra

My wife and I are regulars here. Food is amazing, and the people running it are even better. I look forward to each visit we make!

Italian cuisine has been one of my favorites, so I really went here just to try some of the best Italian foods that they have on their menu. I ordered the Paillard Di Pollo Alla Griglia. The chicken was grilled perfectly; it was so tender and flavorful, and I wish I had more of the lemon-herb butter sauce. This dish was so great and has great balance and texture. I also ordered the Rigatoni, and I liked it very much. The pasta was soft and light, and the toppings and spices were on point. This pasta definitely goes to the top of my list of the best Italian dishes I have ever had. The place was cool and cozy, and the people here are really friendly and accommodating. I had a great time here at Buona Terra, and I cannot wait to try more of what they have on their menu.

Superb! Mussels & calamari to start, all of the main dishes are delicious! Grappa & desert to finish.... Amazing! Service impeccable, ambiance lovely, this and their sister restaurant, Hearth & Crust in Old Irving are must sample! Enjoy!

Don't go to Olive Garden, go to places like Buona Terra instead. Their dishes are familiar with a twist. I had the walnut crusted eggplant the other night and my tastebuds were pleased. We saw some old neighbors while we were there, what a pleasant surprise.

Customer service was great and my wine as well. Environment seems to be calm, safe and relaxing (also influenced by the customers). However, my entree choice wasn't the best. I ordered Duck Breast with Risotto. Meat was pretty decent but risotto was too cheesy and high in calories. I am not allergic to cheese and risotto made my tongue sore and itchy. I also ordered dessert and it was very high in refined sugar. If you have healthy lifestyle, just look hard into the menu and ask questions about the ingredients used so you know what you will be eating.

Great cocktails. Great service . Had the steak and pork chop. Both were really good. Also had the in house tiramisu. Would def come back.

Food are always delicious never disappointed. Grilled calamari, seafood pasta and cheesecake are my favorite. Highly recommend Thursday prefix menu.

I never write reviews but this deserves another 5 star review! Outstanding meal last night, for our visitors from out of town. We got them out of the downtown area and into the neighborhood and we were all so impressed with the food and the wonderful service. We will be back! From the delicious sauces to start, and the carpaccios of beets, and one of beef, to four different pasta dishes and fresh flavorful dishes, everything was above all expectations. Didn't venture into the desserts so will try next time. Foodie friends were knocked out by the tastes and textures, and excellent everything. Have heard about it for a long time, and finally glad to go.

We started with mussels they were served in a garlic butter sauce with two pieces of brick oven toasted bread. The mussels were good. We saved the garlic butter to dip our pizza crust. The pizza was amazing. It is cooked in a brick oven. The crust is thin and a good mix of crispy and slightly chewy in the middle. There are 3 beer taps and a cider tap. They have a large wine selection and a good amount of liquor for cocktails. Hearth and Crust is a great neighborhood addition. It's great for dates and families.

Hi Hearth and Crust. I do appreciate your response!! A couple of things. #1. I do acknowledge that you did take it off the bill. I apologize that I did not mention that earlier. The point is, it should have been taken off, no questions asked. #2. I did leave the waitress a tip. For the $135 bill, I left her $30 cash. I even spoke to her and said I was purposely leaving her a large tip, all cash, because she was a great server. Response from the owner 12 hours ago Hi Michael. Thank you for your review. I am sorry that your experience was not all it could have been. I apologize if you thought I was disrespectful or had some sort of attitude. I am also sorry if you thought that you paid for that cocktail. As I said, because you are a regular customer, I would take the charge off your check, which I did. So as you see, you did not get charged for the drink in the end. As a veteran service industry professional, I am fully aware that you can’t please everyone but I do try. That’s why I acknowledged your regular status and removed the charge from your check. I do want to point out though something you may not be aware of, no tip was left for the server. It may have been dropped or forgotten but nothing was left on the credit card receipt. Thank you again. I’m sorry you won’t be back. We do pride ourselves on how we truly value our regular guests. As a small business, we can’t afford large advertising campaigns, so we rely on our lovely customers to spread the word. We have been blessed to be part of such an amazing community. Once again thank you and best wishes to you and your family in the coming holiday season. - - - - - - - - MY INITIAL REVIEW I'm gonna be honest. I love the food, and we've been coming here for the past few years and it has been great. But I came here on Nov. 3, and me and my family have never been so insulted. This review has nothing to do with the food or the waitstaff, which were great. The owner knows us and let her ego get in the way of repeat business and a great customer. My wife ordered a cocktail, she took a sip, and didn't like it. So she ordered a glass of wine. When we got the bill, the cocktail she didn't like was included. $11. We asked the waitress why we were charged? It's normal practice if a customer doesn't like a drink, they bring a different one, no questions asked. The owner came over and asked us what the problem was. We told her, and she said that we have to understand she pays for every drink and if someone doesn't like a drink, then that's their problem. I told her, because they are such a small place, and depend on repeat business, they should be understanding and give the customer what they want. Not only that, but I've been to some of the top restaurants in Chicago, and they ALWAYS go above and beyond to satisfy the customer. No questions asked. But the piss poor attitude of the owner, and the fact we are regulars, has really turned me off. She said because she knows we are regulars was the only reason she would take it off the bill. I own two businesses, and the #1 rule is, never let your ego get in the way of pleasing a customer if they have a legitimate complaint. I won't be back. Oh, and by the way, we spent $135, not including tip. FYI, I still left the waitress a 30% tip because I felt bad that she has to work for an owner like that. I actually hope the owner contacts me so I can teach her to please customers. As they say, penny wise dollar stupid.

I will start out by saying the staff was friendly, warm and attentive. That being said, I have a hot and cold review. We started out with the roasted vegetables, and mussels. I found the vegetables very bland, definitely didn’t taste fire roasted, and only slightly enjoyable with the mustard cheese sauce. The flavor of the red sauce for the mussels was complex and tasty, but they were tiny. Like, very tiny. So two apps to share for 4 people… it was lack luster. BUT they were redeemed when I tasted the duck and risotto. The flavor and texture was perfection. Although, the amount of risotto, it was a little depressing. I would say it was maybe 3-4 tablespoons (not joking) my boyfriend got a chicken dish which was flavorful as well, and the other couple split pasta and meatballs and salad. Pasta was al dente and sauce was delicious. ( I didn’t try the meatballs). We had the tiramisu, not impressive. I’d come again for a glass of Malbec, their pasta, and the staff. I think the bill was 200 and I was no where near full. Worth a try but i wouldn’t order those appetizers again.

I don't think I'm saying anything new, but when I want pasta, I go here. The Pennine al'Arabiata is always fantastic (order it with a side of sausage 😍) and the Papardelle Bolognese is a rock solid option as well. Before you eat your entree, eat the whole bowl of roasted garlic and fresh bread they provide and then sink into a carb coma. Perfect date night location, a few blocks north of the California stop with sidewalk seating in the warmer months.

Everything is great! I dream of the Rigatoni! The service is excellent and friendly! A neighborhood staple for a good reason! Family friendly Dine inside or in summer outdoor seating available So good!

The pizza was tasty, the wine list is great and reasonable. Irving Park needed a spot like this-- casual, friendly, and good food. Hope they stick around! Also, I love the bathroom tile. Fancy.

Such a cute place! Feels a little fancy yet cozy. The butternut squash ravioli were out of this world. Definitely going to be a repeat customer!