Best Gluten Free Restaurants in Lombard

Our waiter was Don, who had a great personality and actually spent time with us explaining the menu and describing the various offerings. He was funny and personable, joking that he had high-quality, artisanal Coca-Cola, and ribbing me for not drinking as much of it as he thought I would. I tried the triple wagyu plate. I was not a fan of the authentic Japanese wagyu and preferred the other two variations. My wife's steak (traditional ribeye) was much better than all three of the wagyu in my opinion. I will get that the next time we're in! I am vision impaired and use a white cane for guidance. A young man with curly hair (I did not get his name) helped me find the restroom since the area is not very well marked. Unfortunately, I got lost on my way to the table after using the restroom. I had passed up a doorway that I should have entered and ended up in a larger dining room. This is the first time this has happened to me, and I was hit with a combination of confusion, anxiety, and embarrassment. I looked around for what felt like a minute, and decided to backtrack, which confused me even more. I walked up to the bar trying to get my bearings. I had just started to look around again when MJ, a hostess, came and asked if I needed help. I admitted that I did, and she found our table by using the OpenTable reservation. She then gave me her elbow to guide me back to my area (this is also the first time I've relied on a stranger in this way). MJ, you rock. I know I already thanked you, but your actions helped me more than you can imagine. The way you recognized I needed assistance, but also didn't just assume I needed help, alleviated some of my embarrassment. My wife says you continued watching me navigate the tables after recognizing where I was, which she thought was very kind. I hope management knows the great staff they have here.

We were seated right away at our scheduled time, our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, she made sure that our appetizers, soup, and the meal were timed perfectly, and followed up to ensure everything was as we ordered. She checked in periodically to make sure all was well and if we required anything additional. All in all, it was a great dining experience.

The food was amazing and the service was great! It did feel like we were at a Cooper's Hawk, though, and not an Italian restaurant. Another thing that was similar to a past Cooper's Hawk experience was that we had to wait 15 minutes with a reservation. The restaurant was fairly empty at 4:00 pm and the hostess told us they're just clearing our table when we checked in right at our reservation time, but we still had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. Not really a big deal, but it's not a pleasant experience when you had a time reserved and you're waiting fairly long to finally be seated. We had the Pasta Fagioli, which was fantastic, and the short rib papardelle and rigatoni alla vodka, both of which were soooo good and light. It didn't feel heavy like normal when eating pasta. The chocolate hazelnut cake and gelato trio was also delicious! Our server, Robert R., was friendly and helpful! He didn't rush us at all and was honest and knowledgeable. The restaurant is in the Oak Brook Mall area, so parking can be a challenge.

From beginning to end, it was a great dinner. We arrived early for our reservation so found seats at the bar. Cocktails were all very good. They had a great list of mock tails too. Violi has a really cool vibe, but the conversation is loud if that bothers you. Great service. Plates are designed to share and all 6 of us did. We liked everything we tried from the lamb shank to branzino and the mousaka. Will definitely return !

West coast oysters were terrific. Crabmeat avocado was delicious. The fillet was excellent as was the WR cut and a lobster tail for the table. We were celebrating Moms 97th birthday and server Diana was very gracious and give the table two walnut chocolate chip cookies topped with vanilla ice cream whipped cream and chocolate sauce. It was an excellent topper to a terrific evening.