Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. L

   Luveen VIP

   Chicago4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Chicago has a lot of pizza , but Zarella found a way to differentiate itself. The menu was innovative concise and perfect for sharing. The fried zucchini and spicy vodka pizza are a must
   

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2. R

   Ron VIP

   Chicago24 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This was our first visit to Zarella…We lucked out and got Harrison for our server, and he explained the menu in great detail. Throughout the meal he checked back several times making sure we were enjoying our dinner. We split the very large delicious kale caesar salad and had two of the tavern style pizzas, one with beef pepperoni and sausage and the other with sausage. Both were tasty and crisp and quite delicious. For dessert we had the coconut soft serve with cherries which was incredible and the Brown butter cake, amazing. Truly a wonderful restaurant we will frequent often this summer. Thanks Harrison, your service was exemplary!!
   

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3. C

   Connor VIP

   Chicago1 review

   1.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   I was extremely excited to try this place as I had to book my reservation weeks in advance. I saw lots of ads on instagram that were clearly overpaid influencers meant to hype it up. We scoped out the menu beforehand and knew exactly what we wanted to order. We got the mozzarella sticks and they were essentially cold when they came out. Vodka pasta is one of my favorite pastas and this did not stand out to me. I have had better tasting vodka sauce at much more inferior restaurants. Lastly, the pizza was mediocre at best and frankly, reminded me of the pizza at other local Chicago dive bars that happen to have a limited food menu. Overall, I was extremely disappointed and will not be going back nor recommending it to others.
   

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4. M

   Mayela

   Toronto4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Nice atmosphere, excellent food, great staff Good location
   

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5. E

   Ellen VIP

   Chicago33 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderful dinner at Zarella today. Everything g from the cocktails to the carrot dip to the burratta salad to both the tavern and artisan style pizzas to the brown butter cake and coconut soft serve was excellent. Our servers and everyone in the were great. Highly recommend and cannot wait to come back
   

   Zarella Pizzeria & TavernaResponded 3 days ago

   Thanks for the feedback, Ellen! We're thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful dinner at Zarella today. It's great to know that you enjoyed our artisan-style pizzas, brown butter cake, and cocktails. We always strive to offer exceptional food and service, and your feedback reaffirms the hard work we put in every day. We're honored to be your go-to spot for excellent food and service. We can't wait to welcome you back for another excellent experience!
   

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6. B

   Beth VIP

   Chicago7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was so wonderful and tasty. We had apps, variety of pizzas and salad. All great. We all loved it! And the service was terrific. Staff was helpful and fun. Made for a great atmosphere. We’ll be back for sure.
   

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7. B

   Brad VIP

   Chicago1 review

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Tavern style is the real Chicago style pizza and it was great. Also had the fried zucchini and it’s a must order.
   

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8. j

   jennifer VIP

   Chicago1 review

   3.0

   Dined on April 17, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 2

   We visited this newer spot last night to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and while there were definitely some highlights, there were also a few things that need addressing. First, we had a reservation but still had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated—which isn’t the end of the world, but a bit frustrating when you’ve planned ahead. The bigger issue, though, was the stairs leading into the restaurant. My friend took a pretty bad fall because they aren’t properly lit. When we mentioned it, a staff member casually said people trip there all the time… which is honestly kind of alarming and something that should probably be taken more seriously. Our table was right in the middle of the restaurant, which felt awkward and lacked any sort of vibe or privacy. We asked to move to a big booth that was open but were told no, which was disappointing. That said, our server Tom was fantastic—super attentive and friendly—and the food itself was really delicious. So there is potential here, but I hope they work out the kinks, especially around safety and seating.
   

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9. N

   Natalie VIP

   Chicago3 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on April 17, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   Good food but seated 25-30 minutes past our reservation time…service was poor from the get go. Unfortunate especially with management visible through the space.
   

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10. OT

    OpenTable Diner VIP

    Chicago2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4

    Very loud in the bar but food was all delicious!
    

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