R Grotto Ristorante - Ottawa, Illinois

Pumpkinthepuff

We originally were going to go to Court Street Pub but when we walked in there it smelled like seafood something awful so we left. Knowing the reviews were not sparkling at this place we ended up here anyway because I loved their decorations when we walked in.

I am glad we made that choice, too.

I wish I would have asked her name because I really liked our waitress. She was friendly and came around at just the right times. When my partner asked about different things on the menu, she was both knowledgeable and helpful. As for the food, it wasn't spectacular, if anything, a little too salty but decent. The overall experience was nice enough though that I will come back if I am in that neck of the woods again.

For me, the drink size (alcohol) was my only issue and really it wasn't a big issue because the drinks were good. I know restaurants make a lot of their money from alcohol so I understand the whole size/price thing. And in the big picture, if that's my only gripe, then the place isn't bad at all. Oh, and their bathrooms were incredibly clean as well. That's huge for me. One of the cleanest public bathrooms I have ever been in. May not matter to some people but it really matters to me.

Will S.

Very quaint, loved the atmosphere, warm, friendly. Our waitress was very courteous and caring. The food, personal pan pizzas, and cheese curds were delicious, and the fried pickles (spears) were just unbelievably good. And for dessert..
Peppermint Patty
(Peppermint schnapps and hot chocolate) Yummy!!!

Ellen S.

Best place to eat in Ottawa! We come for pizza and nuggets when visiting nearby relatives or Starved Rock. We usually get the deep dish. The Monday special is a great deal! Pictured is large double sausage deep dish.

Michael S.

Very disappointing experience. On top of a meal that was average at best, it was further troubling to be charged a dollar for additional sauce, which came in a 2 oz container. Had the right amount of sauce been placed on my $11.95 pasta dish in the first place, there would not have been reason to request additional. The bread was stale and I could not wait to leave. We were first time diners. The resturant presented nicely and the service staff very nice. I would think twice before visiting this establishment for authentic Italian food.

Kelsie C.

Quality and taste of food is not what I remember at all. I grew up in Ottawa and moved out of town. I came back to visit and took my boyfriend to R. Grotto’s since I had done nothing but rave about it to him. He ordered a fried chicken sandwich, we got Grotto nuggets to share and I got the Mostaccioli. Fried chicken had absolutely no seasoning whatsoever. Seriously tasted like NOTHING. Grotto nuggets come with marinara. The “marinara” was waterier than soup and had no flavor. And my mostaccioli tasted like it was from can to entree. No real flavor or seasoning. I understand inflation is real but don’t cut costs by cutting the quality of the food. If you need to raise the price of the food to suffice keeping the same great quality, please do so. If the food continues to be like what was served I could see them shutting their doors soon. Super disappointing as an Ottawa native trying to eat at a nostalgic Ottawa food establishment. Also, our order was to go and we got no silverware or napkins. Not a huge deal, just a minor inconvenience compared to paying $45 for tasteless food. Unfortunately I won’t be back. Really, really sad experience.

Joshua G.

Great place to grab a late night pizza in small town America! Loved the deep dish! Good size portions at a great price. Service was wonderful! If you are a fan of cheese curds, give theirs a try, you won't be disappointed! Will definitely be back!

Ella S.

We had high hopes for this restaurant because of the reviews and the reviews are lying to you. We got our drinks and when I ordered our waitress didn’t even know what they had on the menu. I ordered a “dinner salad” which comes with “homemade dressing” and when I ordered the waitress didn’t even know that it came with that dressing so I asks for a balsamic vinaigrette. The salad came out looking like it came out of a bag from the grocery store, with a single slice of cucumber, single slice of tomato, a packaged saltine crackers, and the “homemade dressing” was just plain basic vinegar. We thought the pizza we order could make up for it but it just went downhill from there. They served it on a circular cardboard piece like it came out of the frozen section. No plate no nothing. It was so greasy and sloppy and the “chicken” was cubed like it came out of a can. It seemed like it was frozen. I called the manager to tell her we cannot eat this and she started arguing that their pizza is not frozen and she disregarded all the other issues. I’m sorry but this should be on the next Gordon Ramsey kitchen nightmares.

Lynwood D.

Monday night special. Large 2 topping pizza.