The Pasta Bowl

Food was super yummy! Atmosphere was perfect for a chill dinner out after a long week. Katlynn was awesome and went above and beyond to make sure everything was just right. We will most definitely be back.

Pretty nice place.
Had my boyfriend over the other night and decided we wanted pasta. The name immediately drew us in, and so did the prices. They are very cheap, and they give you a BUTTLOAD of food. It was awesome! However, my tip: get some for everyone and split it, because it can be hard to eat THAT much food just by yourself. It isn’t the best place on earth, but for the price and amount of good tasting food, it’s so worth it!

My partner and I were craving some late night pasta. I was skeptical of finding anything that was good and able to deliver at 9pm. We saw The Pasta Bowl open and decided to peer at their menu. The menu showed a plethora of appealing pasta options when compared to other restaurants. We decided to give them a chance, and ordered delivery. The food was delivered about 20 minutes earlier than the expected time, which was a pleasant surprise. The delivery person was nice, and the food was still piping hot.
When we opened the containers up, my partner and I were shocked to see exactly how much food we got for the price we paid. The tin containers were packed with ooey gooey, cheesy pasta. It looked very tantalizing.
I had ordered the Capellini Pomodoro. When the menu says that it contains mozzarella, it really means it. There were big chunks of it along with chunks of tomato. The taste was delicious for a relatively cheap delivery pasta. The basil was pronounced giving it a great fresh taste. The noodles were cooked well, and the cheese… well, let’s just say I enjoyed how much there was.
My partner had the Macaroni al Formaggio. This dish was almost as good, but the trouble it ran into was that it was a tad dry. That might have been from them baking it in order to toast the bread crumbs on top. The flavor was good, however. It was very rich and creamy. I doubt I would have been able to eat the whole portion of that by myself because of just how rich it was.
I will definitely be ordering from here again the next time I get a hankering for some pasta.

Such a cute spot– perfect for a date night. The décor and ambiance is perfect, with a mix of groups and couples. Service was extraordinary, and they now have a full bar.
Obviously this area has some parking issues, especially on a Saturday night.
My friend got a ceaser salad (standard) and the soup of the day (carrot?!?- a bit weird). My spaghetti frutti di mare (seafood spaghetti with mussels, shrimp, scallops) was a huge portion (enough for two), but only worthy of three stars. The sauce was lacking, but the seafood was prepared well. You get a lot of seafood for your buck.
Overall, I’d probably come back if I was craving an affordable, pasta meal but I’d probably order something different.

Totally F’d up our delivery! I called after 1.5 hours of waiting and all they said was that they just missed the online order and didn’t even care. Un-F’N’-believable! We told them that we have kids who have a bedtime and they didn’t care. They casually asked if we still wanted the order. They said it would take an hour to get us the new order ergo 2.5 hours of total waiting! Wow Wow Wow! NEVER AGAIN!

Sooooooo good and excellent staff. Omg they’re so nice. The farfalle pollo is amazing and you can taste the freshness in the food. Lunch special is a good size portion got just $ 6.99 with a free drink. Clean place. Clean restrooms nice atmosphere. Wish I lived closer!

Since the Pasta Bowl was my go-​to Italian restaurant in Lincoln Park, I figured I had to try this location and I’m glad I did!
The restaurant itself seems more open and spacious than the other location, and I loved the atmosphere and all the art around the dining room. The menu itself seems to be the same, and the pasta is just as delicious! The portions are large and the pasta comes with a dinner roll, so don’t worry about leaving hungry. I’ll definitely be back next time I have a spaghetti craving!

If you’re looking for deliciously unhealthy, rich, cheesy pasta, this is the place for you. I came here with a few friends for dinner and ordered the tortellini with grilled chicken, which was yummy and very filling. The restaurant has a warm, classy ambience; the artwork on the wall is actually for sale, which is pretty cool.
However, one of my friends ordered the potato gnocchi with rosemary, and the sauce was salty to the point that it was basically inedible. She finished half her plate (and about two glasses of water) before giving up. Also, while the service is friendly, I felt that it was a little slow considering that we were the only people in the restaurant.
Overall, the food is good, but not consistent. Next time I’ll probably try another pasta place or the Lincoln Park location instead.

I ordered the Faralle Pollo WITHOUT mushrooms and of course it came with mushrooms. I was sitting at the bar and It took my waiter at least 15 mins to realize that I stopped my plate was barely untouched and it was only about 5 people dining in. I decided not to get the same dish again and sub out to Tiramisu (still slightly frozen) and coffee… Service was very slow and water was not replenished during my visit. Nothing impressive for my first visit.

I’m such a sucker for the Capellini Pomodoro. So simple yet so freaking amazing.
Additionally, I found out this location delivers to me. This is very dangerous.

Seriously some of the best pasta I’ve ever had.
Neither my boyfriend or I could finish our bowls of cheesy, saucy, carb goodness. Although we were close… a pasta induced food coma quickly followed. No regrets!
The polenta appetizer we had was great too. I don’t even like polenta but I still enjoyed it. The marinara served with it was warm and full of flavor!

When you’re here, you’re family for real. I was immediately greeted by a young gentleman who told me he runs things at the restaurant during the day. Impressed by his energy and enthusiasm, all I had to do was listen as he showed me the lunch specials and the regular menu.
Although everything looked good on the specials, I went with my usual tri-​colored tortellini with shrimp. You really can’t go wrong with a little comfort food on a cold autumn day. It was perfect. The shrimp was nicely portioned with the pasta. The pasta was just the right kind of chewy, but I wouldn’t call it al dente. A nice mass of parmesan cheese was piled in the center of my to-​go dish. Complete with slice of bread on the side.
While I waited, I took a moment to scan the space. Local art covered the walls, and it looked like it was all for sale. The seating is either found around the perimeter as large booths, or there is ample bar seating. Everything is decorated in dark brown and merlot. Perfect for the low-​lit atmosphere and a couple of drinks.
To people who pick up their food. Be careful how you carry it out. Most of the cheese sauce had spilled inside of my bag by the time I got back to work. I didn’t notice the plate had managed to turn on its side as I carried it. If I had known that, I would have held the dish through the plastic instead of the handles on the plastic bag. The portions aren’t too big so you don’t feel too pasta bloated after your meal. Very tasty, and the next time I crave Italian, I’m coming here.

Been going to the Lincoln Park location since moving to the city. Super happy for the new location because I can get there a lot easier from where I live. Went with my girls one night and were treated like rockstars and fed like queens. We got a round of apps: salad, polenta, and calamari. All yummy and served with perfection. I ordered my all time favorite, the Conchiglie Gorgonzola, while my friends tried the special (some shrimp pasta in a tomato cream sauce) and Rigatoni Bolognese. We shared our tasty bowls of hearty heaven with each other and pretty much said «I’m totally ordering that when I come back!»
I can’t wait to go back and fill my belly up with the comforting warmth of well made pasta. One of these days I’ll live close enough for delivery, but so far I’m more than happy to go out of my way to this super cute location. BYOB while you can and mangia, mangia!

Italian comfort food at it’s absolute best.
I’ve been a longtime fan of the Lincoln Park Pasta Bowl and was so pumped to see them open in Wicker Park.
The restaurant is gorgeous. They support local artists (love) with a steadily rotating display of purchasable art on the walls. It adds a cool vibe, a new look often and a good feeling that you can buy stuff from local artists.
Service? ON POINT. Always polite, helpful and efficient.
But it’s all about the food, right? RIGHT. I love, love, love the food at Pasta Bowl. Its not trying to be fancy or recreate the wheel, but that’s what I want when I come in. I want the rigatoni bolognese and it’s meaty deliciousness. I want the classic frutti di mare served over spaghetti. The fried polenta appetizer is hearty, hot, crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. And always check out the specials. I had a shrimp pasta with spinach, zucchini and a creamy tomato sauce that was excellent.
Big groups: This is your spot. Lots of tables and huge booths. They take reservations.
Right now it’s BYOB until they obtain their liquor license so take advantage!
Pro tip: They deliver. Because you know you want to eat your gnocchi in sweatpants.

The pasta was ok just al dente as I like it, but too much pesto on it for me… The place is well located and the restaurant is cool, even if there was a smell we didn’t like. The problem for us was the service: the servers were very rude and just want us to go after we ate… Too bad…

TL;DR great place for Italian «comfort» food. Though there can be a bit of a wait. The staff’s hospitality ties this place together handsomely.
I was visiting the area, craving pasta. I was on a time crunch so I didn’t have time to sit down for a fancy gourmet place. I walked by the Pasta Bowl and it looked small, causal and the food smelled delicious.
I sat down, and just behind me there was a party of maybe 20+ people. Whoops– like I said I was on a time crunch. I was committed. I placed my order quickly and the staff brought me my drink.
Because of the big party, I did have a bit of a wait. The staff was very apologetic and tended to me as much as they could. No big deal. With friendly staff like that, the hunger didn’t bother me much. Food finally came out (gnocchi) and it was well worth the wait. Cheesy, but not overpowering, with sweet Mariana sauce hit the spot.
On my way out, the owner offered again an apology and asked if I wanted a dessert on the house. Very gracious. He even gave me a free meal next time on him. I graciously refused as I was stuffed from the meal.
Pasta Bowl, you’re doing it right. Thanks for making a potentially bad experience, a very good one.

I wasn’t impressed by the food here. They offered a check-​in deal, which consisted of a free cheesy bread. Free food is always good. I noticed that the cheesy bread is normally $ 5, which I definitely would not pay for. The bread was lightly toasted with melted cheese on top and served with generic marinara sauce.
I ordered the portobello sandwich because I was sad that the portobello mushrooms in my fridge went moldy earlier that day. The bread was over toasted for my taste. The cheese was good though. I had originally ordered white beans as my side but instead I got pasta salad. I don’t remember whether that was good or not.
The servers were super nice and attentive, which is always a plus!

$ 6.99 LUNCH SPECIALS (entrée PLUS drink!) are the bomb! And the food is actually good too! Pretty big portions and the food comes out pretty fast. They only had 1 waiter when I came on a Tuesday for lunch but maybe they’ll get more staff once it gets busier. Had to wait to get seated and order. He was nice though. Came with my brother — he got the bolognese and really liked it except it was a bit too salty. I had the pesto which had great flavor.
The restaurant is a lot nicer inside then I imagined. Nice comfy booths and a bar area with a TV. It’s in a great area, 3 min walk from six point in wicker park.
Overall: great experience, perfect for lunch, definitely worth a try if you’re ever close by!

So I said I would go back and try the pasta here. I had the same nice server. Tonight I tried the chicken caesar with garlic croutons. The best dish was the lobster stuffed ravioli with garlic sauce. Our calamari was nicely seasoned and perfectly cooked as well. We were naughty and had the tiramisu for dessert. Prices were affordable and it’s a causal place. It’s right around the corner for me so I’ll be back again for the pasta

Wonderful place! Food is just amazing, juicy rich flavored pasta, affordable prices. Sad moment — no bar inside, but server told us he wouldn’t mind us carrying in some drinks from liquor store. Service is pretty nice as well.
Will definitely come back again on our next visit in Chicago.