Papa Joe's Restaurant

12/06/09

Not Very Impressed

by DJT at Citysearch

After debating several Italian restaurants last night, my family decided to visit Papa Joe's in Oak Lawn. It had been a while since we've visited and decided it was time to go back.

When we arrived, the hostess was seating a large group that had come in. While she went back and forth checking on their tables, my party of three languished. Finally a waitress came to our aid and seated us.

We ordered the Manicotti with Marinara sauce, the Fettucini Alfredo, and the Steak Milanase. We all ordered the cream of chicken soup, and an order of fried mozarella as a starter.

The soup was tepid, and would have been wonderful had it actually been hot. the warm loaf of bread accompanying it was quite delightful. The salads were very good - a large chopped salad with Italian dressing, a small pasta salad bowl, and a small tomatoes and cucumbers bowl.

The entrees were fair at best. The Manicotti had the texture of having been cooked a little too long - the edges of the pasta were tough, and the bulk was a bit soggy. The marinara sauce was robust and quite good.

The Fettucini Alfredo was a disappointment. Although the pasta itself was good, the sauce was very thick and missing the creaminess that I expected. It was also quite bland.

The Steak Milanase was listed as having "just enough read sauce". It was smothered in marinara, which completely masked the taste of the steak itself. I wish I could comment on the taste of the meat, but the sauce was simply too overpowering.

Overall, for $50 + tip, we should have gone to Leona's - and will in the future.

• Pros: Appetizer, salad, bread
• Cons: Everything else

07/13/09

Go eat somewhere else

by Mags13 at Citysearch

When my group first showed up, we decided to order appetizers. We ordered bruschetta, which was $6 for three dinky pieces. There were ants in our bruschetta. There was nothing special about the iceberg lettuce salad, soup or bread. I ordered chicken tetrazzini, and the chicken was overcooked and dry. The bathrooms were really dirty. On the plus side, our waitress and the bartender were extremely kind and polite, but that couldn't save this sinking ship of a restaurant.

• Pros: Nice wait staff
• Cons: Bad Italian food and way overpriced

06/13/08

Great Local Italian

by atlanticat at Citysearch

At Papa Joe's, you will find the best deep dish pizza in all of Oak Lawn. Whenever I move, finding the best local pizza is imperative. I stopped looking when I got to Papa Joe's. The unusual factor is that no matter what topping is on the pizza, it will be cooked as close to "al dente" as that topping can get. The sauce is full of chunks of real tomato, the cheese is thick, and the crust is superb. A better pizza can not be had in this area.

The restaurant is a great place to visit as well. It's fairly small and usually full of locals on most evenings. There's also a nice bar to wait at, should you need to wait. I've had a few of the pasta dishes and have to recommend the gnocchi (seasonal) and lasagne. The Chicken Limone is excellent as well. It's typically a bit noisy, but the good food is worth it.