Nearby
Little Italy, near the West Loop.
Little Italy is the historic Italian-American neighborhood along Taylor Street, south of the West Loop and the Eisenhower Expressway. Anchored by long-running family restaurants — Tuscany, Rosebud, Pompei — and the Mario's Italian Lemonade summer stand, it has been Chicago's most-visited Italian dining destination for more than a century.
Quick facts
- Distance from West Loop
- About 1 mile south — a 20-to-25-minute walk
- Direction from West Loop
- South across the Eisenhower, then west along Taylor Street
- Coordinates
- 41.8693, -87.6582
- More info
- Little Italy on Wikipedia
What it is
Little Italy is a historic Chicago neighborhood centered on Taylor Street between Halsted and Ashland, in the Near West Side community area. It was settled by Italian immigrants in the late 19th century and remained the city's densest Italian-American community through the 20th century. While much of the original neighborhood was displaced by the University of Illinois Chicago construction in the 1960s, the Taylor Street commercial corridor survived and remains the home of multiple long-running Italian-American restaurants. Notable institutions include Mario's Italian Lemonade (a summer-only stand operating since 1954), Pompei (since 1909), Tuscany, and Rosebud.
Getting there from the West Loop
From the heart of the West Loop, walk south on Halsted across the Eisenhower Expressway, then turn west on Taylor Street — about 20–25 minutes total to the heart of Little Italy at Taylor and Loomis. By CTA, take the Blue Line south to Polk station, then walk west. By rideshare, expect a 5-to-10-minute trip depending on traffic.
Why this page exists
For an authentic Chicago Italian-American meal — old-school red-sauce tradition, summer Italian ice, and the family-restaurant atmosphere that the West Loop's modern Italian doesn't replicate — Little Italy is the destination. Many West Loop visitors do a Little Italy lunch as a separate trip from their West Loop dinner, taking advantage of the two neighborhoods' different Italian-restaurant traditions.
The famous Italian restaurants of Little Italy (Tuscany, Rosebud, Pompei, Mario's Italian Lemonade) sit along Taylor Street at addresses the City of Chicago doesn't classify as West Loop in its business-license dataset. Those restaurants therefore aren't in our directory. To find them, see Wikipedia's Little Italy article or the Taylor Street Business Association. The "Italian in West Loop" picks above are the modern Italian-restaurant alternatives in the West Loop itself.
Italian in the West Loop (the modern alternative)
The West Loop's own Italian restaurants — modern, wine-program-driven, sit-down. A different tradition from Taylor Street.
- Formento's Nonna's B. Hospitality Co. Italian Steakhouse on Randolph (est. 2015 as a tribute to Nonna Formento) — closest in spirit to Taylor Street's family-restaurant tradition.917-923 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Bar Tutto Italian wine bar and trattoria on Randolph.1110 W Carroll Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Alla Vita DineAmic Italian — handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza.564 W Randolph St 1, Chicago, IL, 60661
- Bar Siena Big Italian dining room on Randolph.832 W Randolph St 1 & 2, Chicago, IL, 60607
- Bonci Roman Style Pizza Roman-style pizza al taglio — the American flagship of Gabriele Bonci's brand.161 N Sangamon St 1st, Chicago, IL, 60607
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Little Italy in Chicago?
- Little Italy is a historic neighborhood along Taylor Street between Halsted and Ashland, south of the Eisenhower Expressway in the Near West Side community area. It is immediately south of the West Loop and adjacent to the UIC campus.
- Is Little Italy in the West Loop?
- Geographically adjacent, but not the same. The City of Chicago classifies Little Italy as a separate neighborhood from the West Loop — they sit on opposite sides of the Eisenhower Expressway. The two are walkable to each other (about 20 minutes) and often visited together.
- What are the best restaurants in Little Italy?
- The long-running anchors are Tuscany, Rosebud, Pompei (operating since 1909), and Mario's Italian Lemonade (a summer-only stand operating since 1954). Because these restaurants sit outside the City's West Loop classification, they aren't in our directory — see Wikipedia's Little Italy article or the Taylor Street Business Association for current listings.
- How far is Little Italy from the West Loop?
- About 1 mile south — a 20-to-25-minute walk from the heart of the West Loop via Halsted and Taylor. By CTA Blue Line + walk, about 10–15 minutes total.
- What's the difference between Italian in Little Italy and Italian in the West Loop?
- Little Italy is the older, family-restaurant tradition — Italian-American red-sauce, generational ownership, summer Italian ice from a sidewalk stand. The West Loop's Italian restaurants are mostly newer, modern Italian — Bar Tutto, Alla Vita, Bar Siena, Formento's, Adalina — with wine programs and contemporary menus. Both are good; they're different traditions.
- Is Mario's Italian Lemonade still open?
- Mario's Italian Lemonade has operated as a summer-only sidewalk stand on Taylor Street since 1954. It typically opens in May and runs through September each year. Always check current status before a trip — see the stand's Instagram or local press.