Francesca's By The River

4.4 (2271)

$30 and under

Italian

200 South Second Street, St. Charles, IL 60174

About this restaurant

Romantic
Good for special occasions
Neighborhood gem

A member of Francesca's Restaurant Group, Francesca's by the River features the zesty, earthy cuisine of Rome and the surrounding areas of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio. The restaurant, located in beautiful downtown St. Charles, encourages the lively art of dining with a contemporary, casually sophisticated trattoria ambiance, good, simple cooking, friendly service and fair prices.

About the Francesca’s Restaurant Group: Founded in 1992 by Restaurateur Scott Harris, Francesca’s Restaurant Group has grown from a small, welcoming Italian restaurant on Chicago’s North Clark Street to a restaurant group of 5 concepts across 25 locations in 3 states. Based in Chicago, Francesca’s Restaurant Group currently owns and operates 18 Francesca’s Restaurants, 4 Davanti Enoteca's, Disotto, Fat Rosie’s and Hillgrove Tap.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Italian, Mediterranean, Wine Bar
Hours of operation
Mon, Tue 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Wed, Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm
Phone number
(630) 587-8221
Website
http://www.miafrancesca.com/locations/profile/francescas-by-the-river
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Blas Losoya
Catering
Please Call Our Event Sales Manager, Gabriela Barker, at 1.888.937.9009 ext. 153.
Private party facilities
Francesca's by the River's philosophy of good, simple cooking - served in a casual sophisticated dining atmosphere - is one that we proudly carry over to event planning. Our private rooms are ideal for corporate or social functions.

Location
200 South Second Street, St. Charles, IL 60174
Neighborhood
Chicago
Cross street
Illinois
Parking details
Along with our private parking lot, you can park in the 4-story parking garage right behind our lot.
Additional
Banquet, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Calamari in Padella$14.75
Sautéed calamari with capers, fresh tomatoes, spinach, chili flakes, garlic, lemon, and olive oil
Spinach Aglio e Olio$6.75
Sautéed spinach with garlic and olive oil
Carpaccio alla Francesca*$14.75
Thinly-sliced raw sirloin with capers, tomatoes, mushrooms, olive oil, and parmigiano

Insalate

Insalata alla Francesca$8.75
Romaine, endive, and radicchio with blue cheese, fresh vegetables, lemon, and balsamic
Caesar Salad*$7.95
Classic Caesar with roasted peppers and shaved parmesan
Insalata di Asparagi$9.25
Fresh asparagus with tomatoes and blue cheese, dressed with lemon and olive oil

Pizze

Additional Ingredients ($1 each): Italian sausage, black olives, mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, broccoli, eggplant, or zucchini

Pizza Margherita$14.75
Roasted plum tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella

Paste

Pasta al Pomodoro$15.95
Sautéed in a cherry tomato sauce with garlic and fresh herbs
Pasta Alle Verdure$19.95
Sautéed with wild mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, escarole, garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts in in an herb broth
Pasta Aglio e Olio$14.95
Sautéed with olive oil, fresh garlic, diced tomatoes, and spinach
Pasta all'Arlecchino$26.95
Sautéed with shrimp, sea scallops, manila clams, garlic, and olive oil in a spicy cherry tomato sauce

Secondi

Ask your server for today's gluten friendly specials!

Pollo al Limone$22.95
Sautéed chicken breast in a lemon white wine sauce with capers and spinach
Pollo Siciliana$20.95
Roasted chicken thighs simmered in garlic, shallots, cherry tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives, oregano, and dates
Salmone alla Fresca$25.95
Grilled salmon with tomatoes, avocado, red onions, olive oil, basil and lemon over grilled asparagus

Dolci

Frutta di Sottobosco$8.95
Fresh mixed berries topped with homemade whipped cream
Gelati e Sorbetti$6.95
Ask your server for today's selections

What 2,271 people are saying

Francesca's By The River reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

4.4

4.4 based on all time ratings

4.4Food
4.4Service
4.1Ambience
2.7Value

Noise • Moderate

2,271 Reviews

C
Chuck
Chicago / Illinois2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 10, 2021
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, service, and friends with a great waitress - Mary Beth !
1 person found this helpful
PR
PatrickR
Chicago / Illinois4 reviews
1.0
Dined on May 10, 2021
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
We were at our expected time, but that's where the good experience ended. While I understand that it's busy, we waited over 10 minutes to be acknowledged and Brian (I think) greeted us by setting down used glassware and dirty silverware in his hand by saying "What do you want to drink?"... not "Hello, how are you or Happy Mother's Day". Then, with his face turned to another table, he just walked away to go look at another tables food. We proceeded to get up and leave. The manager asked what was happening, I explained, and that was that. Super poor experience. Pretty sad as Francesca's has really fallen off over the years. Simply acknowledging a guest would have fixed the situation.
Is this helpful?
RS
RobertS
Chicago / Illinois6 reviews
4.0
Dined on May 9, 2021
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 2
We liked everything about the experience except it was too loud for normal table conversation, especially for a Sunday brunch.
Is this helpful?
LM
LindaM VIP
Chicago / Illinois13 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 9, 2021
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Mother’s Day
Is this helpful?
DB
DawnB123
Chicago / Illinois11 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 9, 2021
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We went on Mother's Day, which can be hit or miss since it's so busy. Our server "Dawn" was great, food was great.
Is this helpful?
JL
JulieL
Chicago / Illinois1 review
5.0
Dined on May 9, 2021
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Made for an amazing mother’s day weekend!
Is this helpful?
JN
JaniceN VIP
Chicago / Illinois22 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 7, 2021
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Best restaurant in St Charles.
Is this helpful?
BB
BostonBruins4
Chicago / Illinois44 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 5, 2021
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Really fantastic food! Every course was delightful and I can't wait to go back
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A
Acemanuel1 VIP
Chicago / Illinois18 reviews
4.0
Dined on May 1, 2021
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great service. Food was good.
Is this helpful?
b
bruceb
Chicago / Illinois26 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 30, 2021
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Good food good drink. Nice night
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FAQs

Francesca's By The River offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (630) 587-8221.

Francesca's By The River is rated 4.4 stars by 2271 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

200 South Second Street, St. Charles, IL 60174

Additional information

Cross street
Illinois
Neighborhood
Chicago
Hours of operation
Mon, Tue 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Wed, Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Italian, Mediterranean, Wine Bar
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Along with our private parking lot, you can park in the 4-story parking garage right behind our lot.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Blas Losoya
Additional
Banquet, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.miafrancesca.com/locations/profile/francescas-by-the-river
Phone number
(630) 587-8221
Catering
Please Call Our Event Sales Manager, Gabriela Barker, at 1.888.937.9009 ext. 153.
Private party facilities
Francesca's by the River's philosophy of good, simple cooking - served in a casual sophisticated dining atmosphere - is one that we proudly carry over to event planning. Our private rooms are ideal for corporate or social functions.

Francesca's By The River

About this restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Menu

Antipasti

Calamari in Padella$14.75

Spinach Aglio e Olio$6.75

Carpaccio alla Francesca*$14.75

Insalate

Insalata alla Francesca$8.75

Caesar Salad*$7.95

Insalata di Asparagi$9.25

Pizze

Pizza Margherita$14.75

Paste

Pasta al Pomodoro$15.95

Pasta Alle Verdure$19.95

Pasta Aglio e Olio$14.95

Pasta all'Arlecchino$26.95

Secondi

Pollo al Limone$22.95

Pollo Siciliana$20.95

Salmone alla Fresca$25.95

Dolci

Frutta di Sottobosco$8.95

Gelati e Sorbetti$6.95

What 2,271 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

Does Francesca's By The River offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Francesca's By The River restaurant rated?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information