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Some of the best family stories in Illinois start behind a door you would probably walk right past. In the small North Shore city of Highwood, one modest storefront has been serving northern Italian dinners for roughly 90 years, and the family behind it is now four generations deep.
Folks who came here as kids now return with their own children, and the owners still stop by tables to chat. The menu stays small, the pasta is homemade, and the gnocchi in the headline is the real deal.
Keep reading to learn where it is, what makes it last, when to go, and how to plan a dinner that feels like a trip back in time without leaving the state.
A Quiet Address on Green Bay Road
The building does not shout for attention, and that is part of the charm. Del Rio Restaurant sits at 228 Green Bay Rd, Highwood, IL 60040, in the United States.
Highwood is a compact city on Chicago’s North Shore, tucked beside Highland Park in Lake County. Locals know it as a town where good dinners hide in plain buildings.
Del Rio fits that pattern perfectly. It is an Italian restaurant focused on northern Italian cooking, with a small menu instead of a phone book of choices.
That small menu is a choice, not a shortcut. A tight list lets the kitchen keep its homemade recipes steady from one year to the next.
Families planning a North Shore outing can easily pair dinner here with an afternoon in nearby Highland Park. The drive from many suburbs is short, which makes it a doable weeknight or weekend plan.
Diners who live in the area for decades sometimes admit they somehow never tried it. Once they do, many decide it belongs on their regular list.
So the plain front is less a disguise and more an invitation. The real story starts once the door swings open.
Ninety Years and Four Generations
Few Illinois restaurants can claim a run that started before most of today’s grandparents were born. Del Rio is described as a roughly 90-year-old veteran eatery, and it is often called close to a century old.
Four generations of the same family have kept it going. That kind of continuity is rare in the restaurant world, where places open and close with the seasons.
The family connection shows up at the table. Owners are often on site, watching the details and making the rounds.
One owner has been known to greet guests at the door and come back during the meal for a friendly chat. Plenty of diners say that personal touch makes them feel valued.
There is also a strong thread of return trips. Some guests have been coming on and off since childhood and note that the ambiance has never changed.
That is the kind of nostalgia that cannot be bought or faked. It is earned one dinner at a time.
For grandparents who want to share a piece of their own past, this is an easy place to start. The memories are already built into the walls.
The Hand-Rolled Gnocchi Promise
Homemade pasta is the heart of the kitchen here, and gnocchi sits right in that lineup. It appears in the homemade pasta section of the menu.
Gnocchi is a small dumpling, and rolling it by hand takes time and patience. That effort matches the restaurant’s focus on homemade recipes.
One version on the menu comes with a pancetta carbonara sauce. At around $26, it is priced like a dinner entree rather than a side.
Opinions on it vary, as they do with any dish. Some diners call the gnocchi a must try, while at least one recent guest felt the portion and the pancetta fell short.
That honest mix is useful to know before ordering. Families who love classic pasta may want to share a gnocchi plate and a second pasta to compare.
Other homemade pastas round out the list, including fettuccine. The house approach keeps the noodles at the center of the meal.
It is a small detail with a big meaning. In a world of shortcuts, the slow route still has a home in Highwood.
Old School Classics That Keep Fans Loyal
Some regulars order the exact same dinner every single visit, and they are proud of it. The menu leans on old school Italian favorites that families tend to recognize.
Since the headline is all about gnocchi, it is enough to say the rest of the menu follows the same traditional path. The kitchen sticks to northern Italian cooking rather than chasing trends.
Diners often describe the food as home cooked. Portions on several entrees are noted as large, which can be good news for sharing.
Small plates are another quiet win. They let a solo diner or a curious table sample a bit of everything, and guests call them a strong value.
Warm loaves of fresh bread with butter arrive at the start. A crisp salad with a homemade sweet vinaigrette also gets plenty of praise.
Not every plate lands for every guest. A few diners have found certain dishes dry or felt the meal did not match their expectations.
Still, the steady stream of repeat customers says a lot. Comfort and consistency are the main course here.
Owners Who Work the Room
Hospitality here often starts before anyone sits down. Free valet staff have been known to open doors for arriving guests.
Inside, an owner may be the one saying hello. Guests describe being greeted at the door and checked on during the meal.
There is humor in the mix too. One late arrival was jokingly told the place was closed, then waved toward a table with a smile.
Servers earn steady praise for being attentive, personable and helpful. Several diners mention their waiter or waitress by name afterward, which says something about the connection.
Big groups are handled as well. A party of ten was seated quickly, with water and bread on the table within minutes.
Experiences are not perfect every night. A recent guest found the service lackluster aside from the water refills, so moods can vary.
Overall, the room runs like a family dinner with professional polish. That balance is hard to fake after nine decades.
Live Music and the Holiday Show
Dinner sometimes comes with a soundtrack. On certain evenings, live jazz has turned an ordinary meal into a small event.
A piano player has performed in the dining room, and guests have compared his style to classic cabaret performers. It is a treat that feels very old school.
Then there is the holiday show. It comes up again and again in conversations about Del Rio, along with mentions of a Christmas opera.
Details like dates and times are not listed here, so calling ahead is the smart move. Seasonal events can fill up quickly at a small restaurant.
For families, a holiday dinner with music can become a yearly tradition. Grandparents and grandkids sharing the same December outing is exactly the kind of memory that sticks.
Other nights may be quieter, with no background music at all. One recent diner found the silence a bit awkward, so expectations should match the evening.
When the music does play, it adds a layer of celebration. Plan around it and the night tends to take care of itself.
A Small Room With a Big Personality
Cozy is the word that keeps coming up, and it is accurate in more ways than one. The dining room is small.
That size makes it a natural fit for couples and small family tables. Guests describe the setting as warm, homey and nostalgic.
Some call it the very essence of a family-owned Italian restaurant. Others simply say they felt like family once they arrived.
The flip side is space. Seating can feel cramped on busy nights, and large parties may land near the door with people passing by.
A group of 16 once found it hard to relax in that spot. Bigger celebrations may want to ask about table placement when booking.
Quiet birthday dinners are a sweet match for the room. So are anniversaries and first nights out after a new baby arrives.
Think of it as a living room that happens to serve pasta. Small, yes, but never short on character.
Who Will Love a Table Here
Grandparents with stories to tell are perfect candidates. Guests who first came as children are now bringing their own families back.
Multi-generation dinners show up often. One group tried it with their son’s family from Highland Park and agreed to return regularly.
Older kids who enjoy classic pasta will likely feel right at home. The familiar menu keeps choices simple for picky eaters.
Couples looking for a relaxed, intimate meal are another strong match. The calm setting suits conversation over a long dinner.
Visitors from Chicago and beyond sometimes add it to their plans whenever they are in the area. That says plenty about its pull.
Those wanting a lively, modern scene may feel differently. Some diners hoped for more buzz or a different take on authentic Italian food.
The best fit is anyone who values tradition and a personal welcome. Bring the family and let the stories start.
Hours Worth Writing Down
Dinner is the only meal on the schedule. Del Rio opens at 5 pm on the days it operates.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday run from 5 to 9:30 pm. Friday and Saturday stretch a little later, from 5 to 10 pm.
Sunday and Monday are closed. That catches some people off guard, so plan weekend trips around Friday or Saturday.
Arriving early is wise on weeknights. Some diners have found the kitchen closed earlier than expected, especially Tuesday through Thursday, even with a later booking.
Online reservations have allowed tables up to 9 pm. Calling ahead to confirm kitchen hours can save a disappointing trip.
Walk-ins sometimes work, particularly early in the week. One couple was seated right away on a Tuesday, while a Friday visit came with a short wait.
For families with kids, a 5 pm seating is often the sweet spot. Early dinner, home before bedtime, everyone happy.
Budget, Valet and Practical Planning
Here is the honest money talk. Del Rio is not a cheap diner, and guests often call it a little pricey.
A pasta entree like the gnocchi runs around $26. One couple spent about $62 before tip on two dishes, so plan accordingly.
There are ways to stretch a budget. Small plates are praised as a great value, and sharing them can keep costs down for a family.
Generous portions on some entrees also make splitting a plate reasonable. Free bread and butter at the start help fill hungry kids.
Parking is easier than many North Shore spots. Free valet parking has been offered, which takes stress out of arriving.
Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends or for larger parties. The room is small and seats can go fast.
Prices and policies may change, so a quick call before going is smart. A little planning makes the splurge feel well spent.
Why the Old Front Door Still Matters
Plenty of places promise tradition, but few have nine decades to back it up. Del Rio has stayed small, stayed family run and stayed true to its homemade roots.
It is not flawless. Some diners leave wishing for more space, lower prices or a different style of Italian cooking.
Yet the steady stream of loyal guests tells the bigger story. Many come back for the same dishes, the same welcome and the same unchanged room.
Hand-rolled gnocchi captures the spirit well. It is slow work, done the old way, in a world that usually hurries.
For Illinois families, it offers something rare close to home. A grandparent can point to a table and say they sat there as a kid.
Check the hours, book ahead and aim for an early seating. Ask about the holiday show if the season is right.
The plain storefront on Green Bay Road may never win a beauty contest. It does not need to, because the real draw has always been inside.
