Traverso's Restaurant
NapervilleFood Editor
Local team review
The Italian wedding soup — mini meatballs, escarole, and orzo floating in a clear chicken broth — arrived before our entrees and immediately made the table feel like Sunday dinner at a relative's house. The eggplant Parmesan was a genuine surprise: breaded, fried, and layered with enough mozzarella and marinara to make a vegetarian option feel indulgent rather than obligatory. The veal piccata, bright with lemon and capers over angel hair, had a lightness that balanced the heavier pasta dishes. After thirty-plus years, the kitchen still cooks like it has something to prove.
About the Restaurant
Brothers Mike and Paul Traverso opened their restaurant in 1993 and built it the old-fashioned way, by feeding the neighborhood well and treating everyone like a regular. The portions are enormous, the garlic bread arrives warm and buttery before you've finished ordering, and the chicken parmesan is the kind of straightforward, soul-satisfying dish that keeps families coming back decade after decade. The full bar pours solid Italian reds, and the private party room handles everything from First Communions to retirement dinners.
Insider Tip
The veal piccata is the sleeper on the menu, lemon, capers, and a butter sauce that's worth mopping up with that garlic bread.
Photos
Hours
Details
2523 Plainfield-Naperville Rd, South Naperville
Open in Maps → (opens in new tab)Best For
A family-owned Italian experience with real generosity
Multi-generational dinners where everyone needs to eat well
When you want Italian-American comfort without pretension
Amenities
What this restaurant offers
Dine-In
Takeout
Full Bar
Catering
Private Dining
Reservations: Recommended
Menu Highlights
Signature dishes worth trying
Chicken Parmesan
Breaded chicken breast with marinara and melted mozzarella, generously portioned.
Veal Piccata
Thin-pounded veal in a lemon-caper butter sauce with angel hair pasta.
Garlic Bread
Warm, buttery, and arrives before you've ordered, the table's unofficial appetizer.
Baked Mostaccioli
Penne baked with ricotta, mozzarella, and house meat sauce until bubbly.
Eggplant Parmesan
Layers of breaded eggplant, marinara, and melted cheese, a vegetarian crowd-pleaser.
Italian Wedding Soup
A house staple: mini meatballs, escarole, and orzo in savory chicken broth.
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