Avanti's Italian Restaurante

 

Quick History: Avanti's is a local chain concentrated in the Central Illinois area since 1966 and has been a staple in Peoria's food scene for decades. They have been awarded as one of the best Italian chains of its area, and is known for its salad, pasta, and gondola sandwiches. Avanti's is also known for its generosity; giving back over $3.5 million to its local community since its been open.

My experience: When I hear the word "Italian restaurant", I personally always think of a fancy casual dining experience, such as Olive Garden. When I first dined here, I was slightly taken aback by the rather casual sitdown experience it offers. They actually have quite the considerate amount of space in their building, and it never really is ever packed. Being born here, I have been to several locations of Avanti's several times, and rarely is it ever crowded inside. However, I personally consider this as more of a carry-out restaurant. The cashiers and waiters tend to be very young, usually out of high school or in college, as opposed to some dine-in places where I feel the age is skewed to be a little older. Because they revolve around parttime workers, something I appreciated was that after the pandemic, the Peoria Knoxville location put up a sign that said something along the lines of "be patient, our servers chose to come to work to serve you", so its clear they put value on their employees which gives a good first impression. As far as the food, its decent to good. I do find that some of the food is outclassed by some of the other local Italian spots, but their salads are great and their sandwiches are the star. I would personally rather get the pasta and pizza somewhere else. Their service is incredibly fast and for the most part, friendly. I would definitely recommend to someone who is knew to the area.