For more than a half-century, Lino’s has served as a focal point of Rockford’s community. It’s a place where everyone is welcome, where everyone can feel at home, and where everyone can enjoy a dining experience that combines generations of culinary mastery with the warmth and love of a home-cooked Italian meal.

A True Family Restaurant, for 50 Years

At Lino’s, the term “family restaurant” means we’re still owned and operated by the same family that launched the restaurant 50 years ago—but that’s just the beginning.

Yes, we’re still family-run. The Battista family founded Lino’s, continues to operate it. You’ll still find Uncle Vince and Uncle Dom—in their 80s and 90s, respectively—in the kitchen every day hand-rolling pasta and preparing our famous Italian sausage. Mike and Pasqua Battista, who immigrated from Italy and first opened Lino’s in 1972, are still fixtures at the restaurant.

But at Lino’s, our definition of family runs deeper. It includes our awesome team, of whom more than 20 have been with Lino’s for at least 20 years—and a dozen have been with us for at least three decades. We grow together and invest in one other: our certified level-2 sommelier, Jessica Cacciapaglia Anderson, worked at Lino’s for 20 years before beginning her formal training as an expert in fine wine.